 | More Layoffs for Unified School District
More than 900 employees were fired last week. There will be 200 more people losing their jobs next week. Superintendent Dorsey Hopson said the cuts are across the board and they're happening fast.  Watch Video
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 | Shelby County Teachers Relieved over Payroll Change
Last week, Unified School District administrators notified employees about missing a paycheck. This came about as Memphis and Shelby County Schools are getting on the same payroll schedule. Teachers said they knew if enough noise was made they would bring about change, and now they couldn't be happier. Watch Video
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 | Unified School Board Member Speaks Out on Payroll Debacle
Missing paychecks are upsetting a lot of teachers. Unified school district administrators continue to scramble for ways to help employees transition to a new payroll system.
Watch Video
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 | Shelby County Teacher Paycheck Delay Sparks Firestorm
Are the inmates running the asylum? That's what one Shelby County School Board member is wondering after school leaders announced Shelby County teachers would have to go a month without being paid. Watch Video
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 | Merging School Payrolls Leaves Employees without Paychecks
More than 5,000 Shelby County school employees face a month without a paycheck while the accounting systems of the two districts are merged. Watch Video
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 | Unified Schools Superintendent Devises Merged Payroll Solution
Dorsey Hopson, Interim Superintendent for the merged Memphis/Shelby County school district, notified employees Monday of a "workable" solution to prevent teachers from missing a paycheck.
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 | Memphis Pre-K Teachers Spared from School Board's Chopping Block
The 300 plus teachers are thankful to still have a job, but they're now facing another obstacle. If classes aren't filled, the board may take that funding away again and they'll be back to square one. Watch Video
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 | No Changes to Dress Code in Merged School System
The buzz continues over the Unified School Board's decision regarding school uniforms. Watch Video
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 | Can You Hear Me Now? School Board Adopts New Cell Phone Policy
Students will have one more thing to pack when they head back to school in August, after the Unified School Board voted Tuesday night to allow students to bring cell phones to school, albeit with restrictions. Watch Video
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| School Policies Under Review for Merged System
The three year plan to merge Memphis and Shelby County schools is in the home stretch. Members of the Unified School Board are getting ready to deal with procedures and policies, since they were different in both systems. Watch Video
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 | Unified School Board Rejects Union Representation
Recognizing existing labor unions as representative of employees was shot down by countywide school board members on Tuesday.
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 | Memphis Teachers in Limbo as Merger Deadline Approaches
300 local teachers have no idea where they're going to work this school year, according to the head of the Memphis teacher's union. Watch Video
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 | Unified Schools Budget Presented to County Commission
The budget for the soon-to-be merged Memphis and Shelby County school systems was presented to county commissioners for the first time Wednesday. Watch Video
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| Parents Doubtful Merged Schools will be Ready
The Unified School Board takes a licking and the clock keeps on ticking. The merger of Memphis City and Shelby County Schools officially takes effect July 1st, less than a month away, and many parents think it's going to be a disaster. Watch Video
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 | Superintendent Addresses Potential 'Turf War' with Merger
The interim superintendent is concerned about student safety versus saving a dollar when it comes to the decision of whether to close 11 Memphis schools. Watch Video
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 | County Commissioners Sound Off on Teacher Surplus
Nearly 600 Memphis and Shelby County teachers are about to be unemployed, and school officials say that's 600 teachers too many. Watch Video
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| County Commission to Review Unified Schools Budget
For the Unified School System, which starts August 1, Wednesday is a critical day. This is the week that's going to determine how much money the school system gets. Watch Video
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 | Parents Frustrated with Lack of School Board Progress
Tuesday was a marathon of a meeting; they actually got a few things done. But perhaps the toughest thing this board dealt with was realizing the public opinion that they're messing this merger up big time. Watch Video
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| Unified Schools Plan Cutting at Least 97 Teachers
As the Memphis city school system is being phased out, the district is preparing to fire 97 teachers and is evaluating 46 others for possible termination.
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 | Fear of Gang Wars if Memphis High Schools Merge
The Unified School Board wants to merge George Washington Carver High School and Booker T. Washington High School to save money, but some students warn that will put their education, even their lives, at risk. Watch Video
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| Board Member: Merged Schools Won't be Ready in August
There is no way the merger of city and county schools will be complete by August, according to school board member Kenneth Whalum.
