February District Learning Day (Guidebook Linked): February 2025 District Learning Day follows a school-based format, featuring sessions encompassing a whole group address, school-based professional learning, instructional planning, and deliberate practice. Teachers whose departments elect to meet with them may attend their professional learning sessions in lieu of school-based learning for a full day or a half day.

February 2025 DLD Guidebook.pdf *View only. Please check back for updates through Tuesday, February 11, 2025. 

ACTION REQUIRED: To ensure proper credit, register for District Learning Day in PLZ by February 12, 2025.

FULL DAY​

College, Career and Technical Education – In-person​ (PLZ Course #47683)

Curriculum & Instruction World Languages – In-person​ (PLZ Course #47684)

Curriculum & Instruction Social Studies – In-person​ (PLZ Course #47685)

Fine Arts – Orff Music – In-person​ (PLZ Course #47686)

Pre-K/Division of Early Childhood - Virtual​ (PLZ Course #47687)

Proximity Teachers – In-person​ (PLZ Course #47689)

Secondary Music/Dance – In-person​ (PLZ Course #47690)

Visual Arts and Theatre – In-person (PLZ Course #47691)

HALF DAY​

Behavior Specialists - Virtual (AM) (PLZ Course #47692)

Counseling Services – In-person​ (AM) (PLZ Course #47693)

Curriculum & Instruction Mathematics – Virtual ​(PM) (PLZ Course #47694)

Curriculum & Instruction Science – Virtual​ (PM) (PLZ Course #47695)

(K-2) Office of Literacy – Virtual​ (PM) (PLZ Course #47696)

(3-5) Office of Literacy – Virtual​ (PM) (PLZ Course #47697)

(6-8) Office of Literacy – Virtual​ (PM) (PLZ Course #47698)

(9-12) Office of Literacy – Virtual​ (PM) (PLZ Course #47699)

Family and Community Engagement – Virtual​ (PM) (PLZ Course #47700)

Office of Multilingual Learners – Virtual​ (PM) (PLZ Course #47701)

Optional Schools and Advanced Academics – Virtual (PM) (PLZ Course #47702)

TBD ​​*Department of Exceptional Education will meet with teachers. Times are currently being determined by the Department.

DEE - CLUE (PLZ Course #47730) 

DEE - Occupational & Physical Therapists (PLZ Course #47731) 

DEE - Speech Language Pathologists (PLZ Course #47732) 

DEE - Preschool (PLZ Course #47733) 

DEE - Visually Impaired (PLZ Course #47734) 

DEE - Hearing Impaired (PLZ Course #47735) 

DEE - IR, STEP, DT Homebound (PLZ Course #47736)

DEE - AFS, BIC, FS Homebound (PLZ Course #47737) 

In the event you still need additional support, please do not hesitate to reach out to performanceandleadership@scsk12.org

Thank you for your participation in the Summer Learning Academy (SLA) and Promotional Summer School survey.  Based on feedback, both programs will operate in the month of June. Click here to view the Save the Date. 

As a reminder, compensation for Summer Programs will ONLY be provided for hours worked OUTSIDE of the Regular School Year. Participation may require after hours and weekend work. Staff will be compensated for after work hours and weekend work. The last day of the regularly scheduled school year is: 

• Teachers, ES/MS Counselors, and other 10-month employees - May 29 
• Assistant Principals and other 10.5-month employees - June 4 
• HS Counselors and other 11-month employees - June 11 

Thank you for your continued commitment to our students’ success. We look forward to your continued support of these programs.

Dear Principals,

We hope that you have had a productive week. As we continue to strive for excellence in our educational practices, we are pleased to inform you about the upcoming Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) support sessions organized by Performance & Leadership Development. These sessions are designed to provide ILT members with the necessary tools and strategies to enhance instructional leadership within your schools.

