Education

Due to increasing COVID-19 cases, Eakin Elementary, Harris Middle, Cascade and Community High Schools will transition to all virtual learning, beginning Monday morning, superintendent Don Embry informed his staff Friday.  Based on an updated report from the superintendent on Friday afternoon, 406 Bedford County students are currently quarantined and 26 have tested positive for coronavirus. ...

Motlow State selected Automation & Robotics Training Center (ARTC) Executive Director Larry Flatt as its nominee for the annual Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Statewide Outstanding Achievement & Recognition (SOAR) Staff Excellence Award. Flatt joined Motlow in 2012 and was a leader in creating the ARTC, overseeing the construction of the facility, and partnering with the world’s leading automation and robotics manufacturers to develop advanced training opportunities. ...

PULASKI, Tenn.–Martin Methodist College (MMC) recently announced it has been awarded a 5-year Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant, totaling over $2 million. Mark Green, the 7th District congressman, visited the MMC campus to present the award to MMC President Dr. Mark La Branche and community leaders...

Christopher Candy, a history department faculty member at The Webb School in Bell Buckle, was recently selected as a News 2/WKRN-TV “Educator of the Week.” Candy was nominated by two of his students and will appear in a News 2 Spotlight on Thursday during the 10 p.m. newscast and Friday between 5:55 a.m.-7 a.m. on the “Good Morning Nashville” newscast...

Three East Side fifth graders have been in the spotlight recently, due to their invention — the One-Handed Seatbelt — inspired by a school employee they admire. The recent news at the elementary school was how inventors Juan Martinez, Jerson Godinez, and Eric Maker were interviewed by Aaron Wartner of “Invention Convention Worldwide,” a part of the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. ...

A divided Bedford County School Board on Tuesday moved forward with a superintendent search and on incremental progress toward building a wing for Community High. In other business, even though Superintendent Don Embry is retiring in December, the school board is contractually obligated to conduct a performance evaluation, Chairwoman Diane Neeley said. The board approved an evaluation form, called an “instrument.” Members must complete it by Nov. 1...

Emma Rose is a senior at Shelbyville Central High School. She speaks clearly and concisely, as she describes the school’s Criminal Justice program and its associated group, the Criminal Justice Student Organization. She is so exacting in her speech you might think she’s memorized a prepared statement...

Tennessee did not get high marks in a recent study that compared it with the other states for the way it treats teachers. According to a study released Monday by online Financial services firm WalletHub, only eight states are less “friendly” to their teachers than Tennessee...

After 40 years in Bedford County education, Don Embry said Thursday he’s going to practice what he’s preached for so many years to his staff, which is put family first, before career. Embry plans to retire as superintendent on Dec. 31. Currently resting on his shoulders is the entire school operation, which for Bedford County includes 15 schools, 8,600 students, currently virtual and in-house, 600 teachers and over 1,000 total staff. ...

Bedford County Schools Superintendent Don Embry announced during Tuesday’s school board meeting his plans to retire from education, effective Dec. 31. The superintendent’s official notification letter, which seemed to surprise board members, simply stated: “I want to thank each of you for giving me the opportunity to serve the students of Bedford County.”...

The Bedford County Board of Education is working toward evaluating the performance of Superintendent Don Embry. The board discussed the evaluation process at a meeting Tuesday. The evaluation is due Nov. 1. The board has been working on the measurement system (or instrument), meaning the criteria they will use to evaluate Embry. They were scheduled to vote on the instrument Tuesday...

PULASKI – Martin Methodist College and the University of Tennessee System signed a nonbinding letter of intent Friday, which MMC officials note is the first step in discussions for the small, 150-year-old, private college to join the UT System. Leaders of the two schools are exploring the possibility of entering into an agreement, which is subject to approval by the boards of trustees at both institutions, the Tennessee state legislature, and regional accreditor of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.. ...

One significant document, among several, on the table before Bedford County Board of Education 5:30 p.m. tonight will be approval of a resolution to the state —one demonstrating the board’s support of a moratorium on end-of-year examinations and formative assessments throughout 2020-21...

Motlow State Community College has partnered with TCAT-Murfreesboro to create a smooth transfer process for students studying Nursing, Cyber Defense, Business Office, and Mechatronics. Transfer students from TCAT – Murfreesboro to Motlow may also receive credit for prior learning and certifications...

In its 151st year, The Webb School of Bell Buckle set a record in welcoming 330 students for on-campus and online classes in August. The school’s student population represents 15 different countries, 12 states and 23 Tennessee cities, with 119 boarding and 211 day students. Webb’s admissions team is continuing to enroll students, according to school officials...

