As 12-month employees, Specialized Education Assistants (SEAs) are expected to work during Spring Break, March 16-18, 2026.  SEAs are expected to complete the form below to identify one option from those outlined below.  All SEAs need to identify their choice by 5 p.m., Thursday, March 12, 2026.

Option 1: Spring Break Academy (March 16-18)

Sign-up is on a first-come, first-served basis to support a Spring Break Learning Academy site. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4FACA722A3FA7-62560903-spring  

Option 2: Asynchronous Assignments (In-Person) 

• Asynchronous professional learning assignments at one of the district offices. (locations are below)
• Assignments are accessible via the following link: ​​​SEAs March 16-18​​​
• Sign-up is on a first-come, first-served basis to complete these learning assignments from one of the three district office locations. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4FACA722A3FA7-62803497-seadistrict
  • Locations: TLA Auditorium (2485 Union Ave.), Northeast Regional Office (1775 Ridgeway Rd.), and Southwest Regional Office (2601 Ketchum Rd.).  Curriculum & Instruction Department staff will be on hand at each location.
• Please be sure to sign up by Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 5 p.m.

Option 3: Vacation Days

Vacation days will need to be submitted for those electing not to support Spring Break Learning Academy or complete the asynchronous assignments.

Notify your principal and financial secretary to ensure accurate documentation. 

• Note: SEAs taking vacation days should not sign up to support Spring Break Learning Academy.

  If you need any assistance or have questions about Spring Break expectations, reach out to Heba Sammour or Dr. Amy Maples.

Please review the week of 3/9 MTSS Lead Weekly Updates.

Play It Cool: Heat Safety Project 

Entries for the Play It Cool: Heat Safety Project have reopened to all schools, including those without outdoor sports. Many schools did not submit documents for the program. Some incomplete entries were returned to be corrected. Each school will receive a 10-gallon cooler, water bottles and Gatorade packs. 

Athletic Directors (ADs) must submit entries for your school. Your coaches can create their own plans but only submissions from ADs will be accepted. Everything you'll submit is something your programs should already have in place. The purpose of this initiative is to help your students beat the heat, hydrate and have a safe athletic experience. 

Carefully read the document inside the Play It Cool Toolkit labeled ‘Creating a Hydration Plan’ on how to enter.  These schools have already received their Heat Safety Kit. Thank you for your cooperation!

Portable AED Giveaway 

Two (2) schools have the opportunity to win a complete portable AED kit. Schools must submit a video of their response team practicing the Emergency Action Plan for a simulated cardiac emergency. Here is the link: Entry Form.  You can find EAP resources here and sample videos on YouTube.  

If you have questions regarding these giveaways, please contact Kai Washington, washingtonkd@scsk12.org.

Attention Principals,

See important ILT Content Lead information/updates on the flyer below:

ILT Meeting Flyer, March 6, 2026.pdf​

SY25-26 URS rosters and verification completion directions have been sent to building testing coordinators. Information from these rosters will be used to link KK-2nd grade ELA teachers to their ELA I-Ready data.  The data will, in turn, represent 35% (Student Growth) of the educator's Level of Overall Effectiveness (LOE) score. 

Rosters are due COB, Monday, March 23, 2026.  

For questions or support, please reach out to Ayodele Hall or Chiquita Allen-Bradley. 

The Student Perception Survey is now live. The survey administration window will run from March 2-13, 2026.

• SPS materials and implementation tools are available through the ​​Site Coordinator Resource Link​​.
• For real-time support during survey administration, contact:

Panorama Support: support+shelbycounty@panoramaed.com

District SPS Lead: Chiquita Allen-Bradley | allenbradleyc@scsk12.org

Principals, please ensure all portfolio educators log into their TeachAll Account.  The deadline for Portfolio submissions is 5 p.m.  Friday, May 8.  

Educators must use their state single sign on to log into the platform.  If educators are unsure of their State SSO ending in @tneducation.net they may reach out to: 

• District Portfolio Lead, Floresha Smith
• Subject/Grade Specific Content Advisors listed below:
  • Physical Education-Jeremiah Bland or Jim Harbin
  • Visual Arts and Theater-Jennifer Shiberou
  • World Language-Patrick Fraser
  • General Music-Bethany Mayahi
  • Secondary Music and Dance-Dena Vaughan
  • Pre-K-Christopher Spratlin

To view Portfolio Educators that have been rostered, please utilize the Evaluation KPI Dashboard.  

