In a unanimous board vote, Shelby County Schools has voted to hire Joris Ray, the current interim superintendent, to take over the post permanently. “It’s clear that there is a tremendous amount of support and I have the utmost confidence that Dr. Ray can serve in his role for all of the students of Shelby County, no…
New data is out from a report highlighting the college readiness of Shelby County Schools High schools students and the results are grim. According to the report, nearly 6 out of 10 SCS high school students require remedial math classes before college, with that number being 4 in 10 for remedial reading classes. Educator Marlena…
A recent story broke about a Duke professor stepping down after she asked her students to speak English 100% of the time. The students were heard speaking Chinese, which is their native language. In my opinion, the professor was wrong to tell students they should speak English 100% of the time. For starters, they are…
School choice has gained ground in the eyes of education advocates over the years. Charters and vouchers remain a topic of debate but they are far less contentious than they were even a couple of years ago. However, there is one frontier of school choice that remains relatively unexplored and controversial: Schools that serve non-traditional…
If you weren’t completely riveted by the information detailed throughout the Lifetime Network’s six-part documentary-series, Surviving R. Kelly, then I’d assume you may be probably void of human feelings. As Lifetime Network’s website states: In the ground-breaking documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly,” women are emerging from the shadows and uniting their voices to share their…
R. Kelly has the world fired up! I guess hearing the exact same rumors and allegations 20 years ago vs. seeing it on TV gives it more validation! Since his documentary has aired, why has his record sales increased? As a mother, I am really appalled that so many people are defending and still patronizing…
When you’re black and excellent, institutionalized racism will say you cheated. After working her ass off to improve her score by 300 points, a Florida high school student is having her SAT score questioned and invalidated. On her first attempt, Kamilah Campbell scored a 900 out of 1600. Not satisfied with her score, Kamilah studied,…
Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday. The break was much needed but lets face it, you missed us. I know, I know.. you missed reading about what’s going on in Memphis regarding public education. Well good news! We are back and ready to keep you informed! Today Chalkbeat published…
Today I carry no title other than human being. Yes, I am a proud Black woman and a mom but I am still mentally reeling from and dealing with so many tentacles of raw emotion from my visit last week to the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. They…
A new study by the Tennessee Education Research Alliance highlights an issue with retaining teachers of color in the state. The report notes that not only are teachers of color underrepresented in comparison to the student body, but that teacher turnover for Black educators is much higher than their white counterparts. The study suggests schools should…