We are excited to invite one teacher from your school to participate in an upcoming virtual training hosted by the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation as part of their nationally recognized Start With Hello initiative.

About Start With Hello:

Start With Hello teaches K-12 students how to recognize the signs of social isolation and empowers them to create a more inclusive and connected school environment. It is part of the SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Promise Club framework, which promotes youth-led violence prevention, leadership, and a stronger sense of belonging within schools.

Training Details:

Program: Start With Hello – SAVE Leadership Training

Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025

Time: 8:30 AM – 11 AM

Format: Online via Zoom

Zoom Link: Will be provided directly by the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation prior to the session

Stipend: Participating teachers will receive a $100 stipend.

Additional Details:

Teachers who attend the training also will serve as the SAVE Promise Club Advisor for their school, supporting students in implementing Start With Hello initiatives.

Each participating school will receive a bundle of materials and resources delivered directly to the campus to help launch and sustain their SAVE Club efforts.

Action Required:

Please select one teacher from your school who is passionate about student leadership, school culture, or social-emotional learning. Have them register by the August 25 deadline, using the link below:

Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/r/eeJJUC5ax0

Thank you for supporting this powerful opportunity to create safer, more inclusive, and student-empowered school communities. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

We are pleased to invite your school to participate in the upcoming Youth Leadership & Mental Wellness Workshop, on Friday, September 19, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 1 PM at the Renasant Convention Center.

This youth-focused event is designed to empower middle and high school students through a dynamic blend of keynote inspiration, interactive sessions, and peer collaboration.

Conference Theme: "Ready. Set. Grow. Student Leadership"
This year's theme reflects our mission to equip students with the mindset, tools, and confidence to lead with empathy, resilience, and purpose.

The conference will focus on the 5 A’s (Academics, Attendance, Attitude, Athletics, Arts) and include:

• Mental wellness and emotional growth
• Equity and student voice
• Conflict resolution
• Leadership development
• Student-led change and action

What We Need from You:

• Select 5 students from your school (middle and high school levels) who demonstrate leadership potential or would benefit from this experience.
• Assign one non-teacher staff member to attend as a chaperone for your student group.
• Complete the registration form by Friday, September 5, 2025, using the link below:

Registration Form: https://forms.office.com/r/R1jy91cyxs

Transportation:

Bus transportation will be provided for all student groups. Final logistics, including pickup times and locations, will be shared closer to the event date.

We look forward to your school’s participation in this powerful day of learning, growth, and connection. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Thank you for supporting the development of the next generation of youth leaders.

STUDENT CONGRESS: 

Please be sure to review Student Congress (​Policy 6061).​ 

August 2025: Principal and staff student recommendations​ Each HS must have a minimum of 2 representatives (9th – 12th)​ Each MS must have a minimum of one 8th grade representative​ Deadline: Friday, August 29, 2025​ ​ 

Sign up Link: https://forms.office.com/r/b40w4smEsy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to establish the district-wide Student Congress as a mechanism for increasing students’ voices in the District; enhance the educational experience of students; and allow the Board to gain greater insight into educational needs from the student’s point of view.

SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 - Student Congress Retreat 8a.m.-1p.m.

STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Please be sure to review Student Clubs and Organizations (Policy 6064).​

Each school shall distribute a list of available clubs and organizations inthe student handbook or equivalent. 

The list shall include: ​ 

• The names of the clubs and organizations, including any abbreviations or acronyms; ​
• The mission and purpose of the clubs and organizations; ​
• All financial requirements associated with membership in the club or organization; and ​
• The procedures for providing informed written consent by parents and/or legal guardians for minor students to join or participate in those organizations.​

Student Clubs and Organizations allow for students to be connected to their school through a club or extracurricular activity. Each school is requested to host their own Student Clubs and Organization sign-up opportunities within the first month of school to allow students to select clubs, organizations, etc. These days may be structured through lunches, activity periods, homerooms, English classes, etc. to ensure access for all students. 

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

​Please be sure to review Student Government (Policy 6065).

