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On April 1, Marie Feagins, Ed.D., will officially take the reins from Toni Williams and become the next superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. But to ensure a smooth transition, she’s already started working for the district as a consultant as of March 1.

Dr. Feagins is meeting with school leaders and educators, and collaboratively developing strategic priorities with School Commissioners. She recently wrapped up a week of visits with students, school staff, and key city leaders visiting, among many schools, Overton High School, Bolton High School, and the historic Booker T. Washington High School.

According to a redacted version of Feagins’ consulting contract, which started on March 1 and ends March 29, she can make up to $20,000 in the temporary role. She’s being paid $1,000 a day, for each day worked, but the total amount can’t exceed $20,000.

The Tennessee Voucher Bill has cleared two more legislative hurdles after much debate. Gov. Bill Lee’s proposal to create a statewide school voucher program easily cleared its first Senate hurdle, but took a split vote and five-plus hours of often contentious debate to pass out of a House committee.

The legislation — the most ambitious and controversial education plan of Lee’s five-plus years in office — passed 7-1 out of the Senate Education Committee, with the panel’s lone Democrat casting the dissenting vote.

Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act must clear more committees in each chamber before it can be voted on by the full House and Senate. The House bill now heads to that chamber’s government operations committee, while the Senate bill will be heard next by its finance panel.

Both proposals would start a new voucher program this fall with up to 20,000 students who could use taxpayer funding to attend private schools. Lee wants the program opened up eventually for any K-12 student, regardless of their family income.

Read more about the Voucher Bill from Chalkbeat TN.