He will appear before the council's Education Committee at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

And Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton is holding a celebration in his honor Thursday at 5:30 in the Hall of Mayors.

Thursday is also when MCS and the city head back to court in their lawsuit over the council's decision to cut $66.2 million in property tax revenue from the school district's budget.

Memphis has a way of welcoming people by throwing them in the fire, and Cash's case is no different. His first task is to help the district battle through losing $66.2 million for the fiscal year that starts today.

But the former Martha's Vineyard school leader told reporters Monday night he was up for the task.

Now on to the part many of you have been bugging me about for weeks (and I, in turn, have bugged the MCS lawyers about for weeks).

How much money is he getting?

Assuming his $258,000 base salary went unchanged, Cash would make $ 1,032,000 over the next four years.

But there's more, including a minimum 2.5 percent salary increase every July 1.

He also gets:

• $1,500 per month for the next 6 months in housing allowance
• $10,000 in moving expenses
• $6,000 a year in auto allowance (in addition to use of a district-owned car)
• $10,000 annually in tax sheltered annuities--Cash wouldn't be eligible for Tennessee's state retiree plan unless he serves a fifth year as superintendent.
• a $500,000 life insurance policy

He must give the board 60 days notice if he decides to leave the district, same as in former Superintendent Carol Johnson's contract. If for some unforseen reason he decides to leave by January, he must repay 50 percent of all relocation and housing expenses paid by the district.

But that seems like a far off possibility at the moment. Cash will spend the balance of this short holiday week meeting with district staffers and asking them a list of 60 questions about the district. The answers he does--or does not--get to those questions will help him forumulate a plan for reorganizing the district's much-maligned central office administration.

Next week, Cash will be focused on external relations, meeting with several media representatives, including The Commercial Appeal's editorial board.

The Memphis Board of Education will host a public welcome reception for him Monday at the Teaching and Learning Center, 2485 Union, from 4 to 5 p.m.

Memphis mayor Willie Herenton on Tuesday asked that the City Council to draft a referendum to be put on the November ballot that would allow citizens to say whether they support the city mayor appointing the Memphis City Schools superintendent and school board. Herenton, rebuffing claims that his proposal was a “power grab,” requested that the referendum state that the changes would not take place until 2012, when he is out of office.

“This isn’t about Willie Herenton,” he said.  “I fundamentally believe we can do better with the governance of the Memphis City School system.”

Herenton has proposed creating a mayoral-controlled school board and superintendent several times, most recently in January. The former MCS superintendent made his most recent call during a Monday press conference in the Hall of Mayors.

State law requires all school boards be elected and gives boards sole authority to appoint superintendents. Attempts to change this 1992 law have routinely failed in the General Assembly.

Councilman Bill Morrison rebuffed Herenton’s proposal Tuesday.

“The city of Memphis needs to get out of the education business, not deeper into it,” he said. . “We do not need to appoint a school board or superintendent.”

City Council Atty. Allan Wade said that went Chattanooga stopped funding its city school district, the county picked it up.

State election coordinator Brook Thompson told The Commercial Appeal on Monday his office would have to research whether such a referendum is allowed under Tennessee law. "Generally speaking, you have to have statutory authority to have a city referendum," he said.

In 2003, responding to a request from Herenton, Thompson said that it's up to the school board to call for a referendum on abolishing the city school system.

Memphis City Schools is a special school district with its own charter separate from the city’s.

According to a legal opinion written for the school board by attorney Ernest Kelly, creating a city-run school district would require a combination of a two-thirds majority referendum vote giving the city the power to levy taxes for schools, and a simple-majority referendum vote that the school board surrender its charter.

Board members and school officials said Monday they see no need to change the district's structure. Research doesn't show appointed boards produce better academic results, said board member Martavius Jones.

An indignant interim Supt. Dan Ward told reporters at a Monday press conference he’s tired of hearing weary of blanket statements maligning the school system he’s served for 36 years.

