Among the school districts that also participated in the YRBS last year were four districts with demographics and student sample sizes similar to the Memphis study: Dekalb County, GA Public Schools; Detroit, MI Public Schools, District of Columbia Public Schools and New Orleans Public Schools. In most categories – such as carrying weapons, fights, dating violence, drug use, sexual behaviors, and TV watching, among others – prevalence rates in Memphis were markedly similar to, and in some cases better than, the prevalence rates in the other four urban school districts. (See Attachment)

“As we have studied these data,” Dr. Johnson said, “we see that our children in Memphis, Tennessee are influenced by the same factors – popular media, peer pressure and, too often, a lack of firm parental guidance – as students across the nation are, particularly in large urban areas. While the school district staff provides an array of services and programs to educate students about the hazards of making unwise, unhealthy behavior choices, many of the issues revealed in the survey are societal issues that all children face and that go beyond what the district can change alone. Parents, youth organizations, the faith-based community, the health department and other agencies must work together with us to begin to reverse trends that ultimately harm our young people.”

Yvonne Madlock, Director of the Memphis & Shelby County Health Department, commended the school district for participating in a study that reveals health-related issues and behavior trends among the city’s youth.

“The more we know about our young people and the choices they are making that affect their health, the more focused we can become in targeting resources in the community to help combat the areas of greatest concern,” Madlock said. “As a city, we face a number of health challenges. Reversing unhealthy habits of young people and helping them to avoid risky behaviors means a healthier Memphis 10 years from now. This is important and complex work, and all of us should be involved as solutions are sought.”

“The results of this survey show us specific trends that mirror many of the health and safety issues in the larger, adult community,” Dr. Johnson said. “Our next priority is to use these findings to focus on solutions. We have begun the work of examining our own programs that can help bring about the changes that are needed, but part of the solution lies in collaboration with other segments of the community. I have already seen evidence that officials in this community, such as Mayor Wharton and others, care about our young people and want to work together to help overcome the negative influences – such as gangs – that are preying on the young people of Memphis.”

Memphis has received attention in recent years in the popular media for its health challenges. In the October 2002 issue of Self magazine, Memphis was ranked as the unhealthiest city in America for women. The magazine used the rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), body-mass index, air and water quality, smoking rates, exercise frequency, rates of violent crime, access to doctors and hospitals and unemployment to rank 200 U.S. cities, ranking Memphis as 200th.

The data gathered through the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys across the nation will be used by the CDC to measure progress toward achieving 15 national health objectives for 2010 and three of the leading health indicators. In addition, education and health officials at national, state and local levels are using the YRBS data to improve policies and programs to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among youth.

September 21, 2004

WQOX 88.5’s DJ for a Day gives principals taste of show biz life, opens doors of communication between schools and community

Memphis, Tenn. – Normally at 8 a.m. on a Friday morning, Jimmy Holland is patrolling the halls and talking with students as principal of Sheffield High School. However, last Friday was different.

Holland had the opportunity to spend the morning of Friday, Sept. 17, telling the community about his school’s volunteer parents, reading the day’s cafeteria menu and asking community members to help find after-school opportunities for Memphis City Schools students. He was a guest DJ on WQOX—FM 88.5’s “DJ for a Day” program.

“DJ for a Day,” implemented this school year, allows principals to serve as co-DJ with “morning man” Paul Gubala on the Friday edition of MCS in the Morning, which airs from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays. The principals talk about their schools, help broadcast the weather and sports and say whatever else comes to mind.

“This was a great opportunity to promote my school and let people know about the positive things going on in the community,” Holland said after his “shift” on Friday morning. “There are often too many negative things about Memphis City Schools reported in the conventional media, but for every ‘bad’ student, there are 1,000 good students.”

The concept for the program was developed last year, when Station Manager Derek “Rick” Wagner thought inviting principals into the radio studio would be a good way to improve the symbiotic relationship between the schools, the district’s Board of Education and the community.

“The principals like the program because they can come on and blow their horn about their school, but it’s also about relationship building,” Wagner said. “We’re overcoming the problem many principals say they have — a lack of communication with the outside.”

Since the program began in August, the principals of Central High, Hillcrest High, Northside High, Sheffield High, Westwood High and Wooddale High have participated as guest DJs. So far, the participating principals are from schools that feed their students into the district’s state-of-the-art broadcasting program through WQOX and Channel 19 at the Telecommunications Center on Union. Once the feeder schools’ principals have their chance, Wagner said “DJ for a Day” will open to the district’s principals as a whole, continuing every Friday throughout the school year.