Upcoming Support Sessions:

1. Utilizing ILT Meetings to Differentiate Educator Supports (Make-Up Meeting)

• Date: February 27, 2025
• Time:
  • 4:30pm-5:30pm (Elementary Schools, K-8 Schools, Middle Schools, High Schools, CCTE)
• Location: Teaching & Learning Academy W115-116

2. Save the Dates for Future ILT Support Sessions (In-person meetings)

• March 6, 2025
  • HS/CCTE ILT-3:30pm, MS ILT-3:45pm, ES, K-8 ILT-4:30pm
• April 3, 2025
• May 1, 2025

Documentation Deadlines:

To ensure we are all aligned and prepared for Spring 2025 ILT Stipend Submission, please be reminded of the following documentation deadlines:

• Change of ILT Members: Was due January 7, 2025, with signed ILT Agreement
• Spring 2025 Teacher Log dates should reflect: January 6-May 2, 2025 *The ILT Support Session, Data Driven Instruction Cycle that occurred on December 5, 2024, can be included as (1) hour on the ILT Content Teacher Log for the Spring 2025 semester.
• Spring 2025 ILT Teacher Logs and ILT Stipend Excel Sheet: Due by May 2, 2025 (Any schools submitting documents after this deadline will waive their semester stipends.)
• ILT Semester Hours: ILT Content Lead Teachers must complete and submit to their respective principal by the deadline at least (22) hours per semester conducted and logged outside of the allotted (contractual) school day to be eligible for the semester stipend.
• Mandatory Attendance: ILT Content Lead Teachers must attend all Instructional Leadership Team meetings and all District-level Content Support Session meetings to be eligible for the semester stipend.

Below is a link to our ILT Principal Resource Folder for your reference: 

Principal Resources 2024-25

Your timely submission of these documents and attention to due dates is crucial for the success of our collaborative efforts. Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at iltstipends@scsk12.org.

Thank you for your continued dedication and hard work. We look forward to supporting you and your ILT teams by working together to achieve our district’s priority goals.

Best regards,

Performance & Leadership Development Team

Greetings Principals,

As we are preparing for Leadership Development Week (LDW) we wanted to remind you of key dates and information. LDW will occur February 24-28, 2025, with the following groups attending on the dates below:

Monday, February 24, 2025-PLC Coaches and Instructional Facilitators

Tuesday, February 25, 2025-Principals and Vice-Principals

Wednesday, February 26, 2025-Assistant Principals and Dean of Students (AM/PM Sessions)

Thursday, February 27, 2025-Professional Counselors will NOT Meet on this day.

Friday, February 28, 2025-Central Office Staff (Virtual Session)

Additionally, we will celebrate PLC Coaches/Instructional Facilitators Day on Monday, February 24, 2025, with a “Love Is in the Air” theme (Participants are encouraged to wear Red, Pink, or Purple on this day). Please ensure that your school’s PLC Coach and/or Instructional Facilitator is present at this meeting as we recognize their service to academic achievement.

As always, remind your staff of their designated day to attend Leadership Development Week so that we can inform them of current best practices and pertinent information occurring throughout our District.

The deadline to complete 60% of all TEM Observations is March 7.   School Administrators (Principals, VP, and APs), Network Leaders, and Assistant Superintendents may access their school's data using the following link:

Evaluation KPI Dashboard SY2024-2025

Questions? Contact the Evaluation and Satisfaction office by phone, at 901.416.2475 or via email at eps@scsk12.org.

Professionalism represents 5% of the overall TEM rating for both tested and non-tested teachers and must be completed and finalized by both the educator and the administrator to receive an LOE score.  Professionalism containers are live, and educators may begin inputting narratives, uploading artifacts, and completing self-scores.  

New MSCS educators or any educator wanting a refresher on how to complete the Professionalism component may register attend the spring training.

• Completing the Professionalism Component of the TEM Framework
  • PLZ Course 37105
  • 3/20/2025 at 4 pm via TEAMS

The suggested deadline for teacher completion is Friday, April 18, 2025.  For questions and/or concerns about instructional evaluations, please contact EPS by phone at (901) 416-2475 or via email at eps@scsk12.org. 

