Elections
Two New Board Members Elected to Memphis-Shelby County School Board
Tanya Frey and T.L Harris join two incumbents who were re-elected last week.
Memphis Education News
Education news from Memphis and surrounding communities
372 articles
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Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Faces Tough Back-to-School Questions
Media grilled Dr. Roderick Richmond about state intervention, enrollment, and staffing issues on the first day of school.
News
Two New Public Charter Schools Approved in Memphis
Board members unanimously voted in favor of the Urban Dove schools and expressed some support for a third charter applicant.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Partners with tnAchieves to Better Support Students
The partnership aims to increase the college-going rate in more than 15 schools.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Recommends Approval for Two Public Charter Schools
School board members are scheduled to vote on Urban Dove I and II next week.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Audit Reveals Millions of Dollars in Mismanagement
Auditors say they found possible conflicts of interest in bidding practices and non-competitive procurement processes.
Local Education
State Intervention in Memphis-Shelby County Remains in Limbo
A hearing has yet to be scheduled for both sides to present their cases, following last week’s court order temporarily halting intervention.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Poised to Renew Tech Contract Despite Lawsuit
Litigation is still pending over a 2024 data breach.
Local Education
New Public Arts School to Open in Elvis Presley’s Old Middle School
The school pairs traditional academic instruction with professional arts and technology training.
State Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Oversight Board Appoints Chair
A former school board member will lead the committee that has broad authority over the district.
Local Education
Former Teacher of the Year Named to Memphis-Shelby County Oversight Committee
The committee’s first meeting will be held on Thursday morning.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Charter Schools Outperforming Noncharters in Math Recovery
MSCS public charter school students scored 3 percent higher in math proficiency on the TCAP last year than traditional public school students.
Local Education
Tennessee Public Charter School Commission Denies Empower Memphis Expansion Petition
Under its current charter agreement, the school could still expand by one grade level each year until reaching its K-8 capacity.
State Education
Seven Memphians Appointed to Memphis-Shelby County School Oversight Committee
All but one of the appointees must be residents of Shelby County.
Local Education
Memphis School Board Cites Dated Study in Top Urban School District Claim
That study is five years old and includes data from 2018 or earlier.
State Education
Suburban School Districts Opposed Open Enrollment Efforts
A Tennessee Firefly investigation found that at least one district asked lawmakers to vote down reducing enrollment barriers for nonresident students.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Closes Public Charter School
Memphis Delta Prep is closing after its second consecutive cycle on the state's priority list.
State Government
ACLU Files Suit to Challenge Congressional Redistricting
An ACLU statement called the process for drawing and enacting the map “unprecedented and suspect.”
Elections
Here’s Who’s Running for Memphis-Shelby County Schools District 9
Local Education
Shelby County Commission Approves Funding to Fight School Intervention
The approved money will support a legal challenge of a recently passed state law.
Local Education
Here’s Who’s Running for Memphis-Shelby County Schools District 8
The winner of the May 5 primary will face independent candidate Leigh Ann Scarbrough in the general election on August 6.
Local Education
Here’s Who’s Running for Memphis-Shelby County Schools District 6
All five candidates will be on the ballot for Tuesday's primary election.
Elections
Here’s Who’s Running for Memphis-Shelby County Schools District 1
Early voting begins on April 15, and all three candidates will be on the ballot as Democrats for the May 5 primary.
State Education
Something is Missing from the Memphis School Intervention Debate
Opponents brought up union concerns this week, but didn’t mention students.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Denies Six Charter Schools Without Discussion
The district voted down applications for Blueprint College and Career Prep, Empowerment Academy, Memphis Elites STEAM Academy, Opportunity Youth Academy, and Ur...
Local Education
Shelby County Commission Fails to Approve Funding to Fight School Takeover
The commission voted 7-5 to act against the state’s takeover, but a two-thirds majority is needed to add the measure to the agenda for later voting.
Local Education
Former Memphis Principal to Lead Proposed Urban Dove Charter School
Gaston is the School Leader for the Urban Dove Team Charter School Memphis I, a planned charter school in the Hickory Hill area of Memphis that emphasizes learn...
State Education
State Oversight of Memphis-Shelby County Schools Heads to Governor’s Desk
The House voted to adopt legislation that creates an oversight board over certain school districts, including MSCS. It now heads to Governor Bill Lee’s desk for...
State Education
State Oversight of Memphis-Shelby County Schools Moves Closer to Passage
The Senate voted to approve an oversight board with far-reaching powers for Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) beginning next school year.
Local Education
Libertas School of Memphis Approved to Open High School
The public charter school is the first approved under a new state law that makes it easier to replicate existing school models.
Local Education
Lawmakers Move Revised Plan for State Oversight into Memphis Schools
The new plan would create an oversight board with the authority to deny school board actions.
Local Education
Lawmakers to Decide Next Week on Memphis Shelby County Schools Intervention
A conference committee has been named to iron out the differences between two plans.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Launches Website to Respond to Audit Findings
The site serves as a resource to track its response to the audit and provide transparency on its operations.
Local Education
Libertas School of Memphis Makes the Case for a New High School
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission held a public hearing to give school leaders and parents an opportunity to explain why the new school is needed.
Local Education
Preliminary Audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools Finds Widespread Waste and Fraud
In the audit, officials revealed nearly 175 deficiencies involving a wide range of “widespread operational failures.”
Local Education
With State Audit Looming, Memphis-Shelby County Superintendent’s Job Security Weakened
The long-awaited forensic audit in Memphis-Shelby County Schools is days away from release, according to a Facebook post by Representative Mark White, R-Memphis...
Local Education
Memphis Leaders Announce Plan to Avoid State Intervention
The Local Accountability and Transformation Plan will prioritize four goals.
State Education
State Senators Vote Against Policy They Approved 10 Months Ago
Sen. Seal and Hatcher helped reform the approval process for charter schools.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Appoints Dr. Roderick Richmond as Permanent Superintendent
Richmond has been serving as interim superintendent since the board fired former superintendent, Dr. Marie Feagins last year.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Receives State Reprieve for Exceeding its Snow Days
The district has received a waiver covering five impacted days and will not need to adjust its school calendar.
Local Education
Shelby County Chancellor Rules Against Cutting Five School Board Members’ Terms
County commissioners approved the plan last year to align all nine school board seats on the same 2026 election cycle.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Exceeds its ‘Snow Days’
The district closed schools for the ninth consecutive day on Thursday.
Local Education
Agreement Reached to Provide Custodial Services to More than 30 Memphis Schools
Those schools have been without formal custodial services this year, following a decision last month against approving a contract with ABM Industries.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Appears Poised to Appoint Dr. Roderick Richmond as the Permanent Superintendent
At Tuesday night’s board work session, multiple members expressed support to keep interim superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond on the job.
State Education
Memphis Lawmakers Reach Agreement on Plan to Enable State Intervention into Memphis-Shelby County Schools
State Senator Brent Taylor has agreed to move forward with State Representative Mark White’s plan to create a state-appointed oversight board for Memphis-Shelby...
Local Education
Shelby County Commissioner Erika Sugarmon’s Effort to Roll Back School Board Election Shake-Up Faces a Setback
Commissioner Sugarmon’s resolution would allow five school board members to serve out their complete four-year term.
State Education
More Tennessee Schools Receive an A on this Year’s School Letter Grades
355 schools across the state received an overall A letter grade, compared to 290 last year.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Challenges the Constitutionality of Re-Election Shake-Up
Board attorneys argue that election officials had no authority to place the terms of five school board members up for re-election two years early.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Leaves Schools in the Northwest Region Without Custodial Services to Start the New Year
Members failed to approve a $7.2 million contract with ABM Industries to clean all district buildings in the region for the 2026 calendar year.
Local Education
Expanding School Bus Service for Memphis Families Concerned About ICE Could Cost $20 Million
The district estimates that expanding busing to more students by reducing the parent responsibility zone could increase costs by $9.7 million to $20.5 million.
