THE BRIDGE weekly update is a platform to keep stakeholders connected and informed about upcoming events and District initiatives. 

We are THE BRIDGE to our community’s identity. The authentic character and soul that defines the 901 is reflected in every one of our schools. We are the second-largest employer and our graduates fuel the local workforce — the success of SCS is tied to the economic vitality of Greater Memphis.

Together, we MUST BELIEVE.

Together, we WILL ACHIEVE.

Together, we are REIMAGINING 901.

The Work Continues: Celebrating 3 Years as Superintendent

I’m fortunate and extremely honored to lead the very District where I was once a student. THANK YOU to our School Board for your advocacy and our educators, administrators, students, and families for your support of my leadership. The number "3" symbolizes wholeness. It is the number of harmony, wisdom, and understanding.

In just three short years, with the steadfast support and HEART WORK of the SCS Family, we've made progress on a number of initiatives as we Reimagine 901:

• Championing innovative and transformational programs across the District
• Expanding before, during, and after-school tutoring programs
• Increasing access to Advanced Placement and honors classes for all students
• Investing in 21st century schools and classrooms
• Acquiring and distributing one-to-one devices for all students in record time
• Opening the Medical District High School
• Implementing a foreign language immersion program
• Instituting a living wage for all employees
• Establishing a step-and-lane pay structure for teachers
• Restructuring leadership to prioritize academic achievement
• Investing in the District's social-emotional supports for students and families
• Rebranding the District as Memphis-Shelby County Schools to reflect the community we serve
• 2021 Superintendent to Watch as named by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA)
• 2021 Feature in Joint AASA/Corwin Publication: Spirit Work and the Science of Collaboration
• 2021 Courage in Politics Award from WLOK
• 2021 Distinguished Educator Award from the Tennessee Association (TEA)
• 2021 YMCA of Memphis Red Triangle Award from the YMCA of Memphis
• 2020 Green-Garner Superintendent of the Year Award Finalist

School Board Appreciation Week: January 23 - 29!

SCS is proud to join public school districts across the state to celebrate School Board Appreciation Week in Tennessee, January 23-29, 2022. This year's theme, “Building the Future,” reminds us to recognize the unique role school boards play in building a future for their students, championing and advocating for quality education, and governing public schools.

Guided by their support, the District has implemented robust policies and supported several high-impact initiatives including increasing teacher compensation and developing a trauma-responsive district that builds and maintains supportive learning environments while providing social-emotional growth support.

This week, visit our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and tune into the Voice of SCS (88.5FM) to keep up with many surprises we have in store to honor the hard work of our School Board.

Become an Event Sponsor! State of the District: February 23

SAVE THE DATE! The 3rd annual State of the District address will take place on Wednesday, February 23 at 11 a.m. This year's address, Progress Report, is a special update about the strengths and opportunities of Reimagining 901. This event will be streamed across District platforms.

Imagine every student attending a school with modern facilities, a wide array of creative and competitive programs, robust technology, and resources to accelerate learning and strong social-emotional supports to help overcome barriers to success. It requires transformational vision and action, which means we must consider all options for our students.

BECOME AN EVENT SPONSOR

The support of partners like you will help bring our vision of REIMAGINING education, communities, and schools in the 901 to life. A portion of your investment will support the District’s literacy initiatives.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of becoming an event sponsor!

REIMAGINING 901:

Superintendent Updates Recommendation to Rebrand District as Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Progress is impossible without change. As we're reimagining education, schools, and communities in the 901, we must also reimagine our identity.

During this month's Academic Performance Committee meeting and furthermore, at this month's Board Work Session, the Shelby County Board of Education shared support for the official recommendation to rebrand our District as Memphis-Shelby County Schools. A vote to approve this rebrand recommendation is slated to be voted on during January's Board Business Meeting.

The name was first introduced during the unveiling of our Reimagining 901 plan. When legacy Memphis City Schools merged with Shelby County Schools, it naturally adopted the SCS name and logo because they represent the entirety of the county landscape. However, more than 80 percent of students live in the city limits of Memphis.

Click here to read the details about our proposed rebrand.

Deputy Superintendent Recognized During

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.'s Founders' Day Celebration

Congratulations to our Deputy Superintendent of Schools and Academic Support, Dr. Angela Whitelaw, for receiving the 2022 Moving MAC Forward Award at

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.'s 109th Founders' Day Celebration.

