Latest news with #TennesseePublicSchoolAccountabilityAct
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MSCS state takeover bill passes Senate; House vote up next
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A bill to create a state-controlled oversight board for Memphis-Shelby County Schools passed 26-6 in the state Senate on Tuesday. The Senate took up Brent Taylor's bill. It must still be approved by the House, which is set to consider it Tuesday. The bill, also known as the Tennessee Public School Accountability Act, would authorize the Department of Education to appoint a board of managers for four years. If approved by the House, it would lift the income cap on school vouchers in Shelby County. House bill for state control of MSCS advances Both Republican State Rep. Mark White and Taylor have introduced separate bills regarding the matter. 'It is my concern the largest district in the state of 110,000 students that we are not performing as we should. There's a lot of bureaucracy in the system,' White said. Locally, the bill has faced opposition from MSCS board members, including Michelle McKissack, who initially opposed the firing of Dr. Feagins. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MSCS state takeover bill up for debate Monday
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers will begin debates on Monday for a bill that would allow a state-appointed board to take over Memphis Shelby County Schools. The bill, also known as the Tennessee Public School Accountability Act, would authorize the Department of Education to appoint a board of managers, which would remain in place for four years. Today, there will be up to 25 minutes of debate for each side. The House session begins at 10 a.m., while the Senate floor session begins at 4 p.m. House bill for state control of MSCS advances The bill was written by Republican state Representative Mark White and filed for introduction back in February. This all comes following the firing of Dr. Marie Feagins as superintendent. And in January, the district faced a threat of a state takeover by Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton. 'I just think we need to right-size this. We've heard of complaints for too many years, and I think now, with the will of the majority of the communities behind us, that they want us to intervene,' said Rep. White. 'We deserve better than what we're getting': Lawmaker shares more about bill to take over MSCS Locally, the bill has faced opposition from MSCS board members, including Michelle McKissack, who initially opposed the firing of Dr. Feagins. 'This is too serious. We have the state making its assertions of how the board is in a state of dysfunction, so they feel they have to step in. I don't want to see our board lose its local control,' said McKissack. The House version of the bill passed the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee last week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MSCS state takeover bill to be debated on House floor
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Tennessee bill that would allow the state to take over Memphis-Shelby County Schools will be debated on the House floor on Monday. House Bill 662 passed the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee on Thursday. The bill moved to the Calendar & Rules Committee and was added to the House floor agenda for Monday. There will be up to 25 minutes of debate for each side. House bill for state control of MSCS advances The bill, also known as the Tennessee Public School Accountability Act, would authorize the Department of Education to appoint a 'board of managers' to a local education agency such as Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The board of managers would remain in place for four years. The bill was written by Republican State Representative Mark White and filed for introduction in February 2025. White told WREG that his proposal would create a nine-member board over the next few years. 'I bring this not lightly, but I believe it is time we have to have some kind of change in place because doing what we are doing is not changing,' White said. State takeover of MSCS board gains support from some in Memphis Calls for a state takeover of MSCS grew after Dr. Marie Feagins was fired from her role as superintendent. This includes a threat of a state takeover by Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton in January 2025. The bill has faced opposition from MSCS Board members as well as other elected officials and local leaders in Shelby County. Shelby County Commissioner Charlie Caswell called the bill an 'attack on democracy.' 'Our schools belong to our communities, and decisions about our children's education should be made by the people who know them best: parents, teachers, and locally elected leaders,' Caswell said. MSCS Board member Amber Huett-Garcia described the bill as 'extreme.' 'This is so much bigger than us. There is nothing that stops some form of legislation that starts doing this to city councils, starts doing this to county commissions,' Garcia said. 'That's how you erode a democracy. I find it frightening that we are willing to give up power.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