"You've been hearing about waste and mismanagement and inefficiencies in the school system. If you know of any, just call us. We'd be happy to tackle it," he said. "If you don't know of any, put down the epithets."

Board president Tomeka Hart agreed, saying the district is focused on creating better accountability in the wake of operations scandals.

"You get criticized for making changes. (Ward's) made the changes that need to be made."

--Amos Maki and Dakarai I. Aarons

]]> http://commercialappealblogs.com/cityschools/2008/06/17/herenton-to-council-lets-pursue-schools-referendum/feed/ http://commercialappealblogs.com/cityschools/2008/06/17/the-domino-effect-mcs-federal-funding-at-risk/ http://commercialappealblogs.com/cityschools/2008/06/17/the-domino-effect-mcs-federal-funding-at-risk/#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:00:58 +0000 Dakarai Aarons http://commercialappealblogs.com/cityschools/?p=31 Memphis City Schools officials keep getting bad news these days when it comes to their funding for the new fiscal year, which is just two weeks away.

The district could lose about $70 million in federal funding it uses to help students and schools make the grade for No Child Left Behind.

Aubrey Bond, MCS executive director for federal programs and grants, said federal regulations require a local school district to be in compliance with its state education department to receive the funds.

If the City Council follows through with its $66.2 million cut to city schools' operating budget tomorrow, it will put the district out of compliance with the Tennessee Department of Education and will result in the department withholding MCS' $423 million allocation starting Oct. 1

That money is used to provide additional staff to schools where coaches help guide teachers in teaching math, science and literacy skills.  New classroom computers and software that helps kids learn, like the new Stanford Math computer program the district used this year, are also purchased from that money.

Board members were hesitant Monday night during a capital investments committee meeting to approve any new spending in light of the district's fluid funding situation. They grilled staffers about purchases with a tenacity not seen since shortly after the Central Nutrition Center scandal broke last fall.

District staff, parents and board members will be present during the council's 3:30 p.m. meeting today to see if it decides to take up the budget issue again. If not, a lawsuit against the council is forthcoming, possibly before week's end.

School officials are holding a press conference this afternoon to decry the loss of approximately $66 million of the $93.5 million they were anticipating next year and discuss an emergency budget plan that includes a 10 percent across the board cut in department budgets.

The significant reduction in school funding allowed the council to absorb an overall increase in city government spending of more than $30 million while decreasing the property tax rate by 18 cents.

Board members and district staffers say the cuts will affect the classroom and require the reduction and elimination of several programs, including adult education and driver's education. Students would have fewer librarians and counselors to help them this August as well under the new plan.

Board members have told their general counsel to sue the city if it doesn't change its mind. And the district may also file suit against the state to prevent it from withholding $423 million in state funding as a result of the council's action.

Taxpayers could find their money going to government entities battling each other in court all summer and well into the fall.

Is the property tax break is worth the current confusion and potential lawsuits?

Should the city of Memphis keep funding education or stand its ground?

Or is there another solution policymakers haven't thought of yet?

Let us know what you think.

The new fiscal year starts in two weeks, and both board members and administrative staff have no idea how much money the school district will have next year--or even if it will have enough to keep operating after doors open for students Aug. 11.

First, the City Council voted to lower the tax rate for education, which means the district will get $20.2 million of the $93.5 million it was expecting next year. The Tennessee Department of Education believes the council's action is illegal, and will start witholding the district's $423 million in state funding on Oct. 1 if MCS can't produce a balanced budget that includes a maintained level of funding from both the council and the Shelby County Commission.

The Memphis Board of Education met last night in a rare Friday session to address the issue and voted to sue the council if it doesn't reconsider its stance. The board said it is also willing to sue the state to avoid losing such funding.

Meanwhile, top district officials are at work today preparing a media campaign for the upcoming week that will detail some how losing this money could impact not only the district also the city.

