Public charter schools in Shelby, Davidson, and Hamilton County recognized for being changemakers
The Tennessee Charter School Center recognized 5 middle schools and 8 high schools for having the greatest positive impact on student academic growth and achievement.
Memphis school board forum: Boosting literacy, ending teacher shortages top candidates’ priorities
Improving literacy rates, preparing students to compete globally, and combating teacher shortages are among the top challenges facing Memphis-Shelby County schools, candidates for the school board said at a forum Monday night.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools personnel plan paused by school board
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education passed a resolution during a special meeting Tuesday asking Superintendent Marie Feagins to halt further layoffs until she can present a more detailed personnel plan.
Report finds Tennessee’s public charter school students showing more academic growth than traditional school peers
A new report from the Tennessee Charter School Center found public charter schools are outperforming traditional public schools on state measurements for student growth.
Elon Musk's xAI to build world's largest supercomputer in Memphis
Elon Musk’s AI company xAI is planning to build the world’s largest supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee, marking the city’s largest capital investment by a new-to-market company in the city’s history, an announcement from the Greater Memphis Chamber said.According to a news release, xAI’s “Gigafactory of Compute” supercomputer system will occupy a former manufacturing facility. The project is pending approval by the Memphis Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE), Tennessee Valley Authority and other government agencies.
Dr. Gwin-Miller designed her proposed public charter school to help Memphis students like she was, escape the cycle of poverty
Dr. Alexis Gwin-Miller grew up in Memphis facing the same challenges that she hopes to help children overcome with the Blueprint College and Career Prep public charter school.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools officials promise staff won't lose their jobs under district reorganization plan
Memphis Shelby County School Board members and Superintendent Marie Feagins addressed concerns about the school system’s plans to reorganize district personnel at Tuesday’s meeting, reassuring current staff that they will remain employed with the district.
Memphis school and law enforcement officials oppose allowing teachers to carry guns
In a joint video message, Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Superintendent Marie Feagins, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr., and Interim Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis emphasized that they believe firearms have no place in schools.
Student transition team presents recommendations to Memphis-Shelby County Schools
New Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins has looked to a variety of voices for assistance as she charts a path for the state’s largest school district.On Tuesday she heard from the youngest advisors.The 103-student transition team known as the “Legacy Builders” met at the Memphis Botanic Garden to present feedback for how the district can increase support, engagement, and academics.
A young Memphis student’s letter on gun violence is featured in new Ruby Bridges book
If it wasn’t for Ruby Bridges, Ben Williams’ circle of friends would be smaller — and whiter. That’s why, when the 11-year-old Grahamwood Elementary School student read about how Bridges endured death threats and racial slurs to attend all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960, he wrote a letter thanking her.
Memphis Grizzlies “raising the rim” at two Memphis schools
The Memphis Grizzlies National Basketball Association (NBA) team is providing a donation to provide students at Fox Meadows Elementary and John P. Freeman Optional School with an all-new basketball hoop system.
Student Profile: A high school internship put Choice Champions Scholarship winner on the path to advocate for others
Soulsville Charter School senior Elisha Muhammad says a high school internship set her on a new path to advocate for those trying to overcome systemic barriers.
Memphis-Shelby County School Board denies request from Wooddale Middle School to transition into the district
Ben Frazier says traditional public schools have failed his autistic son.Frazier told members of the Memphis Shelby County School Board last week that his family has faced a lack of communication and accommodation at district-run schools, but everything changed when he enrolled his son at Wooddale Middle School.“When I got my child to Wooddale, everything changed. Wooddale is a family-oriented school. They take care of the kids,” said Frazier. “It’s a neighborhood school, they deal with the community. The staff keeps the parents informed, everything that I was not getting when he was not at Green Dot Schools, I’m getting now. My son is excelling, he came out of his shell, you can’t even tell that my son is on the spectrum because they have worked with him so much and I appreciate Wooddale so much for everything that they have done.
MSCS’ $200 million funding request reflects soaring cost of new high schools
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is asking the county for more than $200 million in funding for school buildings, both to address maintenance needs at existing schools and to support construction of two new high schools.The request exceeds even the expanded school buildings budget supported by a county wheel tax increase last year, and it’s not clear how much of it the county can provide. Projected costs for the two new high schools have risen by tens of millions of dollars since county commissioners approved initial funding for them.
Memphis-Shelby County School Board rejects three proposed new public charter schools but leaves the door open for one of them
Brittany Jones told members of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board her 13-year-old son has seen real change at the Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School.She says her son is autistic and she enrolled him there two years ago hoping the all-boys public charter school would be a good fit. Jones says the change has been so positive she’s supporting the school’s plan to offer a similar school for girls.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools to make major investment in teacher salaries
The Memphis-Shelby County School Board unanimously approved an agreement Tuesday night to spend $28 million increasing teacher salaries.The historic investment will raise the average teacher with a bachelor’s degree’s salary by more than $4,800 in the 20224/2025 school year. Teachers with a master’s degree will average nearly $4,800 more, education specialists will see more than $6,300 more, and those with a doctorate will average more than a $9,900 increase.
New Memphis public charter school pushing back opening until 2025
Empower Memphis Career and College Prep will begin serving Orange Mound and South Memphis students a year later than planned.Chief Executive Officer Muna Olaniyi announced to supporters this week that the public charter school’s opening has been postponed until August 2025 because of facility-related challenges.
New Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins receiving advice from a wide variety of sources
New Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins is planning to listen to a diverse set of voices as she charts the path forward for the state’s largest school district.Last week Feagins announced the transition team that will help craft and execute the district’s next strategic plan and over the weekend she joined the co-chairs of that team at a retreat involving education leaders from across the country.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools recommends denial for three proposed public charter schools
Three proposed new public charter schools in Memphis may have a challenging road finding approval from school board members next week.Tuesday night the Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ (MSCS) charter review team recommended a denial for all three including Blueprint College and Career Prep, Journey Northeast Academy, and the Memphis Grizzlies Prep STEAM School for Girls.Board members are scheduled to vote on each application at its meeting next Tuesday.
Independent review finds proposed Memphis Grizzlies affiliated public charter school a slam dunk
For more than a decade the Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School has provided middle-school aged boys with a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) focused education in Memphis and last year school leaders proposed creating a similar school for girls.The Memphis-Shelby County School Board denied that application in 2023 but the proposal is back with some changes to address the concerns board members had.