State Representative Mark White narrows state intervention bill to only impact Memphis-Shelby County Schools

White has been publicly discussing the possibility of state intervention ever since members of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board began the process of firing former Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins after less than a year on the job.¶

Under his legislation, the governor would appoint 5 members of the board of managers and the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house would appoint 2 members each. The board would serve a minimum of four years and up to six, and each member would be required to reside in Shelby County and have experience in education,¶

finance, facilities, health, management, data, or evaluations.¶

The bill has created pushback from a coalition of religious, business, and community leaders who formed the organization Save Our Schools 901 to fight it. Organization leader Ron Redwing addressed the House K-12 subcommittee to explain his organization’s concerns.¶

“While we do agree, and there’s no question that the district needs a makeover, but we do not need a takeover,” said Redwing. “We think that’s absolutely asinine to think that some hand-picked individuals are going to come in, replace the locally elected board.”¶

Instead, Redwing proposed letting the Shelby County Commissioners appoint an advisory board that would provide guidance to the district, instead of direct authority.¶

White pushed back on that proposal, saying students in Memphis deserve a new approach.¶

“This is not state intervention. This is trying to set a process to where Shelby Countians can deal with their own issue,” said White.¶

Members of the House K-12 Subcommittee sided with White, advancing the bill to the full House Education Committee on a party-line 6 to 2 vote.¶

Representative Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville, was among the two votes against the plan.¶

“We elect people to represent our interests. This bill erases that. It lets an appointed board; I don’t care where they’re from. The people that are appointing them are right here in this building or the one next door. The local school board would have no say anymore. That’s not the way America works,” said McKenzie.¶

Members of the Senate Education Committee are scheduled to take up a companion bill tomorrow.¶

Though some criticized the proposal as duplicative of 2025 legislation, the ban addresses an important nuance in the law.