Tag: Shelby County Schools

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Memphis Gaydar News

Gay-Straight Alliances for Shelby County Schools

The Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center (MGLCC) has arranged two meetings this week for students, parents, and community partners interested in starting gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in Shelby County Schools (SCS).

Both meetings will feature a representative from the national GSA Network, as well as SCS and MGLCC staff.

The first meeting, which is designed for community partners (LGBT groups, supportive religious organizations, etc.), is Tuesday, April 19th at 6 p.m. at MGLCC (892 S. Cooper). 

The second meeting will be at Church Health Center Wellness (1115 Union) on Wednesday, April 20th at 6:30 p.m. That meeting is designed for parents, students, and families.

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News News Blog

SCS iZone Adds Three New Schools

Mitchell High School

In the 2016-17 school year, Shelby County Schools will add Douglas High School, Mitchell High School, and Westwood High School to its iZone program.

The iZone program is SCS’ alternative to the state-run Achievement School District (ASD). Both programs attempt to turn around schools with scores in the bottom five percent statewide, but the iZone does so while retaining the schools within the SCS district. The ASD is a separate state-run district that pairs failing schools with charter schools. Through the iZone program, low-performing schools are able to avoid ASD conversion.

All three high schools are part of an iZone feeder pattern that already includes elementary and middle schools in the same neighborhoods as the high schools. Bringing them into the iZone ensures that students in lower grades that are currently run through the iZone program will remain in the iZone through graduation unless they move or transfer to other schools within the district.

Once a school is chosen for iZone, faculty and staff must reapply for their jobs. The principal is replaced and given more autonomy than before. The way the school is run is primarily set by its principal rather than dictated by SCS’ central office. 

“We believe the proven strategies and culture of the iZone will accelerate student achievement in these schools,” said Superintendent Dorsey Hopson. “The current academic status of these schools illustrates the fact that we have not been effective enough in supporting students. We have a responsibility to do things differently in order to improve achievement at a more aggressive pace.”

A Vanderbilt University study released earlier this month found that the iZone program is actually doing better than the ASD in improving student scores. That study found looked at data from the first three years that the ASD and iZone have been in operation and found that iZone schools had made greater gains.

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News News Blog

ASD Announces School Takeovers for 2016-17 School Year

Malika Anderson

The state-run Achievement School District (ASD) will take over Caldwell-Guthrie Elementary, Hillcrest High, and Kirby and Raleigh-Egypt middle schools in the 2016-17 school year.

Those schools, which all had scores in the bottom five percent statewide, have been matched with charter school operators that will rename the schools, hire new staff and a new principal, and reformat the way the schools are run. The ASD is the state school district charged with turning around the state’s lowest-performing schools (called “priority schools”).

Charter operator Scholar Academies will take over operation of Caldwell-Guthrie and Raleigh-Egypt Middle, and Green Dot Public Schools will be taking over Hillcrest High and Kirby Middle.

“The input we received from parents, teachers, and community members was critical in making these matches,” said Malika Anderson, incoming ASD superintendent. “And we look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with parents and educators in our new schools to ensure every child meets their full potential.”

The ASD’s Neighborhood Advisory Councils (NAC) — made up of parent, students, teachers, and community members — worked with the ASD on the charter matching process.

“We are so grateful to all NAC members for their hard work over the last few months assessing operators and for their commitment to ensuring appropriate matching decisions were made,” said Anjelica Hardin, ASD’s Director of Strategic Partnerships. “We believe strongly in the NACs and the process we used this year to include more parent and community voice in our conversion decisions.”

A Vanderbilt University study released earlier this month found that Shelby County Schools’ (SCS) iZone program, which attempts to turn-around low-performing schools that ASD doesn’t take over, is actually doing better than the ASD. That study found looked at data from the first three years that the ASD and iZone have been in operation and found that iZone schools had made greater gains.

