After state Senate speaker Ron Ramsey and the Shelby County Schools board made their picks to the 21-member schools merger transition team late last week, the board was transformed into one that the Republican-dominated state legislature envisioned with the passage of the Norris-Todd state low -- comprised of majority suburban interests preventing Memphis control. State Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, has made a consistent point that the law actually was taken directly from other existing state law meant to guide consolidation of school systems. But the consequence of that was that 13 of the 18 appointments came from elected officials with political bases from the suburbs -- Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell (five), suburban Shelby County Schools chairman David Pickler (five) and one each for the state's top three elected officials (Ramsey, Gov. Bill Haslam, state House speaker Beth Harwell).
The worry from Memphis was that the tilt could give Memphis fewer than 30 percent of appointments. It didn't turn out that way -- 10 appointments were suburban residents to eight from Memphis. True, one of those eight Memphians appointments is a Shelby County Schools principal, but one of the suburban residents is a University of Memphis professor that Memphis City Schools gave one of its five appointments. They cancel out.
In terms of final breakdown, including the nonvoting members (Luttrell, SCS board chairman David Pickler and MCS president Martavius Jones), it goes like this:
After the jump, see a one-sentence description of each transition team appointee, with the caveat that Luttrell's appointees still must be confirmed at today's Shelby County Commission meeting.
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The worry from Memphis was that the tilt could give Memphis fewer than 30 percent of appointments. It didn't turn out that way -- 10 appointments were suburban residents to eight from Memphis. True, one of those eight Memphians appointments is a Shelby County Schools principal, but one of the suburban residents is a University of Memphis professor that Memphis City Schools gave one of its five appointments. They cancel out.
In terms of final breakdown, including the nonvoting members (Luttrell, SCS board chairman David Pickler and MCS president Martavius Jones), it goes like this:
- 11 suburban residents to 10 Memphis residents
- 15 men to six women
- 14 white members to seven black members
- Just one parent of current MCS or SCS students, though several have grandchildren in the systems or raised children who attended MCS or SCS schools ((NOTE: an earlier version overlooked Louis Padgett, a Shelby County Schools principal who lives in Memphis and has children in SCS).
After the jump, see a one-sentence description of each transition team appointee, with the caveat that Luttrell's appointees still must be confirmed at today's Shelby County Commission meeting.
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Members are grouped below by appointment:
Memphis City Schools picks
Kenya Bradshaw:
Child activist and researcher currently serving as president of
Tennessee's branch of the Gates Foundation-supported Stand For Children.Dr. Reginald Green: Collierville resident and University of Memphis school of education professor who has served as school superintendent in other areas and helped with the merger of Louisville-Jefferson County (Ky.) schools.
Fred Johnson: Former SCS board member and superintendent who strongly supporter merging MCS and SCS.
Daniel Kiel: Young UofM law professor and MCS and Harvard Law School graduate who has published articles on how Memphis failed to put educational outcomes first during desegregation and on the way Louisville and New Orleans have transformed their school systems.
Barbara Prescott: Longtime community leader with legal expertise who served three terms as an MCS board member.
Shelby County Schools picks
Tommy Hart: Real-estate investor and former chairman of the Shelby County Commission.Richard Holden: During long career as SCS chief of operations, earned nickname of "Mr. On Time And Under Budget."
Ricky Jeans: Memphis insurance agent who lives in Collierville - one of first black students in SCS and later testified to have SCS removed from court desegregation order.
Keith McDonald: Bartlett mayor exploring municipal school district who has long record of support for public education and staunch opposition to consolidation.
Katie Stanton: Former SCS administrator and past president of the non-union Shelby County Education Association representing SCS teachers.
Mayor Luttrell's picks
Jim Boyd: Episcopal pastor and departing president of youth organization Bridges USA.Christine Richards: FedEx vice-president and general counsel who has helped oversee many of the corporations business and departmental mergers.
Barbara Roseborough: Administrator at Southwest Tennessee Community College with long career in liberal arts instruction and leadership.
Louis Padgett III: Memphis resident employed by SCS as principal at Northaven Elementary School, one of the system's most impoverished schools.
John Smarrelli: Christian Brothers University president (Germantown resident) with long career in higher education.
State picks
Joyce Avery: Former county commissioner who helped cut deal that made possible financing the construction of Arlington High.Staley Cates: Philanthropist supporter of many faith-based initiatives with wealth built as one of principals of mutual-fund manager Southeastern Asset Management.
Larry Spiller: Bartlett pest-control business owner and supporter of Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey
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