This policy applies to middle and high schools. ​

Each school shall establish an elected student council. The council shall be governed by its own constitution which shall be approved by the school principal. Defining the council’s jurisdiction shall be a joint and cooperative effort of the council, students, and the student government constitution.

Please provide the contact information for your school's Student Council or Student Government Association by Monday, September 1, 2025. Sign-Up Link: https://forms.office.com/r/kx9gwvLFxV

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Billy J. Walker, II <Walkerbj@scsk12.org>.

State-Mandated During the Day Tutoring

Greetings Elementary and K-8 Principals,

Identified students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade at your school will participate in During the Day (DTD) Tutoring, a program designed to support their academic needs and accelerate learning. The DTD tutoring program will begin on Monday, September 15, 2025, for all Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Additional information regarding targeted students, program requirements, and other program details will be provided in the coming weeks.

To begin preparation for the program, please select a During the Day Tutoring Coordinator. The During the Day (DTD) Tutoring Coordinator will serve as your school’s primary point of contact and will be responsible for overseeing all DTD tutoring-related tasks. Please complete the selection survey by clicking here by Friday, August 22, 2025, to identify your DTD Tutoring Coordinator. Staff members that are eligible for DTD Tutoring Coordinator include: PLC Coaches, Instructional Facilitators, Guidance Counselors, Interventionists, Assistant Principals or Dean of Students.

The Office of Extended Learning will host two virtual meeting options for DTD Tutoring Coordinators: Wednesday, September 3, at 10 a.m., or Thursday, September 4, at 4 p.m. All selected tutoring coordinators are encouraged to attend one of these sessions.

During the Day Tutoring Fast Facts:

• Program Dates: September 15, 2025 – April 10, 2026
• DTD Coordinator Training: September 3 at 10 AM or September 4 at 4 PM
• Participants: Identified 3rd- through 5th-grade students (required)
• Focus: ELA content
• Ratio: 1 tutor per 3 students
• Frequency: Minimum of two 30-minute sessions per week
• Tutors: Specialized Education Assistants

Please complete the DTD Tutoring Coordinator selection survey by Friday, August 22, 2025. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Stephanie McClain (mcclainsl@scsk12.org) or Denise Swan (swand@scsk12.org).

The District has transitioned to a new library management system. Libraries will no longer be using Atriuum; moving forward, we will be utilizing Insignia as our new platform.

Library Services is currently in the process of implementing Insignia across all schools. To support this transition, we will be offering ongoing professional development sessions for librarians every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the month, beginning the week of August 11.

Please see the information below to register for these sessions. Your support in encouraging library staff to attend is greatly appreciated as we work to ensure a smooth and successful rollout of the new system.

Insignia Basics

Additional Features in Insignia

Insignia Open Lab 

Please note: Due to ongoing data migration, the Insignia site is currently temporarily down. As a result, the circulation of library materials cannot be performed at this time. We will notify all staff as soon as the system is fully operational.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

To ensure that all libraries within Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) operate in alignment with state laws, regulations, and District policies—including the MSCS Librarian's Handbook—each school is required to establish a School-Level Book and Material Selection Committee.

This committee is responsible for developing and overseeing procedures for previewing, evaluating, and selecting library and instructional materials. The committee must include the following members:

· One school administrator

· The school librarian

· A classroom teacher

· A parent of a currently enrolled student

As part of this process, we ask that each school complete and submit the School Library Collection Committee of Review Statement below to Library Services. Please note that book orders will not be approved unless this document is on file.

MSCS Statement of Committee Review for the School Library Collection can be accessed here: https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/fieldsa_scsk12_org/Efcm5CzK25tEq79sEPU4KAUBevAEBXyYTk0lpL09EzDysA?e=XeTuqF

The Librarian’s Handbook can be accessed here: https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/fieldsa_scsk12_org/Edn1Vas9wlNGmNajHiICl8sBbQVyaVWpEwOMqDRjgrTeGw?e=dIDzA3

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued commitment to maintaining high standards in our school libraries.