“So far, the program has received great feedback from the principals and their schools,” Wagner said. “The principals really appreciate the opportunity to talk about their schools, and some even feed the broadcast into their intercom system so the whole school can listen in.”

The program was a success for Holland, the Sheffield principal said.

“I had a few butterflies about going on the air at first, but once I was on, it was fine,” Holland said. “I’d come back in a heartbeat if they’d have me.”

September 21, 2004

Springdale Elementary to hold community awareness rally

Memphis, Tenn. – As part of a Memphis City Schools district-wide effort to raise community involvement in the schools, Springdale Elementary Magnet School will hold a community rally Saturday, Oct. 2.

“The goal of this rally is to draw attention back to the community and try to rebuild the community,” said Springdale Principal JeVon Marshall. “We want to raise family awareness and show people that Springdale Elementary School is still here.”

The community rally, being dubbed “October Fest,” will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Springdale Elementary, 880 North Hollywood. There will be games, rides, food and prizes, as well as many community participants helping raise money for the school.

Dodge Drive for Kids representatives will be on hand, donating $5 to Springdale every time a person takes a test drive or ride in a Dodge. Sam’s Club will also be at the October Fest, matching every dollar donated to the school. Several church choirs will provide the entertainment.

“We’re asking the whole community to come out and take part in this excellent chance for fellowship and fundraising for a good cause — the school,” Marshall said.

September 21, 2004

‘Channel One News’ producers to scout filming locations at Overton High Performing Arts School as part of five-state tour

Memphis, Tenn. – As a performing and creative arts optional school, Overton High School has its fair share of students trying to be scouted for “the big time,” and on Wednesday, they just might have their chance.

Los Angeles producers from “Channel One News” will tour Overton High Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m., to plan staging and logistics for a special filming of the show on Oct. 14, when Overton students will serve as guest anchors for the news program.

The Overton High filming is part of a five-state Channel One bus tour of some of its flagship schools. In addition to Memphis, the tour will also visit Charleston, N.C., Jackson, Miss., and Atlanta, Ga. The broadcast will air Nov. 17.

The Channel One Network, a PRIMEDIA Inc. company, is a learning community of 12,000 American middle, junior and high schools representing more than 8 million students and 400,000 educators.

The award-winning Channel One News is the flagship of the Channel One Network. Channel One News is a daily, televised, 12-minute newscast beamed via satellite during the school year to each of the 12,000 schools in the Channel One Network community.

Channel One News features stories on breaking news and in-depth issues that affect the world, the nation and specifically, America's teenagers. Since its first broadcast in 1990, Channel One News has garnered more than 150 news and educational programming honors, including the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award.

September 21, 2004

Memphis City Schools boasts most Nat’l Merit Semifinalists in TN

Memphis, Tenn. – Memphis City Schools has more students named National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists than any other school district or system in Tennessee.
In addition, White Station High School has the most semifinalists of any school in Tennessee, with 21, and Cordova High School has one semifinalist.

“The constant high achievements of all Memphis City Schools students, including White Station High students, are true testaments to the quality of education, facilities and faculty we have here at Memphis City Schools,” said Superintendent Carol R. Johnson.

The 16,000 National Merit semifinalists are competing for 8,200 Merit Scholarships, worth a total of $33.9 million, which will be offered in the spring. More than 1.3 million juniors from nearly 21,000 U.S. high schools entered the 2005 competition.

Memphis City Schools semifinalists are as follows:

Cordova High School:
Adam C. Mahoney

White Station High School:
Whitney N. Adsit
Wenli Cai
Christopher J. Chiego
Jacqueline Douglass
Zachary A. Ellis
Franklin D. Godwin
Melissa J. Harkness
M. Davis Lawyer
Evan Lester
Dan Ying Liu
Jieyu Luo
Daniel S. Murrell
John C. O’Conner
Ima Paydar
Jeremy A. Sieger
Phillip A. Stasz
Melissa P. Tuttle
Joshua B. Wasmund
Evan G. Williams
Tianhe Zhang
Jingbo Zhu

September 21, 2004

Watch D.O.G.S. kick off academic year with several school events

Memphis, Tenn. — Memphis City Schools will host several events in the coming weeks to involve fathers in their children’s schools through an innovative program called Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students).

