A Publication of the Mississippi School Boards Association ...

The new school year has ushered in a wave of phone calls and emails to MSBA regarding policies school districts need

in place due to changes to Mississippi laws during the 2013 Legislative session. Those changes include literacy-based promo-tion, new freedoms for students under the Religious Liberty Act, a new student attendance requirement for being at school at least 67 percent of the instruc-tional day to be counted present, and the impact of Mississippi’s amended gun law on security at school events.

The short answer to school district leaders’ concerns is that MSBA staff

and General Counsel Jim Keith are carefully reviewing the implications of the law changes, and MSBA will email school districts sample polices to address these and other concerns by early August. Look for opportunities this school year to learn more about these issues at MSBA statewide conferences, seminars and other events. (see schedule on page 11)

11 Board de-velopment opportu-

nities in 2013-14 including upcoming conferences, seminars and other sessions can be found on this page.

10 Mississippi school admin-

istrators have been recognized statewide and nationally.

9 Two new board development workshops ad-

dress school board eth-ics and family / com-munity engagement.

8 Is your district likely to be temporarily

strapped for cash? The MSBA Cash Flow Management Program could be your solution.

7 MSBA has had a number of questions about

non-renewals. General Counsel Jim Keith provides enlighten-ment.

5Mississippi educators have established a

professional learning community on LinkedIn focused on Common Core State Standards.

What’s wrong with school choice?By David A. Pickler, President National School Boards Association

Imagine a state outsourcing the education of its disadvantaged children to dozens of private entities, asking for only minimal updates on the students’ learning and their

financial management of taxpayers’ dollars. This happened in Louisiana last year, when Gov. Bobby Jindal and his allies in the state legislature rammed through a school voucher bill that diminished communities’ schools and their students by siphoning off public funds to private, parochial, and for-profit enterprises.

But the Louisiana Supreme Court recently took a strong stand for public education across the country when it deemed the funding for that plan unconstitutional in a 6-1 ruling.

This ill-devised law — which was designed as a template for other states — was driven primarily by outside forces that continued on page 3

National Learning First Allianceon CCSS implementation:

Implementing Common Core State Standards and assess-ment requirements will take

time, say officials of key national education orga-nizations of the Learning First Alliance (LFA). They noted cautions in a joint statement released simultaneously by the National School Boards Association (NSBA), American Association of School Adminis-trators (AASA), National Associa-tion of Elementary School Princi-pals (NAESP), and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) — voic-ing the sentiments of LFA’s 15 member education organizations. NSBA Executive Director Thom-as J. Gentzel notes that “Strong educational standards can be an important tool for improving

Common Core ResourcesClick ‘Common Core Resources’ from the ‘Quick Links’ menu on the homepage of the MSBA website, www.msbaonline.org, for links to articles, charts, videos and toolkits addressing Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

Connect with MSBA at https://www.facebook.com/MSBAonline and at https://twitter.com/MSBAonline.

continued on page 6

www.msbaonline.org • A Publication of the Mississippi School Boards Association • Volume 42, No. 1 • July / August 2013

2 • MSBA Update • July / August 2013

Integrated and Continuous

Learning ModelA Bailey Kirkland Education Group

Successful School Model

www.BaileyKirkland.com301 Northlake Avenue Suite 107 Ridgeland, MS 39157 Office 601.707.5778

Gary Bailey President

[email protected]

Carla KirklandFounder and Vice President

[email protected]

Chuck PoerVice President for Education Services 662-538-5227

[email protected]

Regina GinnMarketing

[email protected]

Chan Cleveland Marketing

[email protected]

MSBA Update • July / August 2013 • 3

Mississippi School Boards Association489 Springridge Road • P. O. Box 203 • Clinton, MS 39060

(601) 924-2001 • Fax: (601) 924-2003 • Toll Free: (888) 367-6722www.msbaonline.org

CORE VALUESAt MSBA, we are:

• Honest• Promise Keepers• Membership Service Focused• Seekers of Perfection

The Update is published bimonthly as a resource for school board members and administrators

throughout Mississippi. Comments and suggestions are welcomed.

