Althea Greene

Althea Greene is a former member of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education, representing District 2. The Shelby County Commission appointed her to the seat on February 25, 2019, after 38 years as a classroom teacher at six Memphis-area schools; she retired from the district in 2018 ¹². She won the seat outright, unopposed, in the August 2020 general election ³.

Office history

The board elected Greene chair for the 2022-23 term on September 28, 2022, succeeding Michelle McKissack ³. Board members retained her as chair for a second term on September 26, 2023, by a 7-0 vote (one member voted present) ⁴. As chair, Greene oversaw the district's search for a permanent superintendent; after three finalists were presented in April 2023 she paused the search amid disagreement over the selection process, and several leading candidates subsequently withdrew. The board later restarted the search under revised requirements led by other members ⁴.

Greene did not win re-election. In the August 1, 2024 election, challenger Natalie McKinney defeated Greene for the District 2 seat; Chalkbeat reported McKinney "maintained a consistent lead over Greene that grew as the night went on." Greene said she would continue working "for the students and families of the district" ⁵. McKinney, not Greene, is the current District 2 board member and chair.

Career

Before her school board service, Greene spent 38 years as an educator in Memphis-area public schools, teaching at six different schools, before retiring in 2018 ¹. She is also senior pastor of Real Life Ministries in Memphis ⁶.

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