Library Services is committed to supporting school librarians in their instructional roles and in fostering a strong culture of literacy on every campus. To ensure librarians are equipped with the tools and guidance they need, we are offering several layers of support this year.

Site-Based Support

Library Services will begin conducting site visits to school libraries throughout the district. These visits are designed to provide direct, hands-on support to librarians and help strengthen library programming, instructional practices, and campus alignment.

New Librarian Support & Mentorship

All new librarians will be paired with a designated mentor to ensure a smooth transition into their roles. Mentors will provide guidance on systems, instructional practices, and available resources. If there is a new librarian at your campus, please ensure they have reached out to Library Services so we can connect them with a mentor and provide the necessary support. You will receive an email from our team confirming the assigned mentor for your librarian. 

Weekly Librarian Newsletters

To support continuous learning and communication, Library Services sends out a weekly newsletter every Monday to all librarians. These newsletters are thoughtfully curated to offer timely and relevant content designed to enhance library instruction and align with district and campus goals.

Each issue includes:

• Instructional tools and lesson ideas aligned with district curriculum and literacy priorities
• Digital resource highlights, including updates on new platforms, databases, and tech tools
• Professional development opportunities with session details and registration links
• Key reminders and updates related to inventory, supply orders, book orders, reporting deadlines, and district initiatives
• Tips for collection development and promoting equitable access to diverse materials

Monthly Professional Development

Library Services will also continue hosting monthly professional development sessions specifically tailored for librarians. These sessions focus on building instructional capacity, integrating content into curriculum areas, and supporting student achievement. Attendance is encouraged, and librarians will receive PD credit for participation. All session details will be posted in PLZ.

We strongly believe that well-supported library programs are essential to a thriving school culture and student success. Through consistent communication, mentoring, and high-quality professional learning, we are here to ensure every librarian is empowered to make a meaningful impact on campus.

If you have any questions, or if you'd like to discuss ways Library Services can further support your librarian or campus goals, please reach out to Alicia Fields (fieldsa@scsk12.org).

Please review the MTSS Lead Updates for the Week of 8/18/25.  It will be emailed to identified school MTSS Leads on Monday, August 18.

In accordance with Tennessee Public Chapter 306, all elementary schools must provide a minimum of 40 minutes of physical activity per instructional day for every K–5 student, separate from PE class. Outdoor activity is preferred, with indoor alternatives provided when necessary. Below is an attachment to resources designed to help all elementary schools remain in compliance with the new legislation. For questions, please contact Dr. Rahmod Traylor TRAYLORR@scsk12.org, Jim Harbin HARBINJ1@scsk12.org, or Jeremiah Bland BLANDJ@scsk12.org 

Please see the link. HPELW Physical Activity

Our rollover process for the start of the 2025-26 school year has been completed for all dashboards. Be aware that with the start of school, some reports (like those in Student Attendance and Student Assessments) may show “No Data” for some fields. This will resolve once that data is available in PowerSchool and other various source data systems.

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Need a refresher on which dashboard has the data you’re looking for? Check out the Quick Reference Guide!

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Some non-administrative school staff members may have lost access to Power BI during the summer as part of the yearly maintenance process. This will be anyone who does not get access automatically based on their position title (including teachers). Principals and APs have access to the MSCS Compass Access App and grant access to the available reports. For more information, click here.

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Dashboard Updates:

• The Literacy Commitment: Promotional Pathways report has been updated and now includes an additional report with Prior Year Promotion data for currently enrolled students. For more on the Promotional Pathways report, click here.
   
• Reports with data aggregated at the District, School, and Board Member level, now also include Region and ILC. This can be found in various District Quick Reports, like in Student Attendance.
   
• The Greatness Starts with Showing Up (formally known as C.O.M.E. to Win) report has been updated in Student Attendance with the new attendance categories (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). Historical data from last year is available. New data will populate after each 20-day period ends. See the user guide for more information.
   
• The Daily Attendance Report has been updated to provide a narrative summary of the attendance for a single day, replacing last year's daily emails. The summary is only visible for Central Office staff and looks at all schools in the District. See the user guide for more information.
   

