Embattled Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins delivered her reply to MSCS Board of Education members during a long-awaited Evaluation Committee meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Board members are considering a resolution to terminate Feagins’ employment on Jan. 21 over allegations of mismanagement.
“Let me be unequivocally clear, these claims are false. Not because I say so but because the facts make it indisputable and prove false the inflammatory accusations,” Feagins read in a prepared statement.
Feagins also said her superintendency was marred by attempts of “many current and former board members to publicly shame me, create a hostile environment, cause public distrust at every turn of my tenure and divide a district that is on the rise.”
Following the superintendent’s response, MSCS board members provided details behind their decision to pursue a termination effort against the relatively new hire.
After complimenting Feagins on her successes as an administrator, board member Natalie McKinney elaborated on a series of “shortcomings” that have allegedly occurred during Feagins’ time as MSCS superintendent.
“Dr. Feagins has made notable efforts during her tenure,” said McKinney. “However, multiple things can be true at the same time. A leader can implement positive programs and make changes we agree with and still demonstrate deficits that hinder the district’s overall success.”
These include graduation readiness. McKinney recalled principals’ complaints that essential academic tools and ACT prep materials were unavailable at the beginning of the year due to the expiration of contracts. Certification programs were also left unfunded, jeopardizing student’s ability to earn credentials to enter the workforce after graduation.
“These gaps in academic resources, coupled with delays in foundational curriculum, such as personal finance courses for seniors, placed our students at a significant disadvantage in meeting graduation requirements,” said McKinney.
She also criticized Feagins’ move to restructure the MSCS administration without a plan, which included the elimination of hundreds of positions. This included the elimination of a Student Equity Department, leaving “significant gaps” in ensuring “student equity and safety.”
“These shortcomings have created backlogs in hiring, pay disparities and gaps in essential student services, further undermining staff morale and the district’s ability to function effectively,”
Moreover, a failure to provide an alternative to proximity learning for virtual students “exacerbated an already critical teacher shortage.”
Feagins’ overall management was also skewered. Criticisms began with her decision to present the MSCS budget to the Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission in violation of school board policy and state law, followed by a mention of delays in approving contracts that left “principals and teachers” without resources.
These issues were topped by the HVAC failures that occurred at the beginning of the year, during the balmy August heat. Many systems are also failing during the cold of winter.
Feagins’ decision to let curriculum contracts expire without analyzing the previous year’s academic data came next. An academic audit was conducted only after the decision was made.
McKinney finished the statement with MSCS staff accusations of a hostile work environment.
“Furthermore, reports of a climate of fear and intimidation among staff have eroded trust and stifled innovation, leaving our district without the cohesive leadership it needs to succeed,” said McKinney.
Board member Michelle McKissack’s attempts to derail the response to accusations were quashed.
“Be quiet,” said Towanna Murphy.
Prior to McKinney’s accusations, board member Amber Huett-Garcia proposed a substitute to the termination resolution. It echoes many of the proposals Shelby County Commission Chairman Michael Whaley sought in a failed resolution he recently proposed.
Among them are stronger internal controls, improved communication, human capital analysis and governance training “beyond what is required.” In both cases, the intention is to “turn down the temperature.”
An amended version of a “no-confidence” vote was ultimately passed by county commissioners Monday, Jan. 13. Whaley managed to slip in language focusing on a “governance plan” for both Feagins and the board that “stresses student outcomes.”
An outsider’s perspective is another request in Huett-Garcia’s proposal.
“I am asking for us to get a third party to assess how we all work together and provide professional training over the next year,” she said.
The assessment would begin in May, after the county commission receives the plans from Feagins and the school board.
“I plan to align with what they’re requesting of us as well,” said Huett-Garcia.
McKissack was added as a co-sponsor to Huett-Garcia’s resolution. It is expected to be under consideration during the next school board meeting Tuesday, Jan. 21, along with the resolution to terminate Feagins’ employment.
“… Your vote is bigger than me,” Feagins said. “It is about families who deserve to believe in the promise of better opportunities. It’s about the city we will leave behind for the next generation.”
