Opinion: Adults can debate — but children can’t wait
“Here is my challenge to Memphis as a new school year begins: Move Memphis, mane! Move beyond the debates long enough to remember the reason we have them in the first place: our children.”
Topic: MSCS takeover
RSSThere are 27 article(s) tagged MSCS takeover:
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August 2026
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July 2026
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GOP nominee for county mayor DeBerry defends state intervention in city and county
John DeBerry, the Republican nominee for Shelby County mayor, talked on “Behind The Headlines” about state intervention in Memphis and Shelby County as well as his hopes for a gradual withdrawal of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
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Lowery: ‘Collaboration’ with state, not intervention or takeover
Democratic nominee for County Mayor Mickell Lowery talked about state intervention, his vote to raise county property taxes and tax breaks as economic development incentives on “Behind The Headlines.”
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A new Memphis group is pushing for school reform via state takeover. Who are they?
Together4Students is the latest local group to join a cadre of Memphis advocates for school reform. It is urging the district to drop its state takeover lawsuit.
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If Tennessee takeover succeeds, these are the ways MSCS may improve
MSCS qualifies for a takeover in part because of state test performance, low-performing schools and student attendance. But state appointees to an oversight board don’t have to improve all of those metrics for the takeover to end.
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Tennessee points federal judge to MSCS audit in a push to restart takeover
In federal court documents, the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General filed motions to dismiss the school district’s lawsuit and dissolve an earlier court order pausing the takeover.
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MSCS board approved $200M in contracts Tuesday. But will takeover appointees review them?
Even before a federal judge halted the state takeover of MSCS, it’s unclear whether the new oversight board had final-approval authority over any of the other contracts elected board members approved Tuesday. And the questions don’t stop there.
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Federal judge orders halt on MSCS takeover
A federal judge has ordered Tennessee to halt its takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. In the wake of that order, the state oversight board canceled its Wednesday afternoon meeting.
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MSCS forensic audit to include new TennCare review
Auditors reviewed three years of Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ finances and its current internal controls, prompted by lawmakers’ request for an audit in 2025. A final report is expected July 8.
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June 2026
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MSCS sues takeover appointees as oversight board votes to hire attorney
Attorneys for Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Shelby County government expanded their lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s takeover of the school district to include appointees to the new oversight board.
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MSCS takeover board may hire attorney, director
State appointees to a board responsible for taking control of Memphis-Shelby County Schools also plan to make information requests of Superintendent Roderick Richmond.
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MSCS, Shelby County file federal lawsuit over Tennessee’s takeover law
Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Shelby County government allege Tennessee’s school takeover law unconstitutionally targets Memphis.
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Memphis developer Billy Orgel will chair Memphis schools takeover
Appointees have sweeping powers over decisions of the elected board and the district until 2030. But Thursday’s decisions focused more on establishing the new board’s own systems and operations rather than decisions about MSCS business — including who will lead the district.
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Who’s on the Memphis-Shelby County Schools state takeover board?
Here are short biographies of the appointees to the state takeover board, which will have sweeping powers over Memphis-Shelby County Schools through 2030.
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First Memphis schools takeover meeting set for Thursday in Nashville
An agenda for the meeting calls for election of officers on the state oversight board, as well as the appointment of committees.
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Sexton selects final member of MSCS takeover board on eve of first meeting
House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s second appointee, former Memphis teacher and Tennessee Teacher of the Year, completes the state’s takeover board.
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May 2026
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Sexton adds to McNally’s takeover appointees, taps education-policy leader
Lt. Gov. McNally selected a former MSCS board member and a local attorney for the school takeover board. House Speaker Sexton tapped the leader of a Nashville-based education-policy group to the board.
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Here’s who Gov. Lee tapped for Memphis schools takeover board
Among Gov. Lee’s five appointments to a Memphis schools takeover board are a former Memphis superintendent and former president of the Memphis Chamber.
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County Commission approves $200K in funding for MSCS takeover lawsuit
Shelby County commissioners voted to take money from county reserve funds to pay the possible cost of suing the state over a pending state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
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County Commission to meet on funding for MSCS lawsuit against takeover
The commission will try again on a resolution to provide county funding for a legal challenge of the state’s pending takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
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April 2026
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The AM/DM podcast: Is MSCS state takeover a land grab?
In part two of our podcast about the takeover, reporter Laura Testino returns to talk about how churn factors in, what we can take from the school system takeover in Houston and what role school closures and land sales might play.
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County Commission fails to fund MSCS takeover lawsuit
A procedural vote Monday, April 27, killed a maneuver to fund a legal challenge by Memphis-Shelby County Schools to the state’s takeover of the school system. But there could be a second try.
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The AM/DM podcast: Burning questions about the state’s MSCS takeover
Who will the new board members be? And is former superintendent Marie Feagins expected to get her job back?
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County government could fund legal challenge of MSCS state takeover
Two contenders in the Democratic primary for Shelby County Mayor, Mickell Lowery and Harold Collins, each said private talks could surface to get around a state law that prevents school boards from using public money to fight a school system takeover by the state.
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TN lawmakers vote to stifle education lawsuits as MSCS takeover legislation advances
“We don’t want anyone using those public dollars that we send down to educate the children to enter into litigation because they might not agree with the high accountability standards that we’re putting in place,” bill sponsor state Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, said.
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