Lauderdale Middle School Rebekah Johnson is one of 20 Mississippi teachers chosen to participate in the fifth Policy Fellowship cohort of Teach Plus, a national teacher leadership organization.

The 2023-24 Policy Fellows hail from every corner of the state including first-time districts like Pascagoula-Gautier and Lauderdale County. The fellows will be working to build on the successes of the state’s reading gains and advocating for equitable funding for Mississippi’s schools and meaningful policy change to address teachers’ and students’ mental health challenges.

“The fifth Mississippi cohort is our most diverse, not just in terms of race and years of experience but also regionally. There are school districts in each corner of the state where we now have Policy Fellows for the first time. A key priority for our fellows is to build on the success of Mississippi’s reading gains and apply the lessons learned to achieve other policy priorities,“ said Sanford Johnson, Teach Plus Mississippi Executive Director. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue to elevate the voices and ideas of teacher leaders who use their classroom experience and policy skills to advocate for their students.”

Mississippi’s fifth cohort of Policy Fellows includes National Board Certified Teachers, school and district teachers of the year, and even the mayor of a small town in the Delta. The fellows represent over 15 school districts and charter schools across the state.

Johnson is in her second year as the gifted teacher at Southeast Middle and Southeast Elementary schools, where she teaches students in grades second through sixth. This is her sixth year working as a teacher and her third year working in the Lauderdale County School District. Prior to that, she worked as a special education assistant at Southeast Middle School.