The Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) at Vanderbilt University launched the 2023 Tennessee Educator Survey statewide. All educators, administrators, and certified school staff in Tennessee are invited to take the survey and share their perspectives and expertise on education issues affecting their classrooms and schools, to inform strategies and goals at the state, district, and local school levels. 

Tennessee educators should receive an email with a personalized survey invitation link to participate. The survey is voluntary and confidential and will remain open February 27th through April 14th.

The survey measures key topics that district and school leaders monitor year after year, including school climate, educator evaluations, instructional practice, professional learning, student readiness, specific state initiatives, and new this year will be a math curriculum branch. 

For more information about the Tennessee Educator Survey and this year’s survey, click here.  

For assistance accessing the individual survey link, please click here to access our troubleshooting portal.

The Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) at Vanderbilt University launched the 2023 Tennessee Educator Survey statewide. All educators, administrators, and certified school staff in Tennessee are invited to take the survey and share their perspectives and expertise on education issues affecting their classrooms and schools, to inform strategies and goals at the state, district, and local school levels. 

Tennessee educators should receive an email with a personalized survey invitation link to participate. The survey is voluntary and confidential and will remain open February 27th through April 14th.

The survey measures key topics that district and school leaders monitor year after year, including school climate, educator evaluations, instructional practice, professional learning, student readiness, specific state initiatives, and new this year will be a math curriculum branch. 

For more information about the Tennessee Educator Survey and this year’s survey, click here.  

For assistance accessing the individual survey link, please click here to access our troubleshooting portal.

The March session for the Central Office Professional Learning Series will be held on March 22, 2023, 12:15pm (afternoon session only). Central Office managers, directors, executive directors, assistant superintendents, and chiefs are encouraged to register in PLZ using course #31731 for the March training.

Access Flyer Here: Central Office Learning Series March 2023.jpg

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tari Harris, Director of Program Leadership (harristc1@scsk12.org).

Greetings Principals,

In the event school personnel receive information indicating there is a bomb in the school (via any means including telephone call, electronic message, written message or in person), general procedures outlined in the AOSS Manual should be followed. Please review the information on Bomb Threats, School Reports, and Bomb Threat Flowchart and share it with your staff.

From C&I Science: 

The Memphis Local Section of the American Chemical Society is proud to announce this year’s high school chemistry examination for first year chemistry students – in person once again!  This is an excellent program to showcase the talent among our Memphis area schools.  We look forward to your school’s participation.

The 52nd Annual Competitive Examination in High School Chemistry will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023, on the Memphis University School campus. 

• Each high school in the Shelby County area will be able to send a maximum of two participants to the competition.  These students can be from the same Chemistry teacher or different chemistry teachers within each high school. 

• Check-in will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the MUS Campus Center on April 1st and the exam will begin promptly at 9:30 am. 

• The examination will be from 9:30 am – 11:00 a.m.  A complimentary lounge/workspace with snacks and wi-fi connection will be provided for any teachers or parents who wish to stay on campus while his/her student(s) participate(s) in the exam.

• Registration will open online beginning March 1, 2023.  Registration will close at the end of the business day on Friday, March 10, 2023.  No late registration will be accepted.  Please see the attached informational flyer for the registration link. 

• Please note that the competitive exam is for students currently in their first year of high school chemistry.  Topics include and are not limited to acids and bases, laboratory skills, bonding, atomic theory, stoichiometry, equilibrium, solutions, electrochemistry, kinetics, nuclear chemistry, etc. 

• If we fail to meet the minimum number of participants necessary for the competition, the event will be canceled, and participants will be notified via email.  

• Click here to register

Student Prizes include: 

First Place - $150 Gift Card (and for the teacher of the first-place student – AACT Membership for a year!)

Second Place - $125 Gift Card

Third Place - $100 Gift Card

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to analice.sowell@musowls.org of the Memphis Local ACS Section.

Contact: 

mcchristontj@scsk12.org 

Terilyn McChriston

or 

jacksonkd@scsk12.org 

Kimberly Jackson

From C&I Science: 

This is the last biology clinic. Students will take a 75-minute mock assessment and review the answers with test taking strategies to prepare for the EOC April 17. 

