Shelby County School board says 12 schools could be lost to state takeover

By Crystal Howard
Twelve schools in Shelby County are eligible to be taken over by the Achievement School District, which
is allowed to take over any school where its academics fall in the bottom 5 percent of schools in the
state.
Shelby County Schools has low performance academically and the ASD has chosen 12 of the schools in
the bottom 5 percent to take over by fall 2015.
The Shelby County School board met on Oct. 21 and discussed the schools that would be eligible to join
the Achievement School District in the fall of 2015.
Shelby County Superintendent, Dorsey Hopson, said that once the ASD takes over, the decision is strictly
up to them and they all go through a process where they evaluate some schools in a matching process.
Those decisions are up to the ASD and we dont have the authority to change their minds, Hopson
said.
The ASD is a charter organization that runs schools by local and national public charter operators.
There were 12 schools that were chosen in the Memphis area and three are definite transition schools
that will automatically join during the 2015-16 school year.
Those schools include South Side Middle School to KIPP Memphis. They are also handing Raleigh Egypt
High School to Green Dot Public Schools, which is based in Los Angeles.
The other schools selected include Florida-Kansas Elementary, Denver Elementary, American Way, A.
Maceo Walker Middle School, Brookmeade Elementary, Hawkins Mill Elementary, La Rose Elementary
and AB Hill Elementary.
When the ASD takes over schools, faculty must reapply for their jobs and while most are hopeful for
their return to their position, the ASD brings in an entire new staff in order to help the school progress
especially in areas that they were failing.
Some parents and teachers said that the ASD taking over the schools will not have a positive effect on
students and teachers.
It has been rumored that most teachers will lose their jobs and that is totally unfair as some of them
are excellent teachers, Memphis City Schools teacher Ronnie Hancock said.
Based on the list released by the Tennessee Department of Education, there are 59 priority schools in
Memphis. However, the ASD collaborated with SCS in order to determine recent and long-term
academic performance.

Schools that were chosen were ranked in the bottom five percent on a priority list, which by state law
makes those schools eligible.
After much deliberation by the ASD along with SCSD, a few of the lowest ranked schools include RaleighEgypt High School, Wooddale High School and A. Maceo Walker Middle School and these are also the
schools that are being taken over by the ASD.
We appreciate the chance and cooperation with SCS on the criteria and we are all focused on one
thing-whats best for the kids, ASD chief portfolio officer Malika Anderson said.
The ASD is a different school district and they have their own district meetings with Superintendent
Chris Barbic.
Barbic said that they ASD is staffed with a group of proven charter operators that are excited to meet
parents, teachers and the community.
The matching of the schools sets the stage for long-term student success and speaks to the great
momentum around improving education in Memphis, Barbic said.