Journalist @dailymemphian // stories mine, Rita’s 🐶 // 🔎 tips LTestino@dailymemphian.com or Ldtestino.54 on signal
Joined December 2015
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New: Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer has been charged with theft, fraud and money laundering, @bdriesdm and Brandon LaGrone report for @DailyMemphian
dailymemphian.com/section/me…
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Laura D. Testino 〽️ retweeted
Jun 15
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members settled on a name for the district’s new high school in Frayser. dailymemphian.com/article/63…
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Laura D. Testino 〽️ retweeted
Local dance director Katie Smythe’s new performing arts school has officially closed on Humes Middle, the former Memphis-Shelby County Schools building and Elvis Presley’s alma mater in North Memphis. dailymemphian.com/article/63…
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After digging up public records for a museum that are 150MYA 🦕, I am back to digging up public records created in more recent times 📰
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Here are short biographies of the appointees to the state takeover board, which will have sweeping powers over Memphis-Shelby County Schools through at least 2030. dailymemphian.com/article/63…
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Laura D. Testino 〽️ retweeted
May 28
NEW: America's largest school districts are in the thick of budget cuts.
chalkbeat.org/2026/05/28/sch…
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Some veteran NPR journalists depart in buyouts & layoffs in aftershock of elimination of federal subsidies for public media.
Editor in chief Tommy Evans: "Today has been incredibly heavy." Cuts amount to 4% of content division.
My story:
npr.org/2026/05/27/nx-s1-583…
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New: What's in the $1.7B MSCS budget? Will it stick through a takeover? Why are revenues down?
Read all about it:
dailymemphian.com/article/63…
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The man, the myth, the Happy Birthday singing parliamentarian legend Charles Schulz is officially retiring from his role on the board (largely explaining double negative votes about charter schools).
“He’s seen a lot,” said Michelle McKissack.
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“I’ve seen this organization move. You’ve got to keep pushing on that chain. …I wish you had better politicians in Nashville. … They did have an opportunity to try and do this job, and it’s was pretty disastrous,” says Schulz, who began as parliamentarian at least 12 years ago.
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Schulz invites everyone to the Memphis Symphony, where he’ll continue playing after finishing a 53rd season next week.
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It’s the last Tuesday of the month which means I’m enjoying a Memphis spotlight on the arts before MSCS board business begins.
Today, Trezevant High student Neveah McDuffy gets a standing ovation for her award-winning poem “We, Too, Are River”
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More on that poetry contest from resident Tom Lee historian @bdriesdm
dailymemphian.com/section/me…
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Whether Memphis looks like Houston is a question of legislative incentives and decisions of board appointees.
🎁Consider this a gift link (readable now in exchange for an email address)
May 26
Long frustrated with his city’s test scores, Memphis Republican state Rep. Mark White proposed the Tennessee Legislature follow in Texas’ footsteps and model a takeover of its own largest school system after changes in Houston.
The subject of legislative debate for more than a year, the Memphis takeover passed with Tennessee Republican support in April, days after a small committee of lawmakers settled on the details.
Daily Memphian reporter Laura Testino spoke with education experts to gain insight on how Memphis’ outcome may differ from Houston’s. Will it be effective?
dailymemphian.com/subscriber…
ALT State Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, sits during announcements at the opening session of the 2026 Tennessee General Assembly on Jan. 13 in Nashville.
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Laura D. Testino 〽️ retweeted
May 26
Long frustrated with his city’s test scores, Memphis Republican state Rep. Mark White proposed the Tennessee Legislature follow in Texas’ footsteps and model a takeover of its own largest school system after changes in Houston.
The subject of legislative debate for more than a year, the Memphis takeover passed with Tennessee Republican support in April, days after a small committee of lawmakers settled on the details.
Daily Memphian reporter Laura Testino spoke with education experts to gain insight on how Memphis’ outcome may differ from Houston’s. Will it be effective?
dailymemphian.com/subscriber…
ALT State Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, sits during announcements at the opening session of the 2026 Tennessee General Assembly on Jan. 13 in Nashville.
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News: House Speaker Cameron Sexton has made his pick for the one non-Shelby County position on the MSCS takeover board
dailymemphian.com/section/me…
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Laura D. Testino 〽️ retweeted
May 26
Lt. Gov. McNally’s two Shelby County appointees will join five others selected last week by Gov. Bill Lee. House Speaker Cameron Sexton has yet to announce his appointments to the nine-member oversight board, which will have sweeping powers over Memphis-Shelby County Schools. dailymemphian.com/section/me…
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News: Lt. Gov. McNally selects former MSCS board member, local attorney to two more spots on new state-appointed oversight board installed under a takeover of the Memphis school system
dailymemphian.com/section/me…
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Laura D. Testino 〽️ retweeted
May 25
A 13-year-old referendum is sparking a budget battle in some Memphis suburbs as school boards see flat funding despite higher property values. However, government officials say they can freeze the funding due to other ways they contribute. dailymemphian.com/article/62…
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MORE⤵️You can now find the notification letter from the TDOE to MSCS in this story
Four more appointees to come from Republicans Lt. Gov. McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton:
dailymemphian.com/section/me…
NEWS: Gov. Bill Lee advanced a takeover of Memphis schools Friday, May 22, by signing legislation that installs nine state appointees to an oversight board with sweeping powers through 2030.
These are the five people he selected:
dailymemphian.com/section/me…
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