Samantha West
Reporter, Chalkbeat Tennessee
Samantha West is a Reporter for Chalkbeat Tennessee, where she covers K-12 education in Memphis. She’s a 2021 Education Writers Association Reporting Fellow and New to the Beat rookie. Before joining Chalkbeat, she was a K-12 education reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. While studying journalism and English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, she interned at The Washington Post and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as the Ann Devroy Fellow. A native Minnesotan and a seven-year Wisconsinite, she’s passionate about hotdish (not casserole) and the Green Bay Packers.
She would become the third school board member to pursue higher office this year
Tell us what qualities, experiences matter most to you in the next leader of Tennessee’s largest district
John Barker, deputy superintendent for strategic operations and finance, will remain on leave pending the outcome of an investigation
A call to channel ‘fears and frustrations’ into ‘action and solutions’
Strickland argues that parents and families have ‘allowed’ thousands of teens to skip or drop out of school
Board chair warns of possible conflict of interest
Agreement ends investigation and includes 18 months’ severance pay
MSCS board chair says investigation into Ray is now at a point where “the board and the public must be reengaged regarding the status of this issue”
In an interview with Chalkbeat, Antonio Burt reflects on his tenure so far and his vision for this year and beyond
Nearly half of the district’s schools also earn individual Level 5 marks, a sign of recovery from pandemic
Even with Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ superintendent on leave, district leaders say they’re focused on supporting students and continuing academic growth
Over 100,000 Memphis-Shelby County Schools students and 6,000 teachers will return to classrooms on Monday. But the superintendent remains on leave.
Six Memphis school board candidates reap donations from a political action committee intent on improving social and economic mobility in Shelby County.
Personnel records include evaluations of one of the women who worked under Ray at Memphis City Schools’ Office of Alternative Schools
Memphis board disregarded recommendation to deny Frayser network’s proposal, and instead approved Westside Middle School, which has an anti-racist theme.
Lee meets with private school leaders, while his education chief acknowledges the timeline is ‘challenging’
The vacancies signal persistent teacher shortages in Memphis and across Tennessee and the nation
Twelve Memphians are competing for four openings on the MSCS board
Board names counsel to lead inquiry into whether Ray violated district policies on relationships with co-workers.
The meeting comes less than a week after the board launched an external review of Ray
Action follows reports about court filings alleging that Ray had adulterous relationships, possibly with current or former district employees
Nearly 17% of Memphis students in grades 3-12 performed at or above grade-level expectations in math and English
Officials plan renovations and an addition to better accommodate special education and music programs
The proposed upgrades are part of an ongoing push to improve safety and security at Tennessee’s largest school district
District scales back its ambitions after coming up short in request for county funding
Scores rise across all subjects and grades, largely returning to pre-COVID levels, but disparities persist
Twelve Memphians are competing for seats on the school board representing districts 1, 6, 8, and 9. What questions do you have for them?
The four-year pact will boost base hourly wages to $15
Board rejects custodial contract over lingering questions