Written By JR Robinson, CEO of JustMy

When it comes to public education in Memphis, opinions are strong, frustrations are real, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. To cut through the noise, I sat down with Tamarques Porter, School Board Commissioner for District 4, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what’s working, what’s broken, and what it will take to build the schools our children deserve.

“What’s Wrong with the School System?”

I started with the question on every parent’s mind: What’s wrong with our schools?

Porter didn’t sugarcoat it. “I can probably suggest what's wrong with education in general. As far as education within the school system across the United States, it’s always been viewed as miseducating low-income children,” he explained. “The way education was set up, it was only set up to educate children with money, the higher class. You had to pay for education. Public education didn’t really start until after 1635.”

He continued, “We’ve been miseducating people for a long time. That’s the problem people have in their own lives—you hear people say, ‘If I was younger, I wish I would have known this.’ That has to do with education, not just the system, but the way people have been learning for a while.”

Are Our Students Really Failing?

The headlines scream about reading scores and failing grades. I pressed Porter: Are our students not reading? Are we really doing that badly?

His answer was nuanced—and a challenge to the prevailing narrative. “No, we're actually doing good. You have seen a progression with Memphis-Shelby County Schools for the past five years. We've been to level five schools. So it's not that the children can't read. They might not be reading according to this assessment test. They might not be proficient in reading. But it's not saying they can't pick up a paper and read ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’ They can read that. It's just maybe the reading and the comprehension skills—sometimes we may not always comprehend what we read.”

He added, “Our students can read. We have to get out of this mindset of telling them they can't. They can read, but we have to provide the right tools so they can learn how to read better.”

Where Do We Stand—Really?

I wanted to know: Where does Memphis stand compared to the rest of the country? Are we behind?

Porter was honest about what he knows and doesn’t know. “I don't know where Tennessee is ranked in education across the United States. I don't know where we're ranked. But according to the Great City Council of Schools, we are the best district that can educate urban schools in Tennessee. That's according to their report.”

He’s not buying the defeatist narrative. Instead, he’s asking us to dig deeper, to look at the real numbers, and to consider the context.

What Does the Best School System Look Like?

If we want to be the best, what should we aim for? What does a top-tier school system look like?

Porter’s answer was refreshingly pragmatic. “I don't know if we can actually point to what a perfect school system looks like, because I don't know if we've ever had one. If we're judging off test scores and community support, those things have to factor in, too.”

He pointed to real progress: “If our children are reading at a third grade level, like at 35%, then if we can get to 45%, then we can see achievement. At Ross Elementary, proficiency went from 30% to 50% in TCAP because of literacy intervention and tutoring efforts. Those are the things we have to continue to break down and look at—where is the district making gains?”

He’s not interested in magic bullets or blanket solutions. “We have to see the dynamics. We educate more children than some of the higher-performing districts. It’s not just about the numbers—it’s about the supports, the demographics, and the resources.”

What Should District 4 Be Known For?

Finally, I asked Porter about his vision for District 4. What does he want the community to feel when they say, “I’m in District 4”?

His answer was all about pride and community. “I want them to look at it as, ‘We have a great community, great neighboring schools, a great feeder pattern from elementary to high school.’ I want people to get that feeling they maybe had when they were going to school themselves—a more community-type feel. I want people to be proud of the schools their children go to. I want people to be proud of themselves, of the schools.”

He’s aiming for a culture shift, where public schools are a source of pride, not a last resort. “We have to have the same type of feeling when we're talking about Southwind High School or Kirby High School or Germantown High School. We have to be proud of our public schools.”

The Hard Truth

This conversation wasn’t about easy answers or political spin. Porter is clear-eyed about the challenges, but he refuses to accept the narrative of failure. He’s pushing for honest conversations, real solutions, and a renewed sense of community pride.

If we want better schools, we have to stop blaming our children—and start investing in them. We have to recognize progress, demand accountability, and work together to build the schools our city deserves.

The bottom line: The story of Memphis schools isn’t finished. It’s being written every day, by educators, parents, students—and leaders like Tamarques Porter who are willing to ask the hard questions and fight for real change.

Want to join the conversation? Visit the all-new District 4 InfoHUB at https://justmy.com/mscsdistrict4 and share your questions, ideas, and hopes for our schools. Together, we can change the narrative—one story at a time.