Tunica County schools in tumult
Supt. quits as takeover by state looms
Little Wendy Edwards works to keep with up with her mother Sophie and Hank, their rescue dog, while on a stroll around Rainbow Lake in Overton Park. The Midtown residents say they frequently visit the park and enjoy its amenities, “We’ve been coming for years, and it keeps getting better and better,” Sophie Edwards says of the 342-acre public park in the heart of Memphis.
Associated Press
Tunica County school Supt. Steven Chandler resigned Thursday as Mississippi officials moved to take over the district.
State officials will consider declaring an emergency in the 2,200-student district next week, after issuing an audit finding the district isn’t complying with 25 of 31 state accreditation standards.
If the state Board of Education seeks a state of emergency Wednesday and Gov. Phil Bryant approves, officials would appoint a conservator to take the place of a superintendent and depose the district’s current board.
Chandler, elected four years ago at age 26, didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment on his resignation. In a letter to Tunica County Circuit Clerk Sharon Reynolds, he didn’t mention the accreditation problems.
Tunica County was under state conservatorship from 1997 to 2002. The district’s academic performance has been rated D or F in four of the past five years. The Accrediting Commission put Tunica County on probation in October, and state Department of Education officials say they launched the investigation following local complaints.
The 171-page audit, dated May 13, criticized Chandler and school board members.
“The superintendent’s management style favors intimidation and retaliation,” the report stated.
The report criticized Chandler for never reporting to the state an alleged rape at Rosa Fort High School in 2014. The district has also faced criticism over a sexual harassment case. Last month, personal student data, including health and discipline records, were posted openly on the district’s website.
If the state takes over, Tunica County would change from an elected to appointed superintendent when it returns to local control.
The audit raised concerns that board members were improperly interfering in day-to-day administration. Board Chairwoman Tomaka Henderson-Cotton asked the sheriff to remove a school resource officer after the officer wrote a letter critical of Chandler and Henderson-Cotton to a newspaper. The report also criticized a four-day retreat that cost $27,000. The audit also found:
Extensive problems with the district’s special education program.
Some teachers have no license on file, and the district relies on long-term substitutes because teachers resigned during the school year.
Records to show if some 2014 graduates passed required tests are missing.
Middle school students received no grades for the first nine weeks of 2014-15.
Cafeteria employees ordered extra food that couldn’t be accounted for, even as the school lunch program was running a $300,000 deficit. The district said it would change locks and install cameras.
Authorities are searching for a former lieutenant with the Memphis Police Department who has not turned himself in after being indicted, officials said.
Mike McCord, who resigned after being charged with embezzlement in February, was supposed to surrender earlier this week but failed to do so, officials said. He has been indicted on two counts of official misconduct as well as theft between $1,000 and $10,000.
McCord, who joined MPD in 1990, was relieved of duty with pay on Feb. 5, police said, for an embezzlement investigation. He retired a few days later. Memphis police have refused to release any more information on the case and have denied public-records requests for the case file.
McCord’s personnel files show that he’s had at least 22 accusations filed against him during his 25 years on the force. During his time as an officer, McCord has been accused of taking part in two separate thefts from suspects, excessive force, discourtesy, racial slurs, vandalism, falsifying records and giving away a gun he took from a suspect in an arrest. Four of those complaints resulted in disciplinary action. Michael McCord