The Memphis-Shelby County Schools oversight board ended its first meeting with a clearer idea of what to expect moving forward.¶
The board filled three new leadership positions on Thursday morning, electing Billy Orgel as chair for a one-year term. The board also elected Shanea McKinney as vice chair and Nisha Powers as secretary.¶
The board is made up of nine members who have the power to make any changes they deem necessary in the district, including hiring and firing board members or superintendents.¶
Appointed by Governor Bill Lee:¶
- Tyrone Burroughs, Chairman, First Choice Global and Founder, The Burroughs Foundation.
- Dorsey Hopson, Partner, City Fund.
- Shanea McKinney, Senior Advisor of Product Management, The Cigna Group.
- Nisha Powers, Founder and President, Powers Hill Design.
- Beverly Robertson, Co-Founder and COO, Trust Marketing and Communications.
Appointed by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge:¶
- Billy Orgel, former Memphis-Shelby County school board member.
- Dedrick Brittenum Jr., a Memphis attorney and former councilman.
Appointed by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville:¶
- David Mansouri, director of Tennessee SCORE, and the only member not residing in Shelby County.
- Karen Vogelsang, 2014 Tennessee Teacher of the Year and former director of the ARISE2Read nonprofit tutoring network.
Other Board Actions¶
During the meeting, the oversight board also created eight committees:¶
- Executive
- Community Support and Engagement
- Personnel
- Finance and Audit
- Leadership
- Operations and Facilities
- Academics
- Technology
“I think we’ve just got so much, we're going to be drinking out of a fire hose,” Orgel said. “We've got so much that we've got to spread out the responsibility. There's only nine of us.”¶
The board also established that it would work within a $500,000 to $1 million annual budget, with payments coming through the Department of Finance and Administration.¶
Public Comment
A handful of residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, including a woman who identified herself as the mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother of children attending district schools. She said she understood that the board might have to make some uncomfortable and even controversial decisions, but that the community wants them to be transparent.¶
“Memphis is a cliqued-up city,” she said. “(You’ve) got sororities, fraternities, I don’t care about that. I want my babies to get to college… It's not about black and white. It’s not about Republicans and Democrats. It's about babies.”¶
What Led to This?
State interest in intervening within MSCS began last year when its board fired former superintendent Marie Feagins after serving less than a year in the position.¶
The district has also faced broad public disapproval over the years due to low academic performance, and a preliminary audit led by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office last April exposed “widespread operational failures,” according to Comptroller Jason Mumpower. The results of the audit are due June 30.¶
The MSCS board recently voted to sue over the state’s takeover, but no lawsuit has been filed yet.¶
The board’s next meeting is July 7 at the University of Memphis.¶