This is a well-deserved honor for our servant leader and forward thinker.

District Partners with the PeerPower Foundation to Launch New Workforce Development Program

In partnership with the PeerPower Foundation comes a new workforce development program that pays students to TUTOR their peers in early grades. Students attended orientation for the new program this past weekend. Partnerships like these are essential in our efforts of REIMAGINING 901!

WORKFORCE READY: SCS Department of Student Affairs Launches New Internship Program

This past weekend, our Department of Student Affairs kicked off its new Internship Program! These ambitious juniors and seniors will gain valuable workplace experience, explore career paths relative to their interests, and build relationships with industry professionals.

Several SCS Schools Recognized for Successful Implementation of TN Behavioral Prevention

and Intervention System

Nearly 100 SCS campuses are being recognized for successfully planning and implementing the state Framework for Response to Intervention2-Behavior (RtI2-B), a multi-tiered system approach to building a positive culture for student learning and engagement while creating a fulfilling environment for staff. These schools are among those named for the School of Recognition and Model of Demonstration Awards for the 2021-2022 School Year. 

Here’s an account of the SCS schools in each category:

Forty-one (41) SCS schools achieved School

of Recognition level.

Recognized school teams demonstrate a commitment to creating positive school climates and shaping their environments to be places where students can be successful.

Fifty-five (55) SCS schools received the Bronze Model Of Demonstration level.

Schools are implementing Tier I with fidelity as evidenced by Tier I Implementation Manuals, office discipline referral data, regular meeting operating procedures, and fidelity measures scores.

Three (3) SCS schools achieved the Silver Model of Demonstration level.

Schools demonstrated fidelity of implementation of Tier I and Tier II interventions and practices.

RtI2-B is the framework that ensures a progressive behavior prevention and intervention support system is adopted by all schools. The framework was launched at SCS in 2019-20 as a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) strategy to serve two primary purposes. 

Click here to read more on this awesome achievement.

A. Maceo Walker School Makes A Slam-Dunk In Grizzlies Mentor Program

The Memphis Grizzlies have named A. Maceo Walker Middle School the 2022 Business Partnership of the Year under the Mentor Memphis Grizzlies Program. The award highlights the outstanding mentoring work happening each week at the school. The partnership is designed to leverage the mentor relationship to better prepare students for success. 

Click here to learn more about this great recognition.

School Choice Application: Opens January 25

School Choice online application opens January 25, at 10 am! Whether you’re looking for a school with a specialized learning focus and competitive entry requirements, an innovative setting to meet your child’s unique learning needs or a traditional setting in your neighborhood with a broad set of courses and extracurricular offerings, we’ve got the most choices for students and families. Search for any school by grade level or program.

Click here to learn more.

Rock En-Rollment: Early Registration for 2022-23 School Year Now Open

Early ONLINE registration for the 2022-23 school year is NOW OPEN for all students. Parents are asked to contact our Student Equity Enrollment & Discipline (S.E.E.D.) office for any questions at 901-416-6007.

Click here to learn more.

SCS Ready Grads - STEM Teacher Recruitment Fair:

January 29

STEM901 Day is only a few days away! The CCTE STEM Teacher Recruitment Fair is scheduled for Saturday, January 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education (225 South Main Street).

We are excited to be welcoming graduating college seniors with a focus in STEM who are interested in pursuing an occupation in STEM Education or other STEM careers.

Formally referred to as Vocational Technology (Vo-Tech), CCTE is how we're reimagining education and preparing students for college and careers while in high school.

It’s the most valuable high school experience a student can get! From STEM, business and manufacturing to health services, hospitality, IT, and many more, students have access to dozens of college courses and job certifications in high-demand fields while they’re in high school. Plus, our Early College programs allow students to take courses for credit on local college campuses, and our industry partners provide exciting opportunities for internships and job placement.

Click here to learn more.

Support teachers as a CCTE Advisor with the Division of College, Career, and Technical Education. An Advisor helps build CCTE curriculum to ensure student college and career readiness.

Click here to apply!

ESSER In Action:

Learn How SCS is Utilizing COVID-19 Relief Funding to Support District Improvements

The District has begun solidifying approximately $503 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding. As SCS reimagines education, schools, and communities, we’re continuing to use research-based strategies over the next

3-5 years to address equitable academic opportunities and learning gaps with COVID-19 relief funding. 

