13th Issue No images? Click here Teach Plus Mississippi HeadlinesTeach Plus Mississippi Welcomed Ellen Meacham to our Alumni WebinarSince our last newsletter, our current and former policy fellows participated in our first webinar of the 2023-24 program year. We were joined by Ellen Meacham, author of Delta Epiphany: Robert Kennedy in Mississippi. The book focuses on Senator Kennedy’s 1967 trip to Mississippi to observe the impact - or lack thereof - of the War on Poverty programs in the Mississippi Delta. The visit included stops in the Delta cities of Greenville, Cleveland, and Clarksdale. The guiding questions for the webinar were:
This was the first of four webinars Teach Plus MS will host throughout the year. Future events will include current program participants, our alumni, and members of the Mississippi Teacher Network. Mississippi Program UpdatesDr. Courtney Van Cleve (MDE) with the Mississippi Policy Fellows Dr. Courtney Van Cleve, MDE’s Executive Director of the Educator Continuum, joined our Policy Fellows to discuss the innovative ways the department is working to address our state’s teacher shortage. Two of the initiatives she discussed were the Mississippi Teacher Residency and the Performance-Based Licensure pilot. Our teacher leaders were also joined by Amber Ravenell and Alisha Kennarr from Teach Plus, who led a training module on using research and evidence to develop their policy goals. The Fellows will spend some time over the next month learning more about their policy issue, which will lead to setting evidence-based policy goals for the rest of the year. Meet Our 2023-24 Senior Policy FellowsKristin Scott, Holmes County School District Kristin Scott is a 2022-2023 alum of our Policy Fellowship and currently leads this year’s Equitable Funding working group. She’s the Lead Teacher (ELA), MTSS/EL Coordinator, and Interventionist at Holmes Central High School in Lexington. Kristin has previously served as ELA Teacher/Department Chair at Northwest Rankin High School and also taught at Terry High School and Crystal Springs High School. Kristin, a National Board Certified Teacher, earned her BA in English Education from Mississippi College and her MS in Secondary Education from Jackson State University. Porshia Ferguson, Ambition Prep Public Charter School Porshia Ferguson is a 2022-2023 alum of our Policy Fellowship and currently leads this year’s College & Career Readiness working group. As the MTSS Coordinator/Interventionist at Ambition Prep Charter School in Jackson, she focuses on providing instructional support to build teacher capacity and ensure that instructional practices are executed with fidelity. She previously taught grades 3-5 ELA and social studies in Vicksburg and began her teaching career as a TAP teacher in the National Institute of Excellent Teaching program. Porshia received her BA in History from Alcorn State University and her MEd in Educational Administration and Supervision from Delta State University. Teacher VoicesJack Fredericks, West Tallahatchie School District “As a teacher, I know that the desire for building a culture of trust is strong — and mutual. Parents crave a relationship with me … My commitment to the school and the community has now made it possible for me to talk openly with parents about my curricula.” Upcoming Events & OpportunitiesCalling All Teachers: Apply for the Teach Plus National Advisory BoardThe Teach Plus National Policy Advisory Board is a nonpartisan group of current classroom teachers that informs Teach Plus policy decisions at the federal level to advance equity-driven change. In 2023, members of the Advisory Board met with over 60 U.S. senators or representatives and their staff, federal agency staff, and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to brainstorm solutions to promote the development and strengthening of the teacher workforce.
Teach Plus “Building Strong Relationships with Students” Webinar SeriesThe pandemic may have officially ended but teachers and students in schools across the country are still feeling its effects. Through the Educator-to-Educator Webinar Series, teachers with dedicated expertise and a track record of effectiveness in supporting students will lead other educators in this three-part series:
CLICK HERE to register for these free webinars. 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 |