MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The merger of the Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools won't officially take place until next year, but administrations at the two districts are already collaborating on several projects.
Unified school board member Betty Mallott said she knew they were beginning to work together and asked for a report on those issues. The Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/IpBL4b) reports that the list of 32 projects that are either completed or underway was shared recently with other unified school board members.
Mallott says she made the request for the collaborative projects because she thought it was important for the board to "acknowledge it and celebrate it."
"I knew that they were already beginning to collaborate on information technology," Mallott said.
Administrators have worked well together according to all reports.
"We don't always agree. I think we've had some good healthy conversations," said Tim Setterlund, assistant superintendent for research, planning and transition at Shelby County Schools.
"But it has been amazingly great. We really thought it would be fight over this, fight over that, but it hasn't. It's been, 'Okay, here's an opportunity to share.' "
"Obviously, we spend a lot more time working together than we have in the past," said Shelby County Schools chief of staff Mike Tebbe.
"We've always been collaborating with one another and sharing ideas, but I think certainly it has been taken to a new level with all the planning involved with the merger in the 2013-14 school year.
"We know it's going to get bigger and our goal is to make it better than what the current system already is," Tebbe said. "We're all in it for the same reason. We love children and we want children to have a wonderful education."
"We know it's going to get bigger and our goal is to make it better than what the current system already is," Tebbe said. "We're all in it for the same reason. We love children and we want children to have a wonderful education."
Some of the collaborative projects include:
— a proposal for an Innovation Zone for the new school district.
— a recommendation for new textbooks.
— expanding the Teacher Effectiveness Initiative, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to the consolidated district.
— making sure teachers and other stakeholders have a voice in the consolidation process.
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Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com
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Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com