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Natalie McKinney
I’ve lived in Memphis for 19 years, serving as the Director of Policy and Legislative Planning at Memphis Shelby County Schools and co-founder of Whole Child Strategies Inc. I am a committed mother, wife, and active community leader, married to Dr. Charles W. McKinney, Jr., with two successful sons, Ayodele and Chioke, both graduates of Memphis Shelby County Public Schools.
I hold a B.A. in Political Science from Spelman College, a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law, and an M.P.A. from Princeton University. I’ve advocated for youth throughout my career, including creating and serving as the inaugural director of the Juvenile Law Clinic at NCCU School of Law, where I advocated for youth justice, an effort recognized by the American Bar Association.
Between 2007 and 2017, I directed policy and legislative planning for both Shelby County and Memphis City Schools, leading during tahe largest school district merger in U.S. history. In 2017, recognizing the impact of external barriers on education, I founded Whole Child Strategies to address these challenges directly with the community.
With my experiences as the policy director working directly with youth, parents/guardians, teachers, school leaders, central office staff, the superintendent and school board, where I acquired the working knowledge of every aspect of policy governing school and district operations, e.g. academics, special education, ESL, business operations, facilities, safety and behavior, student supports, board governance, etc., and leading work in neighborhoods to support community-led/driven identification of and solutions to the root causes to out-of-school barriers hindering youth from getting to school, I have gained the knowledge and understanding of how things do and should operate for the benefit of youth.
I am running for School Board District 2 to bring leadership that addresses critical issues, including academic preparedness, district infrastructure, safety, and fiscal sustainability. I pledge to remain student-centered and community-focused, and support system transparency and leadership accountability. Our schools can be a catalyst for positive change, and with your support, I will represent the voices of all community members.
I am Natalie McKinney, and I want to be your next School Board representative.
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