State Education
One Out of Every Three Reward Schools in Memphis and Nashville are Public Charter Schools
Sixteen of Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ 44 Reward schools are public charter schools, along with eight of Nashville’s 28 Reward schools.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Takes Steps to Challenge Re-Election Shake-up
Last month, commissioners voted to put all nine school board seats on the ballot in 2026, including five board members elected last year who would now face re-e...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Expands Bus Access Citing Attendance Concerns Amid ICE and National Guard Presence
The Memphis-Shelby County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to expand bus eligibility for all students, citing attendance declines and safety concerns amid...
Local Education
All Nine Memphis-Shelby School Board Seats Headed for Election After Commission Overrides Mayor’s Veto
Shelby County Commissioners voted 8–4 to override Mayor Lee Harris’ veto and put all nine Memphis-Shelby County School Board seats on the ballot in 2026.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Proposes Major Consolidation Plan, Targeting $6 Million in Annual Savings
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is proposing a sweeping consolidation plan that would merge or close several campuses across the city, saving more than $6 million...
State Education
Tennessee Commission Denies Four Memphis Charter School Proposals
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted Friday to deny four Memphis charter school proposals, including two new schools and two currently operating...
State Education
Tennessee Charter Commission Executive Director Recommends Denial for Four Memphis Charter School Proposals
Tennessee Charter Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall has recommended denying four Memphis charter school proposals, citing concerns over financial readi...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Approves Sale of Historic School Elvis Presley Attended
The expense of maintaining and repairing both buildings played a key role in each decision, as the district has faced challenges in recent years keeping up some...
Local Education
Every Memphis-Shelby County School Board Seat Will Be Back on the Ballot in 2026 Following Commission Vote
All nine Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seats will be back on the ballot in 2026 after commissioners voted to move up the election cycle, shortening terms ...
Elections
Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidates Take a Stand on Sending National Guard to Memphis
Both leading Republican candidates in the 2026 governor’s race are applauding President Trump’s decision that also appears to have given one Democratic candidat...
Local Education
Memphis Students to Receive Gun Safety Education This Month
Lawmakers passed the legislation last year, requiring every public school district in the state to develop an age-appropriate curriculum for all grade levels, i...
Local Education
Judge Denies Former Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent’s Request to be Reinstated
On Friday, Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Robert Childers issued an order denying Feagins’ request for a preliminary injunction of her controversial terminat...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Approves Fourth KIPP School
The vote aligns with a recommendation from the district charter review team that found the school met all state standards.
Local Education
Shelby County Commission Delays Vote That Could Cut School Board Members’ Terms Short
A controversial effort to reset all Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) board terms in 2026 hit pause Monday as the Shelby County Commission delayed its vote, ...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Face Possible Loss of $17 Million in Federal Funding
Memphis-Shelby Public Schools says district staff are monitoring pending federal decisions that could affect approximately $17 million in funding for district p...
Local Education
Memphis Holds an Event to Support Families of the Now-Closed Promise Academy Hollywood
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Chair Joyce Dorse Coleman announced Promise Academy Hollywood’s voluntary closure at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Local Education
Sale of Wooddale Middle School Building Aided by New Charter Law
The school board is expected to vote next week on the proposed $2.5 million sale of the Wooddale building.
Local Education
How Two Memphis Schools Slashed Chronic Absenteeism and What Others Can Learn.
Just two years ago, chronic absenteeism was a crisis at Compass Berclair school in Memphis. During the 2021-22 school year, more than half of its students — 55....
State Government
House speaker alleges Memphis-County Schools’ staff destroyed documents in advance of a state audit
The audit was among multiple options lawmakers considered for the district, following the controversial firing of former Superintendent Marie Feagins after less...
Local Education
Interim Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent discusses plan to improve communication and rebuild trust
Interim Superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond continues to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools, unveiling a 100-Day Plan and proposing a $1.85B budget focused on ...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board issues statement of support for undocumented students
The resolution states that the district’s legal department has provided guidance to principals about how to respond to requests or visits from ICE so that “no i...
State Education
Governor signs legislation supporters say will improve the application process for public charter schools
Under the new law, charter operators that want to replicate an existing academic model, or public colleges and universities that want to establish charters, now...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board members propose resolution in support of undocumented students
The board is scheduled to vote on a resolution at its May 27 meeting to protect immigrant students who attend district schools.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools files lawsuit in federal court over student data leak
The lawsuit claims the software provider failed to implement basic cybersecurity measures that could have prevented the data breach that included information on...
Elections
Five Memphis-Shelby County School Board seats could be up for re-election two years early
County commissioners could use new legislation to align school board races with other county elections, even if that meant shortening some board members’ terms.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board denies three proposed public charter schools
The board rejected applications from Still I Rise Academy, KIPP Memphis Creative and Performing Arts Elementary School, and Dream Catchers Charter School.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board member apologizes for comments threatening to deport former student
The apology from board member Towanna Murphy comes after messages she sent to a 2023 MSCS graduate threatening to have her deported were made public.
State Education
Lawmakers pass conflicting bills to enable state intervention into Memphis-Shelby County Schools, tabling it for the year
The future of legislation to enable state-intervention into Memphis-Shelby County Schools could be decided in a conference committee.
State Education
Memphis school intervention bill heads to both chambers’ floors with key questions unanswered
If each chamber passes its version, the final details of one of the most talked about pieces of legislation this session would be decided in a conference commit...
State Education
Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) testing begins for Tennessee students
The TCAP is a statewide standardized testing program that includes assessments in English language arts (ELA), math, science, and social studies.
State Education
House Education Committee advances state intervention bill for Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Speaking to House Education Committee members Wednesday evening, Representative Mark White said only 17 percent of the district’s students demonstrate proficien...
State Education
Legislation allowing state intervention into Memphis-Shelby County Schools advances following debate by two Memphis lawmakers
Under the bill, the education commissioner would be able to recommend the removal of the director of schools and some or all school board members.
State Education
Memphis Shelby County School Board pushes back against proposed state intervention
During a school board meeting Tuesday night, the MSCS board voted unanimously to support a resolution opposing state intervention and calling on other elected o...
State Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board puts division over superintendent aside to oppose state intervention
School board members unanimously supported a resolution Tuesday night opposing state intervention in the Tennessee school district and calling on elected offici...
State Education
State Representative Mark White narrows state intervention bill to only impact Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Representative White’s amended legislation would empower the commissioner of the Department of Education to recommend the governor, speaker of the house, and li...
State Education
House subcommittee advances plan to eliminate the Achievement School District and create a new model for struggling schools
Legislation presented by Representative Debra Moody, R-Covington, Tuesday would sunset the state ASD, replacing it with a progressive, three-tiered intervention...
State Education
Proposed legislation could relegate the Memphis-Shelby County School Board and others to an “advisory capacity”
The legislation, referred to as the Tennessee Public School Accountability Act, would allow the commissioner of the Department of Education to recommend the gov...
State Government
Organization formed to oppose state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools says district problems are better solved locally
Thursday the group held one of it’s first community discussions involving panelists who acknowledged the critical issues within the district but believe these p...
State Education
House Speaker says Tennessee may audit Memphis-Shelby County Schools for fraud in addition other state intervention
Speaker Cameron Sexton said leaders in the House and Senate are still working out the details of legislation to create state intervention into Memphis-Shelby Co...
Local Education
Tutoring organization responds to allegations from former Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins
The co-char of the Peer Power Foundation pushed back on allegations former Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins made about his organiz...
Local Education
Lawsuit alleges secret school board meetings led to Superintendent Feagins’ ouster
Attorneys for former Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins have filed a Circuit Court complaint against the district’s school board, as...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board renews public charter school despite enrollment of just 14 students
Members of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board voted 6 to 2 Tuesday night to renew the ten-year charter for a school with just over a dozen students.Only 14 ...
