1st Issue No images? Click here Teach Plus Mississippi HeadlinesWelcome to the Teach Plus MS Newsletter!This is the first issue of our monthly newsletter for Teach Plus Mississippi! We will send out a newsletter each month to highlight the work of our teacher leaders. We will also share important updates and action alerts that are related to our policy goals. 2022-23 Teach Plus MS Policy Fellows Teach Plus Mississippi Launches 2022-23 Policy FellowshipTeach Plus Mississippi has selected a group of 25 outstanding teachers from across the state for its 2022-23 Policy Fellowship cohort. This group includes 20 teacher leaders who were selected as Policy Fellows this past Spring, along with 5 Fellowship alums who are now serving as Senior Fellows. During the weekend of August 12-14, members of this cohort met in Jackson for our annual Kickoff. This was the first time since 2018 that we have been able to host an in-person Kickoff. During the weekend, our Fellows participated in training modules that enabled them to discuss how policies are created at the local and state level. They also learned how to tell stories about their experiences in their classrooms and in their communities. The Fellows were joined by Interim State Superintendent Dr. Kim Benton and Kai Pruitte, an Education Leadership Coach from Teach Plus who leads our Change Agent Network. Interim Superintendent Dr. Kim Benton (center) with Policy Fellows (l to r) Miketa Davis-Smith, Adraine Reed, Porshia Ferguson, and Shana Bolden 2022-23 Senior Fellows (l to r) Shawna Robinson, Rosemary Collins, Crystal Jackson, Valerie Steele, and Drew Hall Throughout the program, the Fellows are trained in policy, advocacy, research, and communications and develop the skills necessary to advocate for changes for Mississippi students. Each Fellow was chosen based on their strong commitment to the classroom and to equity, their ability to articulate the needs of their students, and their pursuit of excellence and innovation in their teaching. With the support of Senior Fellows, Teach Plus Mississippi Policy Fellows will develop policy goals based on the following focus areas:
The 2022-23 Mississippi Policy Fellows are:
The 2022-23 Mississippi Senior Fellows are:
Alumni SpotlightTiffany Davis Tiffany Davis with the National Policy Advisory Board at the U.S. Capitol Tiffany Davis served as a 2022-21 Teach Plus Mississippi Policy Fellow and is a current member of the Teach Plus National Advisory Board. As a Policy Fellow, Tiffany conducted focus groups with teachers to get their input on American Rescue Plan (ARPA) spending priorities. She also wrote an op-ed in support of a teacher pay raise. She recently joined other National Advisory Board members in Washington D.C. to advocate for the Teachers LEAD Act, a federal bill that would fund the creation of teacher leadership programs. Tiffany is a kindergarten teacher at Webb Kindergarten Preparatory School in Greenville, Mississippi. An educator for over two decades, Tiffany has served her hometown district as a classroom teacher, lead teacher, mentor, and administrator. She has served on numerous school and district-level advisory panels, most recently on the Superintendent’s Advisory. She earned her BS degree in Elementary Education from Mississippi Valley State (1996), an MEd in Elementary Education, an MEd in Educational Leadership, and an EdS in Elementary Education from Delta State University. 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 |