12th Issue No images? Click here Teach Plus Mississippi HeadlinesTeach Plus MS Delta Change Agents Prepare for the New YearWith the start of the new school year, members of the Mississippi Delta Change Agent Network have been working towards the implementation of their school projects. Having met in person this past July, Change Agents were able to reflect on their progress while refining their project ideas. They were also able to connect with our Policy Fellows and learn from the experiences of our SEL Change Agent Network alumni.
“This experience really created a lot of energy and allowed Change Agents to see themselves in the context of a broader community of change. The cross-pollination between policy and practice felt very organic and holds a lot of potential for future dialogue and learning.” ~Lauren Huddleston, Teach Plus MS Education Leadership Coach MS Delta Change Agents meeting during their mid-year retreat The following is a brief description of the current projects being led by our Delta Change Agents: Roselyn McDaniel, Yazoo City High School, Yazoo City, MS Establishing a Student Government Association Roselyn has led multiple lessons with her students around leadership development and student governance, in preparation for launching an SGA this Fall. _____________ Cleotha Taylor, McCoy Elementary School, Yazoo City, MS Increasing Parent Engagement Cleo has organized two well-attended parent sessions in recent weeks and plans to include literacy skills and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in future sessions. _____________ Tijuana Thompson, McCoy Elementary School, Yazoo City, MS Data-Driven Instruction Strategies Tijuana has launched “A.E.I.O.U.” (Academic Excellence is Our Ultimate Goal), which is focusing on high expectations and data-driven learning centers. Florina Morino, Leflore Legacy Academy, Greenwood, MS Increasing Middle School Rigor Florina is using data to test the impact of ninety-minute instructional blocks and is creating a teacher and student survey that will help gauge perceptions around rigor. _____________ Monique Johnson, Leflore Legacy Academy, Greenwood, MS Prioritizing Teacher Health and Wellness Monique, recently named “Teacher of the Year '' at her school, is working to launch a community health fair, health guide, and teacher wellness room during this school year. _____________ Langly Dunn, RH Bearden Elementary School, West Tallahatchie, MS Designing a District Library Curriculum Langley has organized a plethora of resources in a huge effort to create a district-wide library curriculum and will co-teach K-6 literacy this year. _____________ Kambria Jones, RH Bearden Elementary School, West Tallahatchie, MS Strengthening School’s Grow Your Own Strategy Kambria is working to increase the number of licensed teachers at her school, particularly focusing on Teacher Assistants pursuing licensure. Mississippi Program UpdatesOur Policy Fellows had their first Monthly Session of the year on August 15th. We were joined by Micayla Tatum, a Teach Plus MS alum who’s the Director of Early Childhood Policy at Mississippi First. This Session also gave us the opportunity to explore our policy priorities for the upcoming year and to set our working groups. This is the initial step before our Fellows dive into the research and begin developing their advocacy goals. Based on the feedback from our teacher leaders, our 2023-24 Policy fellows will focus on…
Showcase with the National Research Fellowship Valerie Steele, Teach Plus Senior Research Fellow Teach Plus Recently held a Virtual Showcase of the National Research Fellowship. The Magnolia State was represented by Valerie Steele, a Senior Fellowship Alum from the Rankin County School District. Her working group of Research Fellows focused on the impact of the initiatives created and launched by the Social and Emotional Learning Change Agent Network. Meet Our 2023-24 Senior Policy FellowsAdraine Reed, Hinds County School District Adraine Reed is a 3rd-grade teacher and ELA team leader at Gary Road Intermediate School in Byram. She focuses on differentiating education for students in reading, writing, and language arts while implementing technology and the characteristics of lifelong learners. She serves as Chair of the Educational Technology Department and a Mentor Teacher. Adraine was named teacher of the month numerous times at Gary Road Intermediate and a two-time Making Connections Conference Presenter (2019 & 2022). She earned her BS in Elementary Education (K-3) from Jackson State University and is obtaining her MEd in Curriculum Instruction with an emphasis on Education Technology from Belhaven University. Heather Rowland, Columbus Municipal School District Heather Rowland is an elementary gifted teacher at Cook Elementary in Columbus, Mississippi. She is also the District Coordinator of Gifted Services and the District Coordinator for Elementary Arts for the Columbus Municipal School District. She previously taught elementary drama for nine years and has taught multiple courses in the education and theater departments at the Mississippi University for Women. She has served as school testing coordinator, professional development coordinator, and Whole School Arts grant coordinator over her 14 years of teaching. Heather has a National Board Certification in Early Childhood Literacy and completed the University of Mississippi’s Principal Corps in 2016-2017. She serves on the CMSD Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council and was appointed to the Mississippi Association of Gifted Children’s Board. She earned her BA in Theatre and gifted certification from the Mississippi University for Women, an MA in Theatre from Stephen F. Austin State University, and an EdS in Educational Leadership and her administrator’s license from the University of Mississippi. Teacher VoicesVickie Malone, a 2022-23 Policy Fellowship alum, joined the Alluvial Collective as a guest speaker during their recent Community Learning Session. Vickie talked about an oral history course she created at McComb High School, through which high school seniors interviewed civil rights advocates involved in the grassroots movement in McComb during the 1960s.
Upcoming Events & OpportunitiesOpportunity for Students: Mind ElevationTeen Health Mississippi is accepting applications for Mind Elevation, a 5 to 10-month program through which students work to promote teen health and wellness in their communities. The priority deadline is this week, but encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible.
About Teach PlusThe mission of Teach Plus is to empower 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 shape education policy and improve teaching and learning, to create an education system driven by access and excellence for all. Want to be involved? Join Our Network or Nominate Teachers to join by visiting our website at teachplus.org/MS or click below: For more information about the Policy Fellowship, please email Teach Plus Mississippi Executive Director Sanford Johnson at sjohnson@teachplus.org. Monthly |