Tennessee Leaders Appoint Nine-Person Shelby County School Oversight Board
Tennessee Today

Credit: Chalkbeat Tennessee

Several Tennessee leaders had their pick for the nine-person oversight board that will take control of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. 

This past Friday, Governor Bill Lee announced his picks being: Tyrone Burroughs, Dorsey Hopson, Shanea McKinney, Nisha Powers, and Beverly Robertson.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally picked two to sit on the board; his picks include Dedrick Brittenum Jr. and Billy Orgel. Brittenum is an attorney who formerly served on the City Council, and Orgel is the president and CEO of Tower Ventures in Memphis.

House Speaker Camerson Sexton also got two appointees, one of them being the President and Chief Executive at Tennessee SCORE, David Mansouri. Speaker Sexton has not announced his second pick.

Credit: David Mansouri/USA Today

The MSCS school board has suggested that they may sue, due to the takeover. Lawmakers are saying that the oversight board isn’t a state takeover, when the majority of the board are locals to Shelby County. The members of the oversight board are serving on an at-will basis, meaning they could be let go, or replaced at any time.

These developments have come after Gov. Lee signed House Bill 662/Senate Bill 714, which was sponsored by State Representative Mark White and State Senator Brent Taylor. This bill is what allowed the state to create this advisory board. “The reality is, the only way to be satisfied with MSCS today is to lower your expectations and don’t get your hopes up,” State Senator Taylor said when commenting on this legislation. “That’s unacceptable for our students, our parents and our community, and it’s exactly why this legislation is necessary.”

####