Memphis Shelby County Schools Board Meetings Notes – October 31

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Hey y’all, here are my notes from the Memphis Shelby County Schools October 31 meetings. The board met for over four hours, including an evaluation committee meeting, a special-called meeting to vote on the superintendent’s evaluation tool, and another special-called meeting to approve custodial amendments.

My notes include the outcomes of both special called meetings and discussion highlights from the evaluation committee meeting which took place before both special-called meetings.

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Special Called Meeting – Superintendent Evaluation Tool

The board approved using the current evaluation instrument in its original form, which includes five competencies with assigned weights. The indicators under each competency were also approved.
- Community Relations – 15%
- Staff Relations – 15%
- Board Relations & Governance – 20%
- Budget and Finance – 20%
- Student Achievement – 30%
The board also approved the following quantitative measures for the 2024-2025 district priorities:
- Priority 1: Improve Academic Growth, Achievement, and Literacy for All Students
  - Grades K-12: Decrease chronic absenteeism by two percentage points.
  - Grades 3-8: Decrease the number of students three or more grade levels behind by four percentage points, using I-Ready assessments in reading and math.
  - Grades 9-12: Increase on-track students by 0.8%, from 88.2% to 89%.
- Priority 2: Recruit and Retain Highly Effective District Leaders and Teachers
  - Reduce true teacher vacancies and instructional positions by 1%.
  - Decrease the percentage of unlicensed teachers by 2%.
- Priority 3: Prepare Students for the Global Workforce
  - Increase CTE (Career and Technical Education) program offerings from 47 to 49.
  - Increase dual enrollment participation by 2%.
  - Complete the RFP (request for proposal) process for 100% of Phase 1 projects.
  - Present a comprehensive facilities plan for board review by April 2025.
  - Increase the number of partnerships connected to CTE industry certifications.
The board approved the evaluation timeline:
- Informal Evaluation: Completed by November 30, with individual engagement sessions between board members and the superintendent.
- Formal Evaluation: Completed by May 1.

Special Called Meeting – Custodial Amendments

The board approved amendments with ServiceMaster Clean and ParCou to cover the custodial zone previously managed by Fresh Start.
Fresh Start’s contract was terminated due to failure to pay its employees, despite two corrective actions issued by the district.
The square footage serviced by ServiceMaster Clean and ParCou will be increased to accommodate the additional coverage.
The district asked ServiceMaster Clean and ParCou to hire Fresh Start’s former employees.
These amendments are effective through the end of the year.

Evaluation Committee – Meeting Discussion Highlights

The following discussion highlights are from the evaluation committee meeting held prior to the special-called meeting, where the board voted on the evaluation tool. Approvals resulting from this discussion are listed above.

Evaluation Tool and Metrics

Hart-Wigginton: Emphasized that the evaluation tool is not designed to capture every detail in a district of this size, recognizing its limitations.
Commissioner Otey: Advocated for retaining prior metrics and increasing target goals from 2% to 5%, expressing concerns that the current goals are too modest. She urged setting more ambitious targets to position the district as a top choice for families.
Hart-Wigginton: Asked Superintendent Feagins to clarify the statistical significance of the chosen percentage decrease.
Superintendent Feagins: Explained that while a 2% decrease in chronic absenteeism might not seem ambitious, it reflects realistic stretch goals given the upward trend over the past 5-7 years. She detailed the challenges of addressing academic gaps, noting that reducing the number of students three or more grade levels behind by 4% is demanding, especially with limited resources for intensive support. For high school students, she emphasized targeting freshman and sophomore “off-track” students to improve graduation rates.
Commissioner Murphy: Supported Feagins’ perspective, noting that a 2% improvement goal is challenging, especially given the significant academic gaps, such as 12th graders reading at a 3rd-grade level. Commissioner Murphy also highlighted that student suspensions lasting over 30 days contribute significantly to chronic absenteeism and asked what actions would be taken to address this issue.

Formative Assessment and Feedback

Commissioner Otey: Continued to express concerns that the current goals need to be more ambitious and advocated for retaining previous metrics. She emphasized the need for accurate, standards-based measurement of student performance, noting the absence of a district-wide tool like Mastery Connect. She highlighted feedback from the community, teachers, and principals calling for consistent assessments, suggesting a return to nine-week evaluations to better track student progress.
Superintendent Feagins: Responded that while formative assessments are locally controlled, the decision to end the Mastery Connect contract was not hers. Teachers had expressed concerns over alignment and voiced a preference for flexibility in assessments. Feagins noted that previous metrics based on TCAP data were not included because TCAP data would not be available by the May 1 evaluation deadline. The metrics were adjusted to align with the evaluation timeline so the board would have accessible data for review.
Hart-Wigginton: Reminded the board that while the May 1 evaluation would lack TCAP data, significant data would still be accessible, and additional data, including TCAP, could be reviewed throughout the year.
Commissioner McKinney: Asked if educators had been formally consulted on their perspectives.