News
Tennessee Public Charter School Commission renews agreements with LEAD Neely’s Bend, Libertas, and Cornerstone Prep Denver
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted Friday to renew the ten-year charter agreements for LEAD Neely’s Bend, Libertas School of Memphis, and Corn...
Local Education
Representative Mark White says state intervention needed in Memphis-Shelby County Schools following Superintendent firing
State Representative Mark White, R-Memphis, says he’s working on legislation to provide Tennessee with the ability to intervene in the Memphis-Shelby County Sch...
News
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education votes to terminate Superintendent Feagins’ contract
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Board of Education voted Tuesday to terminate the contract of Superintendent Marie Feagins over allegations of professi...
News
Metro Nashville and Memphis-Shelby County school districts open school options applications this month
Families in Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Metro Nashville Public Schools will soon be able to apply to a charter school or select a school outside their nei...
News
University of Memphis launches Memphis Research Ecosystem Leaders Program
The University of Memphis has launched a new year-long initiative to connect research leaders at the university who have seen success in their individual labs t...
News
Memphis-Shelby County Superintendent issues defiant response to ouster attempt
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins issued another defiant response to allegations of professional misconduct and recent efforts to fire ...
News
Shelby County Commissioners pass ‘no-confidence’ resolution against Memphis-Shelby County School Board amid efforts to fire Superintendent Feagins
Shelby County Commissioners voted Monday in favor of a no-confidence resolution against the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education over school board m...
News
Shelby County Commissioners delay vote on ‘no confidence’ resolution against Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education
The Shelby County Commission postponed a vote on a resolution Wednesday that would’ve expressed "no confidence" in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Ed...
News
Memphis-Shelby County Superintendent Feagins says she ‘will not resign’
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Superintendent Marie Feagins said in a Monday statement that she “will not resign” amid recent efforts to oust her over all...
News
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Feagins set to respond to allegations of misconduct
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins is expected to respond this evening to allegations of misconduct as the school board gets set to deci...
News
University of Memphis researchers use $2.6M Department of Education grant to train more local ESL teachers
Two University of Memphis researchers recently received a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Professional Development program to address...
News
Libertas School of Memphis ‘on track’ for 10-year renewal
Since opening its doors nearly a decade ago, Libertas School of Memphis has gained support from local community members in the Frayser area for showing a “stron...
News
Memphis-Shelby County school board approves contract extensions for custodial services
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education approved contract extensions for custodial services within the district at Thursday’s special called meetin...
News
Educators and community members rally behind Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Feagins amid efforts to terminate her contract
The parent advocacy organization Memphis Lift held a press conference Thursday to voice their support for Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Superintendent Ma...
News
Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Tennessee’s public charter schools celebrate improved School Letter Grades
New data from the Tennessee Department of Education’s 2023-24 State Report Card shows that 290 schools have received an A for overall performance, on the second...
News
Memphis-Shelby County school board delays vote to terminate Superintendent Feagins’ contract
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education voted 5-4 on Tuesday to postpone a vote on whether to terminate Superintendent Marie Feagins’ contract.
News
Memphis Shelby County Schools leaders consider terminating Superintendent Feagins’ contract
Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS) could be without a leader once again after tonight’s special called Board of Education meeting.
News
Charter School Commission approves new location for Empower Memphis and an additional opening grade for Invictus Nashville Charter School
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission has approved changes to a charter agreement with Empower Memphis Career and College Prep Charter Schools that wou...
State Education
Tennessee could see as many as 17 new public charter schools next year
Five Tennessee school districts across the state received letters of intent for 17 proposed new public charter schools by last week’s deadline. Letters of inten...
State Education
Tennessee recognizes 377 Reward Schools. Schools of choice led the way in the state’s two largest school districts
The Tennessee Department of Education announced the 377 schools across the state that have received the designation as Reward Schools for the 2023/2024 school y...
News
Memphis-Shelby County school board expresses frustration with city leaders’ opposition to East Region High School proposals
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education members expressed frustration with Memphis city leaders’ recent decision to block a special use permit to const...
News
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent to be evaluated on reducing absenteeism and the number of students off-track
After several tense discussions and debate in recent weeks about how to evaluate Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins’ tenure, the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Boa...
News
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Feagins braces for upcoming evaluation
The mood was tense during Tuesday’s Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education meeting following weeks of debate about how the district should approach evaluating...
News
State Charter Commission reverses Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ decision to take over Wooddale Middle School
The charter school operator IOTA Community Schools will continue to run Wooddale Middle School after the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission (TPCSC) vote...
News
Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education disagrees with Superintendent Feagins about how she should be evaluated
The West Tennessee school district resumed discussions about how to evaluate Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins’ tenure at Tuesday’s board meeting, with much of t...
News
Wooddale Middle School leaders highlight hands-on programming at charter appeal hearing
Wooddale Middle School leaders are taking their appeal to state leaders after Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education members recently voted to deny Wo...
News
Memphis School of Excellence leaders make the case to replicate the public charter school’s STEM school model in Nashville
Despite much opposition from Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) leaders, the charter school sponsor Read Foundation is still pushing for the establishment of...
News
Former Memphis-Shelby County Schools employee says he was fired in retaliation for criticizing district personnel changes
Former MSCS HR staff member Jarvis Cook told district leaders at Tuesday’s school board meeting that he believes he was terminated after speaking out against di...
News
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent says several arrests made over school threats, including Nashville teen
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins addressed families’ concerns relating to school safety and communications on Thursday, after thre...
News
Law enforcement continues investigating threats against Memphis-Shelby County Schools after Wednesday lockdown
Several schools in Memphis and Shelby County were placed on lockdown Wednesday due to threats of mass violence, according to Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS...
News
Memphis-Shelby County School Board poised to approve new agreement for students to earn college credits
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education is poised to approve a dual enrollment agreement for the 2024-25 school year with the Tennessee College of ...
State Education
Four reading champs win $1,000 scholarship in Tristar Reads contest
Harpeth Middle School seventh-grader Elijah Riggs won the Tristar Reads contest by logging an average of eight hours each day reading.
College and Higher Edu...
University of Memphis to construct new facility for testing drones in adverse weather
The University of Memphis is building a $9.2 million facility to test drones in adverse weather conditions, sponsored by the U.S. Navy. Led by professor Eddie J...
Local Education
U.S. Dept. of Education report finds Memphis-Shelby County Schools mishandled sexual assault cases
A new report from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights notes that Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) officials have mishandled several s...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent says enrollment is up but still below district projections
Enrollment in Memphis-Shelby County Schools has continued to grow year over year despite remaining behind original projections for this school year, according t...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent gives update on SRO issues
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins said during a Tuesday press conference that the district is currently working with school resource of...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County school board approves pay raises for school resource officers, STEM lab funding
The Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education approved budget amendments to fund pay raises for school resource officers (SROs) at Tuesday’s special call meeting...
Local Education
Whitehaven STEM lab project remains behind schedule due to funding woes
Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. called on local officials to work together and figure out how to cover the remaining costs needed to construct a new ...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent says district is addressing HVAC issues that led to early student dismissals
Memphis Shelby County School Board officials held a press conference on Tuesday to address community members’ concerns about district infrastructure after stude...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools approves two new public charter schools
Members of the Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education voted to approve amended charter applications for both the Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory STEAM School fo...
Local Education
Memphis Grizzlies boys' prep school looks to replicate success with new girls' public charter school
For nearly 15 years, the Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School has leveraged community partnerships with the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team to provide boys w...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools recommends approval for an all-girls public charter school
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools charter review team recommended school board members approve an application for the Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory STEAM School...
Elections
Memphis-Shelby County school board member drops out of race for re-election
Memphis-Shelby County School Board member Frank Johnson announced on Facebook that he’s officially dropping out of the District 7 school board race, citing heal...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools invests millions into key staffing roles
Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS) announced a $3.4 million investment into elevating critical district positions Tuesday.
College and Higher Edu...