Featured Reports:

• i-Ready data can be found in the Student Assessment: i-Ready Report and in the RTI-A Universal Screener Reports. For more information on the Student Assessment report, click here. For more information, on the RTI-A reports, click here.
   
• Use the Student Attendance dashboard to track daily and meeting attendance, students at-risk for chronic absenteeism, truancy, and PSSP compliance. See the full list of attendance user guides here.

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Upcoming Training Sessions:

Check out our Training Calendar for all upcoming District Trainings.
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Sign up for Virtual Office Hours!

Virtual Office Hours will resume this week, August 19 and August 21. The sessions will be an overview of RTI-A Reports: Scheduling Reconciliation and Universal Screener.

For more information on Virtual Office Hours, check out this flyer! Sessions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 PM on Microsoft Teams. 

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• New to Power BI? Sign Up for a Power BI New User Training session. Look for Course Code 34810 in PLZ to sign up. 
  Upcoming Date: August 19
   
• Refresher Sessions are available for anyone who attended the New User Training previously and wants more advanced skills. Look for Course Code 34812 in PLZ to sign up.
  Upcoming Date: August 21
   
• Need support with pulling data for School Improvement Plans from the MSCS Compass? Sign up for our course. Look for Course Code 48140 in PLZ to sign up.
  Upcoming Date: August 20

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Monthly Newsletter: 

Check your inbox! On the first Wednesday of every month, the DAIM team sends out a monthly newsletter to all Power BI users. In it, you will find more information on upcoming trainings, new releases, and how-to guides. 

To see this month’s edition (and all archived editions), visit our support page.
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Check out our page of new/updated features and releases on our DAIM Support Page!

You can reach out to us at DAIMSUPPORT@scsk12.org  if you need support.   

A file with TVAAS results was placed in the Embargoed Data folder on SharePoint here. In addition, TVAAS results are available on the restricted TVAAS site here.  Also, a file with chronic absenteeism results will be placed in the SharePoint Embargoed Data folder on Friday, August 15. 

As a reminder, only principals have access to the SharePoint Embargoed Data folder. Principals may share the data with others at their school but are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the embargoed results are not shared outside of the school. The state’s embargo on TVAAS data is scheduled to be lifted in late August. The state’s embargo on chronic absenteeism data is scheduled to be lifted in December when the State Report Card is released. 

Schools already have access to 2025 school-level TCAP results, but the state is scheduled to publicly release 2025 school-level TCAP results on their data downloads site here on Friday, August 15. 

The Office of Multilingual Learners will have its mandatory beginning of the school year Multilingual Mentor training on Wednesday, August 20, 2025. The training will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Northeast Conference Room of the Bayer Building (3030 Jackson Ave.). Please allow your Multilingual Mentor(s) to attend during this time so we can provide mandatory training concerning interpreting and translating for the district. 

Sign up for the meeting here: https://bit.ly/2526MMQ1TRAINING

Per State Guidance to satisfy ESL Rule 05020.01.19, all ELs who qualify for Direct Services must receive these services daily. This includes schools who operate a block (A/B) schedule. To satisfy this requirement, the Office of Multilingual Learners is asking schools on block to schedule all ELs for at least 2 ESL services. Master Schedulers and Counselors need to ensure that services are provided on both A and B days. At least one of the ESL services provided must qualify as a primary service hour. Below you will find a table of ESL service options to help you meet the required daily services.  If you have questions about this requirement or need support, please contact your school's ESL Instructional Advisor.  

ESL teachers have received detailed guidance on beginning-of-year tasks, along with professional development opportunities to support implementation. Please note the key deadlines below:

Aug 6: ELPA21 Screener Certification due to ESL Advisor

Aug 25: ESL Teacher Schedule to ESL Advisor

Sept 4: TDOE 30 Day Deadline for completion of Identification & Screening for New potential ESL Students

Sept 9: Deadline to Create and/or Update Individual Learning Plans in TN Pulse for all L, W, T1 and T2 students, Generate and/or distribute ELPA21 Summative Score Reports, and Create and/or Update ESL Student Folders

Fine Arts, Physical Education (Elementary), Pre-K, and World Language (French and Spanish) educators will submit Student Growth Portfolios for SY2025-26. The updated deadline for all submissions is 5 p.m., May 8. For important updates regarding the Portfolio process, please click HERE. 

