The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board elected a new chair and vice chair during a Sept. 29 business meeting.
The board elected Tamarques Porter, who represents District 4, as board chair, and Sable Otey, who represents District 5, as vice chair.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us," Porter said after the meeting. "We have to continue to set the vision for our district; we have to continue to do the things that we need to get done to move the district forward."
Porter named TCAP scores and literacy rates as key issues he wanted the district to be aligned on.
Board member T.L. Harris of District 6 nominated Porter for board chair. Porter was up against board members Stephanie Love and Natalie McKinney — Love originally voted for McKinney and board member Towanna
Murphy originally voted for herself, but both changed their votes to Porter to give the board a unanimous vote.
Arguments related to state takeover lawsuit begin this week
A federal judge will hear arguments Oct. 2 on whether or not the state oversight board can get to work while a lawsuit over the takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools is underway.
Plaintiffs filed a motion June 30 asking the court to allow the school board to continue to operate while the lawsuit plays out and to prevent the defendants, which include Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and members of the oversight board, from interfering with or terminating any MSCS leadership without legal cause while the case is ongoing.
Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. in Nashville is set to hear arguments on those topics on Oct. 2.
The hearing was originally set for Sept. 24, but the plaintiffs requested it be moved back.
MSCS holds 'necessity drive' Oct. 1
Memphis-Shelby County Schools plans to hold its 9th Annual Necessity Drive from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 1.
The event helps support families and students by sourcing donations of "essentials," like deodorant, soap and menstrual products.
The event will be held at 160 Glenn Rogers Sr. Street. The "most needed items" according to MSCS are:
- Undergarments
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Feminine hygiene products
- Soap and body wash
- Hand sanitizer
- Disinfecting wipes
Jack Armstrong covers breaking news and the environment for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at jack.armstrong@commercialappeal.com and followed on X @jca2902.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis-Shelby County Schools board names new leadership amid takeover suit
