Monroe County hires Memphis pre-K director as superintendent
DeAnna McClendon oversaw the expansion of preschool classrooms as Shelby County seeks to make early childhood education available to all low-income families.
49 recent articles by Laura Faith Kebede:
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June 2019
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Community backlash halts Winchester Elementary literacy lab plan
Parents and teachers at Winchester Elementary were largely critical of the Memphis Teacher Residency partnership — saying the teachers would be less experienced, the model hasn’t been tested, and the school had recently undergone a lot of leadership changes.
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Memphis schools likely to get less money than requested from county
County commissioners approved a recommendation to add $10 million more than Mayor Lee Harris’ budget for school building projects in all seven county districts. That still leaves Shelby County Schools short of the $64 million it requested by about 37%.
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School leaders look for new ways to help students after Brandon Webber's death
As Memphis responds to Brandon Webber's death, some have wondered what else could have been done while he was in school to prevent it.
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University of Memphis middle school may share East High's building
University officials said the location change would not disqualify some currently enrolled University Middle students from attending this fall, which was a concern because the school's contract requires one third of its students to reside within two miles of the school.
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As funding shrinks reading program, Gov. Lee says literacy is a priority
Tennessee used discretionary funds to ensure the Read to be Ready camps continue this summer, but there was no reprieve for a major component of the reading initiative: a statewide network of coaches created three years ago to help teachers improve their literacy instruction.
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May 2019
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SCS plans to add at least $10M to next school budget request
The district’s proposed budget for day-to-day expenses would be $1.05 billion, which is about 3% less than the current spending plan. The district budget is determined by student enrollment, and the county is required to pay the district at least as much as it did last year. Shelby County Schools wants $10 million more than what would be allocated for next year.
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Teachers' group lobbies for Spanish translations and emotional support staff in budget
Efforts to secure resources for Shelby County Schools come in advance of an expected school board vote on a spending plan, which could occur as soon as next week. The budget is the first under the district’s new superintendent, Joris Ray.
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Herenton will appeal SCS board vote to close one of his charter schools
The board voted to keep open three out of six Memphis charter schools that appeared on the state’s list of lowest-performing schools, and voted to close the three other charter schools on the list, all run by former superintendent and current Memphis mayoral candidate Willie Herenton.
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What persuaded the SCS board to name Joris Ray superintendent
School board members cited Ray’s firm hand while serving as interim — effectively a tryout — in their unanimous selection of the 22-year Memphis educator.
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Shelby County Schools hires Joris Ray as next superintendent
A resolution approved by the nine-member school board said a national search for a superintendent was unnecessary and would cost the district time and resources. Ray’s selection marks a reversal for board members, who signaled early on they planned to conduct a national search.
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April 2019
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Joris Ray wants to be Shelby County Schools superintendent; here's what we know about him
Here's a look at what we know about interim Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray as board members prepare to consider dropping its search for a new superintendent and giving Ray the job outright.
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Memphis school board appears poised to make superintendent choice with little public discussion
The Shelby County Schools board postponed discussion Tuesday of a resolution to suspend a national search for a superintendent and hire interim leader Joris Ray – setting members up to make a critical decision with minimal public discussion.
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Harassment claim against interim superintendent 'without merit,' district says
An investigation into a sexual harassment complaint lodged against Joris Ray several months before he was named interim superintendent concluded there was “no evidence” of wrongdoing.
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To slow rising costs, district wants to help new Memphis teachers pay for college debt instead of retiree benefits
New Shelby County Schools employees would be eligible for student loan assistance next summer instead of retiree medical benefits, under a district proposal.
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This program put arrested teens on track, but funding is set to expire
With its funding expiring, a Memphis program for students coming out of juvenile detention could end soon, despite a three-year record of job placement and low recidivism.
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Memphis students, once in juvenile detention, offer ideas to reduce suspensions
Many of the student recommendations were rooted in Project STAND, a federally funded program at Carver Academy for students transitioning back to school after juvenile detention. Currently, there are 66 students in the program.
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SCS board members disagree on how to pick next superintendent
Board members are expected to vote on suspending the search for a superintendent at their regular meeting later this month. If that resolution fails, the board recommended that the Iowa-based firm Ray & Associates conduct the search for about $44,000.
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Few charter schools want to open where SCS says they're needed
The district’s new analysis on where charter schools are most needed was based on the number of students in various Memphis neighborhoods and the school seats available for them.
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Lawmakers lower income limit for school voucher eligibility
Gov. Bill Lee had campaigned on giving more educational choices to low-income families in districts with failing schools. But the original income cap was criticized for being well above what’s considered low-income in Tennessee.
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Voucher opponents shift strategy as bill barrels through Legislature
In the past, critics of vouchers have had more time to mount spirited public opposition, often in the form of rallies in Nashville and Memphis, the city that would likely be most affected.
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March 2019
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About 700 students at five schools will be rezoned
Amid concerns over declining enrollment and aging campuses, the changes are the first step in former superintendent Dorsey Hopson’s facilities footprint plan that could consolidate 28 old facilities into 10 new ones.
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SCS board voices opposition to vouchers
School board members in Shelby County have consistently opposed using state funds for private school tuition, and the latest proposal, which expands eligible expenses to tutoring and online courses, is no different, they said.
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First look at Joris Ray's SCS budget priorities
Even though the Shelby County Schools board is about to hire a national search firm to look for a new superintendent, Joris Ray has not been shy about pushing through initiatives that he believes will improve academic performance in Memphis schools.
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Will Tennessee vouchers help black families go where they were once shunned?