Teacher Vacancies and Certification

Superintendent Feagins: Explained the complexity of reducing teacher vacancies and unlicensed instructional positions by 1% and 2%, respectively. She explained the complexities of reaching these targets, noting that teacher vacancies encompass multiple factors: the number of teachers eligible for retirement, those working with provisional permits, and the “true” vacancies. A 1% reduction in vacancies translates to filling approximately 37 positions, a challenging target given 67 vacancies in exceptional and elementary education—areas particularly difficult to staff.
Superintendent Feagins: Clarified that any teaching position filled by an individual with only a permit is considered a “true” vacancy. The district’s goal is to reduce the number of non-certified teachers, and efforts are underway to support this, including offering more Praxis workshops and mandating attendance at required teacher development meetings. She noted that over 1,300 teachers currently hold permits rather than full licenses, and while some have taken the certification exam multiple times, others are opting to leave the field. High-performing (Level 5) teachers on a permit receive an additional two years to achieve full certification, providing further support and retention flexibility.
Commissioner Porter: Suggested setting a goal to increase retention of high-performing teachers and proposed narrowing the 1% decrease in vacancies by department to provide more targeted insights.
Superintendent Feagins: Stated that narrowing the vacancy reduction goal by subject areas, such as math, would make it more manageable. She noted that while retaining high-performing teachers isn’t currently part of the formal evaluation metrics, it remains an overall district focus.
Commissioner Murphy: Raised concerns about the possibility of losing skilled professionals due to certification test requirements, questioning the district’s timeline for helping permit teachers become fully licensed while acknowledging the constraints of state law.
Superintendent Feagins: Explained that permit teachers have a three-year window to achieve licensure and emphasized the district’s commitment to supporting them. She noted that the district can petition the state for extensions for high-performing teachers (Levels 4 and 5) to provide additional time. Feagins also shared an initiative to establish the district’s own Educator Preparation Program (EPP), with plans to submit an application to the state in January, enabling the district to provide licensure directly as a state-approved entity. This approach aims to reduce teacher attrition due to testing challenges and foster innovative pathways to certification.
Commissioner Williams: Inquired about the number of teachers eligible for retirement, noting that high attrition rates seem concentrated in certain schools. He suggested that teachers are more likely to stay in positive environments and recommended identifying schools with high turnover and placing leadership there that can attract and retain staff.
Superintendent Feagins: Responded that 1,530 teachers are eligible for retirement and could choose to leave anytime. She shared that she reviews a daily report on grievances and monitors schools that show room for improvement, a practice she has maintained since April, to proactively address retention issues.
Superintendent Feagins: Emphasized the importance of teachers in achieving the district’s North Star goal of student achievement. She highlighted that creating a supportive and respectful environment, with sufficient resources and financial support, is essential for teacher retention. Reducing teacher vacancies also lessens the burden on current staff, enabling them to focus on instruction rather than covering for absent colleagues. Feagins noted that decreasing the number of teachers on permits would improve the district’s financial health by reducing turnover costs. She stressed that ensuring more teachers achieve professional certification and filling high-need vacancies would help the district progress toward its goals more effectively.

District Leadership Development

Commissioner Coleman: Asked about metrics for evaluating district leaders and the effectiveness of current district leaders.
Superintendent Feagins: Clarified that leader evaluations were inconsistent upon her arrival, but efforts are underway to improve this process.
Commissioner Love: Questioned whether district leaders currently have an evaluation tool and suggested aligning the superintendent’s evaluation with that of central office staff.
Superintendent Feagins: Clarified that district leaders have an evaluation tool, but it has not been consistently used or completed in a way that allows for a comprehensive review. She expressed concerns that the evaluation process for district leaders had not been conducted with the rigor or consistency expected and is working to improve this.
Commissioner Coleman: Asked about teacher transitions into leadership roles.
Superintendent Feagins: Stressed that district leadership is a focus area and explained that feedback from central office staff highlighted limited perceived opportunities for growth within the district. In response, Superintendent Feagins shared with Talent Management and Performance Management to establish additional career pipelines. These pathways could allow district employees to see clear advancement routes, whether they begin as advisors, educational assistants, or in other entry-level roles.
Commissioner Huett Garcia: Stated that while tracking internal promotions isn’t essential, obtaining a baseline of staff perceptions around promotion processes could help assess district culture.
Superintendent Feagins: Clarified that advancement opportunities now extend within schools, enabling staff to assume leadership roles and receive appropriate compensation without transitioning to the central office. This expanded pipeline provides school-based and district leaders with various professional learning opportunities, reflecting the district’s commitment to fostering growth at multiple levels.

