Nearly a week into a court order temporarily halting state intervention in Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), both sides are still working out the details to schedule a hearing in the case.¶
U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw finalized a court order halting the takeover on July 1, the day the state oversight board was set to assume control. The MSCS School Board filed an 80-page lawsuit last month alleging that the creation of the oversight board was unconstitutional.¶
Aside from temporarily stopping the takeover, the court order directs the state and MSCS to discuss with the Magistrate Judge the scope of a limited discovery process necessary to prepare for a hearing. Once the judge approves, the district and the state will agree on a briefing schedule, a preliminary injunction hearing date, and the length of the hearing.¶
What Led to This?
State interest in stepping in at MSCS began to build last year after the school board voted to fire then-superintendent Marie Feagins less than a year into her tenure.¶
The district has also faced criticism for low student achievement for years, and concerns intensified after a preliminary audit by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office last April. Comptroller Jason Mumpower said the review uncovered “widespread operational failures” across the district.¶
The oversight board consists of nine members who have the power to make sweeping changes in the district, including the authority to hire and fire board members or superintendents.¶
Those members include:¶
- 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.
- Billy Orgel, former Memphis-Shelby County school board member.
- Dedrick Brittenum Jr., a Memphis attorney and former councilman.
- 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.
Collaboration Urged by Community Members
The legal battle over intervention comes as some community leaders are urging collaboration.¶
During last week’s Memphis Shelby County School Board meeting, a member of “Together 4 Students”, a Memphis-led educational movement dedicated to building support systems for Shelby County students, urged cooperation between the two boards, demanding progress and support for students, teachers, and families.¶
“I’m here to ask you to dig deep,” one speaker said. “I ask every single one of you on both boards to find the willingness among yourselves to work together and use every single resource available to us, including this newly appointed oversight board.”¶
More speakers seconded that motion, including a woman who said that, for her 5-year-old daughter just beginning her journey in Shelby County schools, she advises the board to collaborate with the oversight board to avoid repeating district challenges for students and families.¶
“Work together effectively, respectfully, and transparently,” the woman said.¶
The oversight board held its first meeting last month and had a second meeting scheduled for today, when the temporary restraining order was issued.¶
