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Tennessee House Speaker Mulls Rejecting US Education Money

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Tennessee House Speaker Mulls Rejecting US Education Money


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — One in every of Tennessee’s most influential Republican lawmakers says the state ought to cease accepting the practically $1.8 billion of federal Okay-12 schooling {dollars} that assist present help for low-income college students, English learners and college students with disabilities.

Home Speaker Cameron Sexton advised The Related Press that he has launched a invoice to discover the thought throughout this yr’s legislative session and has begun discussions with Gov. Invoice Lee and different key GOP lawmakers.

“Mainly, we’ll have the ability to educate the children how Tennessee sees match,” Sexton stated, pointing that rejecting the cash would imply that Tennessee would now not have “federal authorities interference.”

Thus far, no state has efficiently rejected federal schooling funds at the same time as state and native officers have lengthy grumbled about among the necessities and testing that at instances come hooked up to the cash. The thought has additionally come up elsewhere in latest months amongst GOP officers, together with in Oklahoma and South Carolina.

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Many Republican politicians and candidates on the federal stage have additionally made a behavior of calling for the outright elimination of the U.S. Division of Schooling.

Based on Sexton, Tennessee is presently within the monetary place to make use of state tax {dollars} to interchange federal schooling funds. He pointed to the $3.2 billion in new spending outlined in Gov. Lee’s latest finances proposal for the upcoming fiscal yr as proof that the state might simply cowl the federal authorities’s portion.

Federal {dollars} make up a small slice of Tennessee’s Okay-12 schooling funding, which had an nearly $8.3 billion finances as of fiscal yr 2023. But the federal cash is seen as a key instrument to supporting faculties in low-income areas and particular schooling.

Sexton says he has been mulling the proposal for some time, however this week, he publicly touted the thought in entrance of a packed room filled with lawmakers, lobbyists and different leaders on the Tennessee Farm Bureau luncheon on Tuesday.

“We as a state can lead the nation as soon as once more in telling the federal authorities that they’ll hold their cash and we’ll simply do issues the Tennessee method,” Sexton stated on the occasion. “And that ought to begin, at the start, with the Division of Schooling.”

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Spokespersons for each Gov. Lee and Sen. Randy McNally appeared open to entertaining Sexton’s proposal.

“Though we haven’t seen the small print of the laws but, the governor is all the time interested by working with the speaker to make sure Tennessee college students have the very best entry to a high-quality schooling,” stated Lee’s spokesperson, Jade Byers.

McNally stated he was open to the proposal, saying that “federal mandates within the space of schooling will be overly burdensome.”

“McNally thinks a dialogue about forgoing this cash, a comparatively small a part of total schooling funding, to be able to preserve extra management over how we educate our Tennessee college students is a constructive dialog to have,” spokesperson Adam Kleinheider stated.

Democratic Rep. Bo Mitchell stated he had a number of issues about forgoing federal schooling funding, significantly understanding that the cash presently goes to help college students with disabilities and low-income college students.

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“I’m involved about their rights and Tennessee having the ability to present these companies and uphold their rights,” Mitchell stated.

In Republican-dominant Tennessee, GOP lawmakers have more and more grow to be extra skeptical and combative over what’s taught inside public school rooms — significantly over race and gender points — and the insurance policies surrounding what companies faculties supply to college students.

To push again in opposition to these assaults, advocates have usually leveraged numerous federal funds the state receives as grounds to dam or problem numerous school-related bans. This has resulted in state and federal schooling officers usually being at odds with one another.

For instance, final September, the U.S. Division of Schooling reprimanded Tennessee for the way it was finishing up statewide testing, saying its issues “affect the state’s capacity to offer clear and clear info to the general public about college efficiency, but additionally consequence within the state utilizing info that isn’t comparable throughout faculties.”

In the meantime, Tennessee was among the many states to sue President Joe Biden ’s administration over a U.S. Division of Agriculture college meal program that prohibits discrimination based mostly on sexual orientation and gender id.

