Heidi Shafer called to clarify why she abstained from joining her Memphis colleagues on the County Commission in voting to begin preparations for a new Shelby County school board that would begin with 27 members -- the seven currently on the all-suburban county school board and 20 Memphians to insure the new board has proportional representation. Shafer, a former schoolteacher herself who was elected in August, said she asked for a an opinion from the county attorney's office on whether the Commission's action would stand up to judicial scrutiny.
"I want to make sure we're not doing something we have to undo later," Shafer said.
Shafer also said that she is concerned that consolidation might lead to a drop in the total amount of federal Title 1 money schools that would flow to schools here.
As to why she had previously allied herself with the body's three suburban Republicans and broken ranks with two other representatives of the Commission's Dist. 1 -- fellow Republicans Mike Ritz and Mike Carpenter -- Shafer said she has serious reservations about Memphis acting hastily to force Memphis City Schools to consolidate with the all-suburban Shelby County Schools.
"I just think it's not a good idea to be doing it without some kind of plan in place," Shafer said. "Nobody does that in business. Nobody."
Of course, MCS board member Martavius Jones, the financial planner who made the motion to surrender the charter, has said many times in debates that large corporate mergers happen all the time without a comprehensive plan. But Shafer believes the onus on creating the plan, in this case, should be on the MCS board members who decided to dissolve in large part because of their fear that the a suburban-only special school district would be formed to permantly freeze out Memphis.
Shafer also said she isn't sympathetic to the argument from her Memphis colleagues that there is a great need to quickly give Memphis representation on a unified school board. She cited areas where annexation has occurred that created situations where some residents went without representation.
"Some of them went without representation for two years," Shafer said. "I just think if it's good for the goose it's good for the gander. Let's have fairness and move the way we normally move."
Shafer said she disagrees with those Memphians who are outraged at the Republican-dominated Tennessee state legislature's bill to delay merger by creating a planning commission appointed by and large by suburban interests.
"I don't think they have desire to stick it to Memphis," Shafer said. "What they are concerned about is trying to bring some kind of rational approach."
And, Shafer said, Memphians who claim to be gung-ho for consolidating the school systems may be pushing the county toward some unintended consequences that could be bad for everyone. Combining Memphis schoolchildren and suburban schoolchildren under one district, Shafer said, is not necessarily going to lead to better outcomes.
"I don't want everybody to be equally miserable," Shafer said.
"I want to make sure we're not doing something we have to undo later," Shafer said.
Shafer also said that she is concerned that consolidation might lead to a drop in the total amount of federal Title 1 money schools that would flow to schools here.
As to why she had previously allied herself with the body's three suburban Republicans and broken ranks with two other representatives of the Commission's Dist. 1 -- fellow Republicans Mike Ritz and Mike Carpenter -- Shafer said she has serious reservations about Memphis acting hastily to force Memphis City Schools to consolidate with the all-suburban Shelby County Schools.
"I just think it's not a good idea to be doing it without some kind of plan in place," Shafer said. "Nobody does that in business. Nobody."
Of course, MCS board member Martavius Jones, the financial planner who made the motion to surrender the charter, has said many times in debates that large corporate mergers happen all the time without a comprehensive plan. But Shafer believes the onus on creating the plan, in this case, should be on the MCS board members who decided to dissolve in large part because of their fear that the a suburban-only special school district would be formed to permantly freeze out Memphis.
Shafer also said she isn't sympathetic to the argument from her Memphis colleagues that there is a great need to quickly give Memphis representation on a unified school board. She cited areas where annexation has occurred that created situations where some residents went without representation.
"Some of them went without representation for two years," Shafer said. "I just think if it's good for the goose it's good for the gander. Let's have fairness and move the way we normally move."
Shafer said she disagrees with those Memphians who are outraged at the Republican-dominated Tennessee state legislature's bill to delay merger by creating a planning commission appointed by and large by suburban interests.
"I don't think they have desire to stick it to Memphis," Shafer said. "What they are concerned about is trying to bring some kind of rational approach."
And, Shafer said, Memphians who claim to be gung-ho for consolidating the school systems may be pushing the county toward some unintended consequences that could be bad for everyone. Combining Memphis schoolchildren and suburban schoolchildren under one district, Shafer said, is not necessarily going to lead to better outcomes.
"I don't want everybody to be equally miserable," Shafer said.
Commissioner Shafer is acting in a very reasoned and appropriate way here. The Commissioner is in the unusual position of having many constituents on both sides of this issue and she seems to be working hard to be fair to all concerned. I think that Ms. Shafer is being consistant and reasoned in her actions while leaving the decision to each voter to individually choose the path as they each see fit. For those proposing the merger I ask...Isn't this what you asked for? The right for you to choose? ...and for those opposed to the merger...Didn't you all ask to be treated fairly? Hasn't Commissioner Shafer done just that? I think Hedi Shafer may have made the wisest decision for somone in her difficult position and simply had the political courage to say what so many others would not.
Heidi Shafer was elected from a District that is 85% in the City of Memphis but wants to represent only the other 15%. She has acted in a highly partisan, totally suburban oriented way unlike her two dist. 1 colleagues.
Having a plan to transition to a unified school system would be great but the SCS has refused to act on such a plan. The state legislation was written to give suburban interests a way to circumvent the will of Memphis voters. If we vote to surrender, the "Planning Commission" can pull the plug on the voters' will after a year and SCS can request their Special District at any time which effectively negates referendum results by Memphis voters.
If the systems are unified, she says there is no hurry for Memphis to have any representtion. In other words, it's fine to have 30% govern the other 70%. The Title 1 question has already been answered, that we will not lose any funds.
Commissioner Shafrer has taken a partisan, anti-Memphis stance that puts her at odds with the interests of her constituents, an irresponsible stance.
Do you purport to speak to the interests of her constituents? I was just wondering how one becomes the Oracle of Memphis?
Your effort was a nice try though... you attacked in a partisan way while working mightily to look non-partisan. The proponents of the Merger cannot allow nor tolerate views that do not conform to their own. It is unfortunate that a centrist and independent view is considered "Anti-Memphis" by those purporting to bring us all closer together.