April 1 at White Station High School 514 S. Perkins 9 am-1 pm. Last day to sign up is March 24, 2023.

April 1st Q4 Biology Clinic Sign up (1).mp4 Click on link to access flyer and QR Code for student registration.

Contact: 

mcchristontj@scsk12.org;Terilyn McChriston

or jacksonkd@scsk12.org; Kimberly Jackson

It’s time to celebrate the 4th Annual SEL Day. MSCS will promote SEL Week as Feb. 27-March 3. In our District, we want you to know that You Make the Difference! Let’s have a phenomenal week as you continue to uplift hearts and connect minds in our community. Click to view SEL Week ToolKit.

Blackboard Messenger New User Training is scheduled for:

March 23: 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

This training will be a live, virtual, and interactive session led by an expert at Blackboard. It will cover:

• Logging into the Mass Notification site
• Account management
• Creating messages for email, phone and text/SMS
• Sending messages in multiple languages

***ATTENDEES MUST HAVE A BLACKBOARD MESSENGER ACCOUNT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TRAINING SESSION. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN ACCOUNT, PLEASE CONTACT KYLE BULLOCK (bullockkd@scsk12.org) SO ONE CAN BE CREATED FOR YOU***

Sign up for the session in PLZ to receive PD credit.  The course number is 27735. There are only 15 available slots for this training session. 

The training session can be accessed at https://finalsite.zoom.us/j/97345014444.

Elementary Schools in the Amazon BootUp Computer Science Program are encouraged to participate in the “Animate Your Name” Challenge.
• Coders will take “Animate Your Name” to the next level!
• Coders will create their names using letters, sprites, and codes to animate them fun and creatively.
• Top winners from the K-2 and 3-5 categories in each participating school will receive a bike and a helmet as their prize.
• The challenge will run from February 24 – March 10, 2023.

If you are interested in participating, please complete the link to the form below and email Monica Smith at smithmc@scsk12.org for additional information.

https://forms.office.com/r/KLHejnFnkB

Andraya’ Cheers, Amazon Boot-Up Facilitator
Monica Smith, CCTE Middle Grades Manager
Dedric McGhee, STEM Director

All 8th-grade students are encouraged to participate in Junior Achievement (JA) Inspire Career Expo. It is a powerful, interactive experience that brings together industry leaders and regional schools for an exciting look into fast-growing, high-demand careers available in our region. It is more than a career fair; it exposes students to diverse career pathways and helps launch them into their future—high school, college, careers, and beyond.

JA Inspire is being held from May 16th-18th at the Agricenter, and there will be three-time slots per day for schools to participate. There are four journeys for students to experience that pull from various industries and careers. The virtual platform started on February 15th and will be accessible through the school year's end. Schools can begin signing up to participate in the virtual and in-person expo from now until March 31st using the link below. After signing up for your school, a representative from JA will contact the school coordinator (person who completes the form) to confirm the date, time, and discuss transportation.

Remember you have until March 31st to sign-up. Please see the attachment for additional information about JA Inspire.

https://form.jotform.com/223416473673156

Thank you,
Monica Smith
CCTE Middle Grades Manager
smithmc@scsk12.org 

All Elementary Principals: 

It has come to our attention that some schools are having problems with habitual late pick-ups by parents. 

In order for us to address this need, please complete the brief survey here. 

All Elementary Principals: 

It has come to our attention that some schools are having problems with habitual late pick-ups by parents. 

In order for us to address this need, please complete the brief survey here. 

As we strive to embrace Restorative Mindsets district-wide, we are continuing to identify schools that have shown tremendous growth and improvement in the areas of behavior, attendance, and with their use of intervention and support. 

The Equity, Discipline & Intervention team will identify a total of 10 individual schools (1 per month) as our highlighted performers within the areas identified above. The lucky highlighted school will receive an On-Air TV spot that will run on WKNO/PBS Kids channel 10! Each broadcast spot will air for one (1) week!

Our school for the month of March to be highlighted is our very own GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS MIDDLE!!! Since the start of this year, their Year-Over-Year Comparison rates have represented extreme growth that cannot be ignored!  

Click on the link to learn more https://youtu.be/4z-l9nZkdtw

They have shown DRASTIC improvements within the areas of attendance and progressive discipline support. 

