Jackson, Mississippi, April 3, 2023—Teach Plus today issued the following statement on the Mississippi Senate’s decision not to confirm the State Superintendent Dr. Robert P. Taylor.
“Teach Plus and Teach Plus teacher leaders find the Senate’s decision not to confirm Dr. Taylor, after almost three months on the job, troubling. This decision is not only disruptive for Mississippi’s students, teachers, and our state department of education, but also raises serious concerns about our state’s ability to hire a proven leader committed to student success and outcomes.
“Because no disqualifying revelation about Dr. Taylor was ever shared, I worry that this decision will make it much harder to find our next superintendent, especially if we’re committed to conducting a national search and finding a leader who will prioritize strengthening our teacher pipeline and promoting student success in every corner of our state,” said Teach Plus Mississippi Executive Director Sanford Johnson.
“I’ve seen a state superintendent visit my district once in my 15 years in the classroom, and that was three weeks ago when Dr. Taylor came to Rosedale,” said Teach Plus Mississippi Policy Fellow Shana Bolden who teaches in the West Bolivar School District. “I think the search should include public input before a decision is made. There should also be a way for teachers to have a voice in the process, since whoever is hired directly impacts us and our students.”
While the timeline for hiring the next state superintendent of education hasn’t been determined, Teach Plus Mississippi and Teach Plus teacher leaders call on the State Board and the State Senate to embrace a more transparent selection and confirmation process. We also hope that multiple education stakeholders, including teachers, are included in this process of selecting our next superintendent.
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Contact: Anya Grottel-Brown, agrottelbrown@teachplus.org, 917-902-5902
