Literacy Commitment Parent and Teacher Meetings
This is a follow-up to the Literacy Commitment content presented during the September Leadership Development Week. See the next steps below:
The Curriculum & Instruction Department will meet virtually with all 3rd-grade teachers. Teachers should use the link to join one of 3rd-grade teacher meetings outlined below:
Tuesday, October 21, 3:30-4 p.m.
Wednesday, October 22, 4-4:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 23, 4:30-5 p.m.
Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 250 067 833 264 5 Passcode: 7dP7AR7E
Dial in by phone +1 901-602-6178,,963131872# Find a local number Phone conference ID: 963 131 872#
School teams present Literacy Commitment expectations to families of 3rd-grade students during a school-based parent meeting by November 3. The resources have been reposted to the following link: https://shorturl.at/Xbk6j
Please reach out to Dr. Amy Maples (maplesa@scsk12.org, 416-9284) with any questions.
Monthly Norming Session
In preparation for our Norming Session during October’s Leadership Development Week, participants are encouraged to complete the following pre-work by 5 p.m., Friday, October 24, 2025:
- Middle and high schools should view the 6th Grade Science Video
- Elementary and K-8 schools should view the Foundational Skills Video.
- Script the Lesson via a Word Doc
- Align the evidence to each descriptor (Optional Upload to form)
- Assign a score for each of the 7 TEACH Indicators of the TEM Rubric using the October Norming Activity form.
Time is Running Out: Submit Your Teacher of the Year Nomination!
Action Required: Principals, this is a friendly reminder to complete and submit your school’s MSCS Teacher of the Year Nomination by October 24, 2025.
Currently, only 26 nominations have been submitted across the district. Let’s make sure one outstanding educator at every school gets the recognition they deserve!
Celebrate excellence – nominate your Teacher of the Year today!
Now Hiring Praxis Tutors
Now Hiring Praxis Tutors. See the flyer for more information Praxis Tutors.pdf
Reminder: October 31, 2025
Nominate a Leader Who Makes a Difference
Do you know a Principal or Supervisor who goes above and beyond to support students, staff, and the school community? Help us recognize outstanding leadership by submitting your nomination for Principal of the Year or Supervisor of the Year.
Nominations are open now through November 6, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the exceptional leaders who inspire and make a lasting impact every day.
Click on the embedded link or scan the QR Code on the flyer attached. Let’s honor those who lead with dedication, vision, and heart in Memphis Shelby County Schools.
Reminder: November 6, 2025
October Leadership Labs Cycle 2
The Leadership Labs are designed to provide intentional, job-embedded professional development to support the growth of Principals, Assistant Principals, Vice Principals, and PLC Coaches. Facilitated by a collaborative team of Instructional Leadership Coaches, School Leaders, and Central Office Leadership, these labs will create a space for leaders to learn, practice, and refine the skills necessary to lead high-performing schools. Click here for more information.
Completing the Professionalism Component of the TEM Framework SY25-26
Professionalism accounts for 5% of the overall TEM rating for both tested and non-tested educators and must be completed and finalized by both the educator and the administrator to generate an LOE score.
New MSCS educators, as well as any educator seeking a refresher on completing the Professionalism component, may register for the Fall Completing the Professionalism Component Training in PLZ using Course #48775. The training will be held via Microsoft Teams on November 13, 2025, from 4 to 5 p.m.
For questions or concerns please contact Employee Performance & Support @ 416-2475 or eps@scsk12.org.
NIE Goal Setting Conference
The Time Is Now! The Goal Setting season is here and Non-Instructional evaluations are available in PLZ! All Non-Instructional employees must have a Goal Setting Conference as the first step of the performance appraisal process. As a reminder, the Goal Setting Conference should be completed within 30 days of the NIE employee’s hire/contract start date.
Click HERE for more NIE Goal Setting Conference details.
The Goal Setting process is simple:
1) Select your evaluator.
2) Enter your goals.
3) Meet with your supervisor for the Goal Setting Conference.
4) Finalize AND sign off on the form in PLZ.
ALL NIE Goal Setting Conferences should be 100% complete by October 24 for all NIE personnel.
For your reference, please see the step guides below.
Please reach out to your EPS advisor if you have additional questions or email EPS@scsk12.org.
TEM TEACHer Training Series
Employee Performance and Support in Partnership with the Peer Assistance and Review team is excited to announce the opening of registration for the TEM TEACHer Training Series in PLZ. Teachers may register using course #48814.
This series is targeted for new teachers or educators needing a refresher on the TEACH Indicators. It is intended to support teachers with identifying teacher and student actions that guide effective instruction at performance levels 3-5 of the TEACH indicators.
