We, the educators of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, need the Shelby County Board of Commissioners to pass a budget that demonstrates a commitment to public school educators. We call for the following three priorities in the budget for the 23-2024 school year.

1. Education Support Professionals have been our essential workers but have not received the respect or compensation they deserve. Our schools cannot operate without them, so show them they are valued by paying them a one-time $3000 stipend.
2. Mental health professionals must be placed on their own salary schedule that reflects their years of experience and levels of education. They currently do not have a salary schedule at all.
3. Additional funding to be earmarked to create a $50,000 starting salary and to meaningfully compensate teachers for their experience and levels of education. Educators have not received a raise that matches the rate of inflation for years.

Our Memphis Shelby County Schools and Shelby County have healthy fund balances that have only been growing the past five years. It is your responsibility to spend our public dollars in the service of our families and community. To best support our students, we need you – the Shelby County Board of Commissioners – to support MSCS educators.