Memphis Shelby County Schools leaders consider terminating Superintendent Feagins’ contract

MSCS Superintendent Marie Feagins’ tenure has been marked by controversy over personnel planning and communication with other school board members, among other issues. (File photo)

Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS) could be without a leader once again after tonight’s special called Board of Education meeting.  

According to documents from the district, the board will consider terminating its contract with Superintendent Marie Feagins, who was selected for the role in February. Feagins was poached from her leadership role at Detroit Public Schools, making her the first leader from outside of the area to take charge of Tennessee’s largest school system since it was created through a merger a decade ago.

Despite the achievement, tensions between Feagins and MSCS leaders became increasingly apparent by June, after Feagins unveiled a new personnel plan that aimed to cut over 1,000 positions. At that time, several board members criticized Feagins for not clearly communicating the plan and for the pace of the process.

“The [emailed] communication caused panic and chaos, and when you mess with someone’s livelihood, that is traumatic,” board member Amber Huett-Garcia said at a board meeting in June. “I got nothing short of alarm with the district wide email. That was not done well, and communication is a key pillar of how we move through change.”

In addition to criticisms such as these, some district leaders have also expressed concerns about a facilities plan crafted by Feagins’ administration that aimed to close or consolidate some schools. Tensions also arose after Memphis city leaders first turned down the district's proposal for a new high school site in Cordova to replace Germantown High School, as per a 2022 agreement with Germantown and state officials. Several board members said they believed Feagins should have encouraged them to network with city leaders to advocate for the plan.

Some school board members have previously criticized Feagins’ leadership style more broadly. Among them was former board member Mauricio Calvo, who said he believed the board should have been more involved in the planning process relating to personnel changes. In a September letter, Calvo criticized her leadership style as being “too self-centered.” Board member Keith Williams also echoed similar concerns relating to communication about personnel planning.

Despite those tensions, some board members and allies of Feagins said they were surprised to find out that the district is considering ending its contract with Feagins, due to her support from the community and efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism.

“In light of the overwhelming community support for Dr. Feagins’ leadership and progress, I am asking my colleagues to delay this vote. I believe we should give Feagins [more of] an opportunity to address any concerns directly and collaboratively. This moment calls for patience and dialogue in the best interest of our students, and families,” board member Michelle Robinson McKissack said in a public statement ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.

JC Bowman, executive director of the Professional Educators of Tennessee, said the vote could raise additional concerns about the board’s general effectiveness, amid several major initiatives aimed at boosting student performance and operational efficiency.

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. (Screenshot)

“Marie Feagins, appointed after a lengthy search, has only been in her role for eight months,” he said in a social media post. “The community deserves a superintendent and school board that can work together to advance public education, and the timing of this decision is detrimental to all.”

The discussion comes just after the Shelby County Commission voted 10-0-0 on Monday to approve $33,910,683 in funding for the new Frayser High School. The commission’s funding package includes $112 million for the project, and $9 million over five years for a “construction roadmap.” In addition, commissioners expressed their commitment to finding a new school site in Cordova.

Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. expressed concerns about not having an MSCS superintendent in place to guide that work if the vote to remove Feagins succeeds.

“If the board decides to eliminate a leader so that we have to wait another two years, that's going to be a challenge,” he said during Monday’s meeting.

To watch tonight’s special called meeting, visit Memphis-Shelby County Schools website.

Update: Board members voted 5 to 4 to postpone voting on Feagins’ contract until next month.