Michael W. Waldrop, Ph.D.Executive Director

[email protected]

Denotris JacksonDirector of Policy / Advocacy

[email protected]

B. Anne LoveladyDirector of Board Development

[email protected]

Linda Buford-BurksDirector of Communications

[email protected]

Darla J. WarrenBusiness Manager

[email protected]

Anissa Young, CSRMInsurance Program Manager

[email protected]

Paul ChambleeRisk Management [email protected]

Alexis ColeMarketing Representative /

Policy Support [email protected]

Rose ReginaFinancial Assistant

[email protected]

April MillsExecutive Assistant

[email protected]

Stephanie Wells Receptionist

[email protected]

John T. MandevilleBusiness Development / Marketing225-953-1124 / [email protected]

Jim Keith, J.D.General Counsel

Dr. E. Harold FisherSuperintendent Search Consultant

What’s wrong with... continued from front page

CREDITS: Some items in this issue may have come from resources outside MSBA’s organiza-tion. Regular columns using outside resources include: Technicalities, compiled from a newslet-ter of the same name from State Auditor Stacey Pickering’s Office; AG’s Opinions, from Attor-ney General Jim Hood’s Office; and, Ethics Opinions, from the Mississippi Ethics Commission - Tom Hood, Executive Director. Additionally, MSBA uses news items from the Mississippi Department of Education or those submitted by school districts.

MISSIONThe mission of the Mississippi School Boards Association is to ensure quality school board perfor-mance through advocacy, technical assistance, board development and information dissemination.

want to make big profits on the backs of our nation’s most vulnerable children. This law, and similar plans in other states, ultimately would create a whole new structure for K-12 education. The arguments used in Louisiana and in the push for similar laws in other states sound compelling: What could be wrong with giving students a choice of where they can go to school, particularly those from low-income families or those assigned to low-performing schools?

Here’s what’s wrong: The Louisiana voucher law gives up most accountability for school finances and student achievement when it hands over the taxpayers’ check. The schools that take fewer than 40 voucher students are not even required to show any data for their students’ learning. These schools are not required to hire certified teachers or teach the skills students need for higher education and the workplace in the 21st century.

Many schools chosen for Louisiana’s voucher program were faith-based, and it is well known that some of these schools teach philosophies that are far from mainstream.

But perhaps the most compelling fact is that private and religious schools would not have to accept all students and could expel any student for just about any reason. We know from school choice experiments in other states that students with disabilities or other special needs are most likely to be denied admission at voucher schools. Louisiana’s voucher schools could choose not to offer special education services.

Re-segregation is another outcome now being seen in Louisiana and other communities due to school choice. More than 30 Louisiana school districts still have unresolved desegregation cases.

Local school boards are committed to providing each child-regardless of race or religion, family income, or special needs-with an outstanding education that will prepare them for higher education, the workplace, and a fulfilling life. Rather than being sidetracked by school choice ploys, we must focus on our community public schools. We must ensure that our school leaders have the means to make every public school a great school, for the sake of all of our students and our country.


Thinking about Going Paperless? Contact Darla Warren at MSBA today about making the right connections.

BoardBook is MSBA’s paperless solutionfor effective board meetings.

[email protected]

Technicalities from the State Auditor’s OfficePolicy References, where applicable, are in blue.

The term of a member of the municipal school board expires January, 2016, but he has resigned effective June 1, 2013. This board member was elected from outside added territory. The next general election will be in November, 2014. Who appoints an interim board member, and will we have an election in November, 2014 for someone to serve the remainder of the term? When would such an elected trustee take office?Under Section 37-7-203, “any vacancy in the office of a trustee elected from such trustee district . . . shall be filled by appointment of the governing authorities of the municipality, provided that the person so appointed shall serve only until the next general election following his appointment, at which time a person shall be elected for the remainder of the unexpired term . . .” So, the city board will appoint a trustee to serve until the November, 2014 general election, at which time a trustee will be elected to serve until January, 2016. Section 37-7-217(3) provides that a person elected to an unexpired term “shall assume office immediately.” (Attorney General’s Opinion to Hood, June 14, 2013) ABCDA

