With growing speculation over whether the state of Tennessee might take control of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, a coalition of local leaders, faith groups and community advocates gathered at the National Civil Rights Museum to send a clear message: Memphis can handle its own schools.
“We don’t need the state stepping in to dictate how we educate our children,” said Shelby County Commissioner Miska Clay-Bibbs, a former school board member. “Memphis voices make Memphis choices. We must keep this conversation about what’s best for the kids, what’s best for the parents.”
Organizer Ron Redwing, CEO of The Redwing Group, brought together a broad coalition of voices recently pushing back against proposals for state intervention. Shelby County Commissioner Shante Avant, another former MSCS board member, emphasized the need to center the discussion on students, rather than political maneuvering.
“We are talking about what adults are doing but not about the needs of the students we serve here in Memphis-Shelby County,” Avant said. “A state takeover would not be in the best interest of our children. We’ve seen this before with the Achievement School District (ASD), and we know it didn’t work.”
A failed model
The state launched ASD in 2012 with the goal of taking over its lowest-performing schools and turning them around. A decade later, the initiative failed to deliver on its promise, leaving many of its schools to either close or transition back to local control.
“State takeovers have never been successful,” said Bishop Ed Stephens, pastor of Golden Gate Cathedral. “They disrupt learning, diminish educational quality and strip local communities of their power to make decisions for their children.”
Redwing echoed that sentiment, arguing that the state should be a partner, not a dictator.
“We don’t need to go [elsewhere] to find answers. We have brilliant minds and strong leaders right here in Memphis who are ready to step up,” Redwing said. “The solutions we need must come from within our own community.”
The community’s plan
As an alternative to state control, Redwing announced the formation of a community advisory board, which will work directly with the MSCS board to strengthen governance and address systemic challenges.
“We’ve heard Nashville loud and clear,” Redwing said. “And we’re taking action. We’re forming an advisory board made up of business leaders, faith-based leaders, community organizations and top educational experts to ensure this district moves in the right direction.”
He called on state lawmakers to work with local leaders, rather than imposing an outside agenda.
“This is not about us versus them,” Redwing continued. “It’s about working together for the most precious of our resources — our young people.”
What happens next
Despite widespread opposition to a takeover, state legislators, including Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis), have indicated that intervention remains on the table. Cardell Orrin, executive director of Stand for Children Tennessee, warned of the long-term consequences.
“We want to make it clear we don’t need a state takeover, that we oppose it, that the people here want to work together with the state,” Orrin said. “What we need are resources and support — not control. The state can partner with us, but we don’t need them taking over our schools.”
He also criticized the ASD as an example of why state intervention doesn’t work:
“We’ve seen what happens after 10 years of ASD and failure — no accountability, no improvements. They spent over a billion dollars and never held a school accountable by closing. So we know they don’t have the solution there.”
Redwing and his coalition remain resolute: The best path forward is one shaped by Memphians for Memphians.
“We’ve heard Nashville’s concerns, and we know we need to do more,” Redwing said. “But that work must be done by those who live, work and raise their children here — not by outsiders who don’t understand our struggles or our vision for the future.”
