Policy Fellows Will Also Address Literacy Achievement, Data System Improvements, and Innovative School Staffing
Jackson, MS, August 26, 2025—Mississippi’s students have untapped potential to fill the jobs of tomorrow. To unlock that potential and boost the number of young people obtaining college degrees, workforce credentials, and industry certifications, Teach Plus Mississippi has launched an ambitious goal to optimize the quality and quantity of the Magnolia State’s workforce—improving student opportunities in schools today so they are ready for the many career pathways ahead. The organization has selected 25 outstanding Mississippi educators for its 2025-26 Policy Fellowship cohort to focus on college and career readiness, ensuring diverse job choices for the next generation of Mississippians.
“Our new Policy Fellows are taking on vital work, building on the foundation our teacher leaders have already laid to better prepare our students for tomorrow’s jobs,” said Sanford Johnson, Executive Director of Teach Plus Mississippi. “Teachers know their students best—they see what works and what doesn’t every single day. That puts them in the perfect position to lead this important work. Every student deserves what they need to thrive: strong literacy support in middle school, access to advanced courses, and educators with the data tools to make smart decisions. We’re not just preparing students—we’re opening doors.”
Building on past Teach Plus teacher leaders’ success and Mississippi’s goal of getting 55 percent of working-age adults certified or credentialed by 2030, these Policy Fellows will push for education policies that connect students to good jobs. They’ll focus on three key areas: better data systems for schools, stronger literacy programs, and opening up advanced courses to more students. Last year, Teach Plus Policy Fellows and alumni helped pass a simpler, more flexible school funding formula that clears the way for better student outcomes—giving schools the resources they need to prepare students for their future and the workforce.
The 2025-26 Mississippi Policy Fellows hail from across the state and teach in diverse classrooms from preK-12. They teach in public schools as far north as Tunica and Tate counties, and as far south as Long Beach and Bay-Waveland. They represent 16 school districts, including the Mississippi School for the Deaf and Blind.
Throughout the program, Teach Plus develops and deepens Fellows’ expertise in policy analysis, advocacy, research, and communications, equipping them with the skills to bring evidence-based solutions to the table. Each Fellow was selected for their ability to articulate the needs of their students and communities and their demonstrated excellence and innovation in teaching, ensuring they can effectively advocate for meaningful changes that will benefit children across Mississippi.
“As part of the Teach Plus Fellowship, I will bring my students’ stories to the policy table, pushing for bold reforms that expand access to resources and opportunities that lead to true college and career readiness. By combining my classroom perspective with the fellowship’s leadership training, I aim to help create a more equitable system where every student, regardless of circumstance, can achieve their fullest potential and step confidently into the future they deserve,” said Elizabeth Maxcey, 2025-26 Teach Plus Mississippi Policy Fellow who teaches in the Biloxi Public School District.
“This experience reminds me that teaching is not an isolated craft; it is part of a larger system shaped by research, leadership, and policy. I am eager to gain new insights that will strengthen my ability to support students—not only as learners in the classroom but also as future members of their communities. Equally important, this fellowship offers a chance to contribute meaningfully to the broader educational structure within my school and district,” said Gloria McDuffy, 2025-26 Teach Plus Mississippi Policy Fellow who teaches at Mississippi School for the Deaf and Blind in Jackson.
The 2025-26 Teach Plus Mississippi Policy Fellows are:
- Courtney Agee, Laurel Public Schools
- Tameka Battle, Jackson Public Schools
- Meredith Beal, Long Beach School District
- Sharon Buckhanan, Jackson Public Schools
- Rochelle Day, Leake County School District
- Armena Gamblin, Humphreys County School District
- Keyana Hawthorne, Jackson Public Schools
- Christye James, Sunflower County Consolidated School District
- Lucy Kaplan, Jackson Public Schools
- Daphne Kyles, Jackson Public Schools
- Alyssa Langlois, Cleveland School District
- Elizabeth Maxcey, Biloxi Public School District
- Gloria McDuffy, Mississippi School for the Deaf and Blind (Jackson)
- Anquoindria Moore, Mississippi School for the Deaf and Blind (Jackson)
- Nuquenyen Phillips, Greenville Public Schools
- Trey Rice, Tate County School District
- Lillian Scott, Sunflower County Consolidated School District
- Kandice Taylor, Jackson Public Schools
- Chelsea Washington, Yazoo City School District
- Jessica Williams, Humphreys County School District
The 2025-26 Teach Plus Mississippi Senior Policy Fellows are:
- Hannah Bagwell, Rankin County School District
- Jermeka Carter, Tunica County School District
- Katie Hayes, Madison County Schools
- Sydney Heath, Bay-Waveland School District
- Brandy Richardson, Scott County School District
If interested in interviewing Executive Director Sanford Johnson or any of the Fellows, please contact Kelly Pearce at kpearce@teachplus.org or 928-925-9236.
About Teach Plus
Teach Plus is dedicated to the mission of empowering excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. Learn more about Teach Plus Mississippi at https://teachplus.org/ms/.
