Fairley High at a Crossroads: Students and Alumni Rally to Keep Charter School Alive
Fairley High School students and alumni told the Memphis-Shelby County School Board they want the school to remain open as a public charter school.Fairley is among five public charter schools that have applied to transition out of the state’s Achievement School District (ASD) and into Memphis-Shelby County Schools. School Board members denied all five during Tuesday evening’s meeting.
Memphis-Shelby County School Board denies five applications for new public charter schools with one vote
School board members with Memphis-Shelby County Schools denied all five applications for new public charter schools with one vote Tuesday.The board opted to follow the recommendation of the district review committee and vote down applications by Empower Memphis Career and College Prep, Grizzlies Prep STEAM School for Girls, Pathways in Education, the CHANGE Academy and the Tennessee Career Academy.
Memphis charter review recommends denial for all new charter applicants including those rated highly by independent reviewers
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.
MSCS superintendent search remains on hold until board members agree on an approach
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.
One candidate emerges and two exit in search for a new Memphis-Shelby County School superintendent
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 superintendent search put on pause after reveal of the three finalists
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.
MSCS superintendent search firm isn’t enforcing board’s policy on minimum job requirements
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.
Representatives Jones and Pearson reappointed to office following ouster
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.
Tennessee law could hold back thousands of third graders in bid to help kids recover from the pandemic
A retention policy tied to state reading test scores is drawing both support and skepticism.
Hanley School in Tennessee’s turnaround district will return to MSCS control
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 announce a school closure and other changes for the upcoming school year
Memphis-Shelby County Schools announced four important updates, including one school closure, for students and families in the coming 2023/2024 school year.
MSCS interim schools chief Toni Williams says she has applied for superintendent job
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.
MSCS board prepares to narrow superintendent search, without public input on finalists
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.
MSCS board prepares to narrow superintendent search, without public input on finalists
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.

