With more than 100,000 students, Shelby County Schools (SCS) represents the largest school district in Tennessee, meaning Ray has the future in his hands. In April 2019, the Shelby County School Board voted unanimously to elect him as superintendent, after serving the district for 22 years as chief of academic operations and school support, director of alternative achools, coordinator (principal), assistant principal, and teacher. Ray received a distinguished appointment by Governor Phil Bredesen to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Alternative Education, where he served from 2006 until 2014. He was also inducted into the University of Memphis College of Education and Health Sciences Hall of Fame. Other accolades include being named the 2019 University of Memphis Black Alumni Association Outstanding Alumnus, the Living Legend Award presented by the State of Tennessee House of Representatives, and the 2016 Friend of Education Award from the Memphis Shelby County Education Association. Ray is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
