Superintendent Joris M. Ray laid out plans today to create new learning opportunities and environments for all students as part of his Seven Next Steps Toward Destination 2025. Inside East High School’s newly remodeled T-STEM building, Dr. Ray shared the seven solutions meant to help improve inequities and increase learning:
1. Implementing the Academic Equity in Action Plan
2. Social Emotional Learning
3. Culture Building
4. Servant Leadership
5. Alignment of Resources
6. Finalizing the Footprint Proposal
7. District Office Transition
“All of our students deserve positive learning environments, rather than ones with significant deferred maintenance needs,” said Superintendent Ray. “Instead of only brick and mortar decisions, we will ensure our final Footprint Proposal creates greater equity, includes community input and closely aligns with student needs and strong academic treatments.”
In the Academic Equity and Action Plan, the District is focusing more support on high schools such as providing AP and College Prep courses across the board rather than in select schools.
Ray’s steps also include a heavy focus on Social Emotional Learning. Using student volunteers, Dr. Ray illustrated the unequal frequency in which students, especially African-American and Latino males, have been referred to Juvenile Court or expelled. Ray has plans for Shelby County Schools to partner with community organizations in order to provide more training and awareness about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to help staff and community members better understand and respond to the needs of all students.
“We are developing a trauma-informed District from Board members to educators who can effectively support a variety of student needs, including responding to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs),” said Dr. Ray. “To effectively serve students inside and outside of school, we must all do a better job of understanding them.”
Superintendent Ray also mentioned two key appointments who will assist with his Servant Leadership approach of leading from the bottom up, rather than the top down. Jerica Phillips, reporter and anchorperson with WMC, will be joining SCS as the Deputy Chief of Communications; and John Barker, who has served in numerous leadership roles in Memphis City Schools and Chicago Public Schools, will be joining SCS as the District’s new Chief of Staff.