For more information on how SCS is using ESSER funds, click here.

Third Grade Commitment: Mandatory Parent Meetings



SCS identifies student achievement as its highest priority. The Board voted on a revision to Policy 5013 Promotion and Retention which ensured we hold district and school leaders, teachers, and all stakeholders accountable towards ensuring SCS students have the necessary reading skills to be successful before they reach the third grade.

The 3rd Grade Commitment is a collaborative effort between schools, parents, and our community towards ensuring we all work together to best help SCS students reach reading readiness before the third grade.

As part of our ongoing commitment to keep families informed and aware, elementary and K-8 schools hosted mandatory 3rd Grade Commitment meetings for 2nd grade parents. These meetings provided updates and informed parents about the progress of their child regarding meeting the success criteria.

Click here to learn more about the Third Grade Commitment.

"Reset rooms help Shelby County Schools students turn negative behavior to positive." - FOX13 Memphis

"The Shelby County School District ushered in the new year with a big to-do list, from registration efforts to helping students and educators get tested and vaccinated against COVID." - WREG

"New program for teens hopes to address healthcare worker shortage" - WMC

"James Wiseman’s East High School basketball jersey retired." - FOX13 Memphis



In Case You Missed It

Students Honor King's Legacy through

Days of Service Initiative

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'” - MLK

MLK Days of Service

On Monday, January 17, the nation honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy of service.

Throughout the week, SCS students had the opportunity to engage in service-learning projects as part of our District-wide Days of Service.

Additionally, the Voice of SCS (88.5FM) partnered with the National Civil Rights Museum to broadcast a live King's Day celebration, interviewing special guests and attendees.

SCS Restructures Substitute Teacher Compensation Package: Increased Daily Rates

We have restructured our substitute teacher compensation package to include an increased daily rate!

Benefits of serving as a substitute teacher in SCS include having the flexibility to work around your preferred schedule, working on a variety of great campuses across the District, and working in collaboration with our excellent educators. Being a substitute teacher potentially opens more opportunities for full-time positions. 

Click here to learn more about this awesome compensation package!

School Board and District Continue to Prioritize Strategies to Address Enrollment Challenges Amid Pandemic

SCS continues its prioritization of implementing strategies to address challenges of declining enrollment. National trends outline declining K-12 enrollment in similar-size districts in the U.S. as schools are faced with navigating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Several factors play a role in the drop in student enrollment. At the onset of the pandemic, U.S. education leaders recognized that virtual learning and school closures presented explorations for families, such as home-schooling, and illuminated the operational autonomy of smaller charter and private schools, which were able to remain open.

Through our Reimagining 901 plan, the District continues to make strides toward eliminating barriers to education and remains committed to expanding opportunities for all students.

Click here to read more about our enrollment strategies.

Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Enterprise Virtual Pre-Certification Workshop: February 2

As we continue to provide opportunities to connect with our community, the SCS Department of Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Enterprise is hosting their Virtual Pre-Certification Workshop on Wednesday, February 2 at 11:00 a.m. During this event, the department will share details about MWSBE certification requirements and procedures, as well as provide business owners with information on how to do business with the District.

Having a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) and/or Small Business (SBE) certification can help you tap into various public and private sector programs!

Click here to register!

ESSER in Action: Water Bottle Filling Stations Coming Soon To All Schools

As we're reimagining schools, we have invested $5 million of ESSER (COVID-19 relief funds) to purchase and install 3,000 bottle filling stations in all District-managed schools and administration buildings.

These filling stations will minimize plastic waste, reduce costs and provide better-tasting, filtered water.

For more information on how SCS is using ESSER funds, click here.

SCS Invites Local Businesses to Support Upcoming Internship Program

As we continue to connect our students with valuable resources to prepare them for the workforce, we are inviting business leaders to join SCS in hosting junior and senior students as interns within their organization as part of a new Business Recruitment Program.

Click here to register and learn how you can support this impactful program.

The Shelby County Board of Education Newsletters serve as updates for community stakeholders, families, and employees about information discussed during the monthly Board Committee Meetings. 

Click here to access the newsletters.

Supporting SCS is a meaningful way to impact the future

of Memphis and Shelby County.

Facebook.com/ShelbyCountySchools

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@scsk12unifed