Virtual event: The Memphis state takeover could change local education. What do students need to succeed?

The Memphis state takeover could change local education. What do students need to succeed?

Tennessee Republicans say a looming state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools will solve years of academic and district management issues. A nine-member oversight board, which was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in June, would assume control of key decisions, including the annual budget and school closures.

The state-appointed board could overhaul the structure of day-to-day learning and teaching in MSCS classrooms. But right now, it’s unclear which paths they will take to reform the local school system.

Many Memphians agree that something needs to change in a district where nearly three-fourths of students don’t pass state reading tests, and one in five don’t pass in math. But specific issues and fixes are harder to pin down and advocate for.

Join Chalkbeat for a robust virtual conversation with education experts and local officials about the concrete resources and policies the district needs to improve. How can the new state board use these ideas to move the needle?

RSVP to join us online and to submit your questions for our panel. Panelists include:

• Liz Marable, president of the United Education Association of Shelby County;
• Joshua Glazer, professor of education policy at George Washington University;
• Cardell Orrin, executive director of Stand for Children Tennessee;
• Mark Sturgis, executive director of Seeding Success.