Watch D.O.G.S. focuses on the prevention of violence in schools by using the positive influence of fathers for a two-fold purpose — to provide an unobtrusive security presence and to provide a positive and active role model for children at the school. The program is implemented in 60 Memphis City Schools.

Several schools have already kicked off this year’s program, including Bethel Grove Elementary, where more than 250 father figures and their students attended "Dads and Kids Night Out,” which led to 97 men committing to the program.

Jim Moore, founder and president of the organization, will speak at several schools Sept. 20, 21 and 22. Other Watch D.O.G.S. activities include:

For more information or to schedule Moore as a guest speaker, contact Sonya Mull at 775-7493.

September 17, 2004

Be a tutor — change a life
MCS offers training sessions for volunteer tutors

Memphis, Tenn. – Memphis City Schools offer many opportunities for Memphians to make a positive investment in its schools and in the academic achievement of a child. One way is through the district’s premier volunteer tutoring program.

Our Children—Our Future, a program that puts volunteers to work tutoring MCS students, will hold training sessions for people interested in being a volunteer tutor during the 2004-05 academic school year. Trained tutors are paired with students in kindergarten through 12th grade to focus on improving reading and math skills.

“These training programs will offer volunteers the opportunity to become equipped with the tools and materials they need to make their tutoring experience with our students a joint success,” said Barbara Dawson, Our Children—Our Future program manager. “Research has shown that one-on-one tutoring has a tremendous impact on improving students’ academic skills, so we encourage the community to support our program and our students.”

All training workshops will be held at the Training and Learning Academy, 2485 Union Ave.

September 16, 2004

A special account has been established at First Tennessee Bank to help the family of Tarus Williams. Donations can be made to the Tarus Williams' Family Fund at all First Tennessee Bank locations. Many people in the metropolitan area have expressed a willingness to help the family during this extremely difficult time.

September 14, 2004

Adopt-A-School workshop educates school, community partnership coordinators, provides opportunities to ‘see what works’ in schools

Memphis, Tenn. – Community members, teachers, business leaders and church volunteers gathered at Hope Presbyterian Church Thursday to mingle, eat and be merry, but most of all to learn.

School, business and community officials had the opportunity to network, attend seminars and find out “what works” when it comes to community partnerships in the schools, when the Memphis City Schools Office of Community Development sponsored the annual Adopt-A-School Workshop Thursday, Sept. 9.

“The workshop was a complete success,” said Peggy Jones, Office of Community Development coordinator. “Partner coordinators on the school and the organization end learned a lot about what they can do to help Memphis City Schools. A big thank you goes out to everyone who made this event possible, especially the volunteers of Hope Presbyterian Church.”

For the second consecutive year, Hope Presbyterian donated the use of the church facility, a space that would have cost the district thousands of dollars to rent, to accommodate the 800 participants.

“This is an excellent example of the community giving much needed assistance to Memphis City Schools,” Jones said. “The assistance our partners lend make a difference in the school district every day.”

The workshop offered school coordinators, partner coordinators and partner volunteers to take part in training sessions on topics ranging from “Impact of Poverty on Student Achievement” to “Recruiting Volunteers … If You Build It, They Will Come.” Presenters for the sessions included Memphis City Schools officials as well as volunteers from non-profit organizations, churches and local businesses.

“The purpose of this workshop was to provide schools and partners with ideas on how they can work together to improve student achievement,” said Peggy Jones, Memphis City Schools community development coordinator. “The training day provided an opportunity for schools and partners to network with others and share what really works.”

Lance Scarborough, the student pastor at Highpoint Church, a church plant in its second year, found out first hand what a great opportunity the workshop presented. Being a new partner, he said he was looking for ways his church members could become more involved in Memphis City Schools.

He attended a session on church partnerships and a session on effective tutoring, both of which he said were helpful to his mission to implement a tutor program at White Station High and White Station Middle, where the church already sponsors a fellowship night on Wednesdays, called Wildside.

“ The ability to network with others is helping our efforts to put in place a tutoring and mentoring program at White Station Middle and White Station High,” Scarborough said.
The training workshop also featured an address from Superintendent Carol Johnson, lunch, a performance from the Gordon Elementary Kids in Blues and a keynote address from nationally-known motivational speaker Mychal Wynn.

Wynn, an educational consultant and author, spoke during the lunch session about affirming students’ abilities, including their abilities to achieve higher education. He is the chief financial officer of Rising Sun Publishing and the author of more than 40 publications and 16 books, including Increasing Student Achievement, Ten Steps to Helping Your Child Succeed in School and Follow Your Dreams: Lessons That I Learned in School.

