Behind the Headlines Podcast · WKNO/The Daily Memphian

1622: Richmond wants to stay in charge at Memphis-Shelby County Schools

·31 min·2 clips

Richman’s stated goals are to “steady the ship,” restore “trust and transparency,” and refocus on students.

1. Behind the Headlines focuses on Memphis-Shelby County Schools and interim superintendent Roderick Richman’s attempt to stabilize the district. 2. Eric Barnes hosts, Laura Testino reports for The Daily Memphian, and Richman explains why his 32 years in the district matter. 3. The episode asks whether Richman can restore trust, manage school closures, and position himself for the permanent superintendent role. 4. Richman says he brings historical context because he chaired the merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools. 5. He says he also brings credibility from years in the district and from relationships with staff, the board, and the public. 6. Richman says his goals are to “steady the ship,” restore trust and transparency, and refocus the district on students. 7. He says the 100-day plan also emphasized governance, board relationships, academics, staff relations, operations, community engagement, and accountability. 8. He says the district’s “five A’s” are academics, attendance, attitude, athletics, and arts. 9. Laura Testino raises chronic absenteeism, which reached 31% last year, and asks whether the district can hold gains. 10. Richman says the district used “showing up for greatness,” neighborhood canvassing, and about 75 attendance liaisons to improve attendance. 11. He says the district is also examining exclusionary discipline practices, including suspensions, for their possible effect on absenteeism. 12. On enrollment, Richman says Memphis has seen in-and-out migration of 2,000 to 3,000 students over 15 to 20 years. 13. He says the district must market itself as a “district of choice” and make schools a place people “escape to rather than from.” 14. Richman says he does not want the board or schools distracted by state takeover talk or other hypotheticals. 15. He argues that returning to regionalization helps the district tailor supports to communities with different levels of poverty, houselessness, and building wear. 16. He says five school-closure proposals are part of rightsizing, including changes tied to Frayser and the planned new Frayser High School. 17. Richman says the district should not leave vacant buildings idle and should work with community and government partners on repurposing, demolition, redevelopment, or affordable housing. 18. He says the district has ordered 20 trailers for safety surveillance at buildings without students and wants to avoid blight in affected neighborhoods. 19. The discussion stays straightforward and policy-heavy, with Barnes and Testino pressing on numbers, property decisions, and board politics. 20. Listeners who follow Memphis schools, facilities, and attendance policy will get the most from this episode; casual listeners focused on entertainment may skip it.

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