Latest news with #MSCS
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers accuse MSCS of destroying documents ahead of forensic audit
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Shelby County Schools is denying accusations made by two state Republican leaders of destroying documents ahead of the forensic audit of the district. In a Facebook post on Thursday, State House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally accused MSCS of destroying documents ahead of the forensic audit. Hearing Shelby County Schools is destroying documents ahead of the forensic audit – this is a crime! Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury has been notified. Those tampering with or destroying public records will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Memphis Shelby County Schools then released the following statement denying any knowledge of documents being destroyed. 'Memphis-Shelby County Schools officials have been made aware of a joint social media statement from Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally accusing unidentified MSCS personnel of engaging in the tampering with and/or destruction of public documents in anticipation of a forensic audit of MSCS. We are unaware of any such alleged acts by any MSCS representative or official, nor have we received any evidence substantiating these extremely serious claims and accusations. Therefore, we implore those with information related to the alleged conduct to share it with us, so that any responsible individual(s) can be thoroughly investigated and held accountable. Interim Superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond has publicly and privately committed to fully cooperating with local and state officials to conduct a fair and transparent auditing process. He has personally attempted to contact Speaker Sexton in a continued effort to work with the General Assembly and directly address suspicions of unethical, improper, or illegal conduct on behalf of any MSCS staff or officials.' County orders forensic audit for Memphis-Shelby County Schools financial records Back in February, the Shelby County Commission approved hiring an auditing firm to look through the school district's financial records from Jan. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2025. The audit would determine whether taxpayer money may have been misused over the past five years. The district has a budget of $1.9 billion and serves more than 100,000 students. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Third-grade retention law sends students to summer academies
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The state's third-grade retention law is forcing thousands of students back in the classroom during their break if they want to advance to fourth grade. As vacation season gets underway, thousands of families across the state and those in the MSCS district are having to postpone their summer plans for tutoring sessions, all because of Tennessee's Third Grade Retention Law. 'I am very concerned because third-graders need to know how to read early,' said Stephanie Love/MSCS Vice-Chair. 'I agree with Mark White (State Representative/(R) Memphis). We need to state early on in kindergarten in the first grade. Third grade is too late for them to know.' Meharry to open medical training center in Midtown Memphis development A state law enacted in 2021 says students who fail the English portion of the TCAP exam must choose between summer school and tutoring just to advance to fourth grade. According to MSCS, approximately 9,000 students are enrolled to attend the Summer Learning Academy, and the number that attend will vary. MSCS is offering a Summer Learning Academy for grades kindergarten through 9th grade, and it's required for many third-grade students. About 10 thousand spaces are available. Across Tennessee, the state Department of Education says only 40% of third-grade students were proficient in English in the 2023 to 2024 school year. Restaurant Inspection Scores, June 3 – June 9 'Proficiency is when you get above a certain level in reading proficiency,' said Rep. White. 'The latest scores at our MSCS schools is 23% reading proficiency for our third graders. That's not acceptable.' As some students are back in the classroom for summer learning academies. Parents are also appealing to TCAP for third graders facing retention, as some call for changes in the state law. 'The state needs to take in all considerations all tests in academic levels, besides the TCAP,' said Love. MSCS told WREG that all 2025 TCAP testing results are under embargo by the state, so they cannot share results. School Board Vice Chair Stephanie Love said she and Interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond will tour the summer learning academy at Woodstock Middle School on Thursday to see how students are progressing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Thousands of MSCS students may be in summer school after TCAP
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Thousands of Memphis-Shelby County School students who did not pass the English portion of the TCAP could be enrolled in the district's summer learning program. According to the state's third grade retention law in effect since 2022, students can choose to enroll or be held back, unless they retake the test and score proficiently, enroll in tutoring for the following year, or attend summer school. Under the law, third graders who don't achieve a proficient score on the English Language Arts portion of the TCAP will be held back. WREG reached out to MSCS to find out how many students are enrolled in the summer learning program this year, and how many of those students did not pass the English TCAP, but we have not heard back yet. Last year, nearly 7,000 students participated in the program, and they showed improvements in English-Language Arts. English TCAP scores increase slightly for Memphis 3rd and 4th graders In the 2023 – 2024 school year, 26.6% of Memphis-Shelby County School students met or exceeded proficiency on the test. Although it was a slight increase from the previous year, State Representative Mark White says he wants to see more progress. 'Well, they continue to do well in growth, but that is not proficient,' White said. 'A proficiency is when you get above a certain level in reading proficiency. The latest scores that are MSCS is 23% reading proficiency for our third graders. That's not acceptable.' To improve literacy and proficiency rates, Representative White says it's important to make improvements within the school system before students enter the third grade. 'No one wants to hold back an eight-year-old, so now we're looking back at, 'What are we not doing in first and second grade and kindergarten that we don't have a child prepared by the time they're in third grade or eight-years-old?'' White said. Black bear feasts on pears in DeSoto County backyard White tells WREG that he's been working with MSCS to make adjustments that will improve literacy rates for students and better prepare them for the English-TCAP. 'The summer school is a good program, we're going to continue look at more, maybe more better ways,' he said. 'First of all, let's move back to first and second grade, so we're not talking about holding back a third grader. If you're not reading proficiently by third grade, we've already missed the mark in our education system.' This year's TCAP results are expected to be released sometime this summer. When we receive those results and a response from MSCS, we will let you know. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Looking deeper into Carter Malone Group's invoices to Memphis Shelby County Schools
SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — The Memphis Shelby County School board hired a public relations firm behind closed doors last fall. It sparked concerns among some taxpayers as they demanded to see how the board is spending their money. 'Who's paying the fees for outside legal and PR firms? Is it us taxpayers?' one taxpayer asked the board during a meeting in January. The hire came just weeks before the board voted to fire the MSCS Superintendent, Dr. Marie Feagins. How much is MSCS paying Carter Malone Group for public relations? 'I think people were more concerned about it being done at the time it was done,' said school board Chairwoman Joyce Dorse-Coleman. This wasn't the first time the board hired the Carter Malone Group to help them with their PR. Last summer, Feagins cancelled the previous contract. Dorse-Coleman said that soon after, the internal communications department fell apart. Records WREG obtained show that at least four communications staffers resigned within months. 'When we were reaching out for communications support, we weren't receiving it,' said Dorse-Coleman. 'We had no support.' The board entered into another contract with the Carter Malone Group in November. A move that wasn't discussed or voted on publicly, because the bill would 'not exceed $70,000.' The policy states board approval is only necessary for professional service contracts above $75,000. Because there was no vote, the contract wasn't posted for you to see, either. WREG Investigators received a copy through someone connected within the district. It stated the firm would keep a detailed log of their work and then bill the board every month based on the hourly rates listed in the contract. Deidre Malone opens up about why MSCS hired her PR firm 'A public relations agency is just like a law firm. We believe it is important for our clients to know everything that we do for them,' said the firm's president and CEO, Deidre Malone. 'If my director of public relations is writing the chair's report, then she's going to document that. What that time looks like and what that costs.' In January, we asked for those invoices, and four months later, the district handed them over. In December, the invoice totaled more than $23,000. A majority of it had to do with the board's efforts to fire Feagins. The firm charged $900 for a communications strategy with the chair and another $1,200 to attend the meeting. They also prepared videos, statements and press releases based on various outcomes and provided media training and scripts. MSCS-Dec-2024-SubstantiationDownload The line items are similar in January's invoice, but the bill was slightly cheaper at around $19,000. The firm was again charged to prep for and attend the second special-called meeting where Feagins was terminated. They also charged $40 for a snow day social media post that month, $150 to meet with a lawmaker, and another $200 to tag along for an appearance on Your News Leader. That's right, their bill grew with each media appearance as the media asked your questions. 'It shouldn't be awkward because our role is to work with the media to get you what you need, and if your interview is an interview with the chair or one of the board members, then it's our role to coordinate that,' Green stated. The firm also charged $175 to help the chair draft a response in April when another board member threatened to deport a Hispanic woman who criticized her work. Original story: School board member won't apologize for deportation threat Followup story: School board member apologizes for deportation threat MSCS-Apr-2025-SubstantiationDownload There were more interview preps, press releases, and phone calls. Plus, another $1,700 for the new interim superintendent's media training. Malone said they wanted to detail everything they did, so the public could understand what they were paying for. 'When you're dealing with clients that are government clients, it's so important for them to understand everything that an agency does for them, so that's the reason why we itemize,' she said. The chair admits that information should be easier to obtain. 'We as a district have to do better at explaining why and the hows of certain things, like why do we have to feel like we needed an outside PR firm?' Dorse-Coleman said. 'Yes, the trust has been distorted. We know that,' Dorse-Coleman said. 'We have to do better, and our interim superintendent is committed and the board is committed to being more transparent.' The chair said she wanted every contract published, but it's unclear when that will happen. Get the latest from the WREG Investigators in your inbox The Carter Malone Group's contract ended last month. They reached the $70,000 limit before that, but continued to work through May without charging the district. Dorse-Coleman said the board is now utilizing the internal communications team again, but stated if they do not provide the support they need, she's not opposed to entering into another contract with the Carter Malone Group. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MSCS passes resolution to protect students from immigration policies
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis-Shelby County School board members approved a resolution that will protect vulnerable students in the community. This comes as federal and state laws continue to tighten around policies regarding immigration. 'I just wanted to be reflective that we abide by the state laws and the federal laws,' said MSCS Vice Chair Stephanie Love. The resolution read in part: 'Memphis Shelby County Schools has a responsibility to ensure all students who reside within its boundaries, regardless of immigration status, can safely access a free public K-12 education.' 'That means a lot to all of us to make sure that our immigrants are protected on the federal level and on the state level,' said board member Towanna Murphy. HS seniors' families stress over limited graduation tickets The response from MSCS comes after state lawmakers considered a bill that would allow schools to deny enrollment of undocumented students. That bill is currently on hold. 'When you have a high population of English as a second language, some of them could be legal here, but when it comes time for growing season, they just don't pick up and they leave school,' said Republican Speaker Cameron Sexton. 'They don't come back, so that's detrimental to the school system.' MSCS board members said federal law requires school districts to educate students regardless of their immigration status. CBU to partner with university in Illinois to boost academic success 'These children don't have — They should not suffer from something that we think their parents did right or wrong,' said board member Natalie McKinney. 'So, I think using children to get to their parents is not right.' 'We had already put that extra layer of protection out there to protect our immigrants and for stopping ICE from coming into our schools,' Murphy said. Both Murphy and McKinney said they have heard concerns from local immigrant community leaders and both said those concerns surround the safety of their children. They said that as long as the federal law allows it, they will fight for their students. 'I can say that for majority of our board- we are going to fight for the rights of children,' McKinney said. 'This is about children. It doesn't matter where you come from, doesn't matter about who your parents are — if you're here, you should be educated.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
