Communications and Government Relations

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: August 6, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is working with school districts statewide to implement two new laws designed to equip students with the technology to learn at school or at home.

The Equity in Distance Learning Act (SB 3044) provides $150 million to school districts to pay for computer devices for students and teachers, software to deliver instruction, enhanced internet connectivity and professional development for digital teaching and learning.

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: July 24, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. — All Mississippi school districts will finalize plans for the start of the new school year by July 31.

State law requires Mississippi schools to operate 180 days each school year, with the school year ending by June 30. By law, school districts are in charge of setting their school calendars, including the first and last day of school.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 23, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. –  The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and the Office of Teaching and Leading today announced that Debra Houghton, principal of Mannsdale Upper Elementary in the Madison County School District, has been selected as the 2020 Mississippi Administrator of the Year (MAOY), and Benjamin Austin, 9^th and 10^th grade Social Studies teacher at Petal High School, has been selected as the 2020 Mississippi Teacher of the Year (MTOY).

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 6, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and the Office of Teaching and Leading set the first virtual ceremony for Mississippi Teacher of the Year and Mississippi Administrator of the Year to recognize top educators. The program, originally scheduled for the spring, was postponed as a result of closures because of COVID-19.

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: June 30, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. — The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is the winner of the Southern Regional Education Board’s (SREB) 2020 State Leadership Award for its efforts to increase literacy and math achievement and build networked communities focused on school improvement in the middle grades. The state will be presented with the award on July 6, 2021, at SREB’s Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville.

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: June 30, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) will hold three Virtual Alternate Route Fairs in July to help aspiring teachers identify the alternate route teacher preparation program that is right for them. Completing an alternate route program is a required step for people who would like to transition into teaching but lack the certification or license.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: June 22, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – Mississippi experienced the greatest improvement in education, ranking 39^th in the country, a substantial upturn from the previous ranking of 44 in 2019, according to new data released in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual KIDS COUNT® 2020 Data Book.

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: June 18, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) held up its sustained record of improved student achievement over the past six years – particularly the state’s record-low dropout rate – in response to the Office of the State Auditor’s (OSA) performance audit for the MDE Office of Dropout Prevention. State law established the office in 2006, though no specific state funds are targeted for the office.

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: June 11, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) suspended several policies today to give local school districts scheduling flexibility for the 2020-21 school year to deal with the impact of COVID-19.