2009 September-October Update by Mississippi School Boards Association

6 2010 Legislative Priorities 7 MSBA Board Nominations

Volume 38, No. 2 / September 2009

MSBA’s Fall Leadership Conference set Nov. 16-17 “Winning Leadership” is the theme as the MSBA’s Fall Leadership Conference gets underway November 16 at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson. Events and activities support the work of the board and superintendent -the school district’s leadership team. The Early Bird Workshop on November 16 features Character Learning Systems (CLS) president Bonnie Louque -- former school board member/president, teacher and district administrator –– and Mary Edwards, CLS director of curriculum and program development. The two will discuss the role of a leader’s competence, communication and character in producing high achieving students. The next day, on November 17, activities include: ★ Lighthouse School Leader Awards Presentations ★ Presentation of the First Board Member of the Year Award ★ Delegates’ Assembly - Election of new members of the MSBA Board of Directors - Report of findings from Board Member Legislative Survey / Approval of 2010 Legislative Agenda ★ South Panola High School Quartet ★ Post Conference Seminar - A Board Member’s Guide to School Finance. Registered Yet? Sign up online, www. msbaonline.org or call MSBA registrar April Mills toll free, 888-376-6722.

MSBA Executive Director Michael Waldrop spoke during an afternoon panel discussion September 16 during the Governor’s Summit on Turning Around Underperforming Schools. Gov. Haley Barbour kicked off the summit with remarks about Mississippi’s use of a $150,000 National Governors Association grant to develop effective tools for rescuing the state’s chronically underperforming schools, and at the same time set the standard for a national model.

News Notes

District budgets cut 5%

Following Governor Haley Barbour’s announcement of across-the-board budget cuts in the amount of 5 percent, the Mississippi Department of Education The Mississippi Department of Edutranslated the news in terms of educacation released student performance tion dollars lost to school districts. The results on the 2009 state assessments 5 percent impact on education budgets on August 21, noting that Mississippi ranged from about $6 million each for students achieved “in line with what we DeSoto County and Jackson Public expected,” said Interim State Superinschool districts to about $43,000 each tendent John Jordan. “There was some for Clay County School District and improvement in a few areas, but there is Hinds County AHS. Visit MSBA’s webstill much work to be done,” Dr. Jordan site, www.msbaonline.org, to see how said of the results. This is the second the 5 percent budget cuts affect other year that Mississippi students have taken school districts. tests based on the more rigorous Mississippi Curriculum Tests, Second Edition (MCT2). English II and Algebra I The Fourth Annual MSBA RISK Subject Area Tests also have been revised (Reliable Insurance Support & Knowlto meet standards based on the National edge) Seminar is set for October 27-28 Assessment of Educational Progress at Hyatt Place in Ridgeland. Jackson (NAEP) and other national standards. County Supt. Barry Amacker is among The State Board wants Mississippi the presenters, along with state and local students to reach the national average on workers’ comp experts. The seminar national assessments by 2013. Student is designed especially for school busiperformance based on the state’s new ness officials, risk management specialaccountability model is expected to be ists, claims personnel and other school released by district and by school someleaders committed to implementing time in November. and maintaining an efficient, economiworkers’ comp and/or property & We’re Here for You! cal casualty insurance program. Register at msba@msbaonline.org • 888-367-6722 MSBA’s website, www.msbaonline.org.

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The Update is published bimonthly as a resource for school board members and administrators throughout Mississippi, designed to keep them abreast of issues affecting education locally, nationally and internationally. Comments and suggestions are welcomed. Michael W. Waldrop, Ph.D. Executive Director mwaldrop@msbaonline.org Linda Buford-Burks Director of Communications lburks@msbaonline.org Denotris Jackson Director, Center for Board Development djackson@msbaonline.org Rose Regina Coordinator of Workers’ Compensation rregina@msbaonline.org Darla J. Warren Business Manager djwarren@msbaonline.org Anissa Young Insurance Program Manager ayoung@msbaonline.org April Mills Executive Assistant amills@msbaonline.org Catherine Miller Receptionist receptionist@msbaonline.org Amy Parsons Risk Management Specialist aparsons@msbaonline.org Jim Keith, J.D. General Counsel John T. Mandeville Business Development / Marketing 225-953-1124 / jmandy@cox.net

