Shelby County School Board Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

23 Jul, 2025

What it takes to win an open meetings lawsuit in Tennessee — a look at the Memphis superintendent case
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What it takes to win an open meetings lawsuit in Tennessee — a look at the Memphis superintendent case

Open Meetings, open meetings lawsuits, school boards

What it takes to win an open meetings lawsuit in Tennessee — a look at the Memphis superintendent case

By Deborah Fisher|2025-07-23T14:02:34-05:00July 23, 2025|Categories: Open Meetings, open meetings lawsuits, school boards|Tags: Johnston v. Metro. Gov't of Nashville, Marie Feagins, Shelby County School Board|0 Comments

The Court of Appeals has ruled that discussions by members of governing bodies in private can violate the open meetings law, but someone bringing an open meetings lawsuit must present enough evidence to show that the members meeting privately were deliberating, engaging in substantive discussion about their positions or attempting to develop a consensus. Whether fired superintendent Marie Feagins can do that in her case against the Memphis-Shelby County School Board is up to a judge. But the public also has a role in deciding what kind of transparency they want from their local school board.

21 Apr, 2025

‘Advisory board’ that would oversee Memphis school board would be exempt from Open Meetings Act
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‘Advisory board’ that would oversee Memphis school board would be exempt from Open Meetings Act

Legislature, Open Meetings, school boards

‘Advisory board’ that would oversee Memphis school board would be exempt from Open Meetings Act

By Deborah Fisher|2025-04-21T14:33:37-05:00April 21, 2025|Categories: Legislature, Open Meetings, school boards|Tags: Rep. Mark White, Sen. Brent Taylor, Shelby County School Board|0 Comments

A Senate bill up for a vote today that creates a board of managers to oversee the Memphis Shelby County School District would allow the new board to operate secretly. The bill specifically states the the new board of managers would be exempt from the Open Meetings Act and could hold meetings closed to the public. The board would have significant powers, including recommending elected school board members for removal. The House version also creates a new board, which slightly different powers, but in this bill, the new board would be subject to the Open Meetings law.

21 Oct, 2017

Chalkbeat: State is suing Nashville schools to turn over student directory information; Memphis takes a different path

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-21T10:24:59-05:00October 21, 2017|Categories: schools|Tags: FERPA, Metro Nashville school board, Shelby County School Board, State Department of Education, student directory information|0 Comments

Chalkbeat has provided in-depth coverage of the escalating fight over release of student directory information to charter school operators who want to use it for recruitment. The state this past week filed a lawsuit against the Nashville school district to force the production of the student directory information, which includes student's addresses, phone numbers and other information, after the school district refused the state's order earlier this year. Chalkbeat explains in its most recent report a different tack taken by Memphis schools, which is notifying parents of their rights to have their student's information not released if they "opt out." The Nashville school district's refusal to turn over the information [...]

30 Aug, 2017

Memphis, Nashville school boards resist giving student names to charter schools

By Deborah Fisher|2017-08-30T17:52:17-05:00August 30, 2017|Categories: schools|Tags: Candice McQueen, charter schools, Metro Nashville school board, Shelby County School Board, student information|0 Comments

Chalkbeat reports today that the school boards of Memphis and Nashville are resisting an order from state Education Commissioner Candice McQueen to give charter school operators a list of student names, ages and addresses. The school boards think that the charter schools will use the lists to recruit students, which they think is not consistent with a new law governing charter schools. But the new law appears to require the school districts to turn over the lists at no cost to the charter schools. From Chalkbeat's story "Tennessee’s two largest districts defy state order to share student info with charters": Candice McQueen, Tennessee Education Commissioner At issue is [...]