MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Elected officials, parents, educators, and community advocates gathered on Monday in opposition to a state bill that would allow a state takeover of Memphis Shelby County Schools.

County Commissioner Caswell, multiple school board members, and other elected officials and advocates were in attendance.

According to a press release, HB 0662 allows the Commissioner of Education to seize control of districts meeting arbitrary performance criteria, replacing locally elected school boards with a state-appointed Board of Managers for at least four years.

“This bill is an attack on democracy,” said Shelby County Commissioner Charlie Caswell. “Our schools belong to our communities, and decisions about our children’s education should be made by the people who know them best: parents, teachers, and locally elected leaders.”

One of the six board members who voted to terminate Feagins made an appearance at the event, but school board member Amber Huett-Garcia made it clear that, though the others were not present, the board is on the same page and united in the effort to avoid a state takeover.

“This is beyond any recent decisions that we’ve made. This is about control,” said Huett-Garcia.

Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) says his proposal would create a “nine-member board” over the next couple of years.

School board members are asking the state to work with the board to improve the district instead of attempting to take it over. This comes after what some call a controversial move by the MSCS board to fire its superintendent, Dr. Marie Feagins.

All three members of the board who voted against Feagins’ termination spoke at the event. Board member Michelle McKissack noted the three of them wanted to make clear to the state that, despite the vote that took place, they are not in support of what the state is proposing.

“As a board, we still stand with moving forward as a board, as an elected board by the people,” said McKissack.

The bill would allow a state-appointed board to take over for four to six years. The school board made its stance on the matter clear, stating that the power should belong to the people of Memphis and Shelby County during elections.

“We as a board may not agree, we definitely don’t agree on all of our decisions. But we do not think that the best decision right now is to come in and have a completely new board that is appointed by the state to be the voice of the people,” said McKissack. “It just doesn’t work that way. That’s what our democratic society is all about — to be elected by the people and they make the decision on how they want to keep us or not at the next election.”

Garcia described the bill as “extreme” and stated that the possibility of the state taking the reins is “frightening.”

“This is so much bigger than us… There is nothing that stops some form of legislation that starts doing this to city councils, starts doing this to county commissions. That’s how you erode a democracy,” said Garcia. “I find it frightening that we are willing to give up power.”

She agreed that instead of cleaning house and allowing an appointed board to take over, voters should wait for the next election cycle to decide for themselves.

Later Monday, an advocacy group also spoke out against the bill.

“Admittedly we might need a makeover, but we do not need a takeover,” said Bishop Linwood Dillard, citadel of deliverance church of God.