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4 MS schools earn National Blue Ribbon distinction

our Mississippi schools are among 314 public and private schools recognized nationally earlier this month as 2009 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The Mississippi schools are: Center Hill Elementary - DeSoto County School District; D’Iberville Elementary - Harrison County School District; Long Beach Middle School - Long Beach School District; and, Rankin Elementary - Tupelo School District. This is the second time that Rankin Elementary has earned the National Blue Ribbon distinction. U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the school selections on September 15. The National Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored officially at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. November 2-3. Officials have invited two people from each school — the principal and a teacher — to make the trip to Washington for the ceremony. Each school will receive a plaque and a flag to signify their Blue Ribbon School status. Mississippi’s National Blue Ribbon schools were selected in the following categories: - Schools in the Top 10% in their State with at least 40% of Students from disadvantaged backgrounds:

• D'Iberville Elementary School Dana Trochessett, Principal • Rankin Elementary School - Glenda Scott, Principal - Schools in the Top 10% with less than 40% of Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds: • Center Hill Elementary School Rebecca Dearden, Principal • Long Beach Middle School - Mary Jean Harvey, Principal. Congratulations to the staff and other employees of each school, as well as to the district leadership teams: DeSoto County Schools - Board members Ann Jolley, chair, Stephen Dodd, Doug Hollowell, Patricia Hurt and Janet Osborne and Supt. Milton Kuykendall; Harrison County Schools - Board members John H. Johnson, chair, William Bradley, Charles Daniels, Theodore Harder and David Ladner and Supt. Henry Arledge; Long Beach Schools - Board members James Stubbs, chair, Craig Carpenter, Angela Johnson, Claire Leatherwood and Timothy Pierce and Supt. Carrolyn Hamilton; Tupelo Schools - Board members Michael Clayborne, chair, Arlissa Heyer, John Nail, Eddie Prather, and Lee Tucker and Supt. Randy Shaver. EDITOR’S NOTE: Special thanks to schools and district Public Relations Offices for providing the photos of principals on this page.

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The mission of the Mississippi School Boards Association is to ensure quality school board performance through advocacy, technical assistance, board development and information dissemination.

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State Board formally recognizes 2009 Administrator of the Year An Opportunity for Businesses to Join in Support of Better School Governance and Higher Student Achievement Affiliate Members

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The Mississippi Board of Education officially recognized Dr. Theresa Green –– the 2009 Mississippi Administrator of the Year –– at the September 11 regular meeting. MBE Board Chair William Jones (Top photo, left) and Dr. John Jordan, interim state superintendent, are pictured in the photo after presenting certificates to the Jackson Public School District principal and to finalists in the statewide competition. State finalists are pictured beneath the main photo (from left) Vince Jordan, principal, Union County School District, first congressional district; Dr. Roma Morris, principal, Pearl School District, third congressional district; and, Denise Wilkinson, principal, Hancock County School District, fourth congressional district.

Town Hall Meeting to examine innovative education perspectives

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, a Mississippi native, will headline an October 1 state education town meeting where a panel will be moderated by Dr. James “Butch” Rosser, a nationally known surgeon and Morehouse School of Medicine professor. Rosser, a native of the Mississippi Delta, advocates using popular technology such as video games to improve student achievement in what he calls “stealth learning.” The town meeting is at 2 p.m. Thursday, October 1 at Cain-Cochran Hall at Hinds Community College. Panelists will include Dr. Hank Bounds, commissioner of higher education; Dr. Eric Clark, executive director of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, and Dr. John Jordan, interim state superintendent of education.