If you have questions about the educators listed or realize educators are missing, please reach out to the District Portfolio Lead, Floresha Smith. 

The State is seeking a maximum of 100 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 per collection scored plus $50 for attending two required trainings.  

Candidates must:  

• Have demonstrated content area, grade level, instructional experience and effectiveness;
• Be detail-oriented and demonstrate a rich understanding of Tennessee’s academic 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 three-week scoring window;
• Commit to confidentiality; and
• 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 p.m. CT, March 25, 2026. 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 deadline to complete TEM New Observer Certification is Tuesday, March 31.  New Observers can complete certification through the Canvas Self-Paced course. Course numbers and date information can be found ​​​​​​​HERE​​​​​​​.   

For questions or support, please reach out to eps@scsk12.org. 

The NIE End-of-Year Conference container is now open in PLZ! The deadlines to complete ALL NIE End-Of-Year Conferences are as follows:

• School-Based – May 15
• Central Office – June 12

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:   

The Goal Setting Conference AND the Mid-Year Conference should be completed in its entirety BEFORE completing the End-of-Year Conference in PLZ.

• The Mid-Year Conference is NOT required for NIE Partial plans and will not appear as a container to complete.

Questions? Please reach out to eps@scsk12.org.

The deadline to certify as an NIE Evaluator for the 2025-2026 school year is April 10! New NIE Evaluators can request access to the Self-Paced Canvas course by registering in PLZ for course #48336. 

For questions or support, please reach out to eps@scsk12.org. 

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 Initial certification is from June 2, 2025 to March 31, 2026, 5 p.m. 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.

​**All TEAM Evaluator completion certificates should be forwarded to Employee Performance & Support via email: EPS@scsk12.org.

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

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

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

Attention Principals and Visionary Leadership Teams!

As we move into the final stretch of the academic year, the stakes for leadership excellence have never been higher. We are not just maintaining; we are elevating. We are thrilled to invite you to our Final March Leadership Lab, a high-stakes opportunity specifically designed to sharpen your operational precision and strengthen your school’s culture.

This month, we are moving beyond theory into Actionable Mastery. Our final session focuses on a vital system that protects your instructional core: Advanced Collaborative Discipline.

🗓️ The Grand Finale: PLZ Registration

The momentum doesn’t stop! Secure your team’s spots now to ensure your leadership remains at the forefront of district innovation.

Why This Session Matters Now:

• Resolve Complexity: Turn student behavior challenges into opportunities for restoration and growth using high-leverage district tools and collaborative support.
• Protect the Core: Ensure your instructional environment remains focused and productive by mastering the systems that manage complex behavioral dynamics.

Don’t just lead; pioneer. Log into PLZ today to register your team and continue our collective journey toward instructional and operational excellence.

Performance and Leadership Development 

Empowering Leaders. Transforming Schools.

The MSCS Compass Monthly Newsletter has a new format. You can find it and all archived editions here.

As part of the monthly newsletter, the DAIM team has started publishing a new Empowering Your Data Story report to promote Power BI usage. This report highlights schools that go above and beyond in their use of Power BI and the MSCS Compass. You can find more information about this campaign here.

Empowering Your Data Story: February Winners

• Top School Overall: Lucy Elementary
• Top K8/Middle School: Cummings School
• Top High School: Melrose High

You can also see pictures of recipients, with their awards, on our Hall of Fame page.

Report Updates:

• Data for the 6th 20-Day period is available in the Show Up for Greatness report. The 6th 20-Day period ended March 10, with data available on March 11. This was due to schools being out two weeks due to inclement weather. Click here to see the user guide for this report.
   
• Student Enrollment has been updated to include Date of Birth and Age columns in the Overview, Raw Data, and Enrollment Details reports. Click here to see the Enrollment user guides.
   
• Performance Matters performance and participation reports are in the Student Assessment dashboard. You can use these reports to track participation and results for the Spring window. Click here to see the user guides. Performance Matters data can also be found in the Student Snapshot, School Snapshot, and Feeder Pattern dashboards.
   
• Updated data in the Digital Citizenship Completion Report is populating for the extended window. Until the Friday, March 13,  deadline, the dashboard will update twice daily - at 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to fully update. After the deadline, the dashboard will go back to updating once a day. Alternative Schools can now track compliance for students who have been remanded/expelled. Click here for the user guide.
   
• The MSCS Compass Usage Dashboard is now available. This dashboard can be used to see how often dashboards and reports within the MSCS Compass are being used by schools and district staff. Click here for the user guide.
   
