If you’re passionate about the future of education in Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), it’s essential to stay informed about the decisions being made at the district level. To make it easier for you to follow along, I’ve not only compiled detailed notes from the meeting, but I’ve also organized them into key topics for access based on interest. 

In this post, you’ll find essential highlights from the September 24 meeting, featuring insights from board members and district leaders on pressing topics such as:

1. Chair/Vice Chair Elections 
2. Attendance/Enrollment 
3. Teacher Vacancies
4. Pre-K
5. Vaccinations 
6. Other 

Whether you’re an educator, parent, or community advocate, this structure will allow you to easily navigate to the areas that matter most to you.

Before you dive in! If you want to stay updated on the latest developments within Memphis-Shelby County Schools and beyond, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter for in-depth insights, resources, and updates delivered straight to your inbox.

And don’t forget to hop over and subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I break down key education topics, share actionable tips, and reflect on the impact of policies and decisions in our schools.

1. Chair/Vice Chair Elections 

• During the Chair and Vice Chair elections for the 2024-2025 school year, Joyce Coleman was unanimously elected Chair after being nominated by Commissioners Love and Huett-Garcia.
• For the Vice Chair election, Commissioner McKissack nominated Huett-Garcia, while Commissioner Murphy nominated Love. Commissioner Huett-Garcia expressed her readiness to lead, highlighting her clear communication skills, commitment to ambitious yet feasible goals for students, and dedication to building deep relationships to benefit students. She emphasized that success comes through collaboration.
• On the other hand, Commissioner Love, who did not prepare a formal speech, stated that her work speaks for itself. She affirmed her commitment to the district, teachers, and students and emphasized her readiness to work alongside others to do the “heavy lifting.” McKissack initially supported Huett-Garcia in the voting but then shifted her vote to Love for unity with the board. Porter passed during the first round of voting and voted to support Commissioner Love during the second round. Ultimately, Love was elected Vice Chair.

2. Attendance/Enrollment 

• The district provided an update on enrollment, reporting 110,396 students, though they acknowledged some potential double counting in certain areas. The team was asked to investigate what might be contributing to these errors in reporting. According to the CDC, the enrollment number stands slightly lower at 110,356. Despite the discrepancies, current enrollment is higher than it was at the same time last year. Overall, enrollment numbers are trending upward, reflecting positive momentum.
• The overall absence rate has decreased, indicating improved attendance among staff and students. Chronic absenteeism is also down, reflecting efforts to address and reduce long-term absences and keep students engaged in school.
• Commissioner Love asked how being off grade level impacts attendance. Feagins explained that graduation is a lagging indicator, and to keep students on track, the district monitors their progress starting in ninth grade at key intervals throughout the year. This helps reduce dropout rates and allows for targeted interventions like summer school and credit recovery. She emphasized that frequent absences set students further behind, making initiatives like “COME to WIN” vital to keeping students in school and engaged.
• Commissioner Love inquired about the percentage of absenteeism attributed to suspensions and expulsions. Superintendent Feagins responded that the team would gather and provide that information.
• Commissioner Murphy asked how the district is working to get students enrolled. Superintendent Feagins explained that a large meeting with families will be held, focusing on the 1,538 students who have between 8 to 23 or more absences. The discussions will center on what the families need, the implications of chronic absenteeism truancy, and the available resources through partnerships with community organizations. The district will also communicate the legal ramifications of absenteeism and will work to reach students who haven’t enrolled due to reasons such as homelessness or choosing other districts. Currently, over 1,000 students have yet to enroll.
• Commissioner Murphy expressed concern, suggesting that more hands-on support is needed, particularly since the SEED office, which previously helped, was let go. Feagins clarified that family engagement liaisons, truancy liaisons, and attendance liaisons have been leading these efforts within schools. However, Murphy emphasized that despite these resources, something is not working effectively, and there needs to be a reassessment of the approach

3. Teacher Vacancies 

• The number of teacher vacancies across the district has decreased, a positive step toward stabilizing staffing levels. 
• Commissioner Williams asked how many classrooms are currently without a teacher, to which Superintendent Feagins responded that there are 358 instructional vacancies, with 21 positions under HR review. Special education and elementary have the highest need. Williams expressed concern about the impact this would have on student achievement and emphasized that filling these vacancies must be a priority. 
• Superintendent Feagins acknowledged the issue, agreeing that vacancies significantly affect achievement, but emphasized that this is not due to a lack of effort by the district. She pointed out that this is a national issue and that the district is actively working to make the teaching profession more attractive. For example, their Move Memphis initiative partners with residential facilities to help provide housing for teachers. 
• Superintendent Feagins also noted that the district may need to evaluate the number of buildings in operation relative to enrollment, as consolidating buildings could help fill more classrooms. She emphasized that difficult decisions involving the administration and the board may be necessary to address the shortage.
• Commissioner McKinney suggested that the board consider adding to the legislative agenda a proposal to extend the time allowed for teachers on a permit who are performing well to continue teaching under that permit. This would provide more flexibility and support for those excelling but have not yet completed all the certification requirements.
• Commissioner Murphy shared concerns after speaking with a teacher who is an English instructor but is currently teaching trigonometry. She mentioned that teachers have applied for positions but have not received follow-ups, and students have expressed concerns that their teachers are not qualified for the subjects they teach. Murphy emphasized the need to have the right teachers in the classrooms. Superintendent Feagins responded firmly, stating that the district is not in such a dire situation that they would place an English teacher in a trigonometry class. She requested to be informed offline where this is happening and reassured that the district would never put anyone in a role who could not fully commit to the students’ success.