Grants awarded for serving homeless children, youth

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Congratulations to the school districts that have earned competitive grants in the state’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program. The grants are designed to provide services to homeless children and youth (including preschool children) to enable them to enroll, attend and succeed in school. Such services include before and after school tutoring, supplemental instruction and enriched educational activities. Districts awarded the grants are: • Alcorn • Harrison County • Noxubee County • Corinth • Humphreys County • Simpson County • Greenville • Jackson Public • South Delta • Hancock County • Natchez-Adams • Yazoo City

The Mississippi Board of Education on September 11 also recognized student Kaleb Eulls (center) and bus driver Lucille Boddy (inset) for efforts that prevented a potential major crisis on a Yazoo County school bus September 1. PHOTOS THIS PAGE COURTESY of the Mississippi Department of Education

Pass Christian’s Montgomery among 50 Leading Business Women for 2009

ongratulations to Rebecca Montgomery, Pass Christian School District board member and member of the MSBA Board of Directors. She is among the 50 leading business women in the state selected for recognition by the Mississippi Business Journal in the publication’s 2009 recognition program for business women. Montgomery, community affairs manager at Mississippi Power Company, and other business women selected will be formally recognized in January at a statewide Business Woman of the Year luncheon where one of them will be named Business Woman of the

Year. The recognition is a special project of the Mississippi Business Journal culminating annually with the luncheon on the second day of the Mississippi Business & Technology EXPO, also sponsored by the Mississippi Business Journal. Montgomery’s professional and civic efforts are many –– including serving the U.S. Army in the Joint Forces Training Center at Camp Shelby, as executive director of United Way of South Mississippi, serving as commercial development manager for the Harrison County Development Commission, chair of the Public Education Forum (Mississippi Economic Council) and on the Gulf Coast Symphony Board of Directors. Western Line School District board president Clarence Hall (left) and Superintendent Larry Green were among the school district representatives at the Governor’s Summit on Turning Around Underperforming Schools, held in Jackson on September 16. See related photo on front page.

Winning, Dynamic Leadership is Tough, but Schools Have to Have It to Help All Students Succeed. Gain Insight • Work What Works

The MSBA Fall Leadership Conference Register Online Now:

www.msbaonline.org

MAJOR PRESENTER: Bonnie Louque, president, Character Learning Systems

Civil Rights Education added to curriculum The Mississippi Board of Education recently approved the 2010 Mississippi U.S. History: Post-Reconstruction to Present framework, a curriculum which incorporates civil rights and human rights content, as mandated in Senate Bill 2718, passed in 2006 by the Mississippi Legislature. In developing the new curriculum, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) worked closely with the Mississippi Civil Rights Education Commission (MCREC) -- a group of educators, historians and community leaders with strong knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Ollye Shirley, a MCREC member, drew from her own experience as a civil rights veteran in helping create the curriculum. “This is an important project because all of the children in this state, especially African-American children, need to learn about the contributions of all Shirley people,” she said. “We have all played an important role in the development of this country.” MDE is working this fall with the Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute on Citizenship and Democracy at Jackson State University, Teaching for Change (a non-profit for building social justice in the classroom) and the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at Ole Miss to conduct seminars and workshops that acquaint teachers with the new curriculum as well as provide them civil rights era documents and other educational resources for classroom use. A website also has been created, listing people, places, and events of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement by county.

21st Century grants awarded to schools Congratulations to the following school districts and partnerships that have earned competitive grants in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. The grants are awarded for a five-year period, providing academic enrichment opportunities for students. Districts in parenthesis are partners with the main agency receiving grants: • Aberdeen School District • Amite County School District • Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District • Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast (Biloxi School District) • Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast (Pass Christian School District) • Brookhaven School District • CHAPS, Inc. (Walthall County School District) • CHEER, Inc. (Yazoo City School District) • Columbus Municipal School District • Crudup Ward Activity Center (Forest Municipal School District) • Drew School District • Durant School District • Franklin County School District • Greater North Bolivar Schools Foundation (North Bolivar School District) • Greene County School District • Greenville Public School District • Jackson Public School District • Leflore County School District • McComb School District • Mississippi State University • Montgomery County School District • Natchez-Adams School District • Okolona School District • Our House, Inc. (Hollandale, Western Line school districts) • Quitman School District • Safari L and Learning Center (West Bolivar School District) • Shaw School District • South Delta School District • South Tippah/Alcorn Consortium • Tupelo Public School District • Winona Public School District

