Two weeks after Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray delayed reopening classrooms indefinitely, he reluctantly announced he will require teachers to return to classrooms Feb. 22 and that students can begin returning to Memphis schools a week later.
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade can return to classrooms first, on March 1, with sixth through 12th graders returning a week later on March 8. 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.
Until now, Ray pledged that Memphis teachers would have the option to work from home whenever students return to buildings. Only about 17% of Shelby County Schools teachers chose to return, according to a survey released two months ago. District officials had planned to deploy teacher assistants and central office staff to supervise students expected to return, about one third of them.
But he reversed that stance Friday, saying “we can’t do this work without teachers.”
“We looked at every aspect to try to give teachers choice,” Ray said during a news conference. “But we need teachers to do this work effectively We want our teachers in front of our students.” To soften the blow, Ray announced Friday that he would offer a $1,000 bonus for certified educators and $500 for other school-based employees who return to buildings.