ALT Mississippi Department of Education logo

ALT Looking for strategies to improve reading for K-3 students? Join us for regional family nights. Strong Readers Strong Leaders, Mississippi.

ALT The students are: 🔹Maggie Brown, a sophomore at Hernando High School, who placed in the top 60 internationally and represented Mississippi in the National Museum of American History Showcase. Maggie was unable to attend today’s SBE meeting. 🔹 Daniel Hu, a senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS), who placed in the top 30 internationally for his paper and won the Asian American History Award. 🔹Aiden Rhee, a freshman at Starkville High School, who placed in the top 40 internationally in the Junior Individual Website category. 🔹Catherine Shao, a senior at MSMS, who placed fifth internationally in the Senior Paper category.

ALT Mississippi History Day, sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, is a year-long academic program in which students in grades 6–12 conduct extensive research on a historical topic related to the annual theme and create a project in one of five categories that include an exhibit, documentary, performance, website, or paper. More than 600,000 students from around the world participate in National History Day each year, with approximately 3,000 advancing to the National Contest at the University of Maryland, College Park, in June. Each year, National History Day recognizes entries from each of its 57 affiliate programs. These honors recognize the highest-performing projects representing each state or region at the National Contest. Two students stand in front of room at meeting.

ALT Today, the State Board of Education recognized five Mississippi schools that earned the 2025-26 American School Counselor Association (ASCA) RAMP Designation. All five schools are located in the Jackson County School District - Mississippi (JCSD) and include: St. Martin North Elementary School, St. Martin Upper Elementary School, Vancleave Lower Elementary School, Vancleave Upper Elementary School and Vancleave Middle School. The Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation demonstrates that schools are committed to supporting the mission of the school and district. The RAMP application process requires successfully implementing the ASCA National Model framework to show evidence of program planning, direct and indirect services to students, and improved student outcomes as a result of the school counseling program. School reps stand at the meeting.

ALT Graphic shows a tree with leaves of multiple colors. The text says registration is open for the 2026 THRIVE Conference happening September 15-17, 2026 at the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi.

ALT Mississippi Department of Education

ALT Mississippi Department of Education

ALT Mississippi Department of Education

ALT Graphic that says Save the Date on September 15-17, 2026 at the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi for the THRIVE conference.

ALT Today, the Mississippi State Board of Education recognized the third cohort of graduates of the Literacy Coach Academy of Mississippi (LCAM), a professional development program that provides Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) literacy coach training to educators who currently serve or will serve in a literacy coaching role in their districts. The cohort had a total of 19 graduates, but not all could attend today’s recognition. The LCAM trains K-5 lead teachers and district coaches in the same evidence-based methods used by MDE literacy coaches. These graduates just completed a rigorous, year-long course comparable to a college-level course. The photo shows graduates with MDE staffers.

ALT Today, the Mississippi State Board of Education recognized the third cohort of graduates of the Literacy Coach Academy of Mississippi (LCAM), a professional development program that provides Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) literacy coach training to educators who currently serve or will serve in a literacy coaching role in their districts. The cohort had a total of 19 graduates, but not all could attend today’s recognition. The LCAM trains K-5 lead teachers and district coaches in the same evidence-based methods used by MDE literacy coaches. These graduates just completed a rigorous, year-long course comparable to a college-level course. The photo shows graduates with MDE staffers.

ALT Today, the Mississippi State Board of Education recognized the third cohort of graduates of the Literacy Coach Academy of Mississippi (LCAM), a professional development program that provides Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) literacy coach training to educators who currently serve or will serve in a literacy coaching role in their districts. The cohort had a total of 19 graduates, but not all could attend today’s recognition. The LCAM trains K-5 lead teachers and district coaches in the same evidence-based methods used by MDE literacy coaches. These graduates just completed a rigorous, year-long course comparable to a college-level course. The photo shows graduates with MDE staffers.

ALT Cannon Parker headshot

ALT Image shows a graduation cap image and the words - Mississippi Department of Education

ALT This graphic states The Time is Right, which is the name of a conference happening June 16–18, at the Mississippi State University Riley Center in Meridian, Mississippi.

ALT Today, the State Board of Education (SBE) recognized Limeul Eubanks for being named the 2026 National Art Education Association (NAEA) Southeastern Region Supervision and Administration Art Educator of the Year. Eubanks is the PreK-12 State Arts and World Languages Director in the Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Curriculum and Instruction. He has served MDE for more than 18 years overseeing statewide programs in Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, World Languages, and the Mississippi Seal of Biliteracy. The NAEA recognition reflects his individual excellence as well as Mississippi’s growing strength in arts education. This image shows three people standing side by side with the person in the middle holding a certificate.

ALT This image shows eight people standing side by side with the person in the middle holding a certificate.

ALT This image shows Limeul Eubanks.

ALT The Rural Teacher of the Year Award recognizes and honors outstanding teachers who have made significant contributions to rural education statewide. This year, Melanie Davis-Hardy was selected from four finalists, each representing one of Mississippi’s congressional districts. She is also a member of the Mississippi Teacher Advisory Council. As the 2026 Mississippi Rural Teacher of the Year, she will serve as an ambassador for rural education and represent Mississippi at the National Rural Education Association (NREA) Conference, where the nation’s top rural teacher will be named. The photo shows four people standing together, with one person holding a certificate.

ALT The image shows Melanie Davis-Hardy, a sixth-grade math and science teacher at Yazoo County Middle School in the Yazoo County School District.

ALT Congratulations Class of 2026 from the Mississippi Department of Education.

ALT Save the Date. The Mississippi Literacy Association, in partnership with MDE’s Division of Literacy and the North Mississippi Education Consortium, will host the 55th Annual Mississippi Literacy Association Conference, Turn the Page: Transforming Literacy One Page at a Time from Dec. 2-4, at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi.

ALT Career superintendents in the inaugural class of the Mississippi Superintendent Institute (MSI) received their certificates Friday, April 24, in Jackson for completing the eight-month professional learning program. MDE, in partnership with the National Center on Education and the Economy, created the intensive program for new and career superintendents to strengthen leadership across Mississippi school districts. New superintendents in the MSI program received their certificates Tuesday, April 14, in Clinton. MDE congratulates all MSI participants for their commitment to completing the program to better benefit students, staff and communities. Pictured are the superintendents and program facilitators.

ALT Mississippi Department of Education