Shelby County Schools to Reopen Classrooms

Two weeks after Superintendent Joris Ray delayed reopening classrooms indefinitely, he announced students can begin returning to Memphis schools on March 1st.

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade can return to classrooms first, on March 1st, with sixth through 12th graders returning a week later on March 8th. The new timeline means that parents can contact their school if they want to change to in-person learning. Parents who choose to continue learning from home can still do that.

Ray is urging all teachers to return to classrooms by February 22nd and will offer a $1,000 bonus for certified educators and $500 for other school-based employees.

The superintendent told reporters Friday that he does not know when Memphis teachers will be able to begin receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, even though he said district leaders have “pleaded with health officials and state leaders for months to prioritize vaccinations for teachers and SCS employees.” Federal guidelines released Friday said schools don’t need to wait for staff to be vaccinated to reopen.

Read more: https://www.memphisflyer.com/NewsBlog/archives/2021/02/12/chalkbeat-shelby-county-schools-to-reopen-classrooms