Episode 1 — The First Domino

Episode 1 — The First Domino

“If the school board goes through with this, there are options. We have nuclear options.” - Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS), much like the city it dwells in, has been the punching bag for the state in a city that has been scrutinized across the country. The infamous 2013 merger initiated by the then-named Memphis City Schools’ release of its charter, forced a marriage that was guaranteed to end in divorce. That divorce happened approximately a year later, which coincidentally, juxtaposes the second half of my educational career. Several years later and several superintendents later, MSCS has been embroiled in misconduct, widespread academic underachievement (despite receiving $90 million plus from Bill and Melinda Gates), school board drama, misspending and more. It’s of little surprise that MSCS has been selected and targeted for a state takeover—the first district in the state to receive such treatment. Previously, the state has created its own special school district targeting at turning around several schools known as The Achievement School District. Continue the critical thinking at this article [https://medium.com/@theblackscholarspodcast/op-ed-when-it-comes-to-student-achievement-zip-codes-matter-e5c063e842a4] published by Medium.