The Educator December Edition: Education Updates

Welcome to The Educator, Memphis Education Fund's one-stop shop for all education news. You can expect to discover updates on our latest initiatives, education-related advice, ideas and tools for parents, and more!

^{SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH UPDATE}

Up next, the 3 finalist candidates in the MSCS superintendent search will be in Memphis learning more about our great community and interviewing with the MSCS Board of Education.

As part of this experience, the Board has identified opportunities for community partners to spend time with the candidates and share their visions and priorities for the future, including time for organizations to meet and ask the candidates questions, a community-wide meet-and-greet reception, and an opportunity to attend, observe, and provide feedback on the candidates’ interviews with the Board. The dates for these activities are TBD. Please follow us on our social media channels to stay up-to-date.

Day 1 (TBD)

Superintendent candidates breakfast, city tour, lunch

Community organizations 30-minute sessions with the candidates. Organizations must signup using the form below.

Community-wide open house/meet and greet reception

Community sessions and Meet & Greet will take place at the Teaching and Learning Academy, 2485 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38112.

Day 2 (TBD)

Candidate 1 Board interview; Candidates 2/3 in 30-minute session community meetings

Candidate 2 Board interview; Candidates 1/3 in 30-minute session community meetings

Candidate 3 Board interview; Candidates 1/2 in 30-minute session community meetings

Board interviews and community sessions will take place at the Teaching and Learning Academy, 2485 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38112.

Community organizations are invited to signup for 30-minute sessions with each of the candidates. Interested organizations must complete the sign-up form.

The Board interviews will be open to the public and live streamed.

Signup if you’re interested in the 30-minute sessions—slots are limited! Come to the reception, and observe the interviews in-person or online—no signup required.

Share this information to help spread the word on this opportunity to engage in the process of selecting the next superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools - MSCS!

A-F LETTER GRADES UPDATE

Last month, the Tennessee Department of Education issued letter grades to schools for the first time.

Among Tennessee’s 1,690 schools that received letter grades, 3 out of every 4 received a C or better. A Chalkbeat analysis showed that the median grade-eligible Tennessee school earned a 3.2 out of a possible 5 points, or toward the higher end of the C range.

Read more about them, and view each school and district’s scores in this Chalkbeat TN article: TN Schools Letter Grades.

You can also read more on the Tennessee Department of Education's website here: A-F Letter Grades.

WELCOME, KALIAYA!

Kaliaya Dews

Education Pioneers Impact Fellow

Please help us welcome our newest associate and Education Pioneers Impact Fellow, Kaliaya Dews.

Kaliaya is a recent transplant to Memphis from the vibrant landscapes of California. With four years of experience spanning the corporate logistics and non-profit sectors within the accounting and financial industry, she brings a unique perspective to the dynamic community of Memphis.

Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and a minor in Economics, Kaliaya’s academic journey has equipped her with the analytical prowess to navigate complex data landscapes. Her professional journey, from corporate logistics to the impactful realm of mental health non-profits, reflects her commitment to utilizing data for positive change.

As a first-generation college graduate who ventured far from home for education, Kaliaya intimately understands the challenges communities with limited access to information and support face. Her passion lies in bridging these gaps, creating opportunities, and fostering equality through the strategic use of data. Outside of work Kaliaya loves attending sport events, spending time with dogs at the Memphis Animal Shelter dogs and trying all the great food Memphis has to offer.

SNOW DAYS

Memphis-Shelby

County Schools will be closed Tuesday, January 16, and Wednesday, January 17, due to inclement weather. Please continue to check MSCS's website and local news channels for more updates.

FUN ACTIVITIES

There's always something to do in Memphis, especially for families. Take a look at some of the upcoming activities coming in January and February from Memphis Travel.

Memphis Travel

AP ACCESS FOR ALL MINI GRANT

$500 Grants Available for Tennessee AP Teachers

The AP Access for ALL (APAA) program is excited to award Tennessee public high school AP teachers with grants to support their AP classroom. Mini-grants will be up to $500 each and may be used to purchase supplies, resource books and activities, computer programs, and technology. Approximately thirty teachers have applied for mini-grants. Applications are still being accepted until all funding is awarded or until March 29, 2024. Fill out the application online today!

CHOICE CHAMPION SCHOLARSHIPS

Tennesseans for Student Success's new scholarship award, Choice Champions, opened on November 1st! The scholarship is open to all students graduating high school in the Class of 2024 from a school of choice and intending to enroll at any two- or four-year college or university during the 2024-2025 academic year.

The scholarship will award one student a $5,000 award, and five students $1,000 awards for use towards tuition, room & board, or other fees at any accredited college or university. The application will remain open until February 1st, and decisions will be made by March 15th.

The online application can be found at this link: https://tnsuccess.org/scholarship/

STAY CONNECTED

Have you visited our updated website? Check it out here. Are you following us on all of our social media channels? Memphis Education Fund is on Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin. Make sure you're connected to us to stay up-to-date on all educational news.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

There are a lot of great things happening in Memphis and Shelby County. Share your events with us so that we can share them on our social channels and feature them in our monthly newsletters.

Email us at info@memphiseducationfund.org.

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