On Monday afternoon, members of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board pushed back against recent efforts to intervene by the state, claiming their district is the top urban school district in the country for academic growth among historically disadvantaged students.¶
The statement shared on social media is identical to one made at a recent board meeting and cites a Fordham Institute study on the school quality of metro areas across the country.¶
“A Fordham Institute study identified MSCS (Memphis-Shelby County Schools) as the #1 urban school district in America for academic growth among Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students,” wrote board members. “That recognition matters because it was achieved while serving the largest, Blackest and Brownest public school district in Tennessee even as Tennessee ranks 51st, dead last, in public education funding, and even as this district continues to be under-funded, over-mandated, and consistently attacked.”¶
How Old is the Data
The Tennessee Firefly took a closer look at the Fordham study and found its information is likely not very relevant to the district’s current ranking and performance.¶
Fordham released the study in 2021. The data used came from 2018 and earlier, and the organization has not updated the study with new data.¶
More recent research into similar urban school districts has not viewed Memphis-Shelby County Schools as positively. The recently released Education Scorecard ranked the district below similar school districts in both math and reading performance and below the national average in multiple categories.¶
What’s the Latest on Intervention
Poor performance is among the reasons cited by supporters of a new law that will create a nine-member oversight board appointed by state leaders. The board will have authority to make any changes it deems necessary for the district, including hiring and firing board members or superintendents.¶
Governor Lee has not signed the legislation yet, but Republican leaders have begun compiling a list of potential candidates for the oversight board.¶
All but one of those seats must be filled by Shelby County residents.¶