University of Memphis childhood programs receive state grants for early intervention services
Two early intervention resource agencies for young children with developmental delays and disabilities at University of Memphis received three new grants from t...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools appoints new assistant superintendent
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins has appointed Janice Tankson as the district’s new superintendent to oversee key educational programs...
College and Higher Edu...
University of Memphis announces $1M investment in AI-related programming
The University of Memphis is investing $1 million in academic and research programming relating to artificial intelligence to better prepare tomorrow’s AI workf...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools approves job cuts and $1.8 billion budget
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education voted 8-1 Tuesday night to approve Superintendent Marie Feagins’ plans to cut over 1,000 district positions...
Elections
Memphis-Shelby County School Board candidates discuss literacy, project funding and need to build public trust
Voters in the Memphis-Shelby County school district got a chance to hear from several school board candidates about their thoughts on student literacy, capital ...
Elections
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 scho...
Local Education
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 la...
Local Education
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-...
Local Education
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 ...
Local Education
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 ...
Local Education
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...
Local Education
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...
News
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 stud...
Local Education
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 Optio...
Communities
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.
Local Education
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 famil...
Local Education
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 sch...
Local Education
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 Scho...
Local Education
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 ...
Local Education
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 Olaniy...
Local Education
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 th...
Local Education
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-...
Local Education
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 ...
Local Education
Independent review recommends approval for proposed public charter school looking to close the gap for economically disadvantaged Memphis students
As the job market in the greater Memphis area continues to expand, more schools that focus on career and technical education (CTE) and college prep will be in d...
Local Education
Memphis’ Humes school, Elvis Presley’s alma mater, is closing after yearslong turnaround attempt
Humes Middle School in North Memphis will close at the end of this school year as it returns to the Memphis Shelby-County district’s control after a decade in T...
Local Education
Here’s who will guide Marie Feagins as she takes on new superintendent role in Memphis
New Memphis schools leader Marie Feagins plans to rely on a group of former and current superintendents for support during her transition to the role by working...
Local Education
Restored Craigmont High School planetarium enriches solar eclipse for Memphis students
At 12:39 p.m., as the moon took its first bite of the sun, a group of Craigmont High School students looked up at the dome of the school’s planetarium to watch ...
State Education
Senate passes plan to enable the University of Memphis to form its own public school district
When Lawrence Blackwell moved his family to Tennessee in 2010 to work for the University of Memphis, he chose to send his son to a unique Pre-K program operated...
Local Education
Lawmakers from Nashville and Knoxville vote against effort to expand high performing schools in Memphis
By every measurement, the three public schools the University of Memphis operates on its campus are producing academic results.The university has been operating...
Local Education
Toni Williams celebrates her accomplishments leading Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Toni Williams spent part of her last school board meeting as the leader of Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) looking back at everything she’s accomplished si...
Local Education
New Memphis superintendent’s contract includes ethics clause, reflecting lessons of Ray’s exit
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members say the contract being finalized for incoming Superintendent Marie Feagins reflects the lessons learned after former...
Local Government
School districts received nine applications for new public charter schools. A new tool puts each under the microscope.
This year nine potential charter operators met the February 1 deadline to file an application to open a new public charter school.School board members in Memphi...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools poised to spend $12 million ramping up school safety
Members of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board are expected to approve a plan later this month to spend more than $12 million upgrading school security.Durin...
Local Education
New legislation would allow the University of Memphis to form its own K-12 school district
Each school day more than a thousand children and teenagers travel from across Shelby County to the University of Memphis for a reason you may not expect.Those ...
National Education
Memphis parent advocate Sarah Carpenter calls President Biden’s proposed budget “an attack on black children”
Memphis parent advocate Sarah Carpenter is among those blasting President Biden’s proposed FY 2025 budget for potentially cutting valuable support for public ch...
Local Education
New Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent now slated to start April 1
The timeline for Memphis-Shelby County School’s new superintendent to get to work is officially moving up.Members of the Memphis-Shelby County School board vote...
Local Education
Incoming Memphis schools leader Marie Feagins begins work, set to assume superintendent role April 1
Incoming Superintendent Marie Feagins has started working with Memphis-Shelby County Schools under a per diem agreement, allowing her to begin a transition to t...
Local Education
Audit finds Memphis-Shelby County Schools on solid financial ground
When Toni Williams took over as chief financial officer (CFO) for Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) in 2019, the district faced a $58 million deficit and had...
Local Education
Five Memphis students battling sickle cell disease receive scholarship in honor of Interim Superintendent Williams’ mother
Interim Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Toni Williams says her mother Shirley Yvette Green was a strong woman and a warrior as she battled sickle c...
Local Education
Operations leader to leave Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Memphis-Shelby County Schools may have gained a new superintendent this month but the district is losing its Chief of Business Operations.Julius Muse announced ...
Local Education
Board picks Dr. Marie Feagins to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools
The more than yearlong search for a new leader of the state’s largest school district is officially over. Members of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board unan...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School board will select a new superintendent Friday. Here's how the finalists will address literacy and mental health.
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) superintendent search is finally drawing to a close, with school board members now planning to select a new leader for ...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board votes to keep Vision Prep open
Natoria Carpenter says she chose to drive her daughter thirty miles each day to the opposite side of Memphis just to attend Vision Preparatory Charter School.Ca...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board approves charter school council
The Memphis-Shelby County School Board unanimously voted Tuesday to establish a special council to help guide decisions about public charter schools.The new Cha...
Local Education
Memphis superintendent search nears close with final set of candidate interviews
When the top three candidates for superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools make their final cases to community and board members later this week, they wi...
Local Education
State charter commission unanimously approved renewed charter contract
Earlier this month when schools across Memphis shut down for winter weather, Promise Academy Spring Hill Interim Executive Director Patrick Washington says he r...
State Education
A convenient webpage is helping move employers to Memphis. Tennessee may try something similar this year.
In 2021 the Greater Memphis Chamber launched a new tool to help better inform businesses that are considering locating to the Memphis region.The Memphis Moves d...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools credits facilities staff for being this week’s MVPs
Memphis-Shelby County School (MSCS) leaders say proactive efforts to winterize schools and increase facility staff is paying dividends during this week’s cold w...
Local Education
Inclement weather pushes back Memphis superintendent search
The snow that’s blanketed Tennessee this week is forcing Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) to push back the final phase of its superintendent search.The dist...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School leaders commit to taking a stand against violence
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Interim Superintendent Tutonial “Toni” Williams gathered with district leaders Thursday morning to commit to putting forwar...
Local Education
Superintendent Toni Williams says teacher retention could improve school letter grades in Memphis
Interim Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Superintendent Tutonial “Toni” Williams says improving teacher retention could play a positive role in elevating lo...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board names the three finalists in superintendent search
The lengthy search for a new leader of the state’s largest school district is down to three finalists.Tuesday night members of the Memphis-Shelby County School ...
Local Education
The next Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent will need to solve a facility crisis. Here’s each candidate’s experience with similar challenges.
One of the biggest challenges the next superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) will inherit is the aging infrastructure of the district’s schools...
Local Education
Empower Memphis Career and College Prep opens in Memphis next year, bringing elementary career exploration to life
ParagraphLife has been busy for Muna Olaniyi ever since the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission unanimously approved her dream of opening a career based ...
Local Education
Five superintendent semi-finalists announced for Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) announced the five finalists it’s picked to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools Friday morning.The firm picke...
Local Education
Memphis faith-based leaders denounce Satanic club’s plans to hold events at an elementary school
Dozens of faith-based leaders gathered around Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Interim Superintendent Tutonial “Toni” Williams Wednesday to denounce a Satan...
State Education
Report finds Tennessee’s two largest school districts facing more competition for students
A new report by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found both Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Metro Nashville Public Schools are facing more competition for stud...
State Education
Tennessee needs more students to finish higher education to meet job needs, report says
Tennessee’s education system must do more to help minority and economically disadvantaged students earn postsecondary degrees in order to meet the state’s workf...
