SCS bus routes to change for fall
Shelby County Schools (SCS) is consolidating and changing bus routes this year for efficiency. Drivers began testing the new routes on Aug. 1.
SCS Superintendent Dorsey Hopson said updated bus stop information will be online this week, and parents should receive a notification about any bus stop change that affects their children. For more information or to ask a question, visit shelbyed.k12.al.us/transportation.htm.
Educators launch Digital Resources Library online
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—A new online library created by teachers is making digital educational content available free on iTunes U.
The Tennessee School Boards Association, in partnership with the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS), Tennessee Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (TASCD), the Tennessee Educational Technology Association (TETA) and the American Public Education Foundation, has launched the Tennessee Digital Resources Library (TDRL).
The Tennessee Digital Resources Library was created because TSBA and its partners wanted to embrace the potential offered by digital technology for the sharing of content in the classrooms of Tennessee and engage students with a delivery method that inspires their natural curiosity and parallels the world in which they function outside the classroom. Boards of education spend a significant amount of money on textbooks that are often obsolete even before they reach students. By using these free, modifiable learning resources and making them available on iTunes U, boards can use textbook money on devices and technology infrastructure.
The Tennessee Digital Resources Library is designed to help school districts use and share open educational resources, which are aligned to Tennessee standards, thus helping our teachers as they deliver content in the classrooms.
Teachers from across the state have curated digital learning materials for the following 14 high school courses: Algebra I and II; Biology; Chemistry; Economics; English I, II, III and IV; Geometry; Government; Physical Science; and U.S. and World History.
Three local teachers are among the educators who participated in this project: Brian Brewer and Caroline Howard, both of Bartlett, and Joel Wilhite of Arlington. The American Public Education Foundation provided stipends and iPad Airs to all teachers who worked on curating these digital materials.
Visit tndigitalresourcelibrary.com or iTunes U to access the course materials. You can also access the material by visiting the TSBA website at tsba.net and clicking on TDRL.
DSCC announces choir auditions and scholarships
DYERSBURG, Tenn.—Dyersburg State Community College’s (DSCC) Choir, “Syncopation,” is holding auditions by appointment through the beginning of the fall 2016 semester. Under the direction of Desiree Dolan, the choir is open to all students regardless of major. Participating students are eligible for scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 per school year.
Auditions are currently being held by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the E.H. Lannom Jr. Gymnasium, Room 182, on the Dyersburg campus and at the Jimmy Naifeh Center at Tipton County on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the Jimmy Naifeh Building, Room B109.
For more information or to set up an alternative appointment for an audition, students are urged to contact Dolan at (731) 286-3389 or ddolan@dscc.edu.
New leadership debuts for THEC
Mike Krause, newly appointed executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), took office this Monday. He replaced Russ Deaton, the interim appointee who has filled the role since 2014.
Krause has served as executive director of the Drive to 55 since 2014 and successfully managed the launch and implementation of Tennessee Promise and the other initiatives under the Drive to 55 umbrella.
Governor Bill Haslam said, “Mike’s enthusiasm for higher education and his passion for making college accessible to all Tennesseans have led to the success of Tennessee Promise. He has been an instrumental part of my administration, leading our efforts to increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary degree or certificate to 55 percent by 2025, and I know he will use that same drive and focus to help lead THEC during this exciting time for higher education in Tennessee,” Haslam said.
Krause takes the helm at THEC as it assumes an enhanced role under the Focus On College and Student Success (FOCUS) Act, which charged THEC with providing greater coordination of Tennessee’s higher education systems across the state, including capital project management, institutional mission approval and higher education finance strategy.
Krause also will jointly lead the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC), which administers state and federal student financial assistance programs, including the state lottery scholarship program, which serves 100,000 students with $300 million in awards.
See details at tn.gov/news/43835.