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The lawsuit got here after the USDA introduced in Could that it will embrace discrimination based mostly on sexual orientation and gender id as a violation of Title IX, the sweeping 1972 regulation that ensures fairness between the sexes in “any schooling program or exercise receiving Federal monetary help.”

And in 2021, the federal division opened investigations into Tennessee and 4 different Republican-led states which have banned or restricted masks necessities in faculties, saying the insurance policies might quantity to discrimination in opposition to college students with disabilities or well being circumstances.

But it’s unclear whether or not Tennessee would have fewer conflicts with the federal authorities if the state selected to forgo the schooling funding. Whereas the U.S. Structure says public schooling is a state duty, states are nonetheless required to comply with federal legal guidelines.

Individually, in January, Tennessee sparked nationwide consideration when state’s Division of Well being introduced it was strolling away from practically $9 million in federal funding designed to stop and deal with HIV.

In a letter despatched to suppliers, the state introduced that it believes “it’s in the very best curiosity of Tennesseans for the state to imagine direct monetary and managerial duty for these companies.”

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Why Tennessee football playoff rankings don’t matter to Josh Heupel but should to you

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Why Tennessee football playoff rankings don’t matter to Josh Heupel but should to you


Coach Josh Heupel understands why Tennessee football fans will watch the first College Football Playoff rankings show on Tuesday night, but it won’t be must-see TV for him.

“Do you remember what the first rankings were last year? I don’t either,” Heupel said. “So it doesn’t matter. What they remember is where you finish as November wraps up.”

For what it’s worth, Tennessee was No. 17 in the first CFP poll last season. And it never factored into the playoff race.

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In 2022, the Vols were ranked No. 1 in the first CFP poll. They dropped out of the four-team bracket after losing to Georgia and never got back in.

So Heupel makes a fair point. A team’s finish matters instead of its start when it comes to the playoff rankings.

But in this new 12-team playoff format, there’s more room to maneuver from week to week and still stay in the mix.

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The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). A new top 25 will then be released by the CFP selection committee every Tuesday through Dec. 3.

The 12-team playoff field will be announced on Dec. 8.

Focus on Mississippi State before worrying about Georgia

Tennessee is ranked No. 6 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the AP Top 25. Where the Vols are placed in the CFP rankings will indicate what the selection committee thinks of their resume thus far.

But Heupel is right that Tennessee (7-1, 4-1 SEC) will make or break its playoff chances by what it does in the next four games, beginning with Saturday’s contest (7 p.m., ESPN) against Mississippi State (2-7, 0-5).

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“Playoff rankings at this point don’t matter. You don’t have control over it,” Heupel said. “All you have control over is your preparation and how you play. Ultimately, that determines where you’re at or where you’re not at.

“For this football team, we’ve got to continue to grow and get better and control those things that we’re in control of.”

If Tennessee beats Mississippi State, its trip to Georgia on Nov. 16 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) would have a massive impact on the SEC and playoff races.

Are Vols talking about College Football Playoff chances?

No. 2 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) plays at No. 12 Ole Miss (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC).

Ole Miss likely would drop out of the playoff race with a loss, and Georgia would be in the driver’s seat for a playoff bid and SEC championship game berth.

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A Georgia loss to Ole Miss would put the Bulldogs in a potential playoff elimination game against Tennessee.

Tennessee would be a playoff shoo-in by winning its final four games for an 11-1 record. Losing to Georgia only and finishing 10-2 would set up a toss-up situation for the Vols, who would need help from other playoff contenders.

Alabama (6-2, 3-2) plays at LSU (6-2, 3-1) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC) in a likely playoff elimination game. And there are games in other conferences that will impact next week’s CFP rankings. But none of that matters to the Vols unless they beat Mississippi State to stay in the race.

“It’s just a one-week season at this point. And we’ve talked about us being in control of our destiny,” tight end Holden Staes said. “But in terms of the big picture with the College Football Playoff, we know down the road that will come. But if we just take it one week at a time and do our job each week, then we’ll have the results in terms of that at the end.”

