In less than a week, Tennessee students will walk back into classrooms for a new school year.

Normally, this is a hopeful time—profile pics change, school supply drives trend, and parents and educators post messages of support. But in Nashville, a different kind of campaign is underway.

Rather than celebrating students, a vocal group of district leaders and principals have updated their profile photos to feature Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Dr. Adrienne Battle, paired with the hashtag #IAmWithHer. It’s an overt show of solidarity—and likely a reaction to the recent $6.5 million legal settlement tied directly to Dr. Battle’s leadership.

Let’s be clear: this is more than symbolic support. It’s a distraction, a loyalty test, and a deflection from the hard conversations MNPS should be having right now.

🎓 The Settlement No One Wants to Talk About

In July, MNPS quietly settled a federal lawsuit filed by five former senior administrators:
Dr. Jenai Hayes, Dr. Lily Moreno Leffler, Dr. James Bailey, Dr. Pippa Meriwether, and Dr. Damon Cathey. Their claim? That they were wrongfully demoted or fired in 2020 as retaliation, either directly or indirectly orchestrated by Dr. Battle.

The summary judgment issued in December 2023 already signaled that MNPS didn’t have much of a leg to stand on. The court rejected several of the district’s central arguments, reversing a lower court ruling. Many of the claims made publicly by district leaders following the settlement are directly contradicted by the most current ruling.

Regardless of intent—and let’s be honest, none of us are in Dr. Battle’s head—the outcome is unmistakable: her actions triggered a $6.5 million hit to the district budget.

That should be a reckoning moment. Instead, it’s turning into a branding campaign.

🧢 #IAmWithHer: Support or Surveillance?

Changing a profile photo seems harmless, right?

Until you realize what it symbolizes in a district already plagued by mistrust. In her own deposition, Dr. Battle questioned Dr. Leffler’s loyalty because Leffler’s cousin had filed a lawsuit against the district. Dr. Battle asked if Leffler could remain “loyal” despite the lawsuit.

That line of thinking should’ve died with the settlement.

Instead, we now have a social media movement that eerily recreates the same toxic dynamic. If you change your photo, you’re “with her.” If you don’t, what does that make you? A threat? A disloyal employee?

This feels less like community solidarity and more like a subtle loyalty test—one being closely watched. That’s dangerous.

👎 Deflecting Again: Lessons Unlearned from Antioch

This isn’t the first time MNPS leadership has responded to crisis with spin instead of self-reflection.

Earlier this year, after the tragic shooting at Antioch High School, leaders praised their own response efforts—despite two students losing their lives. When the district’s narrative is “we did everything right,” and yet two families are burying children, something doesn’t compute.

Now, in the wake of a massive legal loss, we’re seeing the same playbook: celebrate leadership, avoid accountability, and keep moving.

🐘 Ten Years Later, the Elephant Is Still in the Room

Nearly a decade ago, then-Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph hosted a central office retreat. After a round of platitudes, MNPS executive Chris Elliott stood up and asked:

“Is anybody going to address the elephant in the room?”

His answer? “Nobody trusts anybody else.”

That was 10 years ago. Nothing’s changed. MNPS is still a place where fear of retaliation lingers, leaders posture instead of lead, and trust is in short supply. A healthy district shouldn’t need profile-picture pledges. Culture changes from the top. And it hasn’t.

As Steve Gill wrote recently in TriStar Daily:

“The settlement should serve as a wake-up call to reassess leadership practices and foster an environment where educators can express concerns without fear of retaliation.”

Amen. I’m not with her. And many others in Nashville aren’t either.

🏥 Sick Notes Banned in Lawrence County

Meanwhile, about 80 miles south in Lawrence County, a different kind of tone-deaf decision is playing out.

Superintendent Michael Adkins has announced that doctor’s notes will no longer excuse student absences. His rationale? Excused absences are driving up chronic absenteeism.

“You’re either at school or you’re not,” Adkins told The Tennessean. “We’re not going to waive that with a doctor’s note.”

The backlash was swift.

“It raises ethical and legal questions,” said parent Sofia Braden. “It puts children, school staff, and our community at risk.”

Adkins insists this policy aligns with Tennessee’s new “Success Sequence Act”, which promotes a prescribed life path: graduate high school, get a job, marry, then have kids. Apparently, it starts with powering through your head cold.

“We’ve all gone to work sick, hurt, and beat up,” Adkins said. “We’re losing that sense of reliability.”

Yeah, we all know that guy—the one who comes to work sick, gets everyone else sick, and thinks it’s a flex. Now we’re applying that same toxic work ethic to kids?

I’ve worked sick. I’ve worked after funerals. I’ve muscled through when I should’ve stayed down. In hindsight, those were some of the worst decisions I’ve ever made.

Teaching kids resilience is one thing. Teaching them that they have no right to rest or recover? That’s something else entirely.

⚠️ 18 Isn’t 30

Adkins says if you miss 30 days, you’re clearly not healthy. Maybe—but the policy flags students after 18. And it doesn’t differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. That’s a problem.

If a kid misses 30 days, the question shouldn’t be, “Where’s your attendance record?” It should be, “What’s going on?”

This isn’t leadership. It’s surveillance dressed up as discipline. Once again, adult agendas are taking precedence over student needs.

🏛️ Tennessee’s Task Force to Nowhere

Yesterday, Tennessee’s Joint Federal Education Deregulation Cooperation Task Force met for the first time. Their goal: prepare for the potential dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, a proposal recently revived by Donald Trump.

Sound familiar? It should. Last September, Tennessee lawmakers launched a similar exploratory panel.

Here’s what’s at stake:

• $1.8 billion in federal funds currently support Tennessee schools
• That’s nearly 10% of the state’s total K–12 budget
• These dollars cover programs for low-income students, English language learners, and students with disabilities

The Tennessee Department of Education says it’s ready to manage these funds through block grants, claiming it would reduce red tape and increase efficiency. Maybe. But walking away from federal oversight while still accepting the money doesn’t quite square.

🧳 Quiet Exits at TDOE

Word around the Capitol is that Assistant Commissioner Jack Powers has exited the Department of Education. A former ExcelinEd lobbyist, Powers was TDOE’s key legislative liaison. He reportedly left voluntarily, worn out by constant political gamesmanship.

He won’t be the last. More departures from the department are expected soon. It’s a classic end-of-term shuffle—but one that leaves key gaps during a critical time for education policy.

🪑 Penny Schwinn’s Nomination in Peril

And speaking of movement—former Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn is still awaiting confirmation to become Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Her nomination cleared the Senate committee along party lines (12–11), but it’s facing stiff opposition from Tennessee conservatives like Dr. Carol Swain and John Rich, as well as Senator Marsha Blackburn.

Swain called Schwinn a “Berkeley-educated liberal” who’s too cozy with federal bureaucracy. Rich warned that she could undermine efforts to eliminate the Department altogether.

The final confirmation vote is pending. A recess appointment by Trump remains a possibility. If it happens, expect fireworks.

📬 Final Thought

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. Tennessee’s education future is being shaped right now—by lawsuits, sick leave bans, backroom exits, and national power plays. Students deserve better than adults playing PR games and power chess.

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Buckle up. The ride continues.