State Education
Tennessee needs more students to finish higher education to meet job needs, report says
Tennessee’s education system must do more to help minority and economically disadvantaged students earn postsecondary degrees in order to meet the state’s workf...
News
Application process for federal financial aid undergoing big changes
Southwest Tennessee Community College Director of Admissions, Recruitment, and K-12 Policy Rosie Britton says last year Tennessee families left more than $2 bil...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School leaders unveil plans to move forward without federal COVID funds
Interim Memphis-Shelby County School Superintendent Tutonial “Toni” Williams says her administration is evaluating multiple strategies to move the district forw...
Local Education
Memphis public charter school approved for expansion in Frayser community
Tennessee’s first Montessori public charter school is expanding its personalized learning approach to more students in the Frayser community of Memphis.Monday t...
News
Some social studies teachers wary as national conference meets in increasingly censored Tennessee
About 3,500 social studies teachers converge on Nashville this weekend for their annual national conference, but not without some pushback for meeting in a stat...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board approves expansion to its second oldest public charter school
The Memphis-Shelby County School Board approved an expansion request Tuesday night for one the district’s oldest public charter schools.Under the expansion plan...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board approves expansion to its second oldest public charter school
The Memphis-Shelby County School Board approved an expansion request Tuesday night for one the district’s oldest public charter schools.Under the expansion plan...
Local Education
Memphis’ school district needs to cut $150 million in spending. Hundreds of jobs are on the line.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools leaders have proposed eliminating 675 jobs along with a mix of student programs as they figure out how to cut $150 million in spen...
Local Education
Alumni celebrate the 20th anniversary of Tennessee's first public charter school
Twenty years ago, Chelsea Bailey was a rising seventh-grader in Memphis who had no idea what a public charter school was.That changed when the founder of the Me...
Local Education
Alumni celebrate the 20th anniversary of Tennessee's first public charter school
Twenty years ago, Chelsea Bailey was a rising seventh-grader in Memphis who had no idea what a public charter school was.That changed when the founder of the Me...
State Government
Nashville, Shelby County withdraw challenge to Tennessee private school voucher law after long fight
Nashville and Shelby County governments have pulled out of their more than 3-year-old legal dispute with the state over a 2019 private school voucher law.The pa...
Local Education
Frayser shooting sparks calls for change at Memphis-Shelby County School Board meeting
Memphis-Shelby County School Board member Stephanie Love took a moment during Tuesday evening’s meeting to address the recent shootings in the Frayser community...
Local Education
Memphis families urge state charter commission to keep Promise Academy Spring Hill open
Shirley Quinn says Promise Academy Spring Hill’s name played an important role in why she chose to enroll her granddaughter there.The Memphis fourth-grader stru...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board fails to approve key part of new custodial plan
Local Education
Search firm begins interviewing candidates to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) announced Wednesday that its search firm has selected a pool of candidates to interview in the ongoing search for a new sup...
State Education
School leaders ask lawmakers to continue accepting federal education funding
Local Education
MLK College Prep students will have 6 choices for next year while new school is built
Students at MLK College Preparatory High School in Frayser will get to choose from among six schools to attend beginning next school year, as Memphis-Shelby Cou...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools invests $3 million into free student field trips
Memphis-Shelby County Schools announced Wednesday that it’s launching a new field trip program to give students free learning opportunities outside the classroo...
Local Education
Why this award-winning school superintendent donates his bonus back for his students every year
If his school community had to choose between himself and its nine therapy dogs, David Snowden jokes that “the director of schools would have to go.”Now in his ...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Chair proposes creating three committees to help with superintendent search
The search for a new superintendent to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools appears to be reaching its home stretch.Tuesday night School Board Chair Althea Green ...
Local Education
Interim Superintendent Toni Williams says closing Memphis schools isn’t the goal of facility reuse plan
Interim Superintendent Tutonial “Toni” Williams told members of the Memphis-Shelby School Board that closing buildings is not the goal of the academic facilitie...
Local Education
Author: Black teachers’ resistance to segregation 60 years ago holds lessons for teachers today
As a Birmingham, Alabama, native, Tondra Loder-Jackson was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. She was especially inspired by the ...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools considering designating 23 academic spaces for reuse to save money
The new Facilities Steering Committee for Memphis-Shelby County Schools will be evaluating a potentially major change for district buildings to raise money for ...
News
Three Memphis students honored with Keeper of the Dream Award
Local Education
State charter commission overturns one Memphis-Shelby County School Board decision and upholds another
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission provided a mixed bag for supporters of two public charter schools vying to transfer into the Memphis-Shelby Count...
Local Education
Mold repair forces Memphis’ Peabody Elementary to remain closed for the school year
Students at Memphis’s Peabody Elementary School will continue to attend classes elsewhere for the remainder of the school year.Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MS...
Local Education
Charter Commission approves new public charter school for Orange Mound and South Memphis
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission unanimously cleared the way Friday for Memphis educator Muna Olaniyi’s dream of disrupting the cycle of poverty i...
Local Government
Paul Young will be Memphis’ next mayor. What will that mean for education?
Downtown Memphis Commission leader Paul Young will be Memphis’ next mayor, a position that gives him no formal authority over Memphis-Shelby County Schools, but...
State Education
Charter Commission director sends mixed recommendations for public charter schools requesting a transfer into the Memphis-Shelby County School district
Tennessee Public Charter School Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall is providing mixed recommendations for two public charter schools seeking to transfer...
State Education
Charter Commission director backs proposed public charter schools in Nashville, Memphis and Jackson
Four proposed public charter schools in Memphis, Nashville, and Jackson are all receiving new support from a key state board leader.Tennessee Public Charter Sch...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools moves back superintendent search interviews
The ongoing search for a new leader of the state’s largest school district is once again seeing another key date moved back.At Tuesday night’s Memphis-Shelby Co...
Local Education
Althea Greene remains Memphis-Shelby County Schools board chair for second year
Althea Greene will remain chair of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board for a second year as the district continues its search for a permanent superintendent...
Local Education
School repair needs spark heated debate at Memphis-Shelby County School Board work session
A discussion on the condition of school buildings turned heated at Monday’s Memphis-Shelby County School Board work session.Board member Stephanie Love and Inte...
Local Education
Dozens of parents write in support of career focused public charter school
Laquita Perry says she was born and raised in a South Memphis community where public schools struggled to provide a quality education.In an email to the Tenness...
Local Education
Memphis Area College Night provides students with an introduction to more than 100 colleges and universities
Memphis high school students Steven Brown, Paris Brown, and Natalina Gallardo each had their own goals in mind when attending the annual Memphis Area College Ni...
Local Education
State Charter Commission receives heartfelt pleas from families asking for the return of a Memphis public charter school
Supporters of a proposed public charter school run by Pathways in Education (PIE) provided the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission with heartfelt testimo...
Local Education
Porter-Leath recognized as a program of excellence
The National Head Start Association (NHSA) is recognizing Memphis organization Porter-Leath as one of 13 Programs of Excellence.This designation is a symbol of ...
Local Education
State Charter Commission receives more than 200 emails of support for Fairley High School
Fairley High School’s fight to remain a public charter school in Memphis is receiving a boost from the more than 200 people who submitted comments in support of...
Local Education
Tailgate Talks score helpful information for Memphis superintendent search
The ongoing Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent search is receiving helpful information from an unlikely source.At Tuesday’s Memphis-Shelby County Scho...
State Education
Misconceptions abound about who public charter schools serve. A new Comptroller tool will help.
A new dashboard launched by the Tennessee Comptroller this week will help parents navigate through misinformation about public charter schools. The dashboard al...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools host “tailgate talks” to get parental input on superintendent search
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is hosting a series of “Tailgate Talks” before sporting events across Memphis to learn more about what parents are looking ...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools host “tailgate talks” to get parental input on superintendent search
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is hosting a series of “Tailgate Talks” before sporting events across Memphis to learn more about what parents are looking ...
