MEMPHIS, Tenn — Since the call for the possible state takeover of the MSCS school board, some Shelby County Commissioners are saying the time is right for state intervention.

 A state takeover was threatened by Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton earlier this month if Dr. Marie Feagins was fired as superintendent.

 Last Tuesday, the MSCS school board terminated Dr. Feagins’ contract.  

“I do think it is the right time. It’s nothing that I wanted to see necessarily, or really the public did,” said Mick Wright, Shelby County Commissioner. “But I think all of us are aware that something has to happen. We need some kind of intervention.”

“I think, after what we saw in the abrupt firing of Dr. Feagins, which has the community, teachers, students, everyone completely upset feeling like the rug’s been pulled out from under us, and our hope has been stolen,” said Amber Mills, Shelby County Commissioner. “I think they (state lawmakers) absolutely should look down here and look at what they can do to help.”

WREG has learned Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris was in Nashville Monday speaking with state lawmakers.

Harris recently told WREG he hopes the General Assembly will slow down their takeover efforts.

“I plan on talking to Mark White about how we all can pull back and look forward,” said Harris. “I know the feelings are raw in this community, but we’re going to have to move forward, and there’s too much at stake.”

State Representative Mark White is drafting a bill that would allow the Department of Education to create a management group to run Memphis-Shelby County Schools without oversight by the school board.

“I think that it is our obligation to see if we can intervene and change things,” said White. “It’s gotten to the point that.”

“The state has already come into Memphis and Shelby County and taken over schools (Achievement School District) and did a poor job, and we have children who’ll never recover from that,” said TN Representative G.A. Hardaway.

“You know, public has lost confidence,” said Wright. “The County Commission, by a vote has lost confidence in the School Board, so it really is time for an intervention.”

Some Memphis leaders say they’re hoping to have more talks with state lawmakers to avoid a state takeover.