Memphis Shelby County School Board pushes back against proposed state intervention

Members of the Memphis Shelby County School Board pushed back Tuesday night against a possible state intervention into their authority.

Legislation proposed by Memphis Republican Representative Mark White earlier this month would allow the commissioner of the State Department of Education to recommend the governor, speaker of the house, and lieutenant governor jointly create a board of managers for Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS). The district’s current leadership team and school board members would not be able to meet, make key decisions, or alter the makeup of the existing school board without approval from the new board of state-appointed managers.

The measure has faced significant backlash from both MSCS officials and advocates. During a school board meeting Tuesday night, the MSCS board voted unanimously to support a resolution opposing White’s legislation and calling on other elected officials to oppose it as well. In the resolution, the board points out it has directed the superintendent to develop an academic plan within 90 days, and that members also plan to develop and implement comprehensive academic accountability measures and engage a consultant to help establish new district-wide goals.

Board members also passed a second resolution outlining their commitment to working with local elected officials, parents, and students, along with business, faith, and community leaders to improve the school system and promote best practices to support both students and the community.

But during the meeting, members of the public expressed doubt about both the intentions of board members and their ability to navigate the crisis and lead the district to greater stability.

Mark Williams serves on the Shelby County Youth Council. He told school board members they have a history of failing to listen to the communities they serve, especially the students in the district.

 “Youth voice is not really represented at all when it comes to this school board,” Williams said. “This is our future. When we don’t prioritize our future, we get something that’s happening within the school district now. If we would have prioritized youth voices and what the children need over our own agendas and our own priorities, maybe we would not be in a situation where we are today.”

Irwin Pernell is an MSCS graduate. He said public faith in the board has already been lost, and board members’ calls for unity and support are simply coming too late. He said board members have refused to listen to community voices for too long and it’s time to make way for new leadership.

“How do you expect alignment from the very people you ignored? What does moving forward look like when trust has been shattered?” asked Pernell. “Let’s be clear, what we are witnessing is not new. For decades the same cycles have repeated, we’ve heard the same excuses, and the same failures have continued. This district does not need another empty promise, it needs a reckoning.”

Current MSCS students also took to the podium to express their concerns about potential state intervention and its possible ramifications. They wanted to know what school board members planned to do about it, and why action hadn’t been taken earlier.

Chase Hawkins is an eighth grader at Belleview Middle School. He, along with a number of other students, recently participated in a student day on the hill with lawmakers in Nashville. He told board members they needed to push for transparency and fairness if the state intervention plan goes through to prevent any possible negative impact on students.

“If their plan works, it will put many students’ futures at risk. At this point, there is no more time to play defense,” said Hawkins. “We must play some offense and make sure that we are receiving the correct budget from the state to perform at our best possible success.”

Caleb Chatman is also an eighth grader at Bellevue Middle. He asked what would happen to funding for programs such as behavioral support, mental health support, and special needs education in the event of a state takeover.

“If the mission of MSCS is to prepare all students for life, learning, and leadership, it would be very hypocritical to not let children with learning and behavioral issues get the help they need to learn,” said Chatman.

Kendell Flowers is in eighth grade at Havenview STEAM Optional Middle School. He says he’s a good student who makes As and Bs and also plays football. He plans to continue his extracurricular sports through high school and hopes to get a scholarship to go to college. He wants to know how state intervention might impact that, and what the board plans to do about it. 

“The strange thing about the talk around a state takeover, was that nobody was talking about how this would benefit me as a student in MSCS. We need protection during times of the unknown. What can you do to protect students like me who participate in extracurricular activities?” he demanded.

Fellow Haverview eighth grader Taylor Brown told board members she’s a drum major at her school. She said her visit with lawmakers amid the possibility of state intervention, as well as the board’s actions, has been eye opening.

“It made me realize how important it is for students like me to be involved in decisions being made about us,” said Brown. “There are decisions being made about us in Memphis and we should be telling the adults in Nashville what we need. The state takeover bill may not protect the programs that are available to students like me.”

White’s legislation is slated to be heard by the House Education Committee next week and is on the Senate Education Committee’s agenda today.