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Letter From the Editor-in-Chief
Mississippi educators met unprecedented challenges head-on this academic year with innovative teaching methods and sheer determination to continue instruction no matter the climate or environment, and we here at the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) could not be prouder of those dedicated to public education.
In this issue of School Focus, we’ll reflect on a few of the initiatives sparked by the COVID-19 outbreak and look ahead at a few that will greatly improve educational opportunities and outcomes across the state.
After classrooms went virtual last academic year and digital instruction became a new normal, the Legislature helped us provide technology to school districts in need to ensure students continued to learn. I’d like to personally thank everyone involved with making this program — Mississippi Connects — both a reality and a success in such a short amount of time.
Our feature story discusses a transformative partnership between Mississippi State University (MSU) and the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District that will expose students of on-campus learning environments not found anywhere else in the district. Additionally, the new campus will allow MSU College of Education students — the next generation of teachers — to receive hands-on learning experiences and classroom observations unlike any they’ve had in the past.
I’m excited to see how new social emotional learning standards, high-quality instructional materials and computer science curricula available to students as early as middle school also improve learning outcomes in the future.
These stories, along with features on Mississippi’s Administrator, Teacher and Parent of the Year, and other news and recognitions in this issue highlight the great things happening in our schools.
