As a contentious bill that could result in a state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) moves through Tennessee's legislature, community leaders, including faith leaders and school board members, are rallying against it.
Local lawmakers, State Representative Mark White and State Senator Brent Taylor have introduced the Tennessee Public School Accountability Act, which could potentially allow for the replacement of locally elected MSCS school board members with a state-appointed Board of Managers for at least four years, Action News 5 reported. In reaction to this development, citizens and leaders throughout the community vehemently oppose the bill, expressing fears of reduced local control and a disregard for the current school governance.
At Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Bishop Linwood Dillard voiced a sentiment common among the bill's opponents. "Now admittedly, we may need a makeover but we do not need a takeover," Dillard told WREG. Moreover, members of the community criticize the proposed legislation's motivations. "I don’t believe for one minute that Republicans in middle and east Tennessee care anything about our children," Reverend Bill Adkins Jr. said, suspecting ulterior financial and political motives behind the bill.
Ahead of a critical subcommittee meeting, dozens are expected to travel to Nashville to protest the bill and advocate for MSCS's autonomy, as Local Memphis details the resistance. "When we fight, we win...We’re going to continue to fight this act," Vickie Terry, the Executive Director of Memphis NAACP, encapsulated the determination of the coalition. School board member Towanna Murphy backed this stance, asserting, "With them putting managers over us, that’s saying we don’t know our jobs. We know our jobs. We’re well within our rights, and that’s not fair to us."
The controversy stems from a previous power struggle where the MSCS board removed Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins in an act that has been perceived by some as retaliation from state leaders. If the legislation passes, the state would appoint two-thirds of the board of managers, effectively wresting control from the existing local school board which would be relegated to an advisory capacity, Action News 5 explained. The saga continues to unfold as stakeholders across the spectrum of education, politics, and community activism converge upon Tennessee's capitol, vying for the future direction of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
