Hopson became the interim superintendent in Shelby County, Tenn., in 2013 after the Memphis City School system merged with Shelby County schools. That merger then led six suburban communities to break away from the merged school system to form their own school districts.
Since 2000, 47 communities have splintered away from their school districts to form new ones, according to a new report from EdBuild. And in some states, its surprisingly easy to form a new school district.
With the Council of the Great City Schools now in its 60th year, urban school leaders say the depth of its staff's expertise, the organization's effectiveness in advocating on their behalf, and the sense of camaraderie they feel being part of the group are unmatched elsewhere.
Malika Anderson, the Achievement School District's current deputy superintendent, is a graduate of the Broad Foundation's Residency in Urban Education.
In the lawsuit, the district, which includes the city of Memphis, accuses the state of withholding funds and disproportionately hurting children in impoverished areas.
The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools report comes as public debate rages over the Louisiana Recovery School District's takeover of most of New Orleans' schools after Hurricane Katrina.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal's Opportunity School District legislation would give the state the power to seize control of low-performing schools, convert them into charter campuses or shut them down altogether.
Citing health concerns and a need for fresh leadership, Achievement School District Superintendent Chris Barbic says he's "leaving confident that Tennessee's schools are better off today than when we began."
Memphis-area suburban communities moved to form their own school districts in the wake of the merger of the Shelby County, Tenn., district with the financially-strapped city school system in 2011.
A year after merging the Memphis district and the neighboring Shelby County schools, education leaders are struggling with several aspects of improving the consolidated system for the benefit of all students and families.
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