Recommended MSBA

2010 Legislative Priorities

(As Determined By a Survey of Membership for the Consideration of the Delegates Assembly at the MSBA Fall Leadership Conference)

1 2 3

FULL FUNDING OF THE MAEP and “Add On” Programs, thus ensuring that each school district receives adequate financial resources to meet the educational needs of students and the rising accountability expectations. RESTORE FULL FUNDING FOR BUILDINGS, thus ensuring that each student has a school learning environment conducive to optimum learning.

IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, thus assuring that each student has the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful at his or her next level of endeavor and is adequately prepared to be a productive contributor to society.

Recommended MSBA Position Statements As Determined By a Survey of Membership

MSBA supports legislation to: • Reduce the percentage of positive votes needed for the passage of a bond issue from 60% to 55% • Phase in the transition from elected to appointed superintendents • Increase state funding for “at-risk” children • Increase state funding to strengthen the quality of pre-K programs • Fund High School Redesign • Restore full funding for teacher supply money • Provide a teacher pay increase • Increase the compensation of school board members. EDITOR’S NOTE: The Legislative Priorities and Position Statements are among the items that will be presented for consideration of the Delegates’ Assembly November 17 at the MSBA Fall Leadership Conference in Jackson. The Delegates’ Assembly is made up of board member representatives from school districts across the state. The Delegates’ Assembly addresses the business matters of the association.

Proctor to head national assoc.

ongratulations to Dr. Ennis Proctor, executive director of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA). He has been elected president of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for 2009-10. His one-year term as president began July 2, following he NFHS Summer Meeting in Chicago. Dr. Proctor has been executive director of MHSAA since 1991, serving at the national level on the NFHS Appeals Board, the NFHS Football Rules Committee and the NFHS Hall of Fame Screening Committee. He also chaired the NFHS Operations Subcommittee on strategic planning during 2008-09.

Waldrop on Turnaround Schools Policy Team

Members of the MSBA Nominating Committee hard at work: (l to r) Beard, Barksdale and Stubbs.

Nominating Committee Report (for the Consideration of the Delegates’ Assembly, Convening at the MSBA Fall Leadership Conference on November 17, 2009) Nominating Committee Julie Jordan, Chairman Columbus School District

Marian Barksdale Miranda Beard Oxford School District Laurel School District Dr. Harvey Jackson James Stubbs Cleveland School District Long Beach School District The Nominating Committee recommends to the Delegates’ Assembly the following board members to serve the Mississippi School Boards Association as officers and directors. Officers are being nominated for one-year terms. Terms for directors are for two years. The Board of Directors is composed of three directors elected from each of Mississippi’s four Congressional Districts. The MSBA President is authorized under the Association’s Bylaws to appoint four directors to serve during his/her term as president. OFFICERS President Lygunnah Bean South Panola School District Vice President Dr. Norris Edney Natchez-Adams School District Secretary-Treasurer Marian Barksdale Oxford School District

DIRECTORS* Congressional District 1 David Duncan South Tippah School District Tommy Prude Columbus School District Stephen Dodd DeSoto County School District Congressional District 3 Barbara Jones Lauderdale County School District Sondra Odom Pearl School District Etta Taplin North Pike School District