Greetings PLC Coaches/Instructional Facilitators Family,

As we are preparing for Leadership Development Week (LDW) we wanted to remind you of key dates and information. LDW will occur for PLC Coaches/Instructional Facilitators on February 24, 2025.

Additionally, we will celebrate PLC Coaches/Instructional Facilitators Day on Monday, February 24, 2025, with a “Love Is in the Air” theme (participants are encouraged to wear Red, Pink, or Purple on this day. Please ensure that you represent your school by attending this meeting as we recognize your service to academic achievement.

https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/personal/mcclainsl_scsk12_org/EeNJbsafz5hAlZ3ssY8p7HABfMBx1Bct2j9a3v1w1LVxFQ?e=hbm04y

Please find the MTSS Leads Weekly Updates for the week of February 10th.

Please access the 2025 iReady MOY Data Dig Resources to replicate this with your schools. If there are questions, please contact Emily Vuoso (vuosoeb@scsk12.org).  If you need to request support for iReady, please email Trisha McCarter (tmccarter@cainc.com).

Curriculum & Instruction is excited to share the latest edition of the Teaching & Learning Advisory.  It's packed with important updates regarding testing preparations, instructional reminders, and upcoming professional learning opportunities.  Be sure to check it out and share it with teachers!

https://secure.smore.com/n/fm76v

The Secretary of State’s office is launching the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level and Silver Level awards for Tennessee high schools, which meet student voter registration thresholds.

Gold Level: 100% of eligible students, 18 and older by the next election, are registered to vote. The Secretary of State’s office will gift the school with a commemorative plaque and gift personalized certificates to Student Ambassadors.

Silver Level: 85% of eligible students, 18 and older by the next election, are registered to vote. The Secretary of State’s office will gift personalized certificates to the school and Student Ambassadors.

The award is named in honor of renowned Tennessee suffragist Anne Dallas Dudley. One of the central figures in the women’s suffrage movement, she worked tirelessly to secure the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Learn more about Anne Dallas Dudley and Women's Suffrage in Tennessee on the Tennessee Virtual Archive.

All Tennessee public and private schools as well as home school associations are encouraged to participate in the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program.

Tennessee law allows students who are either 18 years of age, or 17 years of age and will be 18 by the date of the next election to register to vote.

Completed applications will be accepted until March 7, 2025.

Link to More Information: https://sos.tn.gov/anne-dallas-dudley-award

The Museum of Science and History (MoSH) also known as The Pink Palace is looking for high school students to perform in their Living Black History Museum. On Feb 22, 2025 student participants will come to the museum and portray a famous Black professional in a variety of fields. This is a great opportunity for volunteer hours. Please see the linked document for more details.

Sign-up Here by 2/17:

https://forms.office.com/g/bMRiWrD7Yb  

The Memphis Grizzlies' Read to Achieve Reading Challenge is a six-week program encouraging 3rd-5th Grade students to read outside of the classroom curriculum. The program tips off in February as a part of Black History Month. All elementary schools in the Mid-South region are invited to register for the program.

The challenge will run from February 10, 2025 until March 24, 2025 and is open to elementary students grades 3-5 only. Students will receive a tracker. Students will read a minimum of six books in six weeks to complete the challenge!

• Program Information: Read to Achieve | Memphis Grizzlies
• Link to Sign-Up: 2025 Read to Achieve Program - Formstack

We are excited to participate in this year's Do the Write Thing (DtWT) writing program. DtWT is a writing competition where middle school students share how violence has impacted them and propose solutions. We are excited about this year's challenge and look forward to the submission of essays, poems, songs, plays and more! 

Our students will have the opportunity to submit to the local competition and the winning essay will advance to the and national competition in Washington, D.C. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our students' talent and there is no cap on the number of submissions per school. Please share this information with your school teams to encourage participation. 