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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Watch: In-Depth Breakdown Of Tennessee Football’s Two Most Recent Commit

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Watch: In-Depth Breakdown Of Tennessee Football’s Two Most Recent Commit


It’s no secret that Tennessee landed two recruits on Halloween day. The Vols had a great holiday as they had a day full of treats and no tricks. Tennessee added a commitment in the class of 2026 and a flip from one school to the Vols in the 2025 class to close out the night.

2026 WR Tyreek King committed to the Vols early on Thursday becoming the first wide receiver to commit to the Vols in the 2026 class. King attends Knoxville Catholic which is closer than most schools to Neyland Stadium. Kings high school is only around 15-20 minutes away from Neyland Stadium so one could argue that the Vols always had an advantage for the hometown prospect.

Tennessee would continue the trend of adding other recruiting classes with in-state prospects as Page High School linebacker Brenden Anes would flip his commitment from Wisconsin to the Tennessee Vols. Tennessee has been looking to add another linebacker in the 2025 class as Austin Howard and Brenden Anes have been the frequently mentioned names when talking about the position of need. The Vols finally convinced the Wisconsin linebacker commit to flip to the in-state program with just over a month before early signing day.

You can learn more about this recruiting success below by watching Talkin’ Tennessee with Caleb Sisk. This video not only talks about the two newest commits but also some prospects and targets to keep an eye on moving forward.

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No. 12 Tennessee Basketball vs. Gardner-Webb: How To Watch, Betting Odds, Prediction | Rocky Top Insider

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No. 12 Tennessee Basketball vs. Gardner-Webb: How To Watch, Betting Odds, Prediction | Rocky Top Insider


Tennessee basketball opens up its 2024-25 campaign on Monday night as the Vols host Gardner-Webb at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.

The reigning SEC Champions are breaking in a number of new players on this year’s squad but expectations remain high for a program that’s been as consistent as any in the SEC in recent seasons.

Here’s everything to know about the Vols’ season-opener against Gardner Webb on Monday night.

“They’re gonna play really fast. They’re well coached, extremely well coached. They got a new coach there, but they’re gonna work hard. They’re gonna really try to score quick. I think (they were) one of the top teams in the country last year. They can almost play with a 17-second shot clock. They get down the floor, they’re gonna shoot it quick, they know what they’re doing. They know how they wanna play. They’ll spread you out. Really good cutting team. If you turn your head, you get caught looking, they’re gonna take advantage of it.”

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Gardner-Webb:

*Has not listed its starters

Team Statistics Last Season (via Sports Reference)

Tennessee:

Gardner-Webb:

Stat Leaders (Last Season, Any Team)

Tennessee:

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Points: Chaz Lanier (North Florida) — 19.7 PPG, 51 FG%, 44 3PT%

Rebounds: Igor Milicic (Charlotte) — 8.5 RPG

Assists: Zakai Zeigler — 6.1 APG, 2.2 TOPG, 31.6 MPG

Gardner-Webb:

Points: Jamaine Mann (Georgia State) — 6.1 PPG, 46 FG%, 20 3PT%

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Rebounds: Isaiah Richards and Ademide Badmus — 4.5 RPG

Assists: Darryl Simmons II — 0.8 APG, 0.4 TOPG, 10.2 MPG

Prediction

For as much new as Tennessee basketball is breaking in this season, Gardner-Webb is breaking in even more new including a first-year head coach and very few of its top contributors from a season ago.

I have a very hard time seeing Gardner-Webb scoring a lot of points in this game so this feels much more about what Tennessee can do on the offensive end of the court, especially after its poor offensive performance in its exhibition against Indiana.

The Vols will shoot better from the perimeter in this game. They need to be able to establish an inside scoring game too. It would be a bad sign if they can’t.

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Tennessee 84, Gardner-Webb 51



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