According to state board rule 0520-02-01 and state board policy 5.201, all educators must be evaluated annually by a certified evaluator.

All evaluator certification training for 2025-26 is virtual.

• The window for Recertification is from June 2, 2025 to September 3, 2025, 5:00pm CT.
• The window for Initial certification is from June 2, 2025 to March 31, 2026, 5:00pm CT.

All certification courses will be accessed in the TeachALL platform.

​Registration is not required. Invitations to access the learning module and to take the recertification test were emailed directly to currently certified evaluators.

If you were a certified TEAM evaluator in 2024-25 and did not receive an invitation and process details, please be sure to check spam/junk folders. As invitations were sent in bulk, a firewall may have blocked receipt.

Contact TEAM.Questions@tn.gov if you are unable to find your recertification invitation.

​**All TEAM Evaluator completion certificates should be forwarded to the Evaluation and Satisfaction Department via email: EPS@scsk12.org.

For more information about TEAM training and certification, please visit the TEAM website.

Contact the State at team.questions@tn.gov should you have any questions or concerns regarding TEAM certification for 2025-2026.

According to Tennessee State Board of Education Policy5.201, all educators must be evaluated annually by a certified evaluator.  

For SY2025-26, there are three options offered in attaining TEM Certification:  

- Returning Observers   

• Self-Paced (Canvas) - Manual Registration ONLY

- New Observers 

• Canvas Self-Paced
• 2-Day Live Virtual Session

Course numbers and date information can be found HERE.  

 *Note: ALL Returning Observer participants must complete their TEM coursework and calibration by  September 30th.  

- RETURNING NIE Evaluators that were previously NIE Certified during SY24-25, NIE Recertification is NOT REQUIRED for SY2025-2026. Team members can select you as their NIE evaluator in PLZ.

- NEW NIE Evaluators  

For SY2025-26, there are 2 options offered in attaining NIE Evaluator Certification.  

• Self-Paced (Canvas)
• Live/Virtual Session

Course numbers and date information can be found HERE.  

Questions/Concerns? Send an email to eps@scsk12.org.  

Greetings! As we are preparing for Leadership Development Week (LDW) we wanted to remind you of key dates and information. LDW will occur August 25 - 28, 2025, with the following groups attending on the dates below:

• Monday, August 25, 2025-PLC Coaches and Instructional Facilitators
• Tuesday, August 26, 2025-Principals and Vice-Principals
• Wednesday, August 27, 2025-Assistant Principals and Dean of Students
• Thursday, August 28, 2025-Professional Counselors

August LDW Theme: Greatness Grows from the Ground Up
Focus Quote: "If you want a tree to grow, you have to care for the root, not just the fruit."
🌱 “Rooted & Ready” We suggest participants to wear earth tones (greens, browns, tans).
Core Idea: We’re planting deep systems, not just surface routines.

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

Instructions on how to handle remanded students’ school enrollments and classes in the home school and alternative school can be found here.

• The Tennessee Department of Education is switching to a centralized website for resources, Best for ALL Central. Best for ALL Central website supports educators with easy access to high-quality resources and the latest updates. Resources include TN-TAN, Visibility Tools (TCAP/EOC), TN Course Catalog, EPOS, TN Atlas, ePlan, TN Pulse, TNCompass, State Report Card, Academic Standards, and Assessment Development.
• Statewide Operations Reporting Dashboard (SWORD) has become the new EIS (Education Information System).  It is the state’s Power BI dashboard for all things district/school and will be synching in real time.  EIS is now a historical database with information for the 24-25 school year and prior. Your current SSO account login can be used to access these websites.
• SWORD training and information on how brand-new users access the websites are forthcoming.