Local Entry Information (Deadline: 2/28)

Completed packets may be sent to Coe Building Room 164 via MSCS Board Mail. Please be sure to include a summary page with the packet noting the contact person for your school and the number of submissions (see attached sample). Each submission should contain its own cover sheet with the parent/guardian's signature. 

We hosted an optional DtWT Virtual Workshop for teachers on Friday, January 31 from 3:30p.m.-4:30p.m. [Link to Video Recording]

Link to Educator Toolkit: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f445fd275ef214ec0957907/t/66df24f8f65e4f679f4d8df6/1725900029299/DtWT+Educator+Packet+2024-25+%283%29.pdf

Link to DtWT Sample Lesson Plans: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f445fd275ef214ec0957907/t/66857c4c63a7443a678e4083/1720024140799/DtWT+Educator+Resources+for+website.pdf

Through the district’s Discovering Memphis initiative to promote and enhance educational opportunities for students and promote cultural enrichment, each school has received funding to provide discounted admission prices for MSCS students field trips. This project aims to enhance educational opportunities for students and promote cultural enrichment through field trips visits to selected Memphis sites.  

Several local partners have agreed to offer a discounted admission price for students who are enrolled in MSCS for field trips to their facilities. This discounted rate will be valid during regular operating hours of each venue, subject to any restrictions imposed by the venue.

MSCS will partner with venues and post-secondary institutions to provide educational opportunities for all students, grades K-12.

      All field trips will be reserved at the school level using fund allocated in APECS (Project IY25). 

       Schools will follow the field trip procedures in according to MSCS Board Policy.

Please review field trip procedures/district’s guidelines for field trip approvals with your staff and ensure that all future requests are submitted in a timely and accurate manner. Please make sure that all required documents such as student roster, parent permission, etc. are completed and you receive ALL green checks. 

Each school shall coordinate with the venue of any planned group visits in advance. This advance notice will allow the venue to adequately prepare for the visit and ensure a smooth admission process.   Schools will be responsible to pay the discounted entry fee via the District's purchasing procedures. 

Should you have any questions, please review the  Discovery Memphis FAQ's.docx and/or contact Janice McDaniel .

Added Field Trip Options: 

• Queen D's Urban Farm (in-school field trip)
• Special Event: Bill Picket Rodeo for Kidz Sake (4/11 10a.m.-12:30p.m.) Note: This is the Friday before the opening of the TCAP. 
• And MORE! If you have any questions, please let us know. 

The State is seeking a maximum of 125 peer reviewers to score approximately 15,000 portfolio collections to give non-tested teachers an individual growth score as part of their LOE score. 

The number of peer reviewers needed is based on the number of collections submitted from districts across the state. Peer reviewers are paid at a rate of $20.00 per collection scored plus $50 for attending two (2) required trainings. 

Candidates must: 

• Have demonstrated content area, grade level, instructional experience and effectiveness.
• Be detail-oriented and demonstrate a rich understanding of standards.
• Be familiar with scoring student work.
• Be comfortable using and have access to technology.
• Be able to articulate confidence in the portfolio model to demonstrate student growth.
• Be available to conduct peer reviews throughout the scoring window.
• Commit to confidentiality.
• Preferred: Be an active user in the TNPortfolio Platform.

(Additional information about the Request for Applications may be found here.)

If interested, please complete the application and all requirements of the solicitation no later than 5 PM CT, March 28, 2025.  Please direct any questions to Tracy Riddle, the solicitation coordinator:

Tracy Riddle | Director of Educator Effectiveness 

Office of Academics Andrew Johnson Tower, 9th Floor 

710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243 (629) 203-2005 

Tracy.D.Riddle@tn.gov

The Spring Student Perception Survey window is February 24th - March 7th.  

For SPS support, Building Site Coordinators should contact the following:

• For eligibility questions, contact the district lead, Courtney Skipper at skipperc@scsk12.org.
• For technical support, contact Panorama at support+shelbycounty@panoramaed.com