{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Joyce Dorse Coleman","chatgptsummary":"A forty-year Orange Mound resident and retired medical professional, Joyce Dorse-Coleman brings deep community roots to District 9. She served as PTO/PTA chairperson at multiple schools, demonstrating sustained constituent engagement with parents and educators. Her leadership in fighting Dunbar Elementary\u2019s closure highlights active involvement in school operations and policy advocacy. As a parent of seven SCS graduates and grandparent to five current students, she offers direct familial experience within the district. However, her biography does not indicate prior budget literacy, superintendent evaluation experience, or completion of Tennessee School Boards Academy training.","notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJoyce Dorse-Coleman is a native Memphian who has lived in the Orange Mound Community for about 40 years. Joyce is a proud graduate of Melrose High and the University of Memphis. After years in the medical field, Joyce recently retired.\n\nHer compassion and love for our youth runs very deep. She has been actively involved in all phases of the education process. Joyce is quick to remind people that she is not a politician, she is a parent and grandparent that is passionate about how our future is taking shape.\n\nJoyce and her husband, Theodore Coleman, are the proud parents of seven children. All are graduates of Shelby County Schools. They are even prouder to have nine grandchildren. Five of which are now enrolled in SCS.\n\nJoyce has been actively involved as chairperson for the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for several years and at several different schools.\n\nJoyce's dedication was put to the test after her neighborhood\u2019s elementary school, Dunbar Elementary, was placed on the list of potential school closures. During this time Joyce became very ill, but that didn\u2019t stop her from allowing her voice to be heard with other community members and community leaders. Together, they fought to keep the doors of Dunbar open to ensure the children of the Orange Mound Community could receive the best education close to home.\n\n\"We must have people in place that are willing to be held accountable for what is taking place and that is just what I want you to do -- hold me accountable.\"\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=DORSE-COLEMAN&id=80170&f=196877&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2026** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005 (Amended))](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=DORSE-COLEMAN&id=80170&f=196877&v=2) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2025** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=DORSE-COLEMAN&id=80170&f=200733&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=DORSE-COLEMAN&id=80170&f=198363&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-25.*\n","firstname":"Joyce","lastname":"Coleman","middlename":"Dorse","suffix":null,"token":"iaJgb9h9C4"},"token":"joyce_dorse_coleman"},{"candidatename":"Damon Curry Morris","chatgptsummary":"Morris served as a substitute teacher and behavioral specialist for twelve years, providing direct classroom experience relevant to constituent relations with educators. He leads Teen Town University, reporting high graduation rates, which suggests operational insight into student outcomes. Morris advocates for state intervention in MSCS management, indicating a specific policy judgment on district governance. His legal history includes a federal lawsuit against the board and a recent arrest, highlighting contentious interactions with current leadership.","notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n- Democratic candidate for **Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board, District 9**, in the May 5, 2026 primary. One of five Democrats in the race; no Republicans filed. ([Chalkbeat TN voter guide](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/), [Chalkbeat TN, Feb 2026](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/02/23/memphis-2026-partisan-primary-draws-no-republican-candidates/))\n- Only District 9 candidate supporting **state intervention / takeover of MSCS**; has met with Republican lawmakers in Nashville sponsoring such efforts. ([Chalkbeat TN voter guide](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/))\n\n- Restoring public trust, accountability and transparency, student-centered focus, competitive salaries for all education roles, adequate CTE / vocational classroom materials. Cites 75\u201376% of MSCS students reading below grade level as a central concern. ([JustMyMemphis](https://www.justmymemphis.com/view-post/3776))\n\n- *\"I was heavily involved in it, and no other candidate can say that. My strength is diplomacy.\"* ([Chalkbeat TN voter guide](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/))\n- *\"Education is in my bones. My family has spent over 40 years in pre-K.\"* ([JustMyMemphis](https://www.justmymemphis.com/view-post/3776))\n\n---\n\n*Compiled from publicly available web sources on 2026-04-18. Campaign-reported biographical details (Teen Town graduation rate, multi-generational family teaching legacy) are self-reported and not independently verified.*\n\n## Background and education\n- Bachelor's degree, LeMoyne-Owen College; Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP). ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Damon_Curry_Morris))\n\n## Career\n- Substitute teacher in Memphis City Schools beginning 1999; behavioral specialist at Treadwell Middle School for 12 years beginning in 2005; currently home-schools and tutors students. ([Chalkbeat TN voter guide](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/))\n- Leads the (unchartered) Teen Town University; reports a 96.7% graduation rate. ([JustMyMemphis](https://www.justmymemphis.com/view-post/3776))\n\n## Office history\n- 2014: Ran for the then-new Shelby County Schools District 9 seat; finished third with 13% behind Mike Kernell (48%) and Roshun Austin (39%). ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Shelby_County_Schools_elections_(2014)))\n- 2023: Ran for Memphis City Council Super District 8, Position 3; finished last of seven candidates with 829 votes. ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/City_elections_in_Memphis,_Tennessee_(2023)))\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n- One of the \"School Board Five\" (with LJ Abraham, Tikeila Rucker, Amber Sherman, Rachael Spriggs) who were banned from MSCS property after a May 9, 2023 board meeting. The group filed a federal First Amendment lawsuit on June 13, 2023. ([Chalkbeat TN](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2023/6/13/23760212/memphis-shelby-county-schools-banned-activists-federal-lawsuit/))\n- The group reached a $200,000 settlement with MSCS, announced December 2024. ([WREG](https://wreg.com/news/school-board-five-reaches-200k-settlement-with-mscs/))\n- Arrested August 26, 2025, outside MSCS headquarters on a misdemeanor charge of violating an order of protection obtained by MSCS board member Stephanie Love. Morris has called the arrest a \"ploy\" to keep him from running. ([Daily Memphian](https://dailymemphian.com/article/54564/memphis-shelby-county-schools-mscs-school-board-stephanie-love), [Chalkbeat TN voter guide](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/))\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=MORRIS&id=61866&f=199826&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-25.*\n","firstname":"Damon","lastname":"Morris","middlename":"Curry","suffix":null,"token":"OaRIKgfhAP"},"token":"damon_curry_morris"},{"candidatename":"Jonathan Carroll","chatgptsummary":"As a Shelby County Democratic Party executive committee member since 2013 and Tennessee Democratic Party member since 2022, the candidate demonstrates sustained political engagement relevant to constituent relations across diverse communities. His four-year tenure as Normal Station neighborhood association president and leadership of his son\u2019s Middle College High School PTA provide direct experience in community organization and parent advocacy. Working for SafeWays and serving as statewide PTA legislative affairs chair suggests familiarity with organizational operations and policy advocacy, though not specifically district budgeting or capital planning.","notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJonathan Carroll is a candidate for Tennessee Democratic State Executive Committeeman, District 33, in the August 6, 2026 primary [2]. He also ran for the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education, District 9, in 2026, placing third among five candidates in the May 5, 2026 primary with 21.1% of the vote; incumbent Joyce Dorse-Coleman (32.3%) and Tamara Jordan (31.8%) advanced to the August 6 general election [1].\n\n## Background and education\nCarroll is a graduate of the University of Memphis and has lived in Memphis's Normal Station neighborhood since 1995, where he has served as president of the neighborhood association for four years; he works for SafeWays, an apartment-safety nonprofit [1]. (A former Illinois state representative of the same name, who resigned his Illinois House seat in January 2024, is a different person with no documented connection to Tennessee.)\n\n## Career\nCarroll has served on the Shelby County Democratic Party executive committee since 2013 and the Tennessee Democratic Party's state executive committee since 2022 [1]. In his school board campaign, he emphasized having no financial ties to Memphis-Shelby County Schools: \"I have never taken a paycheck directly or indirectly from the school system or worked for a contractor that does,\" he told Chalkbeat [1]. He led the Parent-Teacher Association at Middle College High School, where his son attended, for more than three years, and served for one year as legislative affairs chair of the statewide PTA [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Meet the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District 9 candidates](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/) - Chalkbeat Tennessee, accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] Tennessee Secretary of State 2026 candidate lists - https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists (State Executive Committeeman, District 33)","firstname":"Jonathan","lastname":"Carroll","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"d6htdK6nmr"},"token":"jonathan_carroll"},{"candidatename":"Louis M. Morganfield III","chatgptsummary":"Morganfield works as a building engineer within Memphis-Shelby County Schools, providing direct operational insight into district infrastructure and daily school management. His campaign prioritizes family input regarding school closures, reflecting engagement with constituent relations across District 9\u2019s diverse neighborhoods. He addresses policy judgment by challenging past decisions that failed to consult parents on changes affecting smaller schools. The biography confirms his active participation in the Democratic primary for this specific seat. Bio does not indicate budget literacy, superintendent evaluation experience, or completion of state-required training.","notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nMorganfield\u2019s campaign focuses heavily on school closures and the need for increased family input in district decision-making. He argues that the school district has failed to adequately consult parents regarding changes affecting smaller schools ([Hoodline](https://hoodline.com/2026/04/east-memphis-showdown-five-democrats-battle-for-district-9-school-board-seat/)). His candidacy was influenced by community opposition to recent school closures, which helped propel organizers and candidates like Morganfield into the race ([Hoodline](https://hoodline.com/2026/04/east-memphis-showdown-five-democrats-battle-for-district-9-school-board-seat/)).\n\n## Career\nLouis M. Morganfield III is a building engineer at Ida B. Wells Academy, part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools system ([Chalkbeat Tennessee Voter Guide](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/)). He is running for the District 9 seat on the Shelby County School Board in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary ([Daily Memphian](https://dailymemphian.com/article/61982/meet-the-5-people-running-for-the-memphis-school)).