Our municipal school district board of trustees has five members, three ap-pointed by the city council and two elected from added territory. One of the appointed positions is vacant. Because of required recusals, our board has only four members to take up the nomination and appointment of a new trustee. The board is deadlocked. May the Governor appoint a new trustee for the school board?No. Section 103 of Mississippi’s Constitution provides that the Governor may make emergency provisional appointments in cases of emergency. According to the Mississippi Supreme Court (Parks v. Tucei, 175 Miss. 218, 166 So. 370 (Miss. 1936)), a vacancy that still leaves a quorum to conduct business is not an “emergen-cy” which would authorize an appointment by the Governor. (Attorney General’s Opinion to Farmer, April 5, 2013) ABCDA May a school district allow years taught at the college level to count towards a licensed employee’s teaching experience as defined in Section 5 of the Missis-sippi Accountability and Adequate Education Program for purposes of deter-mining salary?No. Section 37-151-5(m) specifies that the “years of teaching experience” is limited to teaching experience in the public or private schools. Exceptions are listed, but they are limited to librarians, military personnel, speech-language pathologists and audiologists. However, a school district has the authority to pay a licensed educator a local salary supplement and, in accordance with Section 37-9-37, should consider experience outside public and private schools when fixing a salary above the statu-tory minimum. Any policy adopted by a school board that specifies the factors to be considered in fixing salary above the statutory minimum salary scale should be uniformly applied to all licensed educators within the district. (Attorney General’s Opinion to Smith, April 26, 2013) GBBA, GBD, GBA

An Opportunity for Businesses to Join in Support of Better

School Governance and Higher Student Achievement

Affiliate MembersDiaMOnD LeveLBailey • Kirkland

Education Group, LLCGary Bailey, President

601-951-1820 • 601-701-5778 [email protected]

gOLD LeveLInteractive Digital

TechnologiesRod Koberg, 800-332-6994

[email protected]

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2Embassy Suites / Ridgeland/ 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Student diScipline: Getting it Right –– From the classroom to Alternative Schools

Comon Core Learning Community Created

A professional learning community (PLC) has been created, establishing a network to help teachers “understand and prepare their classrooms for the Common Core State Standards,” according to a July 17 letter disseminated by the Mississippi Common Core Collaboration (MSCCC). MSCCC was initiated by three Mississippi Gulf Coast school districts to facilitate the sharing of common core resources among school districts statewide. The learning community, on the professional networking site LinkedIn, provides an avenue for educators to “communicate ideas and best practices that focus on ensuring mastery of the Common Core State Standards with other educators from around Mississippi and beyond.” Current members of LinkedIn can join the new PLC by logging in and doing a group search for Mississippi Common Core Collaboration. Newcomers to LinkedIn should visit the website, www.linkedin.com, and create an account.Educators also can access resources by visiting the MSCCC website, www.msccc.net. The website serves as a cen-tralized electronic library for “all stake-holders: parents, teachers, and students, not only from the state of Mississippi, but across the United States.”

MSCCC website resources include lesson plans, documents, links, and mobile device applications teachers can use to teach and reinforce the common core standards. Parents can access explanation documents and suggestions on preparing themselves and their children for what is to come in the classroom. Students can access online resources to reinforce the information and skills taught in the classroom.

For more information about the professional learning community on LinkedIn or the MSCCC website, call Eva Harvell, Technology Integration Specialist with the Pascagoula School District, 228-938-6212; 228-381-6384; or send her an email, [email protected].

