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Interim Memphis schools leader Toni Williams has applied to be the district’s superintendent, a role she once said she was not interested in assuming on a permanent basis.
Williams confirmed her application to Chalkbeat on Wednesday, one day after delivering an annual address about the district’s recent school year and its future. Williams used the speech to address several key constituencies and showcase the active role she has taken during her tenure as interim superintendent over the past six months, even as the district narrows its search for a new superintendent. The search began in earnest on March 1.
Williams’ application is likely to affect the dynamics of the search moving forward.
Williams, the district’s former chief financial officer, was the single nominee for the interim role in August. She took the post one week after former Superintendent Joris Ray resigned from the district with a severance package amid an investigation into allegations that he abused his power and violated district policies.
Board member Althea Greene, who has since taken on a top role in the search process as the board’s chair, nominated Williams on the basis that she had no interest in the role long term. Williams, in accepting the nomination, agreed that she intended to be an interim leader.
In the same evening that Williams was selected, she announced internal reviews, and the board began preparing for a national search for its next leader.
Greene said earlier this week that the selection of three finalists for the role will be left to Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, the national firm approved by the board to recruit and evaluate candidates. This search is the first for the Memphis-Shelby County district since its formation in a merger a decade ago.
It remains to be seen whether Williams will be named a finalist, and among the trio of potential leaders publicly interviewed later in April. But the presence of an inside applicant whose interim tenure has been viewed as generally favorable could deter other candidates from continuing in the application process if they view Williams as a favorite.
Ray appointed Williams, a Memphis native and graduate of Whitehaven High School, as district CFO in 2019. Locally, Williams has held prior positions with the Memphis district, plus at Millington Municipal Schools and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Laura Testino covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Laura at LTestino@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
