As the search continues for a new Shelby County Schools superintendent, Commercial Appeal education reporter Jennifer Pignolet says one presumptive candidate is interim leader, Dr. Joris Ray.
"He doesn't want it to be temporary," says Pignolet. "He really is well liked and I think (school board members) really felt like he could do the best job of pushing the district forward, not just being a place-holder."
One crisis Ray won't have to deal with is a seemingly growing list of Shelby County charter schools failing to meet certain standards.
Some are considered non-traditional models. Another faked a class and used unlicensed teachers. At another, more than 80 percent of its student body were not proficient at English or math.
Pignolet says that while some charters have problems, others are doing well.
