Tomeka Hart Wigginton to become new United Way of the Mid-South president
Hart Wigginton kickstarted a career in education, public policy and philanthropy management by serving on the Memphis City Schools board.
Laura Testino
Laura Testino is an enterprise reporter who writes about how public policy shapes Memphis. She is currently reporting from Frayser about education and housing. Please write her with your suggestions and story tips.
There are 151 articles by Laura Testino :
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November 2024
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Education More for Memphis wants to create united front against childhood poverty
Organizers of the More for Memphis plan are pitching elected officials on a new board to assign more than $1 billion in funding to efforts they say would solve the city’s economic mobility problem.
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City of MemphisMemphis-area workforce board boots director, appoints interim
Sondra Howell of the Greater Memphis Chamber will be the interim director of a regional workforce development board as the program seeks to smooth out a rocky year of transition.
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EducationWith Council’s Cordova high ‘death blow’ vote, Frayser high could be built first
“We’ve got to face the reality,” Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said. “The (Cordova) project may not be dead permanently, but it’s suffered a pretty big death blow.”
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EducationMSCS could add $11M to new Frayser high school
District officials said the money is needed to keep the project on track as it recalculates next steps for the stalled Cordova high school.
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Performing Arts ‘NutRemix’ dancers pirouette from the wings to center stage
This twist on a classic is the tradition two performers have known for their entire lives. They’ve danced nearly every role in the show, from mice to toy soldiers.
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The To-Do List The To-Do List: A Winter Garden, an enchanted castle and sugarplum fairies
This week, Justin Timberlake is back in Memphis, there’s an early turkey trot at Overton Park and the holiday lights come on at Graceland and Downtown.
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North MemphisHow two Frayser schools learned ‘what it feels like to win’
At Hawkins Mill Elementary, chronic absenteeism plummeted. And at Trezevant High, graduation rates climbed closer to the district average. Both had been among Tennessee’s bottom 5% for over a decade.
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December 2024
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Neighborhoods Stitch by stitch, Memphis stroke survivor finds ‘new beginning’ in quilting
With a steady hand and a needle and thread, Rose Wheeler taught herself patience again.
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EducationMSCS cut virtual teachers, but might have to bring them back
Memphis-Shelby County Schools began the year with hundreds of teacher vacancies, leaving thousands of Memphis students lacking a certified teacher.
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Education Shelby County-MSCS announce funding for new Frayser high school
The funds would have to be allocated at the Shelby County Commission’s meetings on Dec. 11 and Dec. 16, the last two before the end of the year.
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Education MSCS to pay $200K in settlement with banned activists
Five people who were banned from Memphis-Shelby County Schools for alleged disruption during a public meeting claimed the district violated their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
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City of Memphis DOJ finds MPD discriminates against Black residents, violates civil rights
The U.S. Department of Justice alleges the Memphis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution.
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‘A rush to judgment’: Memphis won’t enter agreement with DOJ
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Public SafetyDOJ: MPD uses ‘needless force’ with kids
A report from the U.S. Department of Justice found “serious concerns” with the Memphis Police Department’s “treatment of children and the lasting impact of police encounters on their wellbeing and resilience.” Officers arrested and handcuffed children as young as 8 years old.
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MetroNew MSCS plan could close schools with most severe maintenance needs
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins said she may seek community input as decisions are made following a $2 million assessment of each of the district’s 200 buildings
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Education Former MSCS leader lands at national teacher-training org
By joining TNTP, Toni Williams strengthens the teacher training organization’s ties to Memphis.
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EducationHere’s what’s at stake if MSCS fires Superintendent Marie Feagins
Memphis students and public education have been through leadership tumult that began with the departure of former Superintendent Joris Ray in 2022 and continued through the interim tenure of Toni Williams.
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EducationTennessee lawmaker considering ‘all options’ for MSCS
More turmoil at Memphis-Shelby County Schools could bring back proposals for state intervention in Tennessee’s largest school district, a state lawmaker told The Daily Memphian.
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Education MSCS board to consider terminating Feagins’ contract
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members are scheduled to meet Tuesday to consider terminating Superintendent Marie Feagins’ contract.
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Education Feagins narrowly survives ouster attempt from MSCS board
However, the termination proceedings will continue into the new year and be decided in the board’s business meeting at the end of January.
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Education Activists, State Rep. discuss school board recall possibilities
During a Thursday press conference, Tennessee state Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, stopped short of committing to push legislation that would allow voters to recall Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members.
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Education MSCS has fewer F schools in second year of Tennessee letter grades
Nevertheless, state law requires Tennessee districts with D and F schools appear before the Tennessee State Board of Education for hearings. Such reviews could result in corrective-action plans or audits for districts or charter operators.
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Education MSCS board chair says issues with Feagins can’t be overcome
In a new statement released to the press on Thursday, Dec. 26, board Chair Joyce Dorse Coleman seemed to provide an accelerated timeline for terminating Superintendent Marie Feagins.
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EducationAttorney: Claims against Feagins are ‘weak,’ and she ‘absolutely’ wants to keep her job
“Where I come from, you call somebody a liar, you better have plenty to back that up,” said Feagins’ attorney, Memphis lawyer Alan Crone.
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Shelby CountyJuvenile Court sues Sheriff’s Office
Juvenile Court filed a lawsuit Tuesday requesting the Shelby County Chancery Court stop the Sheriff’s Office from terminating its oversight of Shelby County’s juvenile-detention center.
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