Local Education
Supporters say proposed Memphis public charter school is needed to disrupt the cycle of poverty
Alice Lockett is an example of the generational challenges many families in Memphis face.As a teenager she dropped out of school after becoming pregnant and had...
Local Education
Supporters of Fairley High School make their case for it to remain a public charter school
Patricia Adams graduated from Fairley High School in 1989, when the school was still a traditional public school in Memphis.Since then, she’s witnessed the scho...
Local Education
Former students make emotional plea for the return of a former Memphis public charter school
Zephan Alexander describes his time as a public-school student in Memphis as a challenge. He struggled in traditional public schools and public charter schools ...
Local Education
Former students make emotional plea for the return of a former Memphis public charter school
Zephan Alexander describes his time as a public-school student in Memphis as a challenge. He struggled in traditional public schools and public charter schools ...
Local Education
New Cordova high school will have larger campus as board approves replacement land purchase
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board voted Tuesday to approve a $5 million deal to buy 45 acres of land for the new high school in Cordova, after the distric...
State Education
Memphis educators and parents want new School Letter Grades to be easy to understand
A crowd of roughly two dozen Shelby County parents and educators gathered Wednesday night to explain why they believe ease of understanding and transparency wil...
Local Education
New MSCS board member Mauricio Calvo has one year to make an impact. Here’s how he plans to use it.
Mauricio Calvo, the newest member of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board, took his oath of office next to the children’s section of a public library, with t...
Local Education
Activists banned from Memphis school property can’t return early, federal judge rules
Two of the Memphis activists who were banned in May from entering Memphis-Shelby County Schools property lost a bid in court to have their bans lifted early.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools begins new school year without a permanent superintendent
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) kicked off the 2023-24 school year Monday morning with teachers holding welcome back signs for students and bands on the st...
Elections
Freddie O’Connell and Alice Rolli advance to a runoff in the Nashville mayor’s race
Metro Council member Freddie O’Connell and former Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Assistant Commissioner Alice Rolli beat out a crowd...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools posts new superintendent job listing seeking “dynamic, visionary, and adaptable leader”
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) released new details this week for what the district’s school board will be looking for in the search for a new superintend...
Local Education
How Memphis’ investment in teacher salary schedules will increase paychecks
Memphis-Shelby County Schools teachers will get salary raises and be able to move up the district’s salary schedule faster under an agreement with the two teach...
Local Education
More for Memphis initiative aims to create radical change
A middle school and improved financial education are among the improvement’s residents in Memphis’ Orange Mound community say are desperately needed to improve ...
Local Education
Students in four Achievement School District schools left in limbo following Memphis-Shelby County School Board vote
Members of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Board of Education voted to deny four out of five applications Tuesday night from public charter schools vyi...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Board denies proposed public charter school that meets state standards but leaves door open for one that doesn’t
A short-handed Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Board of Education chose an unexpected path in the public charter school approval process Tuesday night. Wit...
Local Education
Mauricio Calvo appointed to fill vacant school board seat in Memphis
Shelby County Commissioners chose non-profit leader Mauricio Calvo to fill a vacant spot on the Memphis-Shelby County School Board.District 5 has been without r...
Local Education
Mauricio Calvo appointed to fill vacant school board seat in Memphis
Shelby County Commissioners chose non-profit leader Mauricio Calvo to fill a vacant spot on the Memphis-Shelby County School Board.District 5 has been without r...
Local Education
Nine proposed public charter schools are up for vote this month. Will school boards follow the recommendations from independent reviewers who gave five applications high marks?
The approval process for proposed new public charter schools is about to begin its second round for school districts across the state.Four school boards will be...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools recommends denial for five public charter schools applying to transition into the school district
Local Education
District recommends denial for every proposed public charter school in Memphis, including one that met state standards
Four proposed public charter schools may face a tougher road to finding approval in Memphis.The Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) charter review team is reco...
Local Education
Interim superintendent no longer a finalist to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Interim superintendent Tutonial “Toni” Williams is no longer a contender to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) on a permanent basis.At Tuesday evening’s ...
Local Education
Shelby County Commission give support to new schools and teacher raises
Shelby County Commissioners voted in favor of building two new high schools and providing a substantial raise to teachers Monday night.Both are key educational ...
Local Education
A Season of Scandal Leaves Memphis-Shelby Parents in the Dark on COVID Spending
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Tennessee’s largest district, received almost $776 million in federal relief funds to help students recover from the pandemic...
Local Education
Founder of two proposed public charter schools inspired by his own struggles overcoming a learning disability
The path that Pathways in Education (PIE) takes its name from began decades ago with the challenges organization founder John Hall faced when he was in school.H...
Local Education
Choice Champions Student Profile: Kalen Sy dreams of making a difference in Memphis
Kalen Sy learned the value of education at an early age.His grandmother and mother repeatedly stressed the importance of education, and it charted a path forwar...
Local Education
Former MSCS board member alleged ‘corruption.’ Here’s what an MSCS audit found.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools paid a lawn care vendor more than its contract allowed, lost some lawn equipment to theft, and paid an employee for days they didn...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools approves teacher raises and safety improvements in new budget
Memphis-Shelby County School Board members voted in a major salary increase for teachers in the district’s 2023/2024 proposed budget.Under the spending plan, th...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education reassures parents the superintendent search is moving forward
School board members with Memphis-Shelby County Schools sent a letter to parents Wednesday to assure them that the turbulent search for a new school superintend...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board vice chair steps down from following heated discussion about superintendent search
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is down one school board member and is no closer to finding a new superintendent following Tuesday evening’s special called...
Local Education
Memphis activists challenge bans from school district property in federal lawsuit
Five people who were banned from Memphis-Shelby County Schools buildings and property have filed a federal lawsuit against the district, claiming officials viol...
Local Education
Member of the “Tennessee Three” lends support to Memphis “School Board Five”
Representative Justin J. Pearson (D-Memphis) joined four members of the so-called “School Board Five” in a protest Friday outside the Memphis-Shelby County Scho...
Local Education
Retests whittle down number of MSCS 3rd graders facing retention over reading scores
About 1 in 5 Memphis Shelby-County Schools third graders who took a state retest in reading last month succeeded in earning an easier path to fourth grade — som...
News
Memphis LIFT breaks ground on new resource facility
Parent advocacy group Memphis Lift broke ground on a new facility last week designed to not only serve more parents but also provide them with more assistance.“...
State Education
For Memphis 3rd graders, threat of retention has hovered since kindergarten
With only a few days left in third grade, LaQuencher Sanders’ 8-year-old daughter, Kamryn, just wanted to be done with school.She had been in the class of kinde...
Local Education
More delays expected in the turbulent search for a new leader of Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Members of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board admit they don’t expect to be able to name a permanent superintendent by the start of the 2023/2024 school yea...
Local Education
Ban of five public speakers on Memphis-Shelby County School property faces criticism
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is facing pushback for banning five public commenters from all district property.The district made the decision to ban form...
Local Education
Parents of Memphis third-graders should learn the results of the TCAP retest today
Administrators with Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) say parents should learn today if their third-graders need to attend summer school and/or tutoring in t...
News
North Memphis students want to combine two high schools into one
Students from the North Memphis Frayser community came together Friday morning to advocate for funding to combine the area’s two high schools into one new schoo...
State Education
District level data shows challenges for third-grade students in rural counties and West Tennessee
The Tennessee Department of Education says four of five third-grade students in the Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS) failed to meet the testing thre...
Local Education
Memphis 3rd graders improved in reading from 2nd grade, but thousands could still be held back
Early state test results show Memphis third graders improved in reading this year, and more students in the cohort are mastering state reading goals.But about t...