PROPERTY CASUALTY EFFORTS CONTINUE – Lygunnah Bean (inset), chair of the MSBA Board of Directors Insurance and Budget Committee, explained to directors at the July 25 meeting that MSBA continues to work to provide relief for school districts strapped with huge increases in property casualty insurance premiums. The earliest relief could come as soon as October 1, but may be as late as July 1, 2014, depending on advancement in the approval process of the Mississippi Insurance Commission. Pictured listening to Bean are (from left) MSBA Executive Director Michael W. Waldrop, President Bobby Gault, Vice President James Stubbs and Secretary-Treasurer Etta Taplin. MSBA Insurance Program Manager Anissa Young will provide school districts updates on the progress of the proposed MSBA Prop-erty & Casualty Trust as new information is available. Young can be contacted toll free at MSBA, 888.367.6722 or [email protected].

Young elected MASI president Anissa Young, CRSM, CSIWCP, has been elected president of the Mississippi Association of Self-Insurers (MASI) Board of Directors, effective July 1. MASI represents the interests of the self-insured workers’ comp and health community by promoting educational advancement and providing advoca-cy in legislative and regulatory arenas. Young, who has been Insurance Program Manager at MSBA since November 2005, also chairs the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission Advisory Council.

Want to serve your State Association? The nomination form for consideration to serve a two-year term on the MSBA Board of Directors has been emailed and sent by postal mail to Mississippi board members and superintendents. The form is also available online at www.msbaonline.org. Nominations are due by September 10 and will be screened by a nominating committee, with final recommenda-tions presented to the MSBA Delegates Assembly at the Fall Leadership Conference in November. The MSBA Board of Directors meets quarterly, setting association policy and providing guidance for MSBA programs and services.


http://www.linkedin.com

http://www.linkedin.com


student achievement, but states and school districts must be well prepared to successfully implement the Common Core State Standards.

“For the standards to succeed, states and

school districts must have the financial resources and the infrastructure to manage online assessments, and they must be able to provide school administrators and teachers with the professional development,” Gentzel said.

States and districts face “very real obstacles” to align their curricula with the new standards and administer the required tests, LFA members maintain.

The joint statement concludes that “Getting this transition right can mean the difference between getting and keeping public and educator support for the Common Core or a loss in confidence in the standards and even the public schools, especially if as expected the first-year scores will disappoint.”

Read the official statement on MSBA’s website under ‘Common Core Resources’ from the Quick Links menu.

Proceed cautiously...continued from front page

The photos above, taken in February, show Clinton Public School District elementary students using iPads available in the district’s Digital Learning Initiative. As a part of the initiative, all teachers and other certified staff were provided MacBook Pro laptop computers last fall to “enhance communication, collaboration, organization and production in all classes and subject areas.” Students in grades 6-12 are receiving MacBook Air laptops this fall in Phase II of the district’s plan. Each student is required to take a two-hour orientation session before being assigned a MacBook Air laptop computer, which can be taken home. The Clinton School District has a four-year lease agreement for the iPads, available on iPad Carts in every K-5 classroom, and for the MacBook computers. So, in four years, the district will be able to swap the current de-vices for newer versions. PHOTOS COURTESY of Sandi Beason, Public Information Officer, Clinton Public School District

• Because the Common Core State Standards are internationally benchmarked, our standards will be comparable to standards in other countries. Since the US has fallen behind some countries over the past few years, many believe that CCSS will help improve the rankings with other countries.

• Professional development for teachers and for the entire education community will improve because all teachers will be teaching to the same standards.

• Common Core State Standards will cause states to save money on creating and scoring tests. Since all states that adopt CCSS will use the same standards, they can also share on the development of state tests.

• Common Core State Standards assessments will cover multiple skills in each question and therefore will increase critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

• With a tool to monitor students’ progress throughout the year, Common Core State Standards assessments will allow teachers to track the child’s progress instead of making comparisons to other students.

• Since Common Core State Standards will be used in most states, students with high mobility will be positively impacted – if they move from one state to another, their studies will match up better.

• Common Core State Standards define what students are expected to learn, with the added benefit of students understanding what they are learning and why.