“A teacher’s job is to motivate these children when they don’t want to be motivated and to push them when they don’t want to be pushed,” Wynn said.

He also offered advice to community members on how they can take a personal stake in the education of Memphis’ children.

“Most of these children have never been outside Memphis; they’ve never been into a big office,” Wynn told business officials. “Let them come on a field trip to your office and sit in your big, leather chair … before you know it, they’ll be saying, ‘Give me all the education I can get.’”

September 14, 2004

Dept. of Education official travels to the city to congratulate two Memphis schools on progress made in No Child Left Behind

Memphis, Tenn. – Roy Simon has been mistaken for several other Washington politicians in his visits to elementary schools — even Abraham Lincoln and George W. Bush. Simon takes the children’s misnomers with a smile, simply congratulating the students on learning about the government.

Simon, the assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, gave the children of two Memphis City Schools an opportunity to learn more about the government when he visited Spring Hill and Hollywood Elementary Schools to say thank you for a job well done.

The Washington D.C. politician toured the two schools Friday morning, learning about the progress teachers are making at the schools and the hard work it’s taking. Spring Hill and Hollywood were two of the Memphis City Schools that earned removal this year from the state’s “high priority” list of schools not meeting No Child Left Behind standards.

“I’m here because you all studied so well and worked so hard,” he told a group of students from Cindy Winkler’s class. “I’m here to say thank you.”

On his tour of Hollywood, Simon thanked a group of volunteers who were providing lunch to the school’s teachers. He thanked Mrs. Golden, a kindergarten teacher whose students were writing and illustrating books of the ABCs. He also thanked Mrs. Whitmore, a retired teacher who volunteers at the school almost every day.

“This is what teaching and learning is all about,” Simon said. “It starts with good leadership, but a good leader can’t do it alone. It takes a whole community to help a school succeed.”

September 14, 2004

Memphis City Schools On-line Employment Application is HERE!!

The Department of Human Resources is pleased to announce that the Memphis City Schools employment application is now on-line. New applicants, rehires and current Memphis City Schools employees can apply on-line for classified and substitute teacher positions by accessing the new and improved Human Resources web page of the Memphis City Schools website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Applicants for certificated positions will continue to use the paper application process at this time. The certificated on-line application will rollout in the very near future.

How it will work:

As new positions are posted, it will not be necessary for applicants to complete a new application. They will just log in using their assigned username and password, update their original application (if necessary), and apply for any open position that they are qualified for. Applicants will receive email responses and correspondence of the status of their application.

New applicants and current MCS employees will be able to complete on-line applications and transfer forms at the Board of Education. Computer terminals will be set up in the main lobby.

The new and improved Human Resources web page provides detailed information on the employment process and instructions on how to complete the on-line application. Questions regarding the on-line application should be directed to the Department of Human Resources.

Click here to visit the new Human Resources website.

September 14, 2004

Memphis City Schools Human Resources has new Web site featuring new tools, including online applications

Memphis, Tenn. – Applying for a job with Memphis City Schools just got easier, thanks to an upgraded Human Resources Web site.

New applicants, rehires and current Memphis City Schools employees can apply on the Department of Human Resources Web site, http://www.mcsk12.net/admin/personnel/hr_frames_new.htm, for classified and substitute teacher positions by accessing the new Human Resources Web page 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The new and improved Human Resources site provides detailed information on the employment process and instructions on how to complete the online application. Questions regarding the online application should be directed to the Department of Human Resources, at 416-0218.

How the new application process works:

As new positions are posted, it will not be necessary for applicants to complete a new application. They can just log in using their assigned username and password, update their original application (if necessary) and apply for the new position. Applicants will receive e-mail responses of the status of their applications.

New applicants and current MCS employees will be able to complete online applications and transfer forms at the Board of Education. Computer terminals will be set up in the main lobby. Applicants for certification-required positions will continue to use the paper application process at this time. However, the certification-required online application will roll out in the near future.

September 10, 2004

Raleigh Egypt Middle raises money, awareness for Heart Association

Memphis, Tenn. – As part of an effort to increase community participation in Memphis City Schools, the parents, students and faculty of Raleigh Egypt Middle School are working with the American Heart Association.

The Raleigh Egypt Middle community has raised over $600 in its efforts to aid the association in fighting the nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers – heart disease and stroke. The students, parents and teachers are also participating in the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk, beginning Saturday, Sept. 11, at 9 a.m. at AutoZone Park.