News
Choice Champions Scholarship Student Profile: Grand prize winner has life changing plans to close the cultural literacy gap in medicine
Local Education
Memphis district may drop ServiceMaster custodial contract as cleanliness concerns persist
Memphis-Shelby County Schools wants to clean up the way it cleans up its schools.Last year, the board approved a four-year, $34 million contract with ServiceMas...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board poised to widen superintendent search
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board pauses superintendent search
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) superintendent search is officially on hold, much to the frustration of some residents in Memphis.MSCS school board mem...
National Education
Germantown teacher presented $25,000 cash prize for excellent work in education
More than four months ago Dogwood Elementary 5th grade teacher Alexa Guynes cried tears of joy when her school surprised her with the news she’d won the prestig...
Local Education
New legislation to raise teacher pay hasn’t quieted calls in Memphis for better compensation for all educators
The recent passage of a teacher pay raise by the Tennessee General Assembly hasn’t quelled calls to improve the compensation for Memphis educators.Multiple teac...
Local Education
Memphis school district’s superintendent search: Here’s the latest on the applicants
Local Education
Fairley High at a Crossroads: Students and Alumni Rally to Keep Charter School Alive
Fairley High School students and alumni told the Memphis-Shelby County School Board they want the school to remain open as a public charter school.Fairley is am...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board denies five applications for new public charter schools with one vote
School board members with Memphis-Shelby County Schools denied all five applications for new public charter schools with one vote Tuesday.The board opted to fol...
Local Education
Memphis charter review recommends denial for all new charter applicants including those rated highly by independent reviewers
A review committee for Memphis-Shelby County Schools recommended a denial for all five new public charter school applications the district received this year, i...
Local Education
MSCS superintendent search remains on hold until board members agree on an approach
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members decided Monday to keep their search for a new superintendent on pause while they try to reach consensus on what they...
Local Education
One candidate emerges and two exit in search for a new Memphis-Shelby County School superintendent
The search for a new superintendent to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools took another unexpected turn Tuesday.Former Boston Public Schools superintendent Brend...
Local Education
Memphis superintendent search put on pause after reveal of the three finalists
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members postponed finalist interviews for the next superintendent until further notice Saturday following allegations of a l...
Local Education
MSCS superintendent search firm isn’t enforcing board’s policy on minimum job requirements
A national superintendent search that officials promised would restore trust in the embattled Memphis-Shelby County Schools district could yield finalists who d...
State Government
Representatives Jones and Pearson reappointed to office following ouster
The expulsions of two Democratic lawmakers last week may not last long after all.Wednesday afternoon members of the Shelby County Commission unanimously voted t...
Local Education
Proposed budget for Memphis-Shelby County Schools includes increased teacher pay and new school security
Local Education
Hanley School in Tennessee’s turnaround district will return to MSCS control
For the first time, a charter school in Tennessee’s turnaround district will exit the state program and return to the Memphis district’s management, Memphis-She...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools announce a school closure and other changes for the upcoming school year
Memphis-Shelby County Schools announced four important updates, including one school closure, for students and families in the coming 2023/2024 school year.
Local Education
Memphis parents and activists demand more transparency and public input into superintendent finalist interviews
Local Education
MSCS interim schools chief Toni Williams says she has applied for superintendent job
Interim Memphis schools leader Toni Williams has applied to be the district’s superintendent, a role she once said she was not interested in assuming on a perma...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools unveils plans to expand literacy and career development
Local Education
MSCS board prepares to narrow superintendent search, without public input on finalists
Memphis-Shelby County Schools plans to whittle a growing list of applicants for its superintendent job to three finalists within the next month. For this final ...
Local Education
MSCS board prepares to narrow superintendent search, without public input on finalists
Memphis-Shelby County Schools plans to whittle a growing list of applicants for its superintendent job to three finalists within the next month. For this final ...
Local Education
National education model for educating at-risk students receives support for a return to Memphis
News
Independent review finds the Tennessee Career Academy’s application to open a new public charter school needs work
News
Good addition to the team? Why an independent review is recommending approval for a sister school affiliated with the Memphis Grizzlies
Local Education
Memphis Lift helping bring literacy awareness to Memphis families
Parents’ movement the Memphis Lift is partnering with the Tennessee Department of Education to help raise awareness of the of the challenges students are facing...
News
Proposed “career focused” public charter school in Memphis receives high marks from independent reviewers
Local Education
Independent review finds proposed “male-only” public charter school in Memphis lacks evidence its single gender model works
Memphis based TGAND Outreach Ministries envisions its CHANGE Academy as a new type of public charter school that focuses on the needs of male students with a vo...
Local Education
Contracts for Memphis Shelby County Schools security upgrades await board approva
Memphis-Shelby County Schools would spend up to $6.3 million to bolster security in the district’s schools under a pair of contracts awaiting board approval.The...
State Education
Legislator Profile: Senator Raumesh Akbari finds common ground to improve education
Senator Raumesh Akbari admits it’s not easy getting legislation passed as a Democrat in the Republican supermajority in the Tennessee General Assembly, but she’...
Local Education
Curious about the public charter school applying to open in your community? This new resource can help you learn more.
Education organization Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) announced a new resource Thursday to provide parents and local school districts with more informati...
Local Education
Memphis School Board encouraged to let the public to submit questions to superintendent candidates
Local Education
Memphis School Board encouraged to let the public to submit questions to superintendent candidates
Local Education
MSCS board backs land purchase for new Cordova high school under ‘three G’s’ settlement
The Memphis-Shelby County School Board agreed to buy nearly 36 acres of land north of Shelby Farms for a new high school that will accommodate 1,800 students an...
Local Government
Tennessee 3rd-grade retention law will intensify Memphis students’ pandemic woes, local critics say
Many Memphis youths are already struggling to overcome emotional and psychological trauma inflicted or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.But the specter of b...
Local Education
What qualities should the next superintendent in Memphis have? One student and one teacher see race and gender differently
Six months after former Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) superintendent Joris Ray resigned while facing claims of abusing his power, the district is narrowi...
State Education
Tennessee teachers tell lawmakers literacy struggles are a big concern with young children
Local Education
Day on the Hill provides an educational opportunity for Memphis teachers
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board picks Illinois firm Hazard Young to lead superintendent search
Local Education
Memphis students focus on hope and healing following the death of Tyre Nichols
Local Education
Memphis students focus on hope and healing following the death of Tyre Nichols
News
As Memphis school choice process begins, one Memphis mom says her children are better off because of it
Local Government
Memphis-Shelby County Schools seeking input from parents on the upcoming budget
As Tennessee’s largest district moves into the second half of the 2022-23 school year, Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is seeking feedback from the communi...
Local Education
School Turnaround Program is working for two Memphis schools
Memphis schools Hawkins Mill Elementary and Trezevant High have been on the state’s priority list since the list’s formation in the 2011-12 school year. This me...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools cancels Friday events and reschedules School Showcase
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is cancelling events Friday evening and rescheduling Saturday’s School Choice Showcase as a safety precaution for expected protest...
Local Education
Memphis community panel says superintendent search may be moving too quickly
Local Education
Commitment to diversity and change among the qualities Memphis parents want in next superintendent
Memphis-Shelby County School Board members received a clearer picture of the priorities parents want the next superintendent to have Wednesday night and two of ...
Local Education
Is the ideal candidate to lead Memphis Schools already on the job? Some say yes despite national search support
The search for a new superintendent to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is seeing disagreement over whether the ideal candidate is already on the job.A...
Local Education
Community panel advising MSCS on superintendent search sets first public meeting
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board poised to select superintendent search firm this month
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board is poised to choose a firm by the end of the month to lead its national search for a new superintendent.MSCS received ap...
Local Education
Memphis schools hit hard by last month’s winter weather
Local Education
Nashville, Shelby County to appeal court’s dismissal of Tennessee school voucher case
Plaintiffs behind two lawsuits challenging Tennessee’s private school voucher law plan to appeal a judicial panel’s dismissal of their remaining legal claims.Me...