PROSPPS prepares parents, others with Common Core Pros, ConsThe Common Core State Standards

“pros” graphic at the right is a re-duced and partial version of informa-tion disseminated by the Parents for Public Schools (PPS) organization. In a late June email to recipients, the group urged readers to “Be Smart About Common Core State Stan-dards” and provided links to resourc-es for expanding their knowledge of the new reform. The information here does not in-

clude the ‘cons’ listed by PPS, due to space limitations. However, complete information is available by click-ing ‘Common Core Resources’ from the ‘Quick Links’ menu on MSBA’s homepage, www.msbaonline.org.

Digital Learning...


Clearing the fog on non-renewal proceduresBy Jim Keith, MSBA General Counsel

The superintendent is delegated by Accreditation Process Standard #3 to carry out all executive and administrative duties. Personnel matters come un-

der those delegated duties and thus a school board has no authority to become involved in personnel matters until those matters come before the board in accor-dance with state law. With regard to non-renewals, the superintendent is given the authority by the Legislature

(Education Employment Procedures Law or EEPL) to make the determina-tion of who will be offered a contract for the following school year (i.e., who will be non-renewed). The superintendent does not get permission from the board regarding who to non-renew. Once a decision is made to non-renew an employee, the superintendent is required by statute to send the employee a letter of non-renewal prior to the deadlines set out in the law. If the em-ployee does not ask for a hearing, that matter goes no further and the board is not involved. In fact, the non-renewal is not placed on the board’s agenda as it is not a matter for the board to address. The board has no authority to offer that employee a contract for the next year. If the employee asks for a hearing, then the board hears that case (or assigns it to a hearing officer) and makes the final decision on non-renewal. Only if the employee asks for a hearing does the board become involved.

With regard to employees who have worked for the district less than two full years (e.g. recent college graduates), or those employees who have worked in another Mississippi school district for two consecutive years and are in their first year with the district, the statute does not include them as employees who are covered by the EEPL. As a result, when the superintendent makes a decision not to renew an employee’s contract for the next year, the employee is not entitled to a hearing before the board. The superintendent’s decision is final. The non-renewal of these employees, as stated above, is not placed on the board agenda as the board has no authority to intervene in the non-renewal. The board has no authority to offer them a contract for the next year. The Legislature put this procedure into the law in 2001 to give school districts the opportunity to remove those employees who have not met the coverage requirements of the EEPL to eliminate the necessity of hearings. As you know, hearings can be very expensive and this was a compromise the Legislature crafted with the teacher organizations.

It is important for boards to comply with the above procedures. In MSBA’s board member training, we point out that if a board becomes involved in personnel matters at a point when they are not authorized by law to become involved, the district could suffer a loss of accreditation. That happened to a school district two years ago. Additionally, board members subject themselves to personal liability if they become involved in personnel matters as they would be acting outside the course and scope of their duties as a board member.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The above explanation was given to board members at the statewide MSBA Annual Conference earlier this year and is provided routinely as part of the legal training for all new board members.

legislative Survey coming soon... The annual MSBA survey of board members to gain insight for preparing the 2014 MSBA Legisla-tive Agenda is on MSBA’s website, www.msbaonline.org and is being mailed to individual board mem-bers. The survey form should be completed and returned to MSBA by the September 27 deadline on the form. Board member responses will be compiled, serving as the framework for a preliminary 2014 MSBA Legislative Agenda for ac-tion by the Delegates Assembly, which will convene during the MSBA Fall Leadership Confer-ence, set for November 11-12 at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson. The annual survey gathers information about concerns board members want addressed by the Mississippi Legislature.

Board Member of the Year:Nominate someone! A letter and nomination form for the 2013 MSBA Board Member of the Year program have been emailed and sent by postal mail to board members and superintendents. The form also is available online at www.msbaonline.org.

The MSBA Board Member of the Year program began in 2009 and honors a current school board member who exhibits distinguished leadership during his or her tenure as demonstrated by effective efforts in:

• Advocating for children• Increasing student achievement • Understanding school board

governance • Involving the community in

the children’s education.Board members, superintendents,

and community members should submit nominations to MSBA by the September 1 deadline.