At a press conference on Thursday, State Representative Antonio Parkinson called for the possible abolition of the ASD. He cited the Vanderbilt study and claimed that “the ASD model has not worked.”

There are 77 priority schools in the state. Currently, the ASD runs 23 of those, and 26 are run by SCS’ iZone. The majority of the state’s priority schools are in Memphis.

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News The Fly-By

Community Uproar Over Proposed Charter School

Last week, around 50 parents and students of Sheffield Elementary filed out of their school, lined up on the sidewalk, and chanted this simple demand for the news cameras: “Leave us alone.”

Sheffield Elementary is one of five Shelby County Schools (SCS) slated for state takeover by the Achievement School District (ASD) — the state-run school district that manages schools in the bottom five percent of performance. Once a school is taken over by the ASD, it’s converted into a charter school.

The parents’ opposition to the proposed ASD plans for Sheffield stems from the simple argument that Sheffield is making great strides toward academic success on its own, and they say a disruption of the progress would only prove detrimental to students.

Protesters demonstrate against the ASD takeover of Sheffield Elementary.

“Why do people want Sheffield right now?” asked Barbara Riddle, whose two grandchildren attend the school. “Why now after the last few years of building a foundation with our new principal?”

Under Sheffield’s principal, Patricia Griggs-Merriweather, the school has made academic gains as measured by the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System. A TVAAS score of four or five would warrant the school’s removal from the ASD’s priority list. Sheffield’s gains in reading and math scores have earned them a score of three.

State Representative Raumesh Akbari sponsored the TVAAS law that currently renders Sheffield eligible for ASD takeover but joined the parents and students in asking for their progress to be left uninterrupted.

“The biggest fear is that this school will be taken out of the community’s control,” Akbari said. “If a school is already doing the right thing, then I want to support those efforts. I don’t want those students to go through the trauma of a takeover where the principal is gone, all of the teachers have been fired, and a whole new mentality comes in.”

SCS board member Miska Clay Bibbs, also in the crowd, echoed Akbari’s concerns about the sudden disruption of a working formula.

“For me as a school board member, it’s about choice. What does true choice look like?” Bibbs asked. “If a school is already making academic gains and growing in the way that it’s growing, how can they be matched with someone who can’t compare to that same growth? That’s not choice.”

Aspire Public Schools is the charter network that has applied to take over Sheffield. No representatives from Aspire were on hand during the protest, but parents did confirm that they had heard from representatives from the network. Riddle remains unconvinced that Aspire is the best solution for the school.

“What they did was very unimpressive,” Riddle said. “They said, ‘Well, if we take over your school, your child receives a free laptop, iPad, or desktop.’ Well, I’m not impressed with that, and my children are not for sale. It made me wonder if the children’s best interests are at heart or if there’s a hidden agenda.”

In a statement released last Thursday, the ASD said parental input was welcome and encouraged via a neighborhood advisory council charged with the task of reviewing Aspire’s application.

“The criteria for ASD are clear, and since the recent passing of the TVAAS law championed by Rep. Akbari, it is now clearer than ever,” said the statement.

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News The Fly-By

Shelby County Schools Unveils Parent Welcome Center

CREDIT: Bianca Phillips

Sonia Worsham remembers, in the pre-merger Memphis City Schools days, sometimes waiting 45 minutes on the phone with the central office when she’d call with a question or concern about her child’s school experience.

“But now there’s a minimal wait, maybe just a minute or so, until they figure out who you need to talk to,” said Worsham, the mother of an eighth-grader and the president of the Snowden School parent-teacher organization.

That dramatic improvement in customer service for parents was made possible by Shelby County Schools’ (SCS) new Parent Welcome Center, which was unveiled to the public in a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. It’s located at 2687 Avery, next door to the city skate park and dog park.

Bianca Phillips

Shelby County Schools officials cut the ribbon at the center last week.

The center, which aims to be a one-stop shop for parents, has been open since June, but the administration waited until the kinks were worked out to host the ribbon-cutting.