• Advanced Course Scheduling has been updated to include new student subgroup filtering in all reports and some reports have been modified to consolidate data tables. The All Data page has been renamed Raw Data, to keep consistent with other dashboards. A District Quick Report for aggregated metrics has been added. And Pre-ACT and Spring TVAAS results for AP and ACT Probability of Success data have been added. Click here to see the Advanced Course Scheduling user guides.
   
• Data for the 6th 20-Day period is available in the Show Up for Greatness report. The 6th 20-Day period ended March 10, with data available on March 11. This was due to schools being out two weeks due to inclement weather. Click here to see the user guide for this report.
   
• You can use the reports in the MSCS Compass to easily pull a list of Overage for Grade students. Check out this user guide for more details.

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Upcoming Training Sessions:

No Virtual Office Hours this week (March 17 and March 19) because of Spring Break. We’ll also be off the following week (March 24 and March 26) for LDW. 

We will be back on March 31 and April 2 with a review of RTI2-A EWS and Universal Screener Reports.

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

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Each month, we will have a training session on the High School Progress Dashboard (Course Code 49628 in PLZ) and on the Student Discipline Dashboard (Course Code 49629 in PLZ). Sign up today!

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Check out our Training Calendar for all upcoming District Trainings.

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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.   

VOLUNTARY TRANSFER PERIOD for the 2025-2026 SY

The MSCS Department of Human Resources is pleased to officially open the Voluntary Transfer Period from Monday, April 20 through Friday, May 8 for certified and classified staff.

Internal staff will be able to apply to transfer to any vacant positions posted for iZone and Priority schools beginning Monday, April 20 through Friday, April 24.

All other positions will be posted on April 27. Once an internal candidate accepts a position, they can no longer apply to open positions.

Permit Teachers: Teachers holding a permit are not eligible for voluntary transfer.

Certified Employees: Certified employees who are interested in transferring to a new location or position for which they qualify may apply for vacant positions during the voluntary transfer period. The effective date of accepted transfers will be the first day of the 2026-27 school year.

Classified Employees: Classified school-based employees who are interested in transferring to a new location or position for which they qualify may apply for vacant positions during the voluntary transfer period. The effective date of accepted transfers will be the first day of the 2026-27 school year.

*Please be advised that once you accept a lateral transfer during the 2025-2026 Internal Transfer Period, it is a commitment for the 2026-2027 school year. You will not be able to be considered for a transfer to another position/location during the current transfer period.

2025-2026 School Year Transfer Period Timeline

• iZone/Priority Schools Positions Post: April 20-24, 2026
• All School Voluntary Transfer Period: April 27-May 8, 2026
• Transfer period ends May 8 for all schools

Greetings Principals,

We are excited to launch our annual Summer Learning Academy, which will provide engaging enrichment opportunities for 9,000 students in grades K–8. Through this program, elementary and middle school students will strengthen their skills and explore new interests with enriching instruction in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Art, Physical Education, and STEM.

To support accurate enrollment and appropriate staffing, parents should complete the enrollment process for their students whenever possible. In situations where a school needs to assist with enrollment, staff must first confirm that the parent has agreed to the student’s participation in the academy.

Please help share this valuable learning opportunity with your families using your school’s communication platforms. Our goal is to fill all 9,000 seats and ensure students can benefit from this exceptional educational experience. A flyer is included below and may be distributed through all parent communication channels.

Summer Learning Academy Elementary & Middle:

• Academy Dates: June 1, 2026 - June 29, 2026
• Third Grade Make-Up Dates: June 30, 2026 – July 1, 2026
• Academic Day: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. or 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• General Registration Dates: March 30, 2026-April 24, 2026
• Student Registration Link: https://scsssla.org/summerlearningacademy
• Locations: SLA 2026 Sites with Feeder Schools.xlsx
• Flyers: English Registration Flyer 2026.png SPA SLA Registration Flyer 2026.png
• Transportation will be offered to qualified students.
• Before & After care will be available through the YMCA of Memphis.

**NEW** Rising 6th-grade students will now attend a middle school SLA program, providing a valuable opportunity to build confidence, strengthen academic skills, and prepare for a successful transition to middle school.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Stephanie McClain at mcclainsl@scsk12.org.

Greetings Elementary and K-8 Principals,

Current third-grade students identified as at-risk for retention based on the i-Ready Winter Diagnostic will be automatically enrolled in Summer Learning Academy. Per state law, students who are required to attend SLA must maintain a minimum attendance rate of 90 percent. This requirement is expected to impact approximately 3,000 students, although the final number may vary based on exemptions and other determining factors.