Black Memphians make up a large portion of the people who will qualify for the governor’s proposal, but they are hesitant to trust predominately white private schools.
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How Tennessee’s latest voucher proposal differs from past plans
The biggest difference – and most costly for parents – is that traditional vouchers would have covered all tuition costs. Education savings accounts would not necessarily cover all of a student’s private-school tuition.
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Tennesseans consider Gov. Lee's voucher plan – and wonder who benefits most
Some Tennesseans say the income threshold makes vouchers appealing to families for which private school is within reach, compared to students from low-income families who may be looking to escape low-performing schools.
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Gov. Lee reveals details about his 'parent choice' proposal
The Republican governor plans to pay for the program’s first year by stockpiling $25 million annually in discretionary funds for the next three years — but he’s not specifying where the money would come after that.
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Teachers are 'ready to fight,' says Tennessee coalition inspired by strikes in other states
The coalition, called TN Teachers United, launched last week after meeting with two teachers who helped organize statewide walkouts last year in Arizona and West Virginia.
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Memphis school leaders consider proposal to hold back second-graders who can't read
A proposed policy would require Shelby County Schools' 8,700 second-graders to meet eight of 12 points the district tracks to be promoted to third grade.
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February 2019
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Study coming on free bus passes for Memphis high school students
The board resolution made the case that free bus passes students would help reduce absences in a school district where most students live in poverty and are less likely to have access to a car or enough money for public transit.
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SCS board approves U of M middle school, teaching lab
The university aims for a third of students to be children of University of Memphis full-time faculty and staff, a third to live within two miles of the school, and a third to be from elsewhere in the district.
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TNReady scores won't count much in Memphis student grades
State testing is the linchpin of Tennessee’s system for evaluating student achievement. But as technical failures have marred the rollout in recent years, educators have clamored for limits on how the scores are used.
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New Memphis charter school guidelines would help decide if there are too many in one neighborhood
Under new guidelines being developed, Shelby County Schools board members would be able to systematically slow growth of Memphis charter schools.
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Memphis interim superintendent adds two cabinet-level positions in first month on the job
Less than one month after Joris Ray was named interim leader of Shelby County Schools, he has added two cabinet-level positions and replaced the district’s chief of staff.
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As low-performing Memphis charters await vote on their fate, the district asks families to consider other schools
Shelby County Schools leaders are urging charter families to choose another school for their children, as four charter operators await the Shelby County Schools board’s vote on whether to shut them down. -
‘I am the least among you,’ says Ray, vowing to put Memphis student needs first
Interim Superintendent Joris Ray said Thursday that he would introduce a new organizational chart for Shelby County Schools staff to reference: students are at the top; Ray is at the bottom.
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Memphis school staff urge board to ‘stay with Ray’ as interim superintendent contract is set
As school board members approved a contract Wednesday for Shelby County Schools’ Interim Superintendent Joris Ray, a vocal contingent of principals, teachers, parents, and students told them that Ray should stay on long-term.
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Citing appearance of ‘bias,’ Memphis board members plan to reject philanthropy offer to pay for superintendent search
A school board committee said it would vote to reject an education philanthropy’s offer to pay for the district’s superintendent search.
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January 2019
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The Shelby County Schools board has an open seat. Here’s how to apply
Shelby County commissioners will select an interim school board member next month, and interested candidates can apply as of Tuesday. The appointee will fill the seat Teresa Jones vacated following her recent appointment as a municipal court judge. -
Memphis parents submit 1,700 school applications online in first hour
After decades of what critics called an unfair enrollment system that favored well-off families who could camp out for days to get priority admission, 1,700 parents applied online for Memphis schools during the first hour on Monday, Jan. 28. -
Shelby County Schools’ interim superintendent says he won’t ‘sit behind a podium’
Joris Ray intends to be involved in his interim role as Shelby County Schools superintendent.
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Gateway is only Memphis charter school flagged as low-achieving on district scorecard
Most Memphis schools improved in academic achievement and student growth in the second edition of Shelby County Schools' “scorecard.”
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District rehired former Memphis principal accused of planning to rig tests – then fired her six months later
After quietly rehiring a former principal it had investigated for allegedly planning to rig state tests and for calling students the N-word, Shelby County Schools abruptly fired her last month, documents obtained by Chalkbeat show.
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December 2018
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Memphis and Nashville put on notice about which schools could face state takeover in 2020
In one of her final acts as Tennessee education commissioner, Candice McQueen has identified nearly 20 schools that could require the most drastic state interventions — including possibly state takeover in 2020 — if their test scores don’t increase dramatically, according to documents obtained by Chalkbeat. -
Even as suspensions fall, Memphis students being kicked out of school longer, data shows
Hidden behind what Memphis education officials have said is good news when it comes to student discipline is a disturbing trend: As short-term suspensions have decreased, expulsions have increased. -
Plan for Memphis schools would fold 28 old schools into 10 new ones
Shelby County Schools’ outgoing leader wants to consolidate 28 Memphis schools into 10 new buildings.
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November 2018
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Students walk out of Memphis school demanding to know why principal and teacher were fired
About 30 students walked out of Memphis Academy of Health Sciences High School on Tuesday, Nov. 6, three months after school administrators fired the principal, and days after firing a beloved teacher. -
A Memphis principal was fired over flawed test scores. Should state law protect him too?
Reginald Williams was set to retire as principal of a Memphis charter school at the end of the school year. Instead, he was fired just days into the new school year, shortly after state test results showed the school’s scores had plummeted.
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