Well, it wasn’t reading, writing, or arithmetic that led the lesson plan in Middle Tennessee this Tuesday, it was radar.
By midday on May 20, school administrators across several Tennessee counties did what veteran educators and cautious parents have learned to do when the skies turn that strange, silent gray: they called it. Early dismissals went out like a bell across Bedford, Lawrence, Franklin, Maury, and a handful of others.
Students were loaded onto buses or handed off to guardians hours ahead of schedule, a swift and smart pivot in the face of a storm system that promised more than just a heavy drizzle.
Shelbyville Central High even postponed its graduation ceremony, a move that likely disappointed some tassel-ready seniors but underscored the seriousness of the forecast. Instead, they’ll cross the stage Wednesday evening, assuming the weather plays nice. Graduation practice still went on Tuesday morning, perhaps a final moment of normalcy before the winds kicked up.
Maury County went a step further, pulling the plug on all after-school activities and athletic events. No practice, no problem, just safety first.
And the weather didn’t bluff. Storms barreled through, bringing with them reports of downed trees, battered roofs, and in one case near Centerville, a tree that punctured a car like a twig through paper. The driver made it out with only minor injuries, but it was a close call and a sharp reminder of why these school leaders made the decisions they did.
In Rutherford County, trees and power lines gave way, while in Clarksville’s Sango neighborhood, folks are waking up to what may have been a tornado’s path—damaged homes, a shaken community, and thankfully, no lives lost.
The truth is, we teach kids a lot inside those classroom walls, but days like this show that the most important lessons sometimes come in how we respond to what’s outside. Flexibility. Readiness. Care. Tennessee’s schools passed that pop quiz with flying colors.
Now, let’s hope the weather gives us all a break, standardized tests are enough of a storm for one spring.