For example, if the state cuts funding, more than 16,000 Memphians will lose their health and life insurance. That's because MCS, like most large employers, has self-funded insurance.

Council members are also sharing their thoughts. Veteran councilman Myron Lowery sent this e-mail late last night:

The “State to Schools: Recover or Suffer” article in today’s Commercial Appeal raises many questions.

I believe its time for the Memphis City School Board to host a meeting with the Tennessee Department of Education, the Shelby County Commission, Memphis City Council, the Governor, and our City and County Mayors.

The Memphis School Board has been caught in the middle of discussions with its major funding sources and its time that we all meet together to resolve these extremely important issues.

]]> http://commercialappealblogs.com/cityschools/2008/06/14/funding-woes-continue-for-mcs/feed/ http://commercialappealblogs.com/cityschools/2008/06/12/around-the-web/ http://commercialappealblogs.com/cityschools/2008/06/12/around-the-web/#comments Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:47:40 +0000 Dakarai Aarons http://commercialappealblogs.com/cityschools/?p=28 Much is being said and written these days about Kriner Cash and the Memphis Board of Education's decision to pick him as superintendent.

The Tri-State Defender's Tony Nichelson wrote a column saying Memphis showed a lack of class during the superintendent search and needs to support Dr. Cash now that he's been appointed.

http://tri-statedefenderonline.com/articlelive/articles/2896/1/While-the-finalist-showed-some-class-the-city-showed-its/Page1.html

The Commercial Appeal and most of the local TV stations have polls asking if the board made the right choice.

More have voted for than against Cash. You can take our poll here: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jun/12/cash-already-rolls-up-sleeves/

And Mediaverse noted (as The CA did) that Cash was pretty clear Tuesday night he wasn't going to Cincinnati, but broadcast outlets didn't portray it that way on their 10 p.m. newscasts. http://mediaverse-memphis.blogspot.com/2008/06/on-memphis-city-schools-cash-in-hand.html

Cash, who was selected last night as the new superintendent of Memphis City Schools, withdrew today from the superintendent races in Cincinnati and Waltham, Mass. He was a finalist for the top schools job in both places and had been scheduled to interview in Cincinnati this evening.

Cash said he's already working with MCS officials on negotiating his contract and doesn't expect any major obstacles to getting one signed and having him in the superintendent seat by July 1.

For more on Cash's plans for Memphis City Schools, check tomorrow's editions of The Commercial Appeal and comemrcialappeal.com

After the challenges of the past year, it's safe to say the whole community is ready for fresh and permanent leadership to take the reins of Tennessee's largest school district.

The Memphis Board of Education meets at 5:30 today to select a new leader.

Will it be Kriner Cash or Nick Gledich?

Word on the street seems to be that Cash has the upper hand after his passionate and commanding performance last week. He certainly has the vote of board member Kenneth Whalum Jr., as you can see in my story today.

Our colleagues at the Smart City Memphis blog have written an impassioned post about today's selection and the promise the future holds for Memphis City Schools.

The new leader has some immediate concerns to deal with, so board members are relieved the process is coming to a close and excited by the prospect of having a new partner on board to help them reform MCS.

Stay with the MCS beat blog throughout the day for the latest news on the Memphis City Schools Superintendent search.

Cash was one of five finalists selected last night by the Cincinnati school board, which is looking for a replacement for its retiring superintendent and hopes to have a new person in place by the end of the month.

Before joining Miami-Dade County Schools in 2004, Cash spent nearly 10 years as superintendetnt in Martha's Vineyard.

During an interview with The Memphis Board of Education Wednesday morning, Cash affirmed that he's most interested in the Memphis City Schools job. Under his leadership, he believes the district could win the Broad Prize for Urban Education in about three years.

Cash is also a finalist for the superintendency of the Waltham (Mass.) school district.

Memphians get to take a crack at Cash and fellow finalist Dr. Nicholas Gledich tonight in the Board Auditorium from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Memphis Board of Education will select a superintendent next Tuesday, June 10.