Despite changes in Mis-sissippi’s gun laws that allow the open carrying of weapons without a per-mit, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood affirms

that weapons are still prohibited on school property. House Bill 2 was passed during the 2013 Mississippi Legislative Session, amending state weapons law (Sec-tion 97-37-1). The questions below were among those answered by the AG concerning the new weapons law provisions. Under HB 2, can an individual carry a firearm as long as part of the firearm is visible?An individual may carry a firearm without violating Sec-tion 97-37-1 as long as it is not “concealed.” Subsection (4) defines what a concealed weapon is not, and weapons carried in a wholly or partially visible sheath, holster, scabbard, or case, even though no part of the firearm is visible, are not “concealed” weapons, the carrying of which is prohibited by Section 97-37-1.If the answer is yes, does that include carrying openly on educational property?No. It would still violate Section 97-37-17 to carry a firearm on educational property. (this applies also to shot-guns and pistols, according to the AG)

Having temporary cash flow issues? Program offers solutionApplications are being accepted in MSBA’s Cash

Flow Management Program, which offers a practical solution for school districts experiencing

temporary cash flow issues due to delayed and uneven distributions of state aid payments or local property tax collections. The program, exclusively for Mississippi school districts, allows districts to borrow a predeter-mined amount based on their cash flow deficit and to earn interest on the money until it is actually drawn

down to meet needs. To start the applica-tion, districts will need to complete the

Cash Flow Management Questionnaire and Cash Flow Data Sheet – both available on the MSBA website, www.msbaonline.org. The closing date for the first issuance of promissory notes is anticipated early this fall.

For more information, contact Darla J. Warren at [email protected] or call 601-924-2001.

mailto:[email protected]


June 21-22 was the last chance in the 2012-13 school year for new school board members to get the state-mandat-ed 12 hours of basic training. Instruc-tors for the one and a half-day session included Michael Waldrop (top left), MSBA Executive Director; Denotris Jackson, (top center) MSBA Direc-tor of Policy / Advocacy; and, Sandy Halliwell (at right), Clinton School District Director of Business & Finance.

Getting to the ‘Nitty Gritty’

“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.” Clarity in practicing “what is right to do” is the focus of one of two new 3-hour continuing education courses MSBA is offering for the 2013-14 school year. The new School Board Ethics course is an interactive 3-hour workshop, including video vignettes portraying unethical and/or inappropriate behaviors by board members who think they are doing the right thing. The second course, The School Board’s Role in Community and Family Engagement, helps school board members fully understand the value and appropriateness of establishing and maintaining community and parent support for the public schools.

Board members and others taking the School Board Ethics course will:• Identify professional and personal behaviors that exemplify ethical leadership;• Better understand how ethics relate to and improve the decision-making

process; and • Understand the importance of adopting and governing by professional

standards and a code of conduct. In The School Board’s Role in Community & Family Engagement module, the

objectives are for participants to be able to:• Define parent engagement and parent involvement;• Recognize the vital role community/parent engagement plays in successful

school districts;• Illustrate a school board’s role in community/parent engagement; and• Develop measurable objectives and strategies to support authentic parent/

public engagement. (SEE page 11 for the 2013-14 Board Development Schedule)

New Board Members: Basic Course set Jan. 17-18

New board members have three opportunities again this school year to take the 12-hour Basic Course of Instruction, mandated by state law for all newly appointed and elected school board members. State law requires new board members to take the course within six months of their appointment / election. The first session is January 17-18, which should allow board members elected in November to be sworn into office before taking the course. School district superintendents attending the training can earn 10 SEMI credit hours.

MSBA will conduct the day and a half sessions 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Eagle Ridge Conference Center in Raymond on January 17-18; March 28-29; and June 20-21. visit MSBa’s website, www.msbaonline.org, to register today.

2013-14 Modules: Board ethics, community engagement


November 11-12, 2013 • Hilton Hotel • Jackson

MSBA extends condolences to: • Brookhaven School District in the

passing of Board Member Dan Brown. Brown, a member of the board for 15 years, passed on Friday, June 7. The Brookhaven Mayor and Board of Aldermen appointed James Tillman, a retired deputy superin-tendent of the district, to fill the position.

