Clint Brewer, founder and managing partner of PR Firm Imperium Public Strategies, said renewed calls for a state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools are rooted in long-standing mismanagement, arguing that audit findings show a system that has failed both teachers and students.
A state-funded forensic audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools is underway as lawmakers consider legislation that would place the district under state control.
Republican sponsors State Representative Mark White (R-Memphis) and State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) have said preliminary audit findings show “unprecedented” disorganization, citing early briefings as justification for a state-appointed board with authority over major budget decisions.
On Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Brewer said criticism of public school systems is often deflected by calls to “support teachers,” a sentiment he said he shares, but argued that financial mismanagement undermines that goal.
“Audit findings like this… don’t support teachers,” Brewer said. “If the money’s not going where it’s supposed to go, if the money’s not being spent in a wise way, if the system is overextended financially, then your employees cannot benefit from doing a good job.”
He added that accountability in education should be treated no differently than in other professions.
“If you can’t perform in the environment you’re in, then there are consequences,” Brewer said.
Beyond finances, Brewer pointed to systemic shortcomings in public education, citing a “lack of innovation overall” and the absence of meaningful professional development.
He said there is no “system that’s holistic… where teachers get mentorship and coaching and ongoing instruction,” despite widespread desire among educators to improve.
“I don’t know any teachers… who don’t want to get better at what they do,” he said, adding that the current system “just doesn’t make that easy to do.”
Brewer said the effectiveness of a state-appointed board would depend heavily on who is selected to serve.
“It’ll all come down to the appointments,” he said, suggesting lawmakers may seek members with “business backgrounds” or “financial backgrounds” to help stabilize the district.
Brewer added that the problems outlined in the Memphis audit reflect broader challenges facing public school systems across the Volunteer State, including Nashville
“I don’t think they’ve gotten an audit quite like Memphis got, but I can’t imagine the Nashville school system’s far behind in its needs,” he said. “It’s been an issue in the city for 30, 40 years.”
Brewer pointed to Mississippi’s recent gains in early-grade education as evidence that reform can work when states adopt proven instructional models.
“When I see a Republican-led state like Mississippi… now in the top 15 in K-5,” Brewer said, “you gotta listen,” calling the turnaround “a jump through the stratosphere.”
Tune in now to The Michael Patrick Leahy Show – your AMERICA FIRST news talk!
– Watch LIVE here on X
– Watch LIVE on Roku
– Listen on Spotify
– Listen on WENO AM760 in Nashville
– Read more at @TheTNStarhttps://t.co/pOJVHiAEQO— Michael Patrick Leahy (@michaelpleahy) February 10, 2026
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
