Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name.
The Memphis-Shelby County school board voted Tuesday to replace previous board chair Natalie McKinney with Tamarques Porter, the District 4 school board representative first elected to his seat in 2024.
“Leadership is not simply about how you govern in a moment,” Porter said after he was nominated by new board member T.L. Harris. “It’s about who can collectively bring board members together, the community together, and how we can set a vision for the future.”
McKinney was nominated for reelection but received one vote, and she ultimately voted for Porter after he received the majority of votes. Towanna Murphy nominated and voted for herself.
Sable Otey will join Porter as board vice chair, a complete leadership turnover for the board as it faces an uncertain year ahead amid a looming state takeover threat and major decisions like pending school closures.
The board sued state Republicans this summer over the new takeover law, which aims to install a politically appointed oversight board with sweeping authority over Tennessee’s largest school district.
The board won a temporary reprieve this summer, holding off the takeover for the time being. But board attorneys will be in federal court on Friday to argue over who gets to control the district in the coming months while the lawsuit plays out in court. It could take months or potentially years to resolve.
If the federal judge again sides with the elected school board after Friday’s hearing, the elected school board and district administrators will continue to govern Memphis schools.
If the court allows the state-appointed board to take control, it would have final say over MSCS’ annual budget and charter approvals. Its members could also replace the district’s superintendent. That was the first move a similar Houston takeover board made in 2023, and Republican lawmakers pushing for a Tennessee takeover have repeatedly referred to the Texas takeover as a model for Memphis.
The intervention could last up to six years if MSCS continues to meet four of the six criteria outlined in the takeover law.
Melissa Brown is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact Melissa at mbrown@chalkbeat.org.
