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Ayleem Connolly

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Fighting for Our Community

I want to improve the experience of all 100,000+ students in the system through expanded enrichment programs, better nutrition, expanded mental health counseling and more. I want to ensure school access to all students, including the immigrant students who are under attack today.

Serve the children.

I will champion better pay, better working conditions, and the resources our educators deserve. This includes meaningful maternal and paternal leave and contract renegotiation for lower health insurance premiums. Better pay and working conditions will improve retention and attract new talent, leading to better results.

Pay the teachers.

As a board member, I will host quarterly virtual and in‑person town halls to ensure parents have a consistent, accessible space to share concerns and priorities.And on an ongoing basis, I will send out updates and refer and address key issues raised by families to district staff for follow‑up and action.

Empower parents.

I believe that local voters should shape the future of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools. I oppose the state legislature's proposed takeover of the school district, in part because the prior state takeover of the Achievement School District failed. And the legislature's recent actions on EBT and defunding of schools show it is not acting in the best interests of working families.

Keep local control.

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I'm a former teacher with two master's degrees and 14 years of experience in education. I worked as a Spanish teacher and Department Chair at East High, and before that I taught in disadvantaged schools including Trezevant High and Oakhaven High. I'm now a corporate trainer for a Fortune 500 company. I have a big heart for children - and I also have the know-how to make a difference.

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<h2>A Former Teacher Leading The Way</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/b69a3fde-2d79-4566-8170-0ec51228a3b1/051cc495-6d0b-43ee-97af-488489fce394/051cc495-6d0b-43ee-97af-488489fce394.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C4032%2C3024&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="Federal judges congratulate Ayleem at her U.S. citizenship ceremony in 2019. " align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Federal judges congratulate Ayleem at her U.S. citizenship ceremony in 2019. <h3>I'm a former teacher with two master's degrees and 14 years of experience in education, including classroom teaching and corporate training. I’m from a St. Jude family and I’m a proud mom to a young boy. I’m a wife, a member of a union household and a relentless advocate for addressing injustices.</h3><h4>I am 35 years old and I grew up in the Dominican Republic. My father was a political activist and researcher for the country's national Congress.&nbsp;</h4><h4>I graduated from college in the Dominican Republic with a B.A. in advertising. While I was still in college, I began working for our national Ministry of Education. In 2015, I earned a School Leadership master's degree from EOI, a university in Spain. </h4><h4>A turning point in my life came when my brother was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. My entire family moved to Memphis so my brother could receive treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. My parents and siblings came first, and I moved here in 2014. </h4><h4>In Memphis, I led a Boy Scout troop and worked nearly 10 years as a public school Spanish teacher, first at Oakhaven High, then Trezevant High, and finally East High, where I was World Language Department Chair. I also trained teachers in educational technology in Memphis as well as through national and international webcasts. </h4><h4>I met my husband at a church retreat in Memphis and we married in 2018. I became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2019. </h4><h4>In 2020, I earned my second master's degree: a Master's in Secondary Education from Freed-Hardeman University in the middle of the pandemic.</h4><h4>In 2023, I went to work in corporate training for a Fortune 500 company. I focus my work on supply chain and technology.&nbsp;</h4><h4>I am a passionate advocate for education, and I’m actively involved with nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and volunteer efforts, including Vecindarios901, SOCM, TIRRC, EMERGE, and Indivisible. I am unafraid to speak truth to power.</h4><h4>I believe in labor unions. When my husband went on strike with his company's union in 2024, I fully supported him, and the strikers ended up winning a great contract. </h4><h4>Over the past year, I have been training to participate in politics, inspired by the courage of so many women across Tennessee who step up to lead. I joined Take Office Tennessee and Emerge Tennessee to learn everything I could about how representative democracy works and how everyday people can make a difference.</h4><h4>My plan for 2026 was to support someone else’s campaign as a super volunteer — until I learned that a leader I deeply admire, Amber Huett-Garcia, would be vacating her school board seat to run for County Commission. In that moment, I realized it was time to accelerate my own plans and step forward as a candidate.</h4><h4>Education has been central to my life’s success, driven by my parents’ constant encouragement to pursue my studies. I carry a deep sense of gratitude for the government support and scholarships that enabled my own education, and I am committed to paying that forward. I believe every child deserves the same opportunities—regardless of their ZIP code.</h4><h4> </h4>

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Supporting our teachers is essential to retaining experienced educators and improving student outcomes. While I will always vote for salary increases, we must also pursue practical, creative solutions that improve teachers’ daily working conditions.Key Actions:<ul><li>Establish fully paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers; currently, only mothers receive partial pay and fathers receive none.</li><li>Renegotiate health insurance premiums, which are significantly higher than those paid by employees at major companies in our region.</li><li>Improve the overall work environment to reduce burnout and strengthen teacher retention. for example, simple things like add more copying machines in schools, where many teachers currently share a single copier while serving up to 650 students.</li></ul>

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Pay the teachers

<ul><li>Expand access to free mental health counseling, modeled after Knoxville’s successful program, by leveraging insurance partnerships and clinical providers.</li><li>Re-bid contracts with school food vendors to improve food quality and reduce waste.</li><li>Identify grants to expand after‑school and academic programs in elementary, middle and High schools with limited or no offerings.</li><li>True further education opportunity for all by proposing budget amendment to hire a districtwide consultant or permanent staff member to support guidance counselors to develop a comprehensive guide of scholarship guide for students from immigrant families, including undocumented students.</li><li>Strengthen transportation options to support attendance and protect families—especially the 75,000 African American and other minority students and 20,000 Hispanic students disproportionately impacted by ICE activity and family separation.</li></ul>

SERVER THE STUDENTS

<ul><li>Host quarterly virtual and in‑person town halls to ensure parents have a consistent, accessible space to share concerns and priorities.</li><li>Refer and address key issues raised by families to district staff for follow‑up and action.</li><li>Speak up when constituents agree or disagree with district decisions, ensuring their voices are represented and respected.</li><li>Build a culture of transparency, collaboration, and trust between families and the school system.</li></ul>

EMPOWER PARENTS

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