“We’ve aligned all the resources in one place where parents can come,” said Joris Ray, SCS assistant superintendent of academic operations. “When I used to be a principal, parents would always say, ‘I’m going to the board!’ And they would go to the central office, and there was one receptionist trying to hear all their concerns and get them to the right place.

“Now we have trained individuals — call center reps, a call center manager. And if they need more intensive help, they can go to one of our parent-liaisons,” Ray said.

There are 10 people in the call center taking calls from parents who dial

416-5300. Since opening day in July, the center has fielded 64,276 calls, with 6,085 of those calls made during the first week of school. The center also accepts walk-in visits from parents, and so far, they’ve had 2,600 walk-ins.

“We are the connectors to all the departments — transportation, nutrition, attendance and discipline, exceptional children, alternative schools. We’re trying to provide parents with one place where we can answer all of their problems,” Ray said.

Four parent-liaisons serve parents who need more hands-on help with situations ranging from discipline issues to school transfers.

“We may have someone call and say, ‘I work downtown, and my mother takes care of my children after school,’ and they just can’t make it work. The parent-liaison will help them map out a plan and find the right school and get a transfer to that school if possible,” said Kevin McCarthy, SCS director of school operations.

The welcome center also hosts a computer lab with 10 computers for parents who may not have access to the Internet at home. This school year, SCS launched online registration for the first time, and the Parent Welcome Center staff was on-hand to walk parents through the process.

“We can have the parent-liaisons sit with them at the computer and help them navigate. Some of our parents are at a low reading level, and some are not computer savvy,” Ray said.

Additionally, two of the center’s customer service representatives are bilingual to assist non-English speaking families. And the center is located along a major city bus route to ensure accessibility.

“Engaging parents and the community has been a piece the district really needs to work on, and I think this is the first step,” said SCS board member Chris Caldwell.

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News The Fly-By

Teen Appeal Newspaper Loses Funding

CREDIT: Elle Perry

Overton High School junior Breyanah Graham describes herself as “quite shy,” but she says her role as a reporter for the The Teen Appeal newspaper has given her a chance to express herself.

“Since my high school doesn’t have a school newspaper or any opportunities for interested students to participate in journalism, I never really had the chance to explore the aspects of journalism and reporting before I became a part of the The Teen Appeal,” said Graham, who is now planning to pursue a double major in journalism and biological science.

Only a handful of Shelby County Schools (SCS) have their own newspapers, and for most students, The Teen Appeal, a monthly newspaper for all high school students in Shelby County (including schools in the municipal district), is the only option for students interested in journalism. But unless it finds a new funding stream by December 31st, The Teen Appeal may be going out of business.

Elle Perry

For 18 years, the paper, which is headquartered on the University of Memphis campus, has been primarily funded by a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation. But after the former Scripps paper The Commercial Appeal was sold to Journal Media Group this year, Scripps decided to discontinue its annual $71,500 grant to The Teen Appeal.

“[Scripps] had been a very supportive partner up until they spun The Commercial Appeal into a unit — the independent Journal Media Group. And now we have word that Gannett might buy out this new company,” said David Arant, the chair of the University of Memphis journalism department. “The Scripps Foundation said we can’t support you anymore, and that’s the end of our relationship.”

That grant covers the salary and benefits for Elle Perry, the full-time newspaper coordinator. She edits the paper, assigns stories, handles day-to-day management, and holds monthly meetings for the paper staff on the University of Memphis campus. The U of M also supports the paper with a $10,000 grant that pays for a summer boot camp for the newspaper staff, which Perry is charged with planning.

“The program is unique because it allows students from different schools and backgrounds to form friendships and learn how to work with each other,” Perry said. “And it provides students the kind of skills to approach someone they don’t know and start asking questions.”

