It’s hard to think of a more fantastic time for Memphis City Schools.  First, changed legislation this summer literally doubled the number of charter schools allowed in the Memphis area.  Good charters empower students to achieve and model the way for the kinds of educational forms that, if applied universally, would drastically improve student achievement in our public schools.  Later this summer, we learned about the $100 million from the Gates Foundation.  This partnership with the Gates Foundation will allow MCS to make ambitious positive changes to the way it goes about hiring and retaining excellent teachers and principals. Teachers and school leaders are going to be held to new standards of accountability—which would in turn empower Memphis City Schools to meet testing standards and to graduate far more college-ready students.

Education