MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It took a year and a half and thousands of dollars for Memphis Shelby County Schools to find a superintendent — now they must do it all over again after firing Marie Feagins. What do school board members plan to do differently this time? In their first public statements since firing Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins, Memphis Shelby County School Board members stood shoulder to shoulder Thursday with their new interim Superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond, to announce the school district is strong."It's been a rough few months, but I believe we are turning the corner," MSCS board chair Joyce Dorse Coleman said. Richmond makes first public address following appointment as interim superintendent But the board has its work cut out as it searches for a permanent superintendent. After the last search was stopped and restarted, and then ended with a firing, how do you asssure the next search doesn't go down the same path, we asked. "We got to stream line it before we start it," Dorse Coleman responded.Dorse Coleman will lead the board in finding the only employee that's under the board's perview. "We got to know the time line. We have to have that laid out before we even start," she said. "We got to decide if we are going to use a firm. I mean it's so many underlying parts to this." She says the board will determine if a national search is necessary. School board members are also adamant about how the process flows and what type of school leader they are looking for. "What would be important to me is making sure that we have an academic plan that's clear," board member Sable Otey said. What led to Feagins being fired by MSCS school board? For board member Towanna Murphy, the choice was already clear. "I am hoping and praying that the permanent person be Rod Richmond because he has waited for his turn for over 20 years," she said. Also watching closely is the public, many of whom were staunch supporters of Dr. Feagins. They staged a protest outside the school board during Thursday's press conference. "We got the same good old boy network coming in, and we are looking in the past, bringing in people from the past," parent Allie Byrne said. "We were ready to move forward and that's what Dr. Feagins was doing. We feel like the hastiness and how they try to quickly get her out the door and move in with our next buddy to get him in here, we are unhappy with that, and that is why we are here today. We not gonna stand for that." But board members say they are determined to get it right this time. Richmond supported by 43% of MSCS principals in survey "I feel like we got to. This is too important to half step who sits at the helm and leads our children," Dorse Coleman said. The school board is also working on a training session for its members. They hope to begin the discussion of that by Feb. 10.