• Humphreys County School District in the passing of Superintendent Bonnie Horton on July 23. Hor-ton, a 35-year educator, began her career as a teacher in the district and subsequently served as federal programs coordinator and deputy superintendent. She was named superintendent in 2008. Elliot Wheeler, Federal Programs coordi-nator / deputy superintendent, has been named interim superintendent.

Roberta Weeks, an assistant director and teacher at a Columbus preschool, is Mississippi’s 2013 Parent of the Year. She was nominated for the honor by the Lowndes County School District, according to a June news release by the Mississippi Department of Education. Weeks is bilingual and has two children in the Lowndes County schools. She volunteered to assist a non-English speaking student and family, drawing praise from school administrators and teachers. According to Lowdnes County School District principal Sam Allison, “she volunteered not only to work with our middle school student, but also with his two brothers who were in the high school and elementary.” Weeks went so far as to help the family get medical and dental care.

Congratulations to the district on its outstanding parent involvement. School district leaders include board members Robert Barksdale, president, Wesley Barrett, Brian Clark, Jacqueline Gray and Jane Kilgore; and Superintendent Lynn Wright.

Lowndes County parent selected for top volunteer honor

Chad Shealy, principal at Gary Road Intermediate School in the Hinds County School District, is the 2013 Mississippi Administrator of the Year. His selection from among four finalists was announced at the June 21 State Board of Education meeting in Jackson. Shealy, principal of Gary Road Intermediate School since 2010, has been a principal and assistant principal in the Hinds County School District since 2001. Named the 2011-12 Hinds County Principal of the Year, Shealy also is a former president of the Mississippi Association of Middle Level Education.

Other aOY finalists are • Congressional district 1 - Corey Uselton, principal of DeSoto Central High

School since 2009. • Congressional District 3 - LaVonda Germany, principal at Poplar Springs

Elementary since 2008. • Congressional District 4 - Dane Aubé, principal at Hancock Middle School

since 2009. Recipients of the Administrator of the Year award are formally recognized by the

State Board of Education and receive a $5,000 salary supplement authorized by the Mississippi Legislature. They also are often called upon to share expertise through various presentations and activities for the improvement of education in the state.

MSBa congratulates Shealy and the Hinds County School District on his aOY honor. The school district leadership team in the Hinds County School District consists of board members Ivan Smith, president, Bill Elkins, Dorothy Hicks, Caroline Jacobs and Linda Laws; and, Superintendent Stephen Handley.

Hinds County Principal named MS AOY

Congratulations to the Pass Christian School District family upon the selection of principal Joe Nelson as one of three middle school national finalists for the 2014 MetLife/NASSP National Principal of the Year title. The National Principal of the Year will be named at NASSP’s September Conference, where a middle school and a high school principal will be honored as the nation’s best secondary principals.

Nelson, principal of Pass Christian Middle School, was selected “for his significant contributions to student achievement,” according to a news release by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Three national finalists also were chosen at the high school level.

NASSP applauded Nelson’s leadership in providing students “a rigorous, data-driven environment” producing “consistently high” student achievement.

The Pass Christian School District leadership team consists of board members Randall Dewitt, president, Margaret Jean Kalif, Walter King, Portia Stewart and Phillip Terrell; and, Superintendent Beth John.

Mississippian among national finalists

Register online Now: www.msbaonline.org

Reserve Hotel Room Now:

Hilton Hotel, 888.263.0524(room block deadline Oct. 11)

(3 Credit Hours)

