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Group backlash is mounting forward of a pivotal resolution this month on the destiny of Memphis-Shelby County Faculties Superintendent Marie Feagins.
The Shelby County Fee is ready Wednesday to debate whether or not to vote Jan. 13 for a decision of “no confidence” within the college board after a number of members launched an effort final month to oust Feagins, who started within the function April 1 after a protracted search.
A second decision on the fee’s agenda would place a 90-day maintain on the county’s current $33 million allocation towards constructing a long-anticipated highschool within the metropolis’s Frayser neighborhood.
A mum or dad advocacy group, in the meantime, has referred to as on Feagins and the varsity board to work out their variations in personal, whereas a outstanding Memphis lawmaker says he’s pursuing his personal assembly with the board to “reset the dialog.”
The exercise comes forward of a Jan. 15 college board work session during which the board will revisit the case towards Feagins, which Chair Joyce Dorse-Coleman specified by a decision to terminate Feagins’ contract.
Feagins has forcefully denied any wrongdoing, and was anticipated to submit written responses to the board on Monday. Any vote to oust Feagins would want to occur at a board enterprise assembly. The subsequent one is ready for Jan. 21.
At its December assembly, the board voted 5-4 to push its resolution on Feagins to this month. Dorse-Coleman solid the deciding vote, saying she needed to “preserve it truthful” and permit extra time to overview the details.
The decision contends that Feagins has been dishonest and troublesome to speak with, and that she mishandled or misrepresented district funds on three events.
Battle attracts in state officers
The drama in Memphis-Shelby County Faculties has gotten the eye of state officers, too.
Rep. Mark White, longtime chairman of a Home schooling committee within the state legislature, is in search of to fulfill this week with the complete college board and a number of other different state lawmakers from Memphis.
“We have to dial down the temperature,” mentioned the Memphis Republican. “There’s lots of people in our neighborhood who’re very upset by this example.”
White mentioned poor working relationships between Feagins and sure board members are distracting all of them from extra necessary educational challenges dealing with Tennessee’s largest college system, reminiscent of low studying scores, continual absenteeism, a excessive dropout price, and a important want for stronger workforce growth within the Mid-South.
He mentioned he’s not able to introduce laws that he drafted final 12 months to provide Gov. Invoice Lee’s administration the energy to nominate as much as six new members to the nine-member Memphis board. Nevertheless, that avenue stays an possibility, White mentioned.
“It took 18 months to seek out this superintendent, and now some board members wish to let her go whereas she’s nonetheless attempting to be taught the ropes and consuming from a hearth hose,” White mentioned. “You don’t disrupt a complete neighborhood and name a gathering to dismiss your superintendent with out a clear definition of the grievances.”
Feagins has employed Memphis lawyer Alan Crone to symbolize her within the dispute, whereas the board has retained Robert Spence, one other native lawyer.
Almost a 12 months in the past, the board voted to rent Feagins away from a management place on the Detroit Public Faculties Group District, making her the primary outdoors chief to direct Tennessee’s largest college system because it was created via a merger a decade in the past.
In accordance with her contract, she should be paid a severance of $487,500 if the board terminates her contract with out trigger. Nevertheless, Dorse-Coleman has mentioned the claims by her and a number of other different board members justify a termination, which means that Feagins wouldn’t obtain a severance bundle.
Funding for brand new Frayser highschool in danger
The “no confidence” decision earlier than the county physique that oversees native funding for public faculties is co-sponsored by Commissioners Amber Mills and Erika Sugarman. Mills is the only sponsor to date of the second decision, to withhold thousands and thousands of {dollars} accepted on Dec. 16 towards the $112 million price of constructing a brand new highschool.
“Firing a superintendent, regardless of who they’re, initially of a important venture leaves the County Commissioners with no confidence … relating to the brand new building of the Frayser Excessive Faculty and different actions,” the primary decision reads.
Mills mentioned the resolutions are her try and make the varsity board assume deeply earlier than transferring forward with an ouster try that she mentioned has “blindsided our complete neighborhood.” Freezing funding for a brand new Frayser college, she added, could be “only a pause” because the fee seeks “clear course and accountability from college district leaders.”
“Lots of people love Dr. Feagins and are completely satisfied that she’s making modifications,” Mills mentioned.
Faculty board member Stephanie Love, who voted towards suspending the termination vote, mentioned Monday she’s upset that the county fee has gotten concerned. She mentioned Mills, whose district overlaps Love’s, has not contacted her to debate the matter.
“It’s unlucky that one other elected physique would contemplate holding off on constructing a brand new college in my district,” she informed Chalkbeat. “Youngsters are crucial factor to me.”
Love added: “I’ll vote my conscience (on Feagins’ future). We’re not going to make everyone completely satisfied. The general public is unaware of the issues we have now to cope with behind closed doorways.”
Dorse-Coleman, the board chair, didn’t reply Monday to Chalkbeat’s questions on neighborhood backlash. However in a Dec. 26 assertion, she mentioned she and different board members have tried sharing their considerations with Feagins privately with out success.
“She has a sample and follow of not offering important data and as an alternative misinforming the Board Members,” Dorse-Coleman mentioned. “I don’t assume that is one thing we are able to overcome.”
Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.