About.

CLUE (Creative Learning in a Unique Environment) is the gifted and talented program in Shelby County Schools. Since its inception in 1970, the program has expanded to include over 4,000 students in preschool to high school.  ​

Established in ​1970

The Memphis CLUE program was started in 1970 with a federal grant written by Jo Patterson. A gifted student named the program CLUE, which stands for "Creative Learning in a Unique Environment". In the beginning, Jo Patterson led a group of teachers in writing our curriculum, which was built around our CLUE strategies that we still teach today. Our CLUE program is cited in case studies and as examples in many gifted education coursework in graduate schools across the country. Other public school districts, private schools, and charter networks emulate our best practices for their students. To learn more about the work of the CLUE program, view our updated brochure.
clue_brochure_2018.pdf
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Our Goals

The purpose of CLUE is to:
  • Enrich the curiosity and build the talents of each student who is achieving at an advanced level
  • Advance their intellect through rigorous discussion, academic pursuits, character building, and small-group instruction with their intellectual peers
  • Develop the creativity and critical thinking that will promote the love of life-long learning
  • Provide a safe atmosphere for intellectual risk-taking and productive struggle
  • Build lasting relationships with intellectual peers and promote a sense of community and acceptance for those who are different in any way
  • Establish the gifted teacher as a mentor and guide who creates a learning environment that is student-centered
  • Provide real-world experiences through the use of the CLUE strategies which enable the students to become productive citizens
  • Challenge and prepare students for post-secondary opportunities that will have a positive effect on the world

Our Team

Dr. Gloria Lindsey
Manager, Exceptional Children and Health Services

Dr. Lindsey was fortunate to be part of a family with a rich educational legacy. She believes that all children can learn and should be given the opportunity to succeed regardless of their socio-economic background and that as educators we should embrace diversity and implement inclusive practices. As Martin Luther King stated, “Character plus intelligence is the true goal of education”.   Therefore, we should seek to provide teaching and learning experiences that meet the needs of the “whole” child. 

While Dr. Lindsey often shares that she was product of poverty, she emphasizes that those challenges motivated her to become the leader she is today. She was motivated not only to become the best person she could become but also to learn as much as she could so she could give back to the community and positively impact the lives of others.  Her educational journey equipped her to be a role model, educator and mentor to so many others.

​Jackson State University is where she began her journey in special education.  In addition to receiving an Educational Specialist Degree at JSU, she also received certification in the area of Gifted/ Talented and Educational Administration at Mississippi College.  Prior to serving as a special education teacher with Memphis City Schools, she was an educator in Mississippi for 18 years. As a novice teacher she was selected to pilot an inclusion program through the University of Southern Mississippi, whereas, non-disabled peers (Gifted and Talented students) mentored students with multiple disabilities.

Currently, Dr. Lindsey is a Regional Manager in Department of Exceptional Children in Shelby County Schools where she manages the special education programs in CLUE, Homebound, I Zone, Continuous Improvement Zone and supports New Special Education Teachers through mentorships.

Dr. Lindsey has served as an Adjunct Professor at several universities: University of Central Arkansas, Arkansas State University, Cambridge College and Belhaven University. As a mentor and educator, her goal is to provide a lifelong impact not only to individuals whose lives she touches daily but also to leave a lasting legacy to future generations. 

Jennifer Chandler
CLUE Supervisor, Exceptional Children and Health Services

As a native Memphian, Jennifer was excited to move back home in 2006 after graduating from Furman University in 1998 and starting her career in education in South Carolina. She joined Memphis City Schools as an itinerant elementary CLUE teacher, then began teaching 6th grade CLUE at White Station Middle in 2007. Jennifer left CLUE to hold different leadership positions both at the school-level and at central office, and served as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at a local charter school for one year. Most recently, she worked in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction for Shelby County Schools as the Literacy Advisor, overseeing curriculum development for literacy K-12.

​Jennifer is excited to be back in a position that will allow her to promote the need for gifted education, educate all stakeholders on what it means to be "gifted", and advocate for students and families of gifted students. As a mother of two CLUE students, she looks forward to adding more community outreach and parent engagement opportunities to the program.

Join Our Team! 

Shelby County Schools employs 114 CLUE teachers across the district, and every school in the district has an assigned CLUE teacher who assists with identifying students and serving the school community at-large. To find out how to become certified to teach gifted students in the state of TN, review the information online here or email us at CLUE@scsk12.org.

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