WE’VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH.

OUR KIDS DESERVE BETTER NOW.

Governor Bill Lee has signed SB714 into law which enacts a state intervention on Memphis Shelby County Schools. The law goes into effect immediately and the Oversight Board is instated to lead the state transformation process.

In light of this, a coalition of invested partners, concerned citizens, and education advocates was formed to guide this process and ensure it keeps Memphis children at the forefront. We believe that this law presents an opportunity for real and lasting change to take place in MSCS-- now is the time for local leaders to engage.

CHANGE IS LONG OVERDUE

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MSCS has not historically prepared children for the future they deserve.

While the district has well-intentioned people who want students and families to be successful, it has lacked the infrastructure to deliver the results needed.

Despite decades of reform efforts and real bright spots, student achievement remains persistently low. These statistics signal stagnation, not incremental progress. Multiplied across generations, they explain Shelby County’s persistent challenges with poverty and economic mobility.

The urgency is real.

24%

13%

Only 24% of elementary students can read on grade level, and just 13% of middle schoolers are proficient in math. That is not progress!

34%

Only 34% of children are ready for kindergarten, meaning many start behind.

Nearly two-thirds of students attend C, D, or F schools.

WHY NOW?

In light of this new law, we must act. Memphians must be included in the decision-making process and local elected officials must collaborate with state entities to ensure this process happens with fidelity. Children must stop bearing the consequences of adult actions.

This transformation must happen with us, not to us.

ACTION

LET’S TAKE

For too long, Shelby County children have been failed by a system that could not fix itself alone. Together 4 Students is the Memphis-led, accountability-driven movement to change that — raising the quality of instruction, expanding access to excellent schools, and building a comprehensive ecosystem of support. Every student deserves a high-performing school. That becomes possible the moment Shelby County stands together to reject the status quo.