Currently, The Teen Appeal has a staff of 65 students from 19 schools. The paper publishes eight issues a year, and those are distributed in every SCS high school and a few municipal schools. The Commercial Appeal donates printing and distribution, and they’ve committed to continuing that donation so long as The Teen Appeal can find the funds to keep going, according to Otis Sanford, a U of M journalism professor and the former managing editor of The Commercial Appeal.

Sanford, who helped found The Teen Appeal in 1997, said he’s been meeting with various local foundations and national journalism organizations all year to try and nail down the funding. So far, no deals have been struck, but Sanford isn’t giving up.

“The opportunity to introduce journalism and interviewing and writing and critical thinking and professionalism to high school students who would not have that opportunity has been the most gratifying thing in my 40 years [in journalism],” Sanford said. “It would be a shame if this program went away. And I’m doing everything I can up until the last day to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Central High School junior and Teen Appeal staffer Reginae Butler wants to go into public relations, and she said the newspaper has been “an amazing opportunity” in preparing her for her future career.

“I get a chance to write about anything that’s going on in my high school. Most of us on The Teen Appeal, we don’t have a paper in our schools. So this is our one outlet for that. I want to make sure this continues,” Butler said.

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News News Blog

Shelby County Schools to File Lawsuit Against the State

Shelby County Schools (SCS) announced Monday morning that the district will be filing a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee for failing to “equitably and adequately fund public school education for all students.”

An email sent to media on Monday morning said the SCS board believes the funding the state currently provides isn’t equal to the actual cost of educating the district’s students.

The district has been considering filing such a lawsuit for several months, and in February, the board voted to look into filing a suit. SCS will join seven other Tennessee school districts that are also suing the state. SCS claims the state owes them $103 million.

“Our students deserve fair treatment – access to a quality education and a fair opportunity to lead a successful life,” said SCS board chair Teresa Jones. “However, we have had to constantly cut resources, lay off needed staff members, and remove programs that can help our students remain competitive. In a time when academic and career standards are increasing, our students need more resources.”

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News News Blog

Two Shelby County Schools Have Worked Their Way Off the Priority List

Springdale Elementary

City University Boys Preparatory and Springdale Elementary School, both in the Shelby County Schools (SCS) system, have worked their way off the “Priority list” of schools with scores in the bottom five percent.

Tennessee releases new Priority lists every three years, and though 2015 is an off-year, the Tennessee Department of Education shared information with SCS to let them know the two schools had already earned their way off the list. Removal from the list depends on a school’s one-year success rate exceeding the 15th percentile when ranked against other schools in the state.

Additionally, 35 SCS schools have earned their way onto the state’s 2015 Rewards Schools list, which lists the top five percent of schools in the state. Middle College High remains on the list for both performance and growth, the only school in SCS to do so and for two years in a row.

“We’re always excited to see our schools make progress, especially those named Reward schools for exemplary results in the 2014-15 school year,” said SCS Superintendent Dorsey Hopson. “We recognize that more work is necessary to ensure across-the-board gains in performance and progress, but this is proof that in many cases, we’re trending in the right direction.”

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News News Blog

ASD Superintendent Chris Barbic Will Resign

Chris Barbic

Chris Barbic, who has led the state’s Achievement School District (ASD) since its inception in 2012, has announced that he will resign in December.

Barbic broke the news in a letter on the ASD website Friday morning. The letter states that Barbic is leaving because he feels like it’s time for a change in leadership and because the demands of the lead role at the ASD have led to strains on his health and family. Barbic suffered a heart attack last year.

The ASD was established in 2012 to facilitate charter school takeovers of failing Tennessee public schools. So far, most of the schools the ASD has taken over have come from Shelby County Schools’ priority list, which lists schools in the bottom five percent. The takeovers have caused controversy and resulted in numerous hostile public meetings, where many parents and community leaders expressed disdain with the state takeover system.

The ASD schools have had varied success in improving academic achievement. Some have shown more improvement than others. The model for how ASD schools are run differs depending on the charter operator, but all allow more autonomy for teachers and all allow school leadership to make their own staffing decisions and set their own budgets and programming.

