{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Tanya Frey","chatgptsummary":"Tanya Frey's twenty-one years as a lawyer and current nonprofit governance consulting work demonstrate relevant policy judgment and budget literacy for the district. Her three sons' attendance across local schools suggests constituent relations experience with parents and educators. The biography contains no record of controversy or disciplinary action. Bio does not indicate prior elected office experience or direct superintendent evaluation experience.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTanya Frey is the Democratic nominee for the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education, District 8, on the August 6, 2026 county general-election ballot [1][2]. She won the District 8 Democratic primary in May 2026 with more than 60% of the vote and faces independent candidate Leigh Ann Scarbrough in the general election [2]. Frey names board governance as her most important issue, arguing, \"We have strong educators and real progress, but not enough clarity or consistency across the system\" [1].\n\n## Career\nFrey has worked as a Memphis-based lawyer for 21 years, including positions at AutoZone and at ALSAC, the fundraising organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital [1]. She currently runs Terra Firma Consulting, advising nonprofits on leadership and board governance [1]. She frames her platform around clear academic goal-setting and directing resources to classrooms, stating, \"Every decision should come back to one question: Does this lead to better outcomes for students?\" [1]\n\n## Family\nFrey has three sons who have attended a range of area schools, including Richland Elementary, East High School, Middle College High School, and Houston High School in Germantown [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Memphis school board election 2026: Who are the Democratic candidates in District 8? - Chalkbeat Tennessee](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-8/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Memphis 2026 school board primary election: live updates - Chalkbeat Tennessee](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/05/05/memphis-school-board-primary-election-results-2026/) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Tanya","lastname":"Frey","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"Qr9yAKNnam"},"token":"tanya_frey"},{"candidatename":"Leigh Ann Scarbrough","chatgptsummary":"Scarbrough's biography shows current employment as a school librarian within the district, offering direct insight into daily operations and constituent relations. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience in budget management or superintendent evaluation.","notes":"","party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nLeigh Ann Scarbrough is an independent candidate for the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education, District 8, on the August 6, 2026 county general-election ballot [1][2]. She faces Democratic nominee Tanya Frey, who won the District 8 Democratic primary in May 2026 [1][2].\n\n## Career\nScarbrough works as a school librarian within Memphis-Shelby County Schools [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Memphis school board election 2026: Who are the Democratic candidates in District 8? - Chalkbeat Tennessee](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-8/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Candidates Certified for August 6, 2026 Primary and General Election - Shelby County Election Commission](https://electionsshelbytn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Candidates-Certified-for-August-6-2026-Primary-and-General-Election-33026.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Leigh","lastname":"Scarbrough","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"C5HrvEOtGD"},"token":"leigh_ann_scarbrough"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":"8","districtgroup":"county_school_board","districtgroupname":"Shelby County School Board","districtname":"District 8","job_type":"school_board","o.office":"county_school_board_division_8","office":"county_school_board_division_8","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 8","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"County School Board District 8"}