Great Job Grandview Heights Middle & Principal Barber, keep up the good work!!!

The Optional Schools Lottery Selection Process will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Optional schools are included in the lottery when there are more applicants than available spaces at the end of the Optional Schools Application Process priority window (February 6-9, 2023). 

Based on the guidelines of the application process, the first 80% of seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis (within priority categories such as siblings or proximity preference). The remaining 20% of seats are filled based on the computer-generated lottery.  

Only students zoned to MSCS who applied within the priority window (February 6-9, 2023) are included in the lottery process. Students selected in the lottery must meet the requested Optional school’s entrance requirements to be approved for the Optional Program. Please contact the Optional Schools office at 901-416-5338 if you have questions regarding the lottery selection process.  

Mark your calendars for the return of AP Daily: Live Review, which will be released on April 17 and April 24! These review sessions will premiere on YouTube and will be available for your AP teachers and AP students to watch on-demand at any time.

Students can also access the videos in AP Classroom on their own, or teachers can choose to assign them to their classes to watch. All review videos can be found on the Review tab, under Course Resources. Assigning the review videos is just like assigning AP Daily videos.

We hope your students will join expert AP teachers as they provide review and practice for the upcoming AP Exams!

Now that initial Ready Graduate meetings have been held, plans for coordination of teacher training, specialized course authorizations, etc. will begin soon. Please reach out to the Advanced Academics team if you need to schedule follow-up meetings or ask additional questions to facilitate the finalization of your school’s 2023-24 Ready Graduate plan, which is due by March 6. Additionally, please review the specific course reminders below. 

AP Course Expansion

As a reminder, all MSCS-managed schools are required to offer a minimum of six AP/Virtual AP/Pre-AP courses for 2023-24, with at least three of those courses being AP courses. Follow-up conversations and/or meetings will be scheduled with schools that have not met this requirement for 2023-24. Please contact James Smith (smithjl@scsk12.org) for guidance on vetting potential AP teachers for the upcoming school year. Please contact Dr. Katrina Taylor (brownk1@scsk12.org) for questions regarding Pre-AP courses.

SDC Course Changes

Statewide Dual Credit course changes to consider for 2023-24 include the following:

- SDC Intro to Plant Science is only available for students in 11th and 12th grades. Students must have taken and passed Biology I to be enrolled in Intro to Plant Science for the upcoming school year.

- SDC courses must be taken and passed to meet prerequisite requirements.

- Students must be enrolled in the grade levels listed under the prerequisites to be enrolled in the respective SDC courses.

* Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) audits students’ transcripts prior to allowing students to sit for the SDC Challenge Exam. Please ensure that all prerequisites have been met.

Additional information regarding SDC course prerequisites and teacher endorsement requirements are accessible through the following link: SDC Info and Resources. Please contact Armella Smith (smithaa@scsk12.org) if you have questions regarding Dual Enrollment or Statewide Dual Credit courses.

Auto-Enrollment into Honors Courses

Students (grades 7-12) with a B or higher AND a score of On Track/Mastery on the 2022 TCAP Achievement/EOC in their previous ELA, mathematics, and/or science course must be automatically enrolled into the next respective Honors course(s) based on class availability. This step requires a school designee to manually enroll any students who meet these criteria. For additional details regarding this policy requirement, please review MSCS Policy 5005 - Advanced Courses.pdf. Please contact Dr. Emily Barbee (barbeeeb@scsk12.org) or Terriny Lloyd (lloydtk@scsk12.org) if you have questions regarding Honors courses.

School leaders, as you know, spring is approaching, and misbehavior begins to occur more frequently during this time. As you determine discipline, please remember that Alternative School seats are NOT infinite and that students should receive progressive discipline supports before expulsion. 

Alternative School spaces for high schools are currently at capacity, and middle school seats are rapidly filling up. The superintendent encourages using our Early Return Review Process, Wellness Center Referrals, and other Restorative Practices to address non-violent misbehaviors. Please be sure to think creatively and restoratively when determining discipline consequences. The SEED and Alternative School Division are reviewing student expulsions to identify those who may qualify for an early return to maintain seating opportunities for students who may be expelled during the remaining quarters. 