Local Education
How MSCS is trying to get pre-K programs — and preschoolers — back on track after COVID
When schools closed abruptly in 2020, derailing education for students across Memphis and the country, Jairia Cathey, a teacher at Evans Elementary, scrambled t...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools asks parents to help with search for new superintendent
Tennessee’s largest school district is asking parents to play a larger role in the process of picking its next leader.The Memphis-Shelby County School Board is ...
Local Education
MSCS and Millington school boards approve transfer of Lucy Elementary with 4-year transition
Local Education
MSCS and Germantown school boards back ‘three G’s’ settlement, ending 10-year dispute
The decade-old dispute between Memphis-Shelby County Schools and the Germantown Municipal School District ended Thursday as the two districts’ school boards sig...
Local Education
Shelby County Commission approves pact to transfer ‘three G’ schools to Germantown
The Shelby County Commission Wednesday moved closer to resolving a decade-old dispute over control of three schools in Germantown, approving a deal that would, ...
Local Education
Germantown city leaders approve settlement to take over ‘three G’ schools from MSCS
City leaders in Germantown unanimously backed an agreement Monday that would allow its municipal school district to take over two schools currently operated by ...
Local Education
Public charter schools continue to find an easier path in Memphis than Nashville
Last week’s Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education meeting provided yet another example of how differently the state’s two largest school districts ch...
Local Education
Amid MSCS’ national superintendent search, some in Whitehaven push for a local candidate
Beverly Davis, president of the Whitehaven Empowerment Zone PTSO, believes the next superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools should possess one main asse...
Local Education
Four Memphis charter schools are spared in MSCS board vote, despite academic deficiencies
Local Education
Flu outbreak threatens more disruptions for Tennessee schools
Districts throughout Tennessee and the nation are working to help students recover from learning losses spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. But another respirator...
Local Education
MSCS board speeds up superintendent search, unveils new website
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board on Thursday announced a sped-up timeline for its superintendent search and launched a website to give the public more vi...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board approves expansion of two charter schools
Two charter schools that have been at odds with Memphis-Shelby County Schools administrators won approval from the school board for their requests to expand.In ...
Local Education
Cleared of wrongdoing, two top MSCS officials opt to leave their posts
John Barker, a Memphis-Shelby County Schools deputy superintendent who was on leave pending an investigation into a complaint against him, has retired from the ...
Local Education
Surprise! West Tennessee teacher receives one of the highest honors in education
Alexa Guynes didn’t expect to win an award when she walked into her school gymnasium Thursday but that’s exactly happened.Surrounded by her 5th grade students a...
Local Education
Student homelessness in Memphis-Shelby County Schools more than doubles
Homelessness among Memphis-Shelby County Schools students has hit its highest level in at least four years, more than doubling from the same time last year.New ...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board to pick next superintendent in July under proposed timeline
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board wouldn’t select the next leader of Tennessee’s largest school district until July — a month before the 2023-24 school ye...
Local Education
Memphis school board chair aims to rebuild trust, focus on academics as superintendent search starts
Althea Greene understands the assignment.Memphis-Shelby County Schools is in a moment of major transitions. The school board is preparing to embark on its first...
Local Education
Memphis LIFT launches parent task force to give input on next superintendent
As the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board prepares to launch its first national superintendent search in a decade, Charles Lampkin has several thoughts on the ...
Local Education
MSCS board will launch national superintendent search this month
The Memphis-Shelby County School Board will look nationwide for a replacement for its former scandal-plagued superintendent Joris Ray. The search will begin thi...
Local Education
One Memphis teachers union takes the first step toward the bargaining table
Local Government
Nation’s Report Card finds Tennessee students mirroring nationwide decline
Despite promising scores in this year’s Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), Tennessee students continue to show the same signs of learning loss a...
Local Education
Memphis district records its lowest NAEP scores, showing COVID’s devastating impact
Memphis-Shelby County Schools showed some of the country’s sharpest declines in math and reading scores on the test known as the “nation’s report card.”Results ...
Local Education
MSCS human resources chief is suspended after complaint
For the second time in six weeks, a Memphis-Shelby County Schools official has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into an employe...
Local Government
Charter Commission ends appeal cycle by overturning Metro Nashville Public Schools again
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission approved the Tennessee Nature Academy in a 5-3 vote, overturning MNPS's rejection. Several other charter school a...
Local Education
MSCS board will add community activist and former educator Frank Johnson
Commentary
Commentary: Compass Community Schools is a model Tennessee should follow
This year’s Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) results were rightfully cheered for the gains Tennessee students made, but it’s important to keep ...
Local Education
Germantown High students join fight to keep the ‘three G’s’ open
After three years at Germantown High School, Maya Logan has come to think of it as home — a place where she’s made friends who are more like family, that has he...
Local Education
Three candidates seek open Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seat
Three Memphians have thrown their hat in the ring to fill the District 7 seat on the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board vacated by Miska Clay Bibbs.Clay Bibbs ...
Local Education
Memphis school board delays start of superintendent search
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board has delayed the start of its search for a new superintendent to replace Joris Ray, so that its newest members can get up...
Local Education
Proposed military charter school aims to be the solution to the school to jail pipeline
Supporters of the Tennessee Volunteer Military Academy believe their public charter school model is the solution to the school to jail pipeline too many student...
News
Report: Tennessee a hotspot for inflation-based price increases
Nashville ranked 14th in the country in the number of businesses that reported moderate or large price increases in a new poll from LendingTree. Tennessee, mean...
Local Education
Supporters of proposed Memphis charter school tell state commission it fills a vital need for Binghampton families
The Binghampton neighborhood in Memphis is a community with a diverse population that’s struggling with poverty.Nora Jendoubi says her organization Maslow Devel...
Local Government
MSCS board Chair Michelle McKissack is mulling a 2023 mayoral run
Michelle McKissack, the recently reelected chairwoman of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board, announced Monday she is mulling a run to become the city’s nex...
Local Education
Tennessee’s list of lowest-performing schools is out. Is yours on it?
Memphis-Shelby County Schools more than doubled its number of schools on Tennessee’s list of bottom-performing schools, while schools from several rural distric...
Local Education
New Memphis school board member Keith Williams is still head of a teachers union. Is that a conflict of interest?
The chair of the Memphis Shelby County Schools board wants newly elected member Keith Williams to relinquish his post as head of the district’s biggest teacher’...
Local Education
State Commission sides with charter schools most of the time but isn’t a rubber stamp
This fall a little-known state board could play a huge role in expanding school choice options for parents across the state.The Tennessee Public Charter School ...
State Education
Memphis educator named Tennessee’s 2022-23 Teacher of the Year
Fresh from being named Tennessee’s Teacher of the Year for 2022-23, Memphis second-grade educator Melissa Collins credits her family and 21 years in the classro...
Local Education
Joris Ray agrees to resign as Memphis-Shelby County Schools chief under deal with board
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray, who was under investigation over claims that he abused his power and violated district policies, resigne...
Local Education
KIPP Memphis leader discusses his vision for the city’s oldest charter network
As KIPP Memphis celebrates its 20th anniversary, CEO Antonio Burt thinks the charter network is on its way to “finding our sweet spot” in Memphis’ changing educ...
Local Education
One charter school wins Memphis school board approval
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board on Tuesday approved just one of four charter school applications for the 2023-24 school year.
Local Education
MSCS reports over 200 teacher vacancies three weeks before school starts
With less than three weeks to go before students return to classrooms, Memphis-Shelby County Schools has 220 unfilled teaching positions.
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ TCAP scores return to near pre-pandemic levels, but gaps persist
Nearly 17% of Memphis students in grades 3-12 performed at or above grade-level expectations in math and English on state standardized tests in 2022 — a sign th...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools sells former Brookmeade Elementary to Libertas charter school
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board on Tuesday agreed to sell the former Brookmeade Elementary School building, located at 3777 Edenburg Drive, to the chart...