It’s the first time in Collierville Schools history for one of its schools to receive the honor.

For about 10 days, starting in late August, the image was on display in the school’s law review offices on the fourth floor. It was also shared digitally.

The former teacher joined the school board last October to represent District 7, which includes east Whitehaven, Oakhaven and Hickory Hill.

Memories of that first year under Plan Z still linger for those who lived through it. 

“Whether it results in a conviction or not, that record can go with you to your grave unless you proactively get it expunged, if you’re eligible to do that. Many, many people are not,” said Josh Spickler, head of Just City.

Students at Peabody Elementary School will attend class at two other buildings while the school district works to eliminate mold from the 114-year-old structure.

A DeSoto County educator is no longer with the school district after teaching from Sherman Alexie’s 2007 novel, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.” 

The third chapter of The Daily Memphian’s oral history marking the 50th anniversary of busing in Memphis City Schools covers the arrival of Plan Z, the comprehensive plan to bus 39,000 children to racially integrate most of the city’s public schools.

A woman has raised questions about a book being taught in a Lake Cormorant School saying it contains sexually explicit dialog inappropriate for young students.

Two candidates have qualfied to run for the District 3 office on the DeSoto County Board of Education in a Nov. 7 special election.

Lighting and surveillance improvements are the first phase of a $5 million investment to improve security on campus and surrounding area. 

This second part of The Daily Memphian’s oral history series marking the 50th anniversary of Plan Z begins with prophetic words from McRae’s December 1971 ruling that set the stage for Plan A’s implementation.

The decision came as some Memphis-Shelby County School buildings are struggling with air-conditioning issues amid a summer of record high temperatures.

University of Memphis President Bill Hardgrave ran through the campus fountain hand-in-hand with SGA leaders on the first day of school amid a flurry of activity on the student plaza.

Cherry Davidson is returning to the Arlington Community Schools suburban district to act as mentor for principals across the system.

Dr. Christina Rosenthal, a native of South Memphis, continues to garner national attention for her dedication to inspiring young people from historically marginalized communities to pursue careers in health care. 

New Memphis hosted “Spillit: Baggage Claim,” an event honoring local teachers with its 2023 Educators of Excellence awards and providing them with an open forum to share their stories.

Horton Jr. will bring “a wealth of experience” to his new role, according to MSCS interim superintendent Toni Williams.

Half a century ago this month, 39,000 Memphis children — about a third of the then-Memphis City Schools system — were told to board school buses and continue their education at new schools in an effort to racially integrate them.

Related story: 

Chapter One: Before the buses

Court-ordered busing began in the Memphis City Schools system in 1973, 19 years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racially segregated public schools should be integrated with “all deliberate speed.” But MCS had tried other methods at integration before busing.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools scored a Level 5 distinction on the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System for the second consecutive year. 

Undergraduate enrollment at the University of Memphis, for example, had fallen about 11% between 2016 and last fall when it reported having 14,366 students.

From the College of Medicine to the College of Pharmacy to the College of Dentistry, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has new leaders in several key positions.

Emmanuel United Methodist Kindergarten has hired Maribeth Jeffreys as the school’s new director. Jeffreys has 10 years of experience teaching in the Collierville school system and is the youngest director in the school’s history. 

It was the largest and shortest public school district merger in United States history. A decade later, leaders on both sides recall the road that led to an unhappy “shotgun wedding.”