SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board made some big decisions on Thursday, agreeing on key evaluation metrics by which Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins will be judged in the coming months.
Those metrics include decreasing absenteeism by 2%, decreasing the number of students in Grades 3 through 8 who are three or more grade levels behind by 4% and decreasing off-track freshmen and sophomores by 1.8%.
“We are really believing in our strategies, the work that is being done in our schools so that we can stand up on the other side,” Feagins said.
Her informal evaluation - which means nothing in writing, just conversations - must be completed by Nov. 30. The formal evaluation will be due on May 1 next year. A total comprehensive review will be presented in April.
The district also agreed to emergency contracts with two janitorial companies for the rest of the year after services with the company Fresh Start were terminated this week due to breach of contract.
It’s unclear if the workers laid off by Fresh Start as part of the closure will be re-hired by the companies now taking on the work.