*Terms of Directors in Congressional Districts 2 and 4 expire in November 2010

MSBA Executive Director Michael Waldrop has been appointed to a 15-member State Policy Team charged with guiding the work in developing model policies and a statewide support structure for rescuing low-performing schools. Mississippi joins Colorado, Maryland and Massachusetts in receiving one of three grants of $150,000 from the National Governors Association to craft a plan for improving chronically low-performing schools. The grant is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The full listing of State Policy Team members: • Dr. John W. Jordan, Interim State Superintendent of Education • Sen. Videt Carmichael, Chairman Senate Education Committee • Rep. Cecil Brown, Chairman, House Education Committee • Charles McClelland, Vice Chair State Board of Education • Dennis Dupree, Superintendent Clarksdale School District • Dr. Jason Dean, Chief Operating Officer, Momentum Mississippi • Steve Williams, Executive Director Mississippi Center for Education Innovation • Mayo Flynt, President, AT&T MS • Kelle Barfield, Vice President of Public Affairs, Entergy Nuclear • Oleta Fitzgerald, Regional Director, Children’s Defense Fund • Kevin Gilbert, President, Mississippi Association of Educators • Dr. Mike Waldrop, Executive Director, Mississippi School Boards Association • Dr. Sam Bounds, Executive Director, Mississippi Association of School Superintendents • Dr. Al Rankins, Interim Assistant Commissioner of Academic and Student Affairs • Deb Biggers, Director, State Office of Budget & Fund Management • Johnny Franklin, Education Policy Advisor to Governor Haley Barbour

Partnership saves the district

ass Christian High School students are taking vocational technical courses this fall at the Hancock County School District Vocational Technical Center, thanks to an agreement worked out by the two districtsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; superintendents and board of trustees. Without the partnership, Pass Christian students would have been without vo-tech options this year, caused by the closing of a consortium to which their district belonged. Instead, Pass Christian students have joined with their peers from Hancock High School and Bay High School to take vocational courses of their choice. Pass Christian Superintendent Sue Matheson made the initial contact with Hancock County Superintendent Alan Dedeaux. One thing led to another, and viola! Pass Christian students are enjoying the benefits of attending Hancock County Vocational Technical Center. The addition of Pass Christian students brings the enrollment of the vocational technical center to 455 students.

Nicholas Ladner, far left, a Pass Christian High School Senior second year Metal Trades student works on a welding project as Reggie Ladner, Hancock County School District Vo-Tech Metal Trades Instructor and Jake Ladner, Hancock High School Sophomore first year Metal Trades student study his technique. PHOTO COURTESY Cathy Wilson, Hancock County School District

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Some news items in this issue may have been taken in part or in whole from resources outside MSBA’s organization. Regular columns in this newsletter from outside resources include: • Technicalities, compiled from a newsletter of the same name published by State Auditor Stacey Pickering’s Office; • AG’s Opinions, from Attorney General Jim Hood’s Office; and, • Ethics Opinions, from the Mississippi Ethics Commission - Tom Hood, Executive Director. Information in this issue about school district honors are from the districts or from the Mississippi Department of Education.

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STATE SUPERINTENDENT Mississippi Department of Education Jackson, Mississippi Application Deadline: OCTOBER 2, 2009 Employment: On or Before January 1, 2010 The Mississippi School Boards Association is conducting a search for Mississippi’s highest K-12 education leader, on behalf of the nine-member Mississippi Board of Education (MBE), the governing body of the Mississippi Department of Education. Applications and nominations for the position of State Superintendent of Education are being accepted through October 2, with tentative plans for the selected candidate to take office on or before January 1, 2010. The ideal candidate will be able to: • quickly become familiar with the ongoing programs central to the signifi cant progress being made in Mississippi’s K-12 education • make increased student achievement the major priority of his/her efforts • enthusiastically support full education funding. In addition, the MBE is committed to hiring an innovative, data-driven, and child-centered leader who can monitor ongoing, comprehensive reforms in curriculum and instruction; administrator / teacher preparation and development and education redesign for the 21st Century workforce. The selected candidate will possess the following minimum credentials: • Masters’ Degree (Doctorate preferred) • Five Years of Administrative Experience • Excellent Leadership Skills The announcement brochure outlining qualifications and other criteria as well as an application for the position are posted on the MSBA website, www.msbaonline.org. MSBA’s Superintendent Search Service continues to build a strong track record for matching school districts with top candidates for their highest leadership position. Need more information? Contact MSBA Executive Director Michael W. Waldrop, mwaldrop@msbaonline.org or 888-367-6722 toll free.

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