MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A recent study showed Shelby County Schools’ iZone model has been making gains in the classroom.
Now officials with the iZone system said it is planning to invest money in some struggling schools outside of the iZone, possibly preparing them to join.
“Because we’ve had such success with the iZone strategies, the state has afforded us the opportunity to implement some of those strategies in potential iZone schools,” said iZone Superintendent Dr. Sharon Griffin.
The SCS School Board could okay about $666,000 to go towards other underperforming schools to possibly prepare them to join the iZone model.
The iZone is SCS’ turnaround method, designed to bring schools out of the bottom 5% in the state.
It incorporates teaching coaches, hand-picked teachers, and longer school days.
The Incubator Grant money would go towards Douglass High School, Westwood High School, and Mitchell High School.
Those schools are not in the iZone.
It would also go towards A. B. Hill Elementary, which is already in the iZone, but the district said it could use more funds.
Griffin said the high schools would round out feeder patterns for the district, because younger students, who will someday attend those high schools, are already in iZone programs.
“We are going to use that money to provide real time coaching support to teachers. We’re going to be able to go into the school and do a full assessment of the teachers and leaders in those buildings,” Griffin said.
It is an effort Douglass High School junior Deon Terrio Thomas appreciated.
He said he understands the value of coaches to help teachers.
“It’s boring to me. It’s, like, why most kids failing, because it’s not what they want to be doing,” Thomas said.
The money comes from School Improvement Grants, which is federal.
A district spokesperson said the School Board will vote Tuesday on allocating the money to these schools.
The iZone said that in a week, it will announce which schools will become part of the iZone for next school year.