On the heels of closing Shelbyville Central and Liberty School due to COVID-19 cases superintendent Don Embry released specifics late Friday on the number of students, faculty and other staff currently quarantined and testing positive for the coronavirus...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee could release more data on COVID-19 cases in schools after all, as long as Gov. Bill Lee first gets the answer he wants from the federal government. At a news conference Thursday, the Republican said his administration is asking federal officials how specific Tennessee can get in disclosing cases of COVID-19 in schools...

From safeguarding classrooms against potential COVID-19 contamination to managing fire damage at Cascade Middle School, there’s little doubt Bedford County schools maintenance and custodial employees have literally had their hands full since Aug. 3. According to the plant supervisor, the department is really short-handed and looking for more employees...

BELL BUCKLE, Tenn. - Jonathan Chicken, with seven years as a history teacher and currently history department chair at The Webb School, was recognized by The Webb School Parents' Association with the 2020 WSPA Faculty Enrichment Award. Denise Ledbetter, WSPA president, recently presented the award...

Bedford County passed an unfortunate milestone Wednesday, breaking into the thousands in the total number of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic arrived in Tennessee nearly six months ago. As of Aug. 20, the Bedford County case count was 1,016. The county also experienced another sad event Wednesday with its 13th death from the coronavirus...

Shelbyville Central High School will transition to all-virtual learning beginning Monday, Bedford County Schools Superintendent Don Embry announced today. "Students are to login to their computers Monday and follow their normal schedule. Also, an email has been sent to all students for instructions and information. This is only for Central High School," Embry said...

The 27th Annual Motlow College Foundation Golf Tournament is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 11, at the Bear Trace Golf Course at Tims Ford State Park. Sponsors for this year’s event are The Accord Group LLC, FirstBank, Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home, Foundation Trustee Don Midgett, Tennova Healthcare-Harton, Franklin County Industrial Development Board, and Ascend Federal Credit Union. ...

It might be said that Liberty School librarian Kim Dye really gets into her work. She recently shared her love of reading, and some of her favorite books, in a cool way with students.

Bedford County Schools superintendent Don Embry said Tuesday night that his biggest issue right now, just two weeks into the school year, is maintaining enough classroom teachers. He told school board members of the 52 staff, including a school administrator, who’ve been quarantined due to COVID-19, six have tested positive...

Bedford County School Superintendent Don Embry released the following information on the school system Facebook page and website today to families. “We have had several teachers and students throughout the system either test positive for COVID-19 or who have been placed in quarantine due to being a close contact to a person that has tested positive. ...

When nearly all U.S. brick-and-mortar schools suddenly closed in March 2020 and went online, large numbers of students simply didn’t log into class. Even if they did show up, many more weren’t paying much attention or doing their schoolwork. As a new school year gets underway, is there anything that teachers and families can do to curb these problems with remote learning due to COVID-19?...

About a thousand Bedford County families have opted for virtual learning cohorts and the rest have chosen to send their kids back to the classroom. Local parent Brittani Reynolds withdrew her two children from Bedford County Public School System this fall, choosing to home school...

The McAdams-Bedford County Training-Harris High School Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at 610 Elm St. The following alumni will be posthumously honored: Jim Mitchell, athletics; former Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray, Jr., government; Lonnie D. Reynolds, military; Dr. Earl Rippie, Jr., professional...

The 231 North Business Park Oversight Committee approved this week the transfer of approximately 20 acres of the business park to Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville. The property is a gift from Shelbyville and Bedford County to the Tennessee Board of Regents...

Kelly Vincent and Andrea McCullough presented Kailey Snell with The Youth Leadership Bedford Scholarship for her to use at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Two weeks ago, Tina Corley started the Facebook page, “Bedford County, TN Adopt A Teacher.” now with over 1,000 followers, she says she never imagined the kind of outpouring she’d receive from residents wanting to help educators fulfill their school supply wish lists...

A fire, early Monday morning, in a food service room at Cascade Middle School resulted in heavy smoke damage to several large areas of the school. School officials were planning to reopen the school Wednesday although “Students will not be able to have access in the damaged areas,” wrote school superintendent Don Embry...

Mayor Chad Graham announced Wednesday that Shelbyville City Manager Shanna Boyette has been officially hired by his office as Bedford County Government’s new human resources director. Boyette said Wednesday the move is a personal one; she and her husband, Jason, a local teacher, have two young daughters-one in junior high and the other a freshman in high school. ...

Students were all set and ready to go Monday morning for an abbreviated day at school. Look for more back-to-school pictures in the Times-Gazette this week.

Motlow State President Dr. Michael Torrence has been appointed to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission on Institutional Infrastructure and Transformation. The Commission appointment is for three years, from July 1, 2020, until June 30, 2023...