ROLE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD

The Memphis City Schools Board of Education is composed of nine members, who are residents of the city, elected by the citizens at the general election in November to serve a four year term. Seven members are elected by district to represent a specific area within the city, and two members are elected at large to represent the entire city. At the last meeting in December, the Board elects a President and a Vice-President to serve for a term of one year to be effective January

1. The Board of Education is responsible for establishing goals for the school system and adopting policies for the effective operation of the school system. The Board appoints a Superintendent to oversee the operation of the school system in accordance with the educational goals and policies it establishes.

 

 

DUTIES OF THE BOARD

The Board focuses on three major areas: policy development, advocacy for Board policies, and accountability for district goals.

The district's strategic plan is a working document used to guide and reinforce MCS's mission and goals. It is continuously reviewed, evaluated, discussed, updated, and endorsed by the Board Commissioners. The Board of Education also conducts regular evaluations of the Superintendent's performance.

Approval of the budget is a major function of the Board. Commissioners support the hiring of teachers, administrators, and support staff who are responsible for educating the students.

As public officials, individuals who serve on the Board are active and visible members of the community. However, the Board acts officially only as a group. It is committed to openness and candor in the conduct of its business and encourages citizen participation during regular meetings.

MEETINGS OF THE BOARD

Regular meetings of the Board of Education are held on the first and third Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Francis E. Coe Administration Building, 2597 Avery Avenue. The standard adjournment hour for all regular meetings shall be 10:00 p.m. unless there is a vote of two-thirds of the members present to extend the meeting. All meetings are open to the public. Public notice of all meetings must be given at least 24 hours in advance.

Special meetings are held from time to time for official action on specific topics. No business shall be transacted except that for which the meeting was called.
Board/Staff conferences are held to provide an opportunity for informal discussion of reports or other matters relating to the school system by the Board and administration. They are limited to no more than one per month and no more than two (2) hours per meeting.

 

 

ADDRESSING THE BOARD

The President of the Board presides at all meetings and persons who wish to speak before the Board may do so at regular meetings by following these procedures:

Speakers may request that their names be placed on the agenda by calling the Board President's Office at 325-5447 no later than noon on the day of the Board meeting.

Each speaker must state his/her name, address, zip code, organization or group represented, and the topic to be addressed.

Speakers must sign the register located at the Board secretary's table and read the guidelines upon arrival at Board meeting.

Each speaker's presentation will be limited to three (3) minutes. Any part of the three (3) minutes may be yielded by the speaker to another speaker whose name is on the agenda, but in no instance shall any one speaker be allowed more than six (6) minutes regardless of the number of speakers who yield their time. Speakers may not yield their time to a person whose name is not already on the agenda to speak.
The Board President will call the speaker's name when it is his/her time to speak. Speakers should use the microphone at the speaker's podium and state for the record their name, address, and organization or group represented.
The Board expects that those who appear before it will conduct themselves in an orderly manner. Personal references, derogatory statements of a personal nature, obscenitites, profanity, and name calling are not permissible. The President will have the authority to terminate the remarks of any individual who does not adhere to the above rules or chooses to be abusive to an individual Board member or the Board as a whole.