3rd Issue No images? Click here Teach Plus Mississippi HeadlinesIn this issue, we highlight the work of our entire team of teacher leaders here in the Magnolia State. Along with the 25 educators participating in our statewide Policy Fellowship, we’re excited to tell you about the Change Agents who are making an impact in their classrooms and schools. We’re also excited to announce an expansion of our network of Change Agents in the coming months! SEL Change Agents in Jackson Public SchoolsJPS Change Agents (l to r) Barquita Stanton, Bre’Ana Marshall, Beau Menard, Kanesha Patterson, and Teach Plus Education Leadership Coach Kai Pruitte Teach Plus launched the SEL Change Agent Network in November 2021 to meet the social-emotional learning needs and challenges faced by schools and communities. The fellowship was launched in four school districts across the country, including Jackson Public Schools. With the support of leadership coaches, SEL change agents have worked with their school principals, colleagues, and students to identify an SEL-related need and develop and execute action plans to address that need. This past weekend, SEL Change Agents from Mississippi and New York State met in Rochester, NY, to share ideas and problem-solve challenges. These teacher leaders are in the final weeks of their projects and will present their work next month during the SEL Change Agent Showcase. Introducing: The MS Delta Change Agent NetworkWe are recruiting 11 teacher leaders to serve in our MS Delta Change Agent Network. Starting in January 2023, our Change Agents will spend 18 months developing and executing a school-based project that will strengthen instructional practices, improve the culture of their classrooms and schools, and meet students' academic and social-emotional learning needs. Change Agents will also receive a $2,000 stipend and an additional $1,000 for project implementation. Teach Plus Mississippi is also hiring a part-time Education Leadership Coach to support the work of the MS Delta Change Agent Network. This skilled coach will support Change Agents by developing, coaching, and supporting them as they identify opportunities and make a case for change in their schools. They will also support Change Agents in creating, implementing, and evaluating their plans. Learn more about the MS Delta Change Agent Network!
Mississippi Program UpdatesTeach Plus MS Policy Fellows with Brittany Brown from MLK50 Teach Plus Mississippi welcomed Brittany Brown, a reporter from MLK50, as the guest speaker for our October Monthly Session. The Mississippi native and Ole Miss alum wrote about labor & workforce issues, and she discussed how teachers could use media to highlight important policy issues. Teach Plus National Research Team members Amber Ravenell and Alisha Kannar also joined us to train to teach using research and evidence to support their policy goals. Policy Fellowship Alumni with Anthony Randazzo and Brittany Valesquez during the “Teacher Retirement U” webinar On September 29th, alumni of our Policy Fellowship participated in the Teacher Retirement U webinar. The hour-long webinar was presented by Brittany Valesquez and Anthony Randazzo from the Equable Institute. Participating teacher leaders learned about Mississippi's Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), specifically how the benefits are calculated and what policy challenges may arise. Meet Our 2022-23 Policy FellowsCharlotte Armstrong, DeSoto County Schools Charlotte Armstrong is a 6th school counselor and educator at Horn Lake Middle School in Horn Lake, MS. She’s a national board-certified counselor and licensed social worker who supports students on social-emotional well-being and academic planning for college and career readiness. She graduated from the University of Mississippi, earning a B.A. in Social Work and an M.Ed. in School Counseling. As a member of our SEL/Mental Health working group, Charlotte is working on recommendations to meet the mental health needs of students and teachers. Melissa Black, Marshall County School District Melissa Black is a 3rd-grade math team leader at Byhalia Elementary School in Byhalia, MS. In this role, she helps fellow math teachers in lesson planning and instruction. She also sponsors the school’s health & fitness and school beautification clubs. Melissa graduated from Mississippi State University, earning a B.A. in Elementary Education, with endorsements in K-8 Math and K-12 English, and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a member of the Teacher Recruitment & Retention working group, which focuses on using data to better support and retain talented teachers. Alumni SpotlightRosemary Collins Rosemary Collins is the Senior Network Fellow for the 2022-23 program year. In this newly-created role, she is working to create webinars and leadership opportunities for Policy Fellowship alumni and members of the Mississippi Teacher Network. This is Rosemary’s 3rd year as an active teacher leader at Teach Plus. As both a 2020-21 Policy Fellow and a 2021-22 Senior Policy Fellow, she has focused on including teacher input in proposed changes to Mississippi’s teacher licensure policies. Rosemary is a 3rd-grade Literacy Interventionist at Leland Elementary School in Leland, MS. Prior to her 4 years as an interventionist, she served as an elementary educator in Lake Cormorant, MS, and in her hometown of Greenville. She graduated from Delta State University, earning a B.A. and an M.A. in Elementary Education. Rosemary Collins, Leland School District 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 |