Mississippi Department of Education

State education agencies across the nation recently received notification that the U.S. Department of Education had decided to rescind its previously approved liquidation deadline of March 31, 2026, for COVID relief funds. In Mississippi, this decision could result in MDE and school districts losing $137 million in federal funds. MDE has submitted a letter to national and state leaders explaining the impact of this decision. Get details at bit.ly/3FTs71D. #MsEdu

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans and Gov. Tate Reeves talked about Mississippi’s extraordinary gains in literacy at today's Campaign for Grade-Level Reading state gathering in Jackson. Before Mississippi implemented education reforms in 2013, our 4th graders ranked 49th in the nation for reading and 50th in math. They now rank 9th for reading and 16th for math! #MsEdu

Congratulations! MDE announced today the 2025 Mississippi Parent of the Year is Anna Jones, a mother of two with one student in the Clarksdale Municipal School District. Jones was nominated by the school district and is described as a supportive, dedicated, and compassionate person who loves a challenge. Get details at bit.ly/4cdMUsF. #MsEdu

Congratulations!! Six 7th-12th grade Mississippi teachers have been named 2024-25 state-level finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). The PAEMST program is the nation’s highest honor for teachers of mathematics, science, technology, engineering and computer science education. Get details at bit.ly/42nZdzb. #MsEdu

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans joined Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds (center) at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Legislative Conference today in Washington D.C., to talk about how Mississippi is staying the course to improve literacy outcomes. Mississippi’s literacy reforms grounded in the science of reading have moved the state’s national ranking for 4th grade reading from No. 49 in 2013 to No. 9 in 2024! CCSSO's Senior Director of Programs Anne Bowles (left) moderated the discussion. #MsEdu

MDE seeks a Chief Academic Officer (Chief Deputy - Tier III) for the Office of Academic Education. Deadline to apply is April 10, 2025. See all MDE career opportunities at https://lnkd.in/dsV2Wrsm. #MsEdu

Congratulations!! MDE has named finalists for the 2025 Administrator of the Year and 2025 Teacher of the Year. Get details at bit.ly/4iDywMw. #MsEdu

MDE staff members onboarded 30 trainers from five Mississippi Regional Education Service Agencies on Monday, March 17, as the agency prepares to launch its Orientation for School Leaders (OSL) series this summer. The OSL series is part of MDE's Leading Education Achievement in Districts and Schools (LEADS) initiative and is tailored to meet the needs of early career administrators. The MDE-approved series includes three modules intended to strengthen instruction, teams, and schools as informed by State Superintendent advisory councils, national research, and agency-wide collaboration. OSL-trainer onboarding is provided with ongoing support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. #MsEdu

Today, the State Board of Education (SBE) recognized Michelle Rafach, who is the 2024 Mississippi History Teacher of the Year. Rafach teaches history at Pearl River Central High School in the Pearl River County School District (PRCSD). The Mississippi History Teacher of the Year Award is presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education. The award recognizes one exceptional American history teacher from each state. In 2024, 8,500 teachers were nominated nationwide. Rafach is a three-time Teacher of the Year and has received the Grant Writer of the Year award. In 2023, she was named a James Madison Fellow for the state of Mississippi. She brings a wealth of knowledge to her classroom from her more than 14 years of experience in diverse educational settings, including behavioral hospitals, alternative schools, and online education. Rafach is pictured with SBE Chair Glen East and State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans in the first group photo. In the second group photo, she is pictured with PRCSD Superintendent John Shows and MDE’s K-12 State Social Studies Director Alan Wheat. #MsEdu

Today, MDE announced the state’s 2023-24 school-year graduation rate of 89.2% and dropout rate of 8.5%. Mississippi’s graduation rate exceeds the latest national rate of 86.6% from 2021-22 reported by the National Center for Education Statistics. Get details at bit.ly/3Xd9coh. #MsEdu