2026-2027 Teach Plus Arkansas & Mississippi Policy Fellowship

Elevating educator voice in education policy

Outstanding teachers understand the challenges and opportunities facing students better than anyone. The Teach Plus Arkansas & Mississippi Policy Fellowship empowers educators to elevate their voices and help shape the policies that impact their classrooms and communities.

As one unified region, Teach Plus Arkansas & Mississippi brings together the knowledge and experience of educators across both states. Our shared Policy Fellowship connects teachers from Arkansas and Mississippi in collaborative learning and advocacy focused on the issue that matters most: dramatically increasing the number of students who graduate truly ready for college and careers, with a dedicated focus on the rural and Delta communities where that work is most urgent.

What is the Arkansas & Mississippi Policy Fellowship?

The Teach Plus Arkansas & Mississippi Policy Fellowship is a highly selective year-long leadership opportunity for outstanding teachers from Arkansas and Mississippi looking to deepen their knowledge of education policy and gain a real voice in decisions that affect students and the teaching profession.

Through monthly sessions and issue-focused working groups, Fellows collaborate with educators across both states, policy experts, and state leaders to develop student-centered policy recommendations. Teach Plus trains Fellows to understand education policy as a lever for student success and connects them to real opportunities to lead, whether that means meeting directly with policymakers, writing op-eds, or providing public testimony.

The fellowship is open to K–12 educators across Arkansas and Mississippi, with a special focus on middle and high school teachers and those teaching in the Delta region. No prior policy experience is required. Fellows receive a $1,500 stipend for their commitment.

Fellowship Experience

Policy Fellows continue teaching while participating in the fellowship experience, which includes:

  • Monthly virtual evening sessions with Teach Plus and regional policy experts and education leaders
  • Collaborative working groups focused on key education issues
  • Supported research and policy development memos and projects
  • Opportunities to engage with legislators and policymakers in their state
  • Training in advocacy, policy analysis, messaging, and op-ed writing, with a focus on the policies that expand college and career readiness for students across the region

The Fellowship will kick off July 17-19 (location TBD). Attendance at kickoff is mandatory for Policy Fellows.

Educator Voice Matters

In Arkansas

  • Fellows have engaged state legislators, the Secretary of Education, and the Arkansas State Board of Education to advance policy priorities including early literacy, bilingual education, and teacher retention.
  • Fellows have published op-eds in the Arkansas Advocate, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and Talk Business and Politics.

In Mississippi

  • Fellows have published briefs and successfully advocated for policy changes related to equitable school funding, licensure, mentorship, the state’s data system, and teacher pay, presenting recommendations to the Mississippi Department of Education, State Board of Education, and State Legislature.
  • Fellows have published op-eds in The Clarion-Ledger, Clarksdale Advocate, Mississippi Free Press, and Mississippi Today.

Questions?

For more information about the fellowship, please contact:
Sanford Johnson
Executive Director
Teach Plus Arkansas & Mississippi
sjohnson@teachplus.org

Meet our Teacher Leaders

Get to know the Teach Plus Arkansas and Mississippi Policy Fellowship teachers.

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