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| Unified School Board Considers Budget Amid Protests of Closures
Forget the scissors, when it comes to cutting the budget of the new Unified School System, the top administrator says you better grab the butcher knife. Watch Video
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| Commissioner Presents Options for $35M Schools Budget
The rocky road to merging Memphis and Shelby County schools is about to hit its biggest pothole. A proposed budget is out, and it shows schools will need an additional $35 million from county taxpayers to produce a balanced budget. Watch Video
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 | Fear of Turf Wars after Carver Student Attacked by Rival School
A Carver High School student was beaten up by a group of Booker T. Washington High School students as he walked home. Carver students say this is why the two schools cannot merge. Watch Video
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 | Judge to Consider Expanding Unified School Board
Judge Samuel Mays is deciding whether to expand the Unified School Board. The current 23 member board will decrease to seven by September, but Shelby County Commissioners want six more members. Watch Video
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| School Board Member Presses for Merger Delay
Federal Judge Samuel Mays will decide whether you get to vote on new Unified School Board members this year. The current 23 member board will shrink to seven in September. With all of this going on, one Unified School Board member says the whole merger needs to be delayed. Watch Video
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| Unified School Board Passes $1.18B Budget
The Unified School Board passed a $1.18 billion budget Thursday afternoon, with a slightly smaller shortfall than expected. Watch Video
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 | Students Fight to Save Their Teachers' Jobs
The Unified School District now has an approved budget of $1.18 billion and it's $30 million in the red, even with $100 million in new cuts. Unified School Board members are talking about cutting at least 50 guidance counselor jobs. A lot of them work with poor and traumatized children. Watch Video
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| Delaying School Merger would Cost Millions
There are growing calls to delay a Memphis-Shelby County unified school system, but one suburban school board member says any delay will cost tens of millions of dollars. Watch Video
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| School Head to Present "Reasonable" Unified Schools Budget
The interim head of Memphis City Schools says he's ready to let everybody know how much money the Unified School System will need. Dorsey Hopson says the budget will be given to Shelby County Commissioners next week. Watch Video
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 | Judge Mays to Appoint Court Master over Unified School Board
Federal Judge Samuel Mays is putting his foot down after Thursday night's school board fiasco. Watch Video
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| Unified Board Agrees to Outsource Custodial Work
The Unified School Board voted and agreed to outsource custodial work, affecting hundreds of jobs. Watch Video
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 | County Residency Requirement May Go to Referendum Vote
Shelby County Commissioners are on the verge of making a big decision on that will change the living conditions of more than 1,500 Memphis City Schools employees. Watch Video
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 | Shelby County Superintendent Steps Down, Board Approves Buyout
It's now a ship without a captain. Superintendent John Aitken is stepping down as head of Shelby County Schools. Watch Video
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 | Forget Seven, Merged School Board Set to Nearly Double
The Memphis-Shelby County Unified School Board has been called a lot of things. With 23 members, efficient isn't one of them. Watch Video
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| Back to Square One with Unified Superintendent Search
With no leader, what's next for the Memphis and Shelby County school merger? MCS superintendent Kriner Cash and SCS superintendent John Aitken have both resigned. For school board members looking for leadership, that August 5th deadline is fast approaching. Watch Video
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| Parents Feel Excluded from Superintendent Community Meetings
As the clock ticks closer for the Unified School District to open its doors there's still no superintendent. Although community meetings have been held to get the public's input, turnout has been low because nobody knew about them. Watch Video
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| School Board Reconsiders Custodial Bids after Questionable Background Checks
Sex offenders and rapists working as school janitors; that was part of an attack by MCS employees levied against the private company bidding to take over custodial work when city and county schools merge.
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| Parents Sound Off on Unified Schools Superintendent Search
People have been getting their chance to tell the experts what kind of school superintendent they want for the new unified system, with public meetings scheduled all day Thursday. The question is whether their suggestions will be seriously. Watch Video
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 | Harsh Words from Board Member on Looming School Merger
One of the most controversial members of the Unified School Board, Reverend Kenneth Whalum, says the board is working as quickly as it can, and argues the board's budget request isn't out of line. He also says a judge's efforts to push the merger to meet the August deadline could be devastating. Watch Video
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 | Few Show For Superintendent Search Public Meeting
As the search for a superintendent continues, the Unified School Board wants to hear from parents and the community. The problem: There were more school staff members at the meeting at East High School than parents. Watch Video
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| School Merger May be Overseen by Court Master
A federal judge received names of people who might act as the court-ordered master watching over the Memphis-Shelby County school merger. Watch Video
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 | Judge Appoints Masson as Court Master over School Board
A federal judge has appointed a special court master to complete the merger of the Memphis and Shelby County Schools.
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| Shelby Co. Schools Superintendent Considering Contract Buyout
There's another problem for the upcoming merger between Memphis City and Shelby County Schools. County School Superintendent John Aitken wants out. He is talking with members of the board to buy out his contract. Watch Video
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| Residency Ordinance to Grandfather in MCS Teachers
Teachers for Memphis City School teachers who live outside Shelby County are breathing a big sigh of relief.
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 | Teachers Union Predicts Lawsuit over Diminished Benefits
The union representing Memphis city school teachers wants to teach the Unified School Board a lesson in ABC's, with ABC standing for Another Big Controversy. Fearing premium spikes or cuts to their insurance coverage, the teachers could file yet another lawsuit in the city-county school merger case. Watch Video
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 | Pay to Play Policy to Stay for Some after School Merger
Currently middle school students in Memphis don't have to pay for athletics; in Shelby County parents have to pay out of their pockets. In August, when both systems merge, that will not change, which means a lot of parents are not happy about it. Watch Video
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| Commission Looks to Expand Unified School Board
The Shelby County Commission is back at it again. There had been a brief period of peace between members concerning the upcoming school merger, but war broke out again Wednesday morning. Watch Video
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| Merger Plan Unchanged by Hopson despite Municipal Bill
Dorsey Hopson, recently named the interim superintendent of both Memphis and Shelby County schools, said a bill advancing in Nashville wouldn't change the work being done right here in Memphis. Watch Video
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| Unified School Board Member Likens City to 'Deadbeat Dad'
He's had enough. Now a Unified School Board member is sounding off, calling the City of Memphis a "deadbeat dad" over its delay in paying city schools a nearly $60 million court-ordered judgment. Watch Video
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