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.
Laura Faith Kebede
There are 166 articles by Laura Faith Kebede :
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March 2019
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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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April 2019
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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Public Safety 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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Education 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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Education 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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May 2019
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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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June 2019
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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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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Education 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.
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