Memphis-Shelby County Schools
A 2022 contract with ServiceMaster Clean was flagged by state auditors as the biggest source of potential spending abuse this summer. The company will clean half of the district’s schools next year.
Minutes before the oversight board was scheduled to meet, a local judge temporarily blocked the state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Thornton, who represented District 10 on the county commission for 4 years, left her seat to join longtime parent advocacy group Memphis Lift.
Nearly 20% of educators left Memphis-Shelby County Schools last year, sparking concerns as the district faces a potential state takeover and persistent teacher retention challenges.
Judge Waverly Crenshaw closely questioned attorneys for the Memphis-Shelby County school board, who argue the state takeover harms local students.
Tamarques Porter was elected to replace Natalie McKinney as Memphis-Shelby County school board chair. Sable Otey was tapped as vice-chair, replacing Joyce Dorse Coleman.
Amber Huett-Garcia left the Memphis school board after a four-year term marked by significant superintendent turnover. Here’s what she thinks MSCS needs to do to succeed.
The drop continues a decade-long enrollment decline in Memphis, according to Chalkbeat analysis.
Superintendent Roderick Richmond blamed rising repair and replacement costs for ending a yearslong policy that gave each student their own personal laptop.
Four Democrats elected to Memphis-Shelby County school board in first partisan election
MSCS leaders toured schools rejoining the district and those absorbing students displaced by recent closures on the first day of classes. Here’s what they shared.
With district leadership still up in the air, MSCS is diving into chronic absenteeism solutions and math curriculum changes. And more school closures are likely this year.
The district is relaunching its summer door-knocking campaign and changing in-school strategies to boost attendance after high absenteeism became an impetus for the MSCS state takeover.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Memphis schools takeover after officials argued it could delay important decisions on purchases like HVAC repairs.
After seeing steady gains in reading scores, Memphis leaders say they’re turning attention more to middle school math.
At a community advocacy event Saturday, dozens of Memphis parents told Chalkbeat they want new district leadership to better address reading gaps and district distrust.
The lawsuit challenges a new Tennessee law that establishes an oversight board to take control away from the locally elected school board.
The Memphis oversight board will take over district controls from the elected school board beginning July 1.
The nine-person board will now seize significant authority from the locally elected school board.
In the past four years, MSCS charter students increased math proficiency rates by 22 percentage points. That far outpaces the gains from traditional school students.