4. Pre-K 

• The board voted 8 to 1 to grant the Early Childhood Department permission to apply for Head Start 2025 Continuation and Head Start Re-competition applications for the 2025-2030 school terms. Commissioner McKinney voted in the negative because she needed clarification on what specifically was being requested for the re-compete portion of the grant.
• Superintendent Feagins explained that the re-compete application officially opens on October 16 and noted that it wasn’t essential to have it on the agenda for discussion or review. The district was only seeking approval to apply.
• Commissioner Love inquired, “Will you be consulting with anyone regarding this grant?”
• Superintendent Feagins responded, “We have internal support and assistance. There’s a misbelief that we are handling this entirely on our own, but we’re open to bringing in additional help if necessary.”
• The district has 4,525 Pre-K students, with programs under Head Start and First 8 Memphis. The MSCS Pre-K program must apply to re-compete for Head Start funding and risk losing 30 million dollars for not reporting significant incidents affecting the health and safety of students and for repeated instances where staff failed to refrain from physically disciplining children.
• To address these concerns, the district’s plan includes providing more classroom support for teachers, such as de-escalation training, a coaching corner, and coaching plans, as well as giving teachers necessary breaks. ​​If the required approval is not granted, 3,200 Head Start students will be impacted.

5. Vaccinations

• Commissioner Otey raised concerns about students missing vaccination records and being out of compliance, asking if nurses could administer vaccinations. Otey asked who oversees vaccinations across the district now that the SEED office no longer handles this responsibility. Superintendent Feagins responded by explaining that the district has its health center and partners with the Shelby County Health Department. Otey emphasized the situation’s urgency, asking when a plan could be implemented, as many students are currently unvaccinated.

6. Other 

• According to Superintendent Feagins, principals and leaders have praised the district for a smooth start to the school year. General office secretaries were invited to the board meeting to be recognized for their contributions.  
• During the public comments, a teacher raised concerns about the current teacher evaluation system, emphasizing that evaluators should be required to provide evidence to support their ratings. The teacher suggested that the board review the policy to ensure greater transparency and fairness in the evaluation process.
• Parliamentary Process: Items on the consent agenda are approved without debate. However, any member has the right to remove an item from the consent agenda for discussion or clarification. At this point, it is moved to “request for action.”
• The Evaluation Committee will convene to discuss the necessary tools for the superintendent’s evaluation, aiming to have everything prepared by October. 
• The board celebrated Commissioner Amber Huett-Garcia’s birthday with a special video tribute.
• The Board Chair emphasized the importance of highlighting the district’s successes and celebrated notable achievements. Special recognition was given to Districts 2 and 3 for their accomplishments in sports and band, while District 8 was applauded for a student-led production of Alice in Wonderland. These highlights reflect the district’s dedication to fostering talent and providing opportunities for student success.
• The Prodigy Math platform was removed from the agenda and is currently under additional legal review. A student who had originally suggested Prodigy attended the meeting to speak in support of the platform, expressing enthusiasm for its potential. The student highlighted that Prodigy is “amazing and can work,” citing statistics from the platform’s website and mentioning that other schools have found it effective.
• An impact report will be presented in October to monitor over 300 active contracts within the district. These contracts will be evaluated and rated as either on track or off track, providing insights into their effectiveness and areas that may require attention.
• Commissioner McKinney asked why charter school data is included in district reports. Superintendent Feagins explained that as the district’s authorizer, they are responsible for sharing resources and maintaining collaboration with charter schools, despite their autonomy. Additionally, funding for charters flows through the district, which justifies the inclusion of their data in reports.
• Commissioner Mckinney asked if the large amount of paperwork provided could be posted on Board Docs for public access and whether it could be done immediately.
• The legislative agenda timeline requires that all proposals be submitted by September 30.
• Board members unanimously voted to support the Memphis City Council’s gun referendum and disapprove of any termination of Memphis Transit Authority bus routes, a resolution introduced by Commissioner Love.

If you want to stay updated on the latest developments within Memphis-Shelby County Schools and beyond, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter, which delivers in-depth insights, resources, and updates straight to your inbox.And don’t forget to hop over to my YouTube channel, where I break down key education topics, share actionable tips, and reflect on the impact of policies and decisions in our schools. Hit that Subscribe button and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode!

Here are notes from the September 10 and September 17 board meetings. Also, check out my latest YouTube video below!

With love and knowledge about the schools,

Tamera