Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

Sharon Griffin

District management

Tennessee
June 18, 2019

‘We have to get this right’: With Sharon Griffin out, achievement district seeks consistency, communication

Sharon Griffin will be replaced on an interim basis by two current Achievement School DIstrict leaders.

quick tenure

Tennessee
June 17, 2019

Under growing tension, heralded turnaround leader Sharon Griffin resigns as head of achievement district

A year after Sharon Griffin’s ascension into leadership of Tennessee’s embattled turnaround district drew widespread praise – and after months of tension.

turnover

Tennessee
June 5, 2019

High-profile principal is among reshuffling at the Achievement School District

The leader of Tennessee’s turnaround district’s highest-performing school is heading to a new position this summer, a year after the fourth superintendent change.

Diverging visions

Tennessee
June 4, 2019

After a year with a new leader, high hopes are giving way to tension within Tennessee’s turnaround district

The initial excitement over the Achievement School District's new leader has given way to an impasse between the superintendent and the district's charter leaders.

path forward

Tennessee
May 16, 2019

Aspire wants to leave Memphis but keep its four schools open. What will that look like?

Four months after a California charter operator decided to hand off its Memphis schools, a transition plan sheds light on what exactly the spin-off could look like.

fresh look

Tennessee
May 9, 2019

Tennessee’s state-run district has a new look. Here’s why the Achievement School District invested in rebranding.

The Achievement School District underwent an$11,600 makeover this year – including a new logo and website – as part of changes under leader Sharon Griffin.

Movers & shakers

Tennessee
April 18, 2019

Inner circle: Here’s who education chief Penny Schwinn will lean on in Tennessee

Less than three months into the job, Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn has filled six of her nine cabinet positions with a mix…

district shakeup

Tennessee
April 18, 2019

Longtime Memphian Bobby White out as official at state-run turnaround district

Bobby White joined the achievement district in 2016 as the chief of external affairs.

parent voice

Tennessee
March 29, 2019

One parent’s voice is the start of renewed focus on parent engagement for Tennessee’s turnaround district

“We have to create a committee that as we make decisions we hear from you,” Achievement School District leader Sharon Griffin told the one parent in attendance.

first visit

Tennessee
March 28, 2019

Tennessee’s education chief talks accountability during visits to Memphis turnaround schools

Here's what Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn had to say about the Achievement School District in Memphis.

sharon speaks

Tennessee
March 21, 2019

Griffin: Higher standards, more certified teachers and better K-2 instructors are top priorities for Tennessee’s turnaround district

Sharon Griffin is ready to make some sweeping changes in the Achievement School District’s 30 charter schools.

DISCIPLINE DATA

Tennessee
March 12, 2019

As Tennessee’s turnaround district tries to reduce suspensions, here’s how one school is rethinking discipline

This middle school, a part of the Achievement School District, has cut its suspension rate in half this school year.

Early education

Tennessee
February 22, 2019

Is Tennessee moving its weakest teachers to early, non-tested grades? New research says yes.

Low-performing teachers in grades 3 through 5 are more likely to be reassigned to non-tested early grades than their more effective peers.

Coming together

Tennessee
December 20, 2018

Mayor Harris hires former superintendent to encourage Shelby County school systems to work together

Cedrick Gray is the former superintendent of Jackson Public Schools in Mississippi and of Fayette County in Tennessee. He started his career in Memphis as a teacher.

school turnaround

Tennessee
December 19, 2018

Memphis and Nashville put on notice about which schools could face state takeover in 2020

In one of her final acts as Tennessee education commissioner, Candice McQueen has identified nearly 20 schools that could require the most drastic state interventions…
‹