Community Survey Feedback and Transparency

Commissioner Otey: Asked how data from the survey recently sent to families and the community would be used, who initiated and is tracking it, and its intended purpose.
Superintendent Feagins: Explained that a dedicated department that frequently handles surveys created and distributed the survey. While she has not personally reviewed the survey results or inquired about them yet, her intention was to gauge progress and performance at an interim stage. She shared that she regularly receives feedback via emails from various community members, teachers, school leaders, and central office staff, as she values ongoing input. Although the board decided at the last meeting not to include a culture and climate survey in her formal evaluation, Feagins expressed her openness to seeking broad feedback independently.
Superintendent Feagins: Noted that the district has an official culture and climate survey, which will be administered as usual across the district. She does not personally oversee or interact with this survey, as it follows standard district procedures. She shared that she independently created the one-question survey to gain insight into her performance. This informal survey, which she plans to share publicly, allows her to gather honest input. Through initiatives like “Smoothies and Solutions,” she’s received both positive and constructive feedback from central office staff. She emphasized that she seeks feedback daily from a variety of sources, as it is crucial for her growth as superintendent. She assured the board that she is committed to transparency and open sharing of feedback, reiterating that she has “nothing to hide.”
Superintendent Feagins: Clarified her limited involvement in the survey process, stating that her only request was for a simple rating question to gain a quick snapshot of feedback. She receives daily feedback from staff through emails and tags and wanted a straightforward way to gauge general perceptions without creating a burdensome task for her team. The quantitative feedback (a 1-5 rating) is easily averaged, but qualitative responses would require substantial time to analyze. Feagins emphasized her intent to gain insight without overloading her team, aiming for a balanced approach to gathering feedback at this early stage.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs

Commissioner McKinney: Expressed concern over the district’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, emphasizing the need for programs that lead to high-paying jobs. She also inquired about ensuring equitable access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses across all high schools.
Superintendent Feagins: Reported that the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Cooling (HVAAC) program has been confirmed, while a second program is pending based on student feedback, which she will share when available. Regarding AP courses, Feagins noted that while it’s too late to add classes this year, the master scheduling process can prioritize AP course availability in the future. She highlighted that the district currently offers 47 CTE programs across all clusters, suggesting that a focus on increasing student enrollment in existing programs might be more impactful than expanding the number of programs offered.
Commissioner Huett Garcia: Suggested tracking the number of CTE students who graduate with skills that lead to livable-wage jobs and asking if this could be included in the district’s measures.
Superintendent Feagins: Noted that the district is tracking this data, although it is not currently included in the presented metrics.
Commissioner Coleman asked how the district supports CTE students who struggle to pass certification exams.
Superintendent Feagins: Acknowledged that literacy remains a significant barrier.
Commissioner McKinney: Inquired about strategies to increase the number of students who pass CTE assessments and suggested implementing a metric to track all students’ progress, noting that it is not too late for the district’s 11th and 12th graders. She also emphasized the importance of increasing certification rates and job placements for CTE students.
Superintendent Feagins: Explained that the focus on grades 9 and 10 is due to adding graduation coaches at specific schools targeting these grades. She expressed not having sufficient resources to extend this support to 11th and 12th grades.
Commissioner McKinney: Emphasized the importance of including all students in the district’s accountability metrics. She expressed concern that omitting 11th and 12th graders from the priorities excludes a portion of the student body. She called for metrics that ensure accountability across all grade levels.
Superintendent Feagins: Agreed with the need for inclusivity but noted she does not have a way to measure progress, specifically for the 11th and 12th grades. She explained that without established metrics, it would be challenging to assess these grade levels accurately at this time.

Other

Commissioner McKinney: Asked for an update on the RFP (request for proposal) process.
Superintendent Feagins: Confirmed the district is halfway through the RFP process and added that a comprehensive facilities plan is scheduled for board review by April 2025. Given the extensive scope of services required, the RFP process can take up to a year.

As always, I’ll keep you updated as soon as new information becomes available.

In the meantime, here are the notes from the latest board business meeting. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to stay informed on all developments.

I encourage you to check out my YouTube video where I discuss the evaluation process.