Her lawsuit requests she be restored to the superintendent seat or paid severance as outlined in her contract.

As Rhodes College professor Stephen Haynes puts it, “If you met somebody coming out of prison, wouldn’t it impress you if they had a degree from Rhodes College?”

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members scrapped a search in favor of appointing Roderick Richmond as superintendent. Threats of state takeover loom over its split decision to stabilize the district after years of leadership tumult.

The district received a waiver from the Tennessee Department of Education after taking two full weeks off of class. That exceeded MSCS’ built-in snow days by two, prompting the need for state assistance.

Republican lawmakers who were briefed on preliminary information from a state-funded forensic audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools are drawing “premature” conclusions, interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond said.

A local judge ruled that Shelby County commissioners “exceeded their authority” in passing a resolution that placed all nine school board seats on the ballot last fall. 

The mayor’s choice succeeds Keenon McCloy who retired in January.

“Some of our children have been here their entire lives, so they haven’t even gotten out of their hospital rooms.”

Presbyterian Day School has launched a campaign to reshape the center of campus to better support community, outdoor learning and student development.

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board is about to decide on the district’s leadership, and candidates are campaigning for school board seats. But two sponsors of a state bill say little, if any, of that matters.

“There’s financial record mismanagement, waste and abuse of contracts, disorganization at a level that’s unprecedented,” state Rep. Mark White told The Daily Memphian Friday.

The potential relocation would give Grizzlies Prep students, currently about 300 boys, a campus with a gym and outdoor spaces. It also would provide a facility for the charter operator to open its new all-girls school.

The district says state auditors haven’t presented any evidence of fraud or abuse to constitute further investment. Republican lawmakers didn’t name specifics either.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools used up its eighth and final snow day on Wednesday, Feb. 4 — then closed for Thursday.

The Lakeland School System resurrected an old name for its new middle school.

The City of Memphis released $8.5 million to prekindergarten organization First 8 Memphis. The funds could keep some classrooms afloat while city, county and First 8 officials remain in negotiations for a long-term funding plan.

“We ask the Shelby County administration to find a path forward with First 8 Memphis so that our school system and all other operators are not expected to fill a sudden budgetary gap that we cannot afford.”

If Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee achieves his goal, Tennessee would spend more than $303 million in public dollars on vouchers next fiscal year to help send 40,000 students to private schools across the state.

Well, darn. The Central High band won’t be going back to New York this year to defend its title in the Essentially Ellington jazz contest. But after a year of triumph and tragedy, that won’t stop director Ollie Liddell from teaching “with (his) hair on fire.”

MSCS isn’t anticipating implementing remote or hybrid learning options available under state law.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members said they would soon determine permanent leadership for the district. But will it be by search or an appointment? 

The recent overhaul of the Houston, Texas public school district inspired Tennessee Republicans’ push to take over Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

For the past three weeks, nearly 35 MSCS schools have been without janitorial services because of the stalled contract.

The MSCS board’s new complaint makes a special case for board member Tamarques Porter of District 4 who “will suffer a unique harm.”

Roderick Richmond’s evaluation results — including teachers' opinions on the interim leader — are in. He took over the district after former superintendent Marie Feagins was removed by the board in Jan. 2025.