by Makayla Davis
Memphis-Shelby County Schools are searching for another permanent superintendent after a 6-3 vote by school board members ousted the latest superintendent, Dr. Marie Feagins. Her 9-month stint as Superintendent of MSCS was short, but this decision was unsurprising as consistent disagreements between the school board and former superintendent were highly publicized.
But nobody wins when the family feuds.
Disagreements over the alleged misuse of overtime wages, miscommunication over donations to the district, a missed deadline for federal grant funding, and interference with the Formative Assessment RFP process led to Feagins' dismissal. But was termination the best approach to rectifying her actions?
Memphians say it's not.
"Give Dr. Feagins and our school administrators and educators 365 days from graduation day 2025 as a baseline for graduation rates, dropout rates, and literacy rates. If they have not improved across the board on graduation day 2026, then fire the superintendent and resign yourselves."
These were the words of New Olivet Worship Center Pastor Kenneth T. Whalum Jr. during the January 21st meeting. Though Feagin's tenure was short, the MSCS newsroom reported improvements in literacy, graduation, and attendance rates for the district during her stint.
She's ousted, so what now?
Feagins' four-year contractual agreement had a salary of $325,000 per year. The ultimate decision to terminate Feagins' contract, with cause, left the former superintendent without the option of collecting a severance package for her termination and pursuing legal actions.
What will a legal battle with Feagins look like for the district?
A legal battle with Feagins could cost the district millions. With costly legal fees and a hefty payout. And where does that money come from? You guessed it, taxpayer dollars! Another superintendent search will cost money that could be used to improve student success in the district.
On average, a superintendent search costs roughly $40,000 to $100,000. But there's more to consider than just a superintendent search. The 2024 Memphis Poverty Report shows that 36.3 percent of Memphis youth under 18 are living below the poverty line, which is higher than the city's overall poverty rate of 22.6 percent.
According to the Hechinger Report, "just 11 out of 78 superintendents in the nation's urban school districts have been in their jobs since 2020." During the January board meeting, the district rejected more than a superintendent; they rejected a woman who wanted this job and was providing results for the district—results that this district desperately needs to keep from a state takeover.
Again, nobody wins when the family feuds.
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