A review committee for Memphis-Shelby County Schools recommended a denial for all five new public charter school applications the district received this year, including three schools that received high rankings from independent reviewers.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members decided Monday to keep their search for a new superintendent on pause while they try to reach consensus on what they want for the district and its next leader.

The search for a new superintendent to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools took another unexpected turn Tuesday.Former Boston Public Schools superintendent Brenda Casselius withdrew her name from the search, while search firm Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates recommended an additional candidate, MSCS deputy superintendent Angela Whitelaw.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members postponed finalist interviews for the next superintendent until further notice Saturday following allegations of a lack of transparency.The search firm hired by the district, Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, named former Boston Public Schools superintendent Brenda Casselius, Madison Metropolitan School District superintendent Carlton Jenkins, and Interim Superintendent Tutonial “Toni” Williams as finalists for the position.

A national superintendent search that officials promised would restore trust in the embattled Memphis-Shelby County Schools district could yield finalists who don’t meet the board’s own minimum requirements for the role.

The expulsions of two Democratic lawmakers last week may not last long after all.Wednesday afternoon members of the Shelby County Commission unanimously voted to reappoint Representative Justin J. Pearson.  That vote followed a Metro Council move to reappoint Representative Justin Jones to his Nashville seat.

A retention policy tied to state reading test scores is drawing both support and skepticism.

For the first time, a charter school in Tennessee’s turnaround district will exit the state program and return to the Memphis district’s management, Memphis-Shelby County Schools announced this week.Hanley School, a K-8 school in Orange Mound, was taken over by the state and placed in the Achievement School District a decade ago to be run by a charter operator.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools announced four important updates,  including one school closure, for students and families in the coming 2023/2024 school year.

Interim Memphis schools leader Toni Williams has applied to be the district’s superintendent, a role she once said she was not interested in assuming on a permanent basis.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools plans to whittle a growing list of applicants for its superintendent job to three finalists within the next month. For this final stage of the process, the school board isn’t planning to solicit more community feedback.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools plans to whittle a growing list of applicants for its superintendent job to three finalists within the next month. For this final stage of the process, the school board isn’t planning to solicit more community feedback.

Parents’ movement the Memphis Lift is partnering with the Tennessee Department of Education to help raise awareness of the of the challenges students are facing learning to read and the resources that are available to Memphis families.The partnership is hosting a literacy event later this month to educate families on the importance of literacy and provide free At-Home Decodable books.