\n\n## Office history\nThe District 9 seat covers approximately 12,000 students and their families in neighborhoods ranging from Cooper Young to Germantown ([Chalkbeat Tennessee Voter Guide](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/)). The district includes 24 schools, such as Overton High and Colonial Middle, with a student population that is 65% Black and around one in three Hispanic ([Chalkbeat Tennessee Voter Guide](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/)). Morganfield is one of five candidates vying for the position, which is currently held by incumbent Joyce Dorse-Coleman ([Daily Memphian](https://dailymemphian.com/article/61982/meet-the-5-people-running-for-the-memphis-school)). The race occurs against a backdrop of state legislative efforts to potentially create a board of managers that could reduce local school board authority ([Chalkbeat Tennessee Voter Guide](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/)).\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\nNo statement of interest filing found as of 2026-04-25. Search the [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm).\n","firstname":"Louis","lastname":"Morganfield","middlename":"M.","suffix":"III","token":"aizhRiGGIg"},"token":"louis_m_morganfield_iii"},{"candidatename":"Tamara Jordan","chatgptsummary":"A Doctor of Education and former principal who turned around a school from Level 1 to Level 5 status, she brings fifteen years of leadership experience across Memphis schools including KIPP and Freedom Prep. Her platform advocates for curriculum audits aligned with state standards and rigorous data analysis using PBIS frameworks. She founded a nonprofit focused on youth development, indicating community engagement. However, the biography does not indicate specific budget literacy, superintendent evaluation experience, or confirmation of completing the required seven hours of annual Tennessee School Boards Academy training.","notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n- Candidate for Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education, District 9 in the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026. ([Chalkbeat](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/))\n\n- Advocates for an audit of MSCS curriculum to ensure alignment with state standards. ([Chalkbeat](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/))\n- Emphasizes rigorous data analysis, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and youth development. ([JustMyMemphis](https://justmymemphis.com/view-post/3704))\n\n## Background and education\n- Doctor of Education. ([JustMyMemphis](https://justmymemphis.com/view-post/3704))\n- Master's degree and MBA from Christian Brothers University. ([JustMyMemphis](https://justmymemphis.com/view-post/3704))\n- Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Memphis. ([JustMyMemphis](https://justmymemphis.com/view-post/3704))\n\n## Career\n- 15 years of experience as an educator and school leader, including roles as teacher, instructional coach, dean, assistant principal, and principal. ([JustMyMemphis](https://justmymemphis.com/view-post/3704))\n- Worked at Power Center, Freedom Prep, HPA, and KIPP Memphis. ([JustMyMemphis](https://justmymemphis.com/view-post/3704))\n- Taught at Gestalt Community Schools, which participated in the state-run Achievement School District before closing its schools in 2017. ([Chalkbeat](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/))\n- Taught at Freedom Preparatory Academy and served as dean through 2023. ([Chalkbeat](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-9/))\n- Turned around a school from Level 1 to Level 5 status. ([JustMyMemphis](https://justmymemphis.com/view-post/3704))\n\n- Founded Memphis Women Aiming High Incorporated (MWAH, Inc.), a nonprofit dedicated to developing young women's life skills and purpose. ([JustMyMemphis](https://justmymemphis.com/view-post/3704))\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=JORDAN&id=103884&f=198504&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-25.*\n","firstname":"Tamara","lastname":"Jordan","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"1st7qOas2j"},"token":"tamara_jordan"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":"9","districtgroup":"county_school_board","districtgroupname":"Shelby County School Board","districtname":"District 9","job_type":"school_board","o.office":"county_school_board_division_9","office":"county_school_board_division_9","officedescription":"Members of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Board of Education are elected from nine districts covering all of Shelby County. The board hires and evaluates the superintendent, adopts district policies, reviews and approves the school-district budget, and sets the district's goals. Board members are elected officials, not district employees; as of 2025 they are limited to two consecutive four-year terms. Regular business meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month at the Frances E. Coe Administration Building, with a preceding work session.\n\n**Compensation:** members receive a per-meeting stipend set by county government; state law requires a minimum of $4/day ([T.C.A. \u00a7 49-2-202](https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-49/chapter-2/part-2/section-49-2-202/)).","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on a large urban district \u2014 Memphis-Shelby County Schools serves roughly 110,000 students across more than 200 schools, with a budget over a billion dollars.\n- Budget literacy for both operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the County Commission (which appropriates) and the Tennessee Department of Education.\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent \u2014 historically the highest-stakes recurring decision the board makes.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members across an economically and racially diverse district.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association School Board Academy.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County School Board Division 9","partisan":0,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"County School Board District 9"}