School administrators should submit a student withdrawal form when referring students to the Alternative setting by using the following link: https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=33810&culture=en

If you have questions regarding discipline implementation, please email Dr. Blocker at  BLOCKERJ@scsk12.org. 

Please see the steps for printing an Official Letter of Suspension. Title should include OSS: # of Days.  

Please remember that schools are mandated only to use the district’s standardized official suspension letter. Suspensions must be entered in Incident Management within 24 hours of the incident (business days). NO EXCEPTIONS.

Registration for the 2023 Building Bridges Saturday Camp for Teachers is now open. Share this flyer with teachers so that they can learn more and register before it is too late.

Registration will close March 21 and is limited to 500 teachers.  Email Emily Vuoso, vuosoeb@scsk12.org with questions.

Please see the March 2023 Professional Learning Catalog to learn more about our upcoming offerings that fit your learning needs.

Please ensure you and your staff meet the state licensure requirement: According to the 2021 Tennessee Literacy Success Act, all educators who hold specific endorsements that allow them to teach reading in grades K-5 must complete an approved foundational skills course to renew their license by August 1, 2023. 

The TLSA license requirement applies to ANY educator—including non-teacher types, administrators, central office staff--who holds an endorsement included in this requirement.  

MSCS is committed to ensuring that all of our educators, school leaders, and District staff meet this requirement.  If you have completed one of the state-approved foundational skills courses.  Please use the link below to upload your certificate of completion for either asynchronous ERT Course 1 or SLT Course 1.

https://forms.office.com/r/WbJLZ1fnW8 

For more information on the TN Licensure Requirement, a list of included endorsements, and access the required asynchronous course, click the link below.

TN_LSA_Training_and_Licensure_Requirements.pdf

For district-level support, contact the Early Literacy Office at 901-416-4801 or email EarlyLiteracyDept@scsk12.org.

Please ensure you and your staff meet the state licensure requirement: According to the 2021 Tennessee Literacy Success Act, all educators who hold specific endorsements that allow them to teach reading in grades K-5 must complete an approved foundational skills course to renew their license by August 1, 2023. 

The TLSA license requirement applies to ANY educator—including non-teacher types, administrators, central office staff--who holds an endorsement included in this requirement.  

MSCS is committed to ensuring that all of our educators, school leaders, and District staff meet this requirement.  If you have completed one of the state-approved foundational skills courses.  Please use the link below to upload your certificate of completion for either asynchronous ERT Course 1 or SLT Course 1.

https://forms.office.com/r/WbJLZ1fnW8 

For more information on the TN Licensure Requirement, a list of included endorsements, and access the required asynchronous course, click the link below.

TN_LSA_Training_and_Licensure_Requirements.pdf

For district-level support, contact the Early Literacy Office at 901-416-4801 or email EarlyLiteracyDept@scsk12.org.

According to the 12-month hourly work schedule, SEAs are expected to work March 13-15, during Spring Break. Virtual professional learning assignments and experiences have been planned for SEAs who do not take vacation days or who are not selected to support schools with Spring Break Learning Academy on March 13-15.  

During Spring Break, SEAs do not have to report to schools. Instead, SEAs will be required to complete 18 hours of professional learning that includes self-paced, asynchronous professional learning assignments and daily Bridge to Practice exercises. All hours can be completed remotely, provided SEAs can access a device and the Internet.  

NOTE: If an SEA takes vacation days or supports Spring Break Learning Academy at one of the elementary school sites, the SEA is NOT REQUIRED to complete the VIRTUAL professional learning experiences. SEAs who wish to work at a school hosting Spring Break Learning Academy (SBLA) must complete this survey.  SEAs will be selected to support SBLA on a first come, first served basis.  However, priority will be given to SEAs who are assigned to the schools hosting SBLA. 

The professional learning assignments will not be accessible until Monday, March 13 @ 8:00 AM.  Assignments must be completed by 3:30PM each day, March 13-March 15.  No late or emailed assignments will be accepted.

If you have any questions, please contact the Early Literacy Department via email at EarlyLiteracyDept@scsk12.org 

All Elementary Principals: 

It has come to our attention that some schools are having problems with habitual late pick-ups by parents. 

In order for us to address this need, please complete the brief survey here.