Two state lawmakers plan to push for MSCS takeover
Rep. Mark White and Sen. Brent Taylor, both Republicans, propose the next steps for their bills that would give the state more power over Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Laura Testino
Laura Testino is an enterprise reporter who writes about how public policy shapes Memphis. She is currently reporting from Frayser about education and housing. Please write her with your suggestions and story tips.
There are 209 articles by Laura Testino :
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August 2025
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Behind The Headlines -
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EducationMemphis-Shelby County Schools has a lot going on. Here are 5 things to watch.
MSCS board members start another academic year with a temporary district leader, as state takeovers loom, school closures are expected, and new policies could take hold.
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Education ‘Nervous and excited': MSCS students embark on new school year
This first day of school, Memphis-Shelby County Schools third grader Willie Perry felt “nervous and excited at the same time.” Adults interested in the school system have reasons to feel the same about the new academic year.
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Education Last year, MSCS started school missing 478 teachers. This year, it’s hoping to be down to 240 vacancies — or fewer
In Memphis, significant portions of the teacher population are either new to the profession or nearing retirement eligibility.
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July 2025
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EducationInterim head is breaking MSCS into regions. Here’s what they are.
According to interim superintendent Roderick Richmond, carving up Memphis-Shelby County Schools prioritizes “localized decision-making.”
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Education MSCS directs xAI to move forward with school building upgrades
The four schools in Southwest Memphis that xAI has proposed supporting have some of the greatest deferred maintenance needs in the district.
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Education Board refuses last remaining ASD schools’ applications to become charters
MSCS rejected requests for Kirby Middle and Hillcrest High to become district charter schools once their ASD terms end. The denials could carry consequences, under a new state law.
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MetroXAI could tackle some MSCS building upgrades
“You should look forward to going to school,” said Brent Mayo, a key executive of xAI in Memphis, in talking about the company’s plans to invest in upgrades at schools near its data centers.
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EducationIn deposition, Marie Feagins was pressed on private meeting claims and a ‘formal complaint’
During the deposition, Feagins also denied sexual harassment allegations that an attorney for the MSCS board said are part of a “formal complaint.”
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Education Education Department says it will release billions in remaining withheld grant money for schools
The move is expected to restore $17 million in federal funds to Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which pays for school-based translators and helps educators hone their teaching strategies.
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EducationA Feagins return to MSCS leader would be ‘short-lived,’ attorneys argue
“It would be contrary to and would not serve the public’s interest, in anyway, to legally mandate” that Memphis-Shelby County Schools restore Marie Feagins as superintendent, the school board’s attorney argued in court documents.
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EducationFeagins made her case to be MSCS’ leader again. Here’s what she said.
Marie Feagins’ attorney argued the public termination meetings were just a “rubber stamp.” The school board’s attorney argued Feagins lacked evidence of direct knowledge of violations and instead relied on secondhand information.
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EducationPorter-Leath beats MSCS in local battle for pre-K money
Porter-Leath, a local early childhood education organization, appears to be taking over local management of a $30 million, federally funded preschool program known as Head Start.
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EducationAt six months with Richmond as interim, what’s next for MSCS leadership?
Roderick Richmond is one third of the way through his interim superintendent contract, which expires in July 2026. MSCS board members haven’t discussed how long his role will last.
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Public Safety County reentry head sues feds over blocked access to firearm
In the early 2000s, DeAndre Brown was convicted of bank fraud, and cannot own a gun. Now, he’s suing in federal court, claiming a violation of Second Amendment rights.
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EducationAfter axing hundreds of jobs and adding new ones, where does MSCS stand?
The Daily Memphian analyzed public records to determine what Memphis school district jobs were cut and which ones were created for this 2024-25 school year.
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Education Feagins narrowly survives ouster attempt from MSCS board
However, the termination proceedings will continue into the new year and be decided in the board’s business meeting at the end of January.
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EducationRichmond’s MSCS team includes mix of new and familiar faces
In hires announced late Thursday, July 10, Memphis-Shelby County Schools interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond restored some former administrators to senior roles and delivered new faces from FedEx and elsewhere.
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Education 6 charts show how Memphis-area students stack up on TCAP tests
Have Shelby County districts improved third grade reading scores under the new retention law? How do Memphis students compare to students across Tennessee? Answer these questions and more.
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Education TCAP scores 2025: See how MSCS students did on Tennessee tests
The Tennessee Department of Education issued results from its state exams Tuesday, July 8. “Growth is not optional; it’s our mandate,” MSCS Interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond said in a statement.
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EducationAmid federal funding uncertainty, Memphis schools could lose $17M
Memphis-Shelby County Schools may lose federal funds used to pay for translators and district-level staff who help educators in what a former MSCS board member calls a “lose-lose” situation.
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EducationMSCS lost money it needed for air-conditioning and roofs. Feds gave that $55M back.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools had abruptly lost access to leftover pandemic-era federal funding in March.
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June 2025
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EducationFeagins pushes court to get MSCS superintendent job back
Ousted Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins told a local court she “was publicly humiliated for following the law” in new documents requesting a judge overturn the school board’s vote to fire her.
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Education MSCS to sell $12M of property, but building donations, demolitions paused
MSCS board members are poised to finalize four property sales in June, one each in northeast Shelby County, Parkway Village, South Memphis and Whitehaven.
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EducationHead Start grant may not be awarded until beginning of school year
Federal officials say they are negotiating with finalists who want to operate Head Start preschool programming, which funds 3,200 seats, for students from low-income families in Shelby County.
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