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School Consolidation Forum at First Congregational Urges Memphians to Vote
Shelby Co. Commissioner Steve Mulroy
Lurene Kelley
Feb. 19, 2011
The final decision could end up in court, but Memphis voters must still make their voices heard in the referendum to dissolve the Memphis City School charter. That was the main message Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy sent to a gathering of 40 people at First Congregational Church in Cooper-Young.
"You need to ask yourself... do you think at the end of the day that it is better to be unified or to keep separate. Don't worry about the litigation," said Mulroy.
The "Ed-Chat" was part of a series of forums the education advocacy group Stand for Children is sponsoring around Memphis and Shelby county. Dr. Joy Clay, a University of Memphis public administration professor who studied school consolidation in Tennessee, also presented.
Mulroy is concerned that some Memphians believe the Memphis City Council decision to dissolve the school charter means there is no reason to vote in the March 8th referendum to do the same. Early voting on the referendum is already underway.
The county commissioner and University of Memphis law professor argued that the council's decision could be challenged in court, so the final word might still rest with the voice of the voters.
Mulroy, a proponent of consolidation, sought to dispel certain misconceptions about unification of the two systems. He claimed that state law would prevent benefits and pensions for Memphis City school teachers to be changed under consolidation. In fact, Mulroy and Dr. Joy Clay agreed that when systems consolidate, salaries for teachers generally improve.
Additionally, Mulroy argued that it is unlikely the optional and charter schools, so popular among MCS parents, would disappear in a merged system. Even though Shelby County Schools do not currently have these programs, Mulroy stated that a unified school board would likely have majority Memphis representation. He said it's likely this majority would preserve such popular programs.
Mulroy also claimed that both the $90-million dollar Gates foundation fund and the $65-million in federal "Race to the Top" funds would not be affected in the merger. Mulroy showed the group a letter MCS received from the Gates foundation confirming funds regardless of merger outcome.
Dr. Joy Clay was one of a team of researchers who examined the effects of school consolidation in three Tennessee school districts: Chattanooga/Hamilton County, Knoxville/Knox County, and Nashville/Davidson County.
Clay stated that the 2001 report, commissioned by MCS, was unable to ascertain many specifics surrounding impact of the merger in each system. She said in the case of the Davidson county merger, 40 years had elapsed between the merger and the start of the study. In the case of Chattanooga, the study took place too soon after the merger, so real impact was difficult to measure.
The researchers, however, were able to determine that slow transition periods led to smoother mergers. Additionally, the study found that a lack of a plan created fear and uncertainty among citizens.
Clay said they did find that the merged Tennessee systems often showed some improvements; such as lower student/teacher ratio, the introduction of magnet schools, and improved morale among employees.
She added that when Nashville and Davidson county systems merged in the 1960s, enrollment in private schools did increase, but it could not be determined if that was caused by the merger or other factors.
In the literature surrounding school consolidation Clay found that regardless of the general order or chaos of the transition, leaders tend to work things out.
"Once the people speak, education and political leadership come together," said Clay.
She cautioned that it is up to citizens to keep a close eye on the merger transition team and make their voices heard.
The results of the 2001 study will be discussed more at Stand for Children's next Ed-Chat on February 24th. It will take place at Youth Visions on 3925 Overton Crossing St. at 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 19, 2011
The final decision could end up in court, but Memphis voters must still make their voices heard in the referendum to dissolve the Memphis City School charter. That was the main message Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy sent to a gathering of 40 people at First Congregational Church in Cooper-Young.
"You need to ask yourself... do you think at the end of the day that it is better to be unified or to keep separate. Don't worry about the litigation," said Mulroy.
The "Ed-Chat" was part of a series of forums the education advocacy group Stand for Children is sponsoring around Memphis and Shelby county. Dr. Joy Clay, a University of Memphis public administration professor who studied school consolidation in Tennessee, also presented.
Mulroy is concerned that some Memphians believe the Memphis City Council decision to dissolve the school charter means there is no reason to vote in the March 8th referendum to do the same. Early voting on the referendum is already underway.
The county commissioner and University of Memphis law professor argued that the council's decision could be challenged in court, so the final word might still rest with the voice of the voters.
Mulroy, a proponent of consolidation, sought to dispel certain misconceptions about unification of the two systems. He claimed that state law would prevent benefits and pensions for Memphis City school teachers to be changed under consolidation. In fact, Mulroy and Dr. Joy Clay agreed that when systems consolidate, salaries for teachers generally improve.
Additionally, Mulroy argued that it is unlikely the optional and charter schools, so popular among MCS parents, would disappear in a merged system. Even though Shelby County Schools do not currently have these programs, Mulroy stated that a unified school board would likely have majority Memphis representation. He said it's likely this majority would preserve such popular programs.
Mulroy also claimed that both the $90-million dollar Gates foundation fund and the $65-million in federal "Race to the Top" funds would not be affected in the merger. Mulroy showed the group a letter MCS received from the Gates foundation confirming funds regardless of merger outcome.
Dr. Joy Clay was one of a team of researchers who examined the effects of school consolidation in three Tennessee school districts: Chattanooga/Hamilton County, Knoxville/Knox County, and Nashville/Davidson County.
Clay stated that the 2001 report, commissioned by MCS, was unable to ascertain many specifics surrounding impact of the merger in each system. She said in the case of the Davidson county merger, 40 years had elapsed between the merger and the start of the study. In the case of Chattanooga, the study took place too soon after the merger, so real impact was difficult to measure.
The researchers, however, were able to determine that slow transition periods led to smoother mergers. Additionally, the study found that a lack of a plan created fear and uncertainty among citizens.
Clay said they did find that the merged Tennessee systems often showed some improvements; such as lower student/teacher ratio, the introduction of magnet schools, and improved morale among employees.
She added that when Nashville and Davidson county systems merged in the 1960s, enrollment in private schools did increase, but it could not be determined if that was caused by the merger or other factors.
In the literature surrounding school consolidation Clay found that regardless of the general order or chaos of the transition, leaders tend to work things out.
"Once the people speak, education and political leadership come together," said Clay.
She cautioned that it is up to citizens to keep a close eye on the merger transition team and make their voices heard.
The results of the 2001 study will be discussed more at Stand for Children's next Ed-Chat on February 24th. It will take place at Youth Visions on 3925 Overton Crossing St. at 5:30 p.m.
Want more information?Comprehensive Commercial Appeal coverage about consolidation
Stand for Children: Memphis WMC-TV Series on 2001 Tennessee School Consolidation Study Steve Mulroy PPT on School Merger FUSE (FB parents group for unification) Save Shelby Now (anti-consolidation) |
Memphis Merger on National Stage |