October Regional Teacher Learning Labs
Principals, we are excited to announce the upcoming Regional Teacher Learning Labs, designed to foster collaboration and support professional growth among our educators. These sessions will take place on the following dates:
Northeast and Northwest Regions: October 27-29, 2025
Southeast and Southwest Regions: November 3-5, 2025
Please check your email for important action items.
We appreciate your continued partnership in ensuring our teachers have access to meaningful learning experiences!
Special Populations- Homeless, Foster Care, & Migrant Education
SPECIAL POPULATIONS- HOMELESS, FOSTER CARE, & MIGRANT EDUCATION
This correspondence serves as a reminder of federal and state requirements regarding the enrollment of kindergarten students who are experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or from migratory backgrounds.
Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 11431 et seq.), the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and applicable state enrollment policies, school districts receiving federal funds may not deny or delay enrollment for students in these protected categories, even if state or local enrollment deadlines have passed.
Key Reminders:
- Immediate Enrollment: Eligible students must be enrolled immediately, even if required documents such as proof of residency, immunization records, birth certificates, or prior academic records are unavailable at the time of enrollment.
- Equal Access: Enrollment timelines and procedures should not create barriers for students experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or from migratory families.
- Collaboration: Designated McKinney-Vento liaisons and school enrollment teams should assist families and students to ensure a smooth enrollment process and access to all available supports.
- Transportation and Support Services: Continue to coordinate with the Special Populations Team to ensure compliance and support for the student’s educational stability.
We appreciate your continued commitment to equity, access, and compliance with federal law. Our shared goal is to ensure every student, regardless of circumstance, has immediate access to education and support.
Homeless Student Referral Information
To ensure timely support, all McKinney-Vento referral forms have been uploaded to the Special Populations SharePoint. In order for services to be initiated, a completed referral must be submitted to our office. Once received, a team member will contact the parent or caretaker within 48–72 hours. Please use the SharePoint link below to access the referral forms.
MSCS Displaced Referral Forms.pdf
If you need additional guidance or have questions about enrollment procedures, please contact Dr. Karen Ball-Johnson at ballkf@scsk12.org or 901-416-7393.
Thank you for your dedication to serving our students and families with care and compassion.
Student Clubs and Organizations
We’re off to a great start with implementation of Student Clubs and Organizations again this year. As a reminder, the deadline to upload your list of Student Clubs and Organizations was Friday, October 10, 2025. Each list should include the Name of the Student Club or Organization, a Brief Description, and the Total Number of Students in each. You may use the provided sample template or another format.
Link to Folder: Student Experience- Student Clubs and Organizations
Student Club and Organization categories have been set up in the Student Program module of PowerSchool. Once inside the module, leaders will find that clubs and organizations are listed by general category, (e.g., Art, Mentoring, STEM/STEAM). Please be sure to update this information in PowerSchool by Friday, October 31, 2025.
Link to Step Sheet: Assigning Student Programs to Students in PowerSchool
Should you have any questions, please contact Dr. Erin Y. Luster <lusterey@scsk12.org>.
Reminder: October 31, 2025
Do the Write Thing Writing Challenge
DO THE WRITE THING WRITING CHALLENGE
Greetings, Middle School Principals.
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 salute our 2025 National Ambassador from Hamilton K-8 School and our finalists from:
- A. Maceo Walker Middle School
- Colonial Middle School
- Grandview Heights Middle School
- John P. Freeman Optional School
- Hamilton K-8 School
- Mt. Pisgah Middle School
We are excited about this year's challenge and look forward to the submission of essays, poems, songs, plays and more! We are looking for submissions from every middle school this year.
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: 12/15/25)
- Any form of written expression (e.g. essays, poems, plays, songs)
- Must address the following questions:
- How has violence affected my life?
- What are the causes of youth violence?
- What can I do to reduce youth violence?
- Positive and non-derogatory language
- Fictional writings must be identified as such
- Strong preference will be given to non-fiction writings
- Credit must be given to outside sources
- Writings based upon plagiarism will not be considered
Completed packets may be sent to our office 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. Also, each submission should contain its own cover sheet with the parent/guardian's signature.
In addition to information on https://www.dtwt.org/, please review the MSCS Do the Write Thing Resources Folder.
For more information about the local implementation of the national program, please contact:
Ernest Brooks, II
Associate Deputy District Attorney/Senior Policy Advisor
Office of District Attorney General Steve Mulroy
201 Poplar Ave., 11th Floor Ernest.Brooks@scdag.com
(901) 222-1547 – Office
(901) 222-1300 – Main Office/Reception
(731) 293-4187
Should you have any questions, please contact Dr. Erin Y. Luster <lusterey@scsk12.org>.
Reminder: December 15, 2025