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Heads up! We have scanned the upcoming agenda for Memphis-Shelby County Schools. We found 8 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 9) |
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District to Administer “School Climate Survey” to Students
The district is approving an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Education to administer a “School Climate Survey” to students in the 2026-27 school year (Item 12.27). These surveys often contain invasive, non-academic questions about students’ feelings, beliefs, and home life, and are a primary tool for collecting social-emotional data without direct parental consent for each question.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website) and demand Item 12.27 be pulled from the Consent Agenda. ‘Parents have a right to see every question on the School Climate Survey before it is approved. What data is being collected on our children, who will have access to it, and for what purpose?’
💰 Impact: Your Child’s Privacy
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| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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Board to Spend $108k on Lobbyists, Approve 2027 Legislative Agenda
The Board is set to approve its 2027 Legislative Agenda (Item 12.30) and simultaneously hire The Vogel Group for “legislative consulting services” at a cost of $108,000 (Item 12.31). This means the district is spending taxpayer money to lobby the state legislature, but the specific positions they will take are not detailed in the agenda.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the ‘MSCS 2027 Legislative Agenda.pdf’ file attached to Item 12.30 in the Official Agenda (linked above). We must know if our tax dollars are being used to lobby for or against parental rights before the Board votes to spend $108,000 on it.
💰 Impact: $108,000
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| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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District Approving $1.1M “School Turnaround” Contract
The Board is approving a $1,125,000 contract (Item 12.4) with Public Consulting Group (PCG) for “school turnaround services” at three schools. The contract’s scope of work includes implementing “PBIS / Culture & Climate” systems, which are often euphemisms for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and behavior modification programs that replace traditional discipline and academics.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website) and ask that Item 12.4 be pulled from the Consent Agenda for a full discussion. ‘What specific ‘PBIS’ and ‘Culture & Climate’ programs will Public Consulting Group be implementing for $1.1 million? Parents deserve to know if this is another name for SEL and restorative justice.’
💰 Impact: $1,125,000.00
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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$175k Contract for Pre-K Digital Learning Platform
The district plans to spend $175,620 on a contract with Waterford.org to give 3,120 Pre-K students access to the “Waterford early learning platform” (Item 12.5). This puts some of the district’s youngest learners on screens for core instruction in literacy, math, and science.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK FOR THE DATA: Email the Board (contact info on district website) regarding Item 12.5. ‘Before spending $175k on a Pre-K software, please provide independent, non-vendor-funded evidence that this program produces better academic results than direct instruction from a teacher. How many minutes per day will four-year-olds be expected to use this platform?’
💰 Impact: Increased Screen Time
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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District Spending $108k on High School Laptops
Item 12.2 on the consent agenda approves the purchase of student laptops and computer carts for Melrose High School for $108,805.50. The district has not provided evidence that more screen time leads to better academic outcomes or what direct instruction time this will replace.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK FOR THE DATA: Email the Board (contact info on district website) regarding Item 12.2. ‘Before approving another $108k for student devices, please publish the independent data showing these tools improve academic achievement and specify how much daily screen time this adds for students.’
💰 Impact: $108,805.50
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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Over $250k for Library Books with No Public Vetting
The consent agenda includes two large expenditures for library books: a $102,175.83 purchase for Hillcrest High School (Item 12.6) and a $150,000 donation for Levi Elementary (Item 12.24). The agenda provides no list of the books being purchased or information on the parental review process for these collections.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND REVIEW: Email the Board (contact info on district website) to pull Items 12.6 and 12.24 from the Consent Agenda. ‘Parents have a right to review the list of books being purchased with over $250,000 of public and donated funds. What is the vetting process to ensure these materials are age-appropriate and academically sound?’
💰 Impact: Unvetted Content
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| MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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Vague “Educational Priorities” Document up for Approval
Item 12.10 asks the Board to approve the “2026–2027 Educational Priorities Document/Rubric.” The title is completely vague and the document itself was not included in the public agenda packet, preventing any parental review before the vote.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘NOVEMBER 2026 – White – Educational Priorities Document Rubric – Report.pdf’ attached to Item 12.10 in the Official Agenda (linked above). This document could redefine success for our schools to include ideological metrics like ‘equity’ instead of academic achievement. We need to see it before the vote.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Metrics
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✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 7) |
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Win for Academics: More Paths to Honors Recognition
A proposed change to graduation requirements (Policy 5004) would add Pre-AP, International Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Enrollment (DE), and Dual Credit (DC) courses to the list of classes that qualify students for ‘Designation of Exemplary Recognition.’ This is a positive step that values and encourages rigorous academic work.
How to Lock It In
SECURE THE WIN: Contact the Board (see the Official Agenda link for contact info) to thank them for supporting academic excellence. ‘Please approve the proposed changes to Policy 5004. Recognizing students who take on the challenge of Pre-AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment courses is a crucial step in restoring academic focus.’
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