“This is a fine example of students, parents, school faculty and community members coming together for the good of the entire community,” said Raleigh Egypt Principal Barry McGee. “I’m very proud of everyone who participated in raising money for the American Heart Association and in raising awareness of heart disease and stroke.”

September 10, 2004

Memphis City Schools holds parent workshop on special education

Memphis, Tenn. – Memphis City Schools will hold a workshop on Friday, Oct. 1, to educate parents on special education options for their children.

The seminar, “Basic Rights Workshop: A Parent’s Introduction to Special Education,” is sponsored by STEP, Support and Training for Exceptional Parents, and is designed for parents of children in special education and parents who think their children may need special education.

All family members who have a child with a disability will receive a parent manual that includes important information about federal and state laws and other helpful information. In addition, parents will gain knowledge of special education laws, including their role in the development of an appropriate Individual Education Program (IEP), as well as how parents can be effective school partners during the process.

The workshop will take place on Oct. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon at Douglass Elementary School. The workshop is free, however, registration is required, and space is limited to 30 people.

To register or for more information, call Bonnie Benson at 416-7081.

September 10, 2004

Wooddale High holds events to involve families in school life

Memphis, Tenn. – Wooddale High School will hold two events in September to educate parents about their child’s school and to involve them in school life.

Wooddale will hold an open house Monday, Sept. 20, and a Title I meeting Tuesday, Sept. 28, as part of an effort to involve the parents and other family members of students in school life.

During the open house, which will be held at the school, 5151 Scottsdale, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., parents will have the opportunity to view displays promoting the school’s various clubs and organizations. They will also visit their child’s classroom and meet teachers.

Following a musical performance to kick off the open house, parents will be introduced to the school’s administration, faculty and staff members. They will then visit their child’s homeroom and follow his or her schedule, spending about 10 minutes in each class, meeting the teachers. During this time, parents will also have the opportunity to schedule conferences with the teachers.

The Title I meeting will be held in the school auditorium Sept. 28, from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss parental involvement, methods for reporting student progress, parent/teacher conferences, student/parent/teacher agreements and annual yearly progress.

Following the Title I meeting, parents will receive their child’s first six weeks report card and will be given the opportunity to schedule conferences with their child’s teachers.

September 9, 2004

Early Childhood Educators Gather to Learn How Poverty Affects Learning

Beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, more than 175 educators and advocates of early childhood education will participate in a seminar designed to show how poverty can affect children’s ability to relate to teachers, school settings and academic expectations, and how educators can use specific strategies to overcome those challenges and successfully educate children from poverty.

The seminar, “Overcoming Challenges, Building Understanding,” will be presented by author and educator Dr. Ruby K. Payne at Memphis City Schools’ Teaching & Learning Academy, 2485 Union at Hollywood. The seminar runs from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Dr. Payne, who is author of the book A Framework for Understanding Poverty, is a nationally known speaker and president-founder of aha! Process, Inc., a company which works extensively with educators, government officials, employers, churches and social service agencies serving people from poverty. She has shared her insights about the culture of poverty and how to help educators and other professionals work effectively with children and adults from that culture in more than a thousand workshop settings throughout North America.

A professional educator since 1972, she has served as a secondary teacher and department chairperson, elementary principal and central office administrator. Throughout her career, she had the opportunity to work in schools with students from a wide variety of economic backgrounds and says that those experiences taught her that “hidden rules” exist in economic classes. More importantly, when those in positions of power and authority come from a class with rules different from those they work with, misunderstandings occur. For instance, a middle-class teacher with a classroom of students largely from poverty often expects them to behave in middle-class ways – and is perplexed when they do not.

Her presentation will center on how educators can overcome the hidden rules of economic class despite the obstacles poverty can create in school settings between students, parents, teachers and administrators.

Sponsors of the seminar include WKNO-TV, Memphis Association for Childhood Education, Community Institute for Early Education, Memphis City Schools and United Way of the Mid-South.

For more information, contact Charles (Mr. Chuck) Scruggs, Education Manager, WKNO-TV, at 325-6517 or 458-2521.

September 8, 2004

Free academic tutoring available for some Memphis students

Under “No Child Left Behind,” students at some Memphis City Schools are eligible for Supplemental Educational Services, which offer professional tutoring to students with the greatest academic needs.

For more information about these free services, parents are asked to attend a special information fair on Tuesday, September 14, 2004