State of Our Schools

The Daily Journal will take a year-long look at Mississippi’s public schools, their performance and the policy debate over how to improve the system.

The series will consider the complex fabric of such issues as poverty, race and family structure that are interconnected with education. As the Legislature embarks on school reform efforts, we will analyze the myriad of deep issues affecting Mississippi’s public schools with the hope of better informing a comprehensive debate.

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APRIL 2013: Teacher Quality

SUNDAY, April 14, 2013

Teachers: Quest for the best: Higher prestige, pay critical to attract brightest to profession

Legislature strengthens teacher standards

Regional teacher pay average still eludes Mississippi

LLOYD GRAY: Start with the teachers

MONDAY, April 15, 2013

Preparing teachers: Subject-area knowledge, use of data gain importance

Universities collaborate on honors-style teacher training

EDITORIAL: State must attract, retain top teachers

TUESDAY, April 16, 2013

Programs recruit top college graduates to teach

Prospective teachers have different ways into classrooms

Vignettes:

Towle discovered passion for teaching during studies at Harvard (MTC)

Early lesson draws Moss to education field (TFA)

Mom had the right idea (alternate route)

Art program plants seed (alternate route)

Reporter still gets recognized (alternate rote)

WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2013

Leadership matters: Strong principals help attract great teachers

Some districts have critical teacher needs

Mississippi develops new teacher evaluation

THURSDAY, April 18, 2013

Top performing teachers share common attributes

Profiles of top-performing teachers:

Teresa Ware: Great chemistry = excellent teaching

Sandra Magers: Veteran teacher says never stop learning

Angela Harris: New teacher combines best practices, passion for learning

FRIDAY, April 19, 2013

Schools, administrators struggle to retain teachers, prevent burnout

Retirement system provides perk for teachers

 

FEBRUARY 2013: Literacy education in Mississippi

SUNDAY, Feb. 17, 2013

Improving literacy: Mississippi’s reading efforts must be informed by the past

LLOYD GRAY: Literacy is the foundation

 BLOG: Literacy instruction: Are Mississippians too nice?

MONDAY, Feb. 18, 2013

Coaching literacy: Barksdale Institute emphasizes strong principals

 

TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2013

Teaching literacy – Instruction methods lack consistency statewide

 Lacking literacy: Poor readers populate state’s prisons

Pro-social education helps offenders re-enter society

 

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2013

Achieving literacy: Some students slip through cracks on traditional path

 

JANUARY, 2013: The Florida Model and the Mississippi Legislative reform agenda

SUNDAY, Jan. 6, 2013

Education to get Legislature’s focus

MONDAY, Jan. 7, 2013

EDITORIAL: Schools need more than charter law

 

SUNDAY, Jan. 13, 2013

Is Florida the model? Mississippi’s leaders take a cue from the Sunshine State

Reading initiative tops Florida import list

EDITORIAL: Legislators’ constituency is with public education

LLOYD GRAY: A Model in Context

BLOG: Florida Model links

 BLOG: Mississippi Legislative Education Committees likely will be busy soon

 

DECEMBER, 2012: Overview and history of Mississippi schools

SUNDAY, Dec. 16, 2012

A new wave of reform? 30 years after historic effort, state’s schools still lag
Bold act made education top priority
LLOYD GRAY: Where to from here?
EDITORIAL: The Education Reform Act of 1982 raised our vision
BLOG: Legacy of the Education Reform Act

MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2012
’82 act didn’t end education push
MAEP designed to level the field
Subcommittee drama saved MAEP
EDITORIAL: MAEP a critical education milestone