Parents and guardians will be notified of their child’s automatic enrollment through multiple communication methods, including letters, email, phone, and text messages, prior to auto-enrollment. Families with questions are encouraged to contact their child’s school or the Office of Extended Learning for additional information.

Please see the Summer Learning Academy key dates and information below.

Summer Learning Academy

• Third Grade Auto Enrollment: March 27, 2026
• General Registration: March 30, 2026 -April 24, 2026
• June 1, 2026- June 29, 2026 (Holiday: June 19, 2026)
• 44 Locations across Memphis & Shelby County
• SLA 2026 Sites with Feeder Schools.xlsx
• Times: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. or 9 a.m.-4 p.m., depending on location

If you have any questions, feel free to email Stephanie McClain at mcclainsl@scsk12.org or Gabrielle M. Santa Cruze at larkingm@scsk12.org.

To ensure senior fees for homeless students are paid in a timely manner, please submit a letter on your school's letterhead to Dr. Ball-Johnson ASAP, including the following information:

*Name

*Student ID number

*Itemized school fees (cap/gown, diploma cover, transportation)

*Graduation Date

*Signature of Requestor 

*Date of Request

*FAFSA Date 

You will find a sample letter attached to this email that should include the information outlined above. The letter should be written on your school's letterhead and sent as an attachment to an email addressed to Dr. Ball-Johnson at ballkf@scsk12.org. Please include "Senior Fees" in the subject line of the email.

If you have any additional follow-up questions, reach out to Dr. Ball-Johnson at ballkf@scsk12.org or 901-416-7393. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Free Student Health Screenings

Free health screenings will be provided at schools for all students. The screenings will include:

• Height and Weight
• Vision
• Hearing
• Blood Pressure
• Scoliosis

Parents who wish for their child to participate must scan the QR code on the flyer to complete the sign-up process. 

Health Screening Flyer: English&Spanish Consent Flyer.pdf

Health Screening Calendar: Semester 2 Principal Screening Schedule 25-26.xlsx

Immunizations

ShotRX is partnering with schools to provide required immunizations for students. Parents may register their child by scanning the QR code provided on the flyer. Upon completion of registration, ShotRX will coordinate with the school to schedule an onsite immunization date.

ShotRX Flyer: ShotRx English and Spanish flyer.pdf

School- Based Health Clinics

MSCS provides access to two school-based health clinics available to all students. These clinics are located at East High School and Sheffield CTC and operate Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

School-Based Health Clinic Flyer: SBC English and Spanish Flyer with QR Code.pdf

School-Based Health Clinic Spring Break Flyer: MSCS Spring Break Flyer 2026.pdf

School- Based Health Clinic Sports Physical Flyer: SBC Sports Physical Flyer.pdf

School-Based Health Clinic Flu Shot Flyer: SBC Flu Shot Flyer 25-26.pdf

Promoting free health screenings to students is essential to supporting student success and family well-being.

Decline in School Health Screening: Decline in Health Screenings.pdf

Please view Immunization Plan with updated data as of February 20, 2026.

Immunization Plan 2025-2026: Immunizations Report 2.27.pdf

Medication Training Information: Medication Training 2.27.pdf

Physical Activity Compliance:

As communicated through the CUFD, the Physical Activity Compliance Report from the Department of Education will be open in ePlan from January 26 through March 13. Building principals are responsible for submitting data for their school related to the integration of K-12 physical activity integration into the academic school day as well as physical education requirements for elementary students.

Guidance for completing this brief report is available on the ePlan homepage, as well as user access forms should you not have access to our district, and a link to office hours every Tuesday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. CST, 10:30-11:30 a.m. EST.

Physical Activity Compliance Report: PA Compliance Report 2.27.pdf

Physical Activity Compliance Guidance: FY26 PA Compliance Guidance Principals.pdf

Physical Activity ePlan User Access: ePlan User Access_PAComp_2026_Principals.pdf

CDC School Health Profiles questionnaires:

The CDC School Health Profiles questionnaires will arrive via inter-office mail in the first week of March. These surveys monitor school health policies and practices and are conducted every two years by the CDC. You will receive: 1 Principal Questionnaire and 1 Lead Health Education Teacher Questionnaire. Profiles collect information on health education, PE, nutrition policies, safety, and student wellness. Important: Return all completed forms to Denise Garrison by April 15, 2026.