“I came here to answer Tennessee’s urgent call to improve priority schools and to build a new kind of school district that would put the power back in the hands of parents and teachers. Now that this foundation is in place, it is the right time to think about passing the baton to a new leader who will take our work to the next level for the benefit of the students and families we serve,” Barbic states in his letter.

As for his more personal reasons for leaving, Barbic writes “I am simply at a point in my life where I need to focus more on my family and my health. Building the ASD has been grueling work. The pace and stress of a superintendent role, especially this one with weekly trips from Nashville to Memphis and multiple nights away on the road, does not lend itself to decades of work. We have been at this for nearly four years, and I have promised my family a change in pace.”

Despite criticism of the ASD, Barbic’s letter remains optimistic.

“The impact has been clear. Kids’ lives are being changed. Over the last two years, student proficiency in Tennessee’s priority schools grew four times faster than in non-priority schools, and thanks to hardworking partners and educators in Memphis, there are 4,500 fewer students attending priority schools,” Barbic writes. “By this time next year, every priority school in Tennessee will be in the ASD, in a district-led iZone, or undergoing some kind of major local intervention. If we keep this up, within just a few years, chronic failure in schools will have real potential to be a thing of the past.”

Barbic’s full letter is available on the ASD website.

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Editorial Opinion

OPED Issues at Shelby County Schools

CREDIT: Danziger

Like probably every other publication in town, as well as any other Memphians and Shelby Countians who have some degree of involvement with or interest in public affairs, we are on retired citizen Joe Saino’s mailing list. Saino, whom we made the subject of a Flyer profile some years ago, keeps a close eye on how taxpayer money gets spent, and he is generous about sharing his research, which almost always runs to the ways that we (and that “we” is our governments) are spending — or have committed to spend — too much, without taking the necessary steps to properly fund our liabilities.

Saino is much like Tennessee’s junior U.S. senator, Bob Corker, in that he not only frets about public spending, he itemizes his anxieties and, as often as not, proposes solutions that are equally itemized. And, further like the senator, who most recently vented his concerns about overspending at the national level at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Memphis two weekends ago, Saino sees himself as a voice in the wilderness, a prophet of sorts who isn’t being sufficiently listened to.

The initials OPEB (“other post-employment benefits”) are a familiar element of the public dialogue these days, and Saino, as much as anybody, is responsible for raising public awareness about them. In essence, OPEBs — which include such benefits to retirees as life insurance, health care, and disability payments — were at the root of some painful budget decisions made in city government over the past couple of years (and will figure significantly in this year’s city elections). And they have now come front and center in discussions concerning the budget of Shelby County government for the fiscal year 2015-16.

County government bears the brunt of expenditures for local public education, and Shelby County Schools (SCS) has just presented the county a bill for a $14.9 million budget increase that has to do — largely or at least significantly — with the OPEB matter. At least, that’s the opinion of Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, who saw fit to scold the SCS administration for ignoring the need to limit OPEB expenses while county government, voluntarily, and Memphis city government, more or less involuntarily but realistically, had been dealing with the issue in recent years. Luttrell went so far as to advise SCS, “Maybe you need to look at layoffs.”

In budget committee meetings last week, the Shelby County Commission provisionally agreed to adopt an administration plan that cut the SCS request in half, but that won’t be set in stone until the next public commission meeting of June 1st, if at all. And if it does get final commission approval, the SCS board and administration will have little choice but to make some difficult decisions of their own. A day after the commission reached its preliminary conclusions, an SCS board meeting on Thursday took up the OPEB matter but reached no firm conclusions about what to do.

Should SCS join an ongoing suit by the Chattanooga school system against state underfunding to localities of BEP (Basic Education Program) funds? Of course, it should. But that’s long-term. Hopefully, school officials can reach a Solomonic decision on OPEB cuts by themselves — before June 1st, if possible; before July 1st, by necessity.