January 22-28, 2023, is School Board Appreciation Week in Tennessee. Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is joining public school districts across the state to celebrate and honor our School Board members for their commitment to the District and its children. 

The theme “Let’s Face It - School Boards Work” reminds us to celebrate the unique role school boards play in building a future for their students, championing and advocating for quality education, and governing their local public schools. As elected officials, they represent their local communities’ voice and vision for the future of their public schools. 

“It's an honor to work with not just one, but nine amazing leaders who are dedicated to empowering students across Memphis, and improving the academic landscape for every child,” said Superintendent Toni Williams.  

The School Board’s main goal is to support student achievement. To achieve that goal, the Board focuses on the following needs: 

• Creating a vision for what the community wants the school district to be and for making student achievement the top priority. 
• Setting the direction of the school district to achieve the highest student performance.  
• Supporting funding needs to provide equity in all schools. 
• Offering insight into the needs of the school communities they represent. 
• Creating policies which support educational equity efforts 

Schools, students, employees, and members of the community are sharing messages of gratitude for their Board member in various ways, such as writing thank you cards and creating online highlights using the hashtag #MyMSCSBoard. We will share special tributes throughout the week on District platforms. 

Board Accomplishments                                                                    
The MSCS Board is a three-time recipient of the CUBE Annual Award for Urban School Board Excellence (2017, 2020, 2021) for the strategic work exhibited by the Board including effective policy changes, as well as their continued advocacy for children, families, and school staff.    

Under their authority, the District has implemented robust policies and supported several high-impact initiatives including developing a trauma-responsive district that builds and maintains supportive learning environments while providing social emotional growth support and increasing teacher compensation.  

The members serving MSCS and their years of service are as follows:  

District 1 - Michelle R. McKissack (Member since 2018) 

District 2 - Board Chair, Althea Greene (Member since 2019) 

District 3 - Stephanie P. Love (Member since 2014) 

District 4 - Kevin Woods (Member since 2011) 

District 5 - Vice Chair, Sheleah Harris (Member since 2020) 

District 6 - Keith Williams (Member since 2022) 

District 7 - Frank Johnson (Member since 2022)

District 8 - Amber Huett-Garcia (Member since 2022)

District 9 - Joyce Dorse Coleman (Member since 2018)