DATE TIME COURSE LOCATIONMon Sep 23 5-8 pm School Board Ethics BATESVILLE / South Panola High SchoolTue Sep 24 5-8 pm Community Engagement BATESVILLE / South Panola High SchoolSat Oct 19 9 am-12 n School Board Ethics GULFPORT / Central OfficeSat Oct 19 1-4 pm Community Engagement GULFPORT / Central OfficeMon Nov 4 5-8 pm School Board Ethics LOUISVILLE / Lake Tiak O’KhataTue Nov 5 5-8 pm Community Engagement LOUISVILLE / Lake Tiak O’KhataSat Nov 9 9 am-12 n School Board Ethics HATTIESBURG / Hattiesburg School District Central Office Sat Nov 9 1-4 pm Community Engagement HATTIESBURG / Hattiesburg School District Central OfficeSat Jan 25 9 am-12 n School Board Ethics GRENADA / Country Inn & SuitesSat Jan 25 1-4 pm Community Engagement GRENADA / Country Inn & SuitesSat Feb 8 9 am-12 n School Board Ethics NATCHEZ / Natchez-Adams School District Central OfficeSat Feb 8 1-4 pm Community Engagement NATCHEZ / Natchez-Adams School District Central OfficeMon Mar 3 5-8 pm School Board Ethics SUMMIT / Southwest MS Community CollegeThu Mar 4 5-8 pm Community Engagement SUMMIT / Southwest MS Community CollegeMon Mar 24 5-8 pm School Board Ethics CLEVELAND / Delta State UniversityTue Mar 25 5-8 pm Community Engagement CLEVELAND / Delta State UniversitySat May 3 9 am-12 n School Board Ethics TUPELO / Hancock Leadership CenterSat May 3 1-4 pm Community Engagement TUPELO / Hancock Leadership CenterSat Jun 28 9 am-12 n School Board Ethics CLINTON / MS High School Activities AssociationSat Jun 28 1-4 pm Community Engagement CLINTON / MS High School Activities Association

Basic Course of Instruction for New School Board Members (12 Credit Hours for Board Members)

DATE TIME LOCATIONFri Jan 17 & Sat Jan 18 8 am-5:30 pm Fri; 8 am-12:30 pm Sat RAYMOND / Eagle Ridge Conference CenterFri Mar 28 & Sat Mar 29 8 am-5:30 pm Fri; 8 am-12:30 pm Sat RAYMOND / Eagle Ridge Conference CenterFri Jun 20 & Sat Jun 21 8 am-5:30 pm Fri; 8 am-12:30 pm Sat RAYMOND / Eagle Ridge Conference Center

MSBA Statewide EventsDATE EVENT LOCATION HOURSOct 29 Policy Conference JACKSON / Hilton Garden Inn Downtown 6Nov 11 Early Bird: MSBA Fall Leadership Conference JACKSON / Jackson Hilton Hotel 3Nov 12 MSBA Fall Leadership Conference JACKSON / Jackson Hilton Hotel 3Nov 12 Post Conference Seminar: Community Engagement JACKSON / Jackson Hilton Hotel 3Feb 24 Early Bird Leadership Seminar JACKSON / Jackson Hilton Hotel 3Feb 25-26 MSBA’s 42nd Annual Conference JACKSON / Jackson Hilton Hotel 6+3Apr 28 Early Bird: Legislative Update & School Law Review JACKSON / Jackson Hilton Hotel 3Apr 29 Legislative Update & School Law Review JACKSON / Jackson Hilton Hotel 6

Legal Hot Topics DATE TIME LOCATION HOURSOct 2 10 am – 2:00 pm Embassy Suites Hotel / Ridgeland, MS 3Jan 15 10 am – 2:00 pm Eagle Ridge Conference Center / Raymond, MS 3Mar 19 10 am – 2:00 pm Embassy Suites Hotel / Ridgeland, MS 3May 7 10 am – 2:00 pm Embassy Suites Hotel / Ridgeland, MS 3

Other Statewide Events (No Credit Hours for Board Members) DATE EVENT LOCATIONDec 4 Early Bird: RISK (Reliable Insurance Support and Information) Seminar Embassy Suites Hotel / Ridgeland, MSDec 5 RISK Seminar (SEMI Credit offered to Superintendents) Embassy Suites Hotel / Ridgeland, MSApril 22-23 AABC (Administrative Assistants/Board Clerks) Conference Embassy Suites Hotel / Ridgeland, MSMay 6 CSBA Seminar on School Law Embassy Suites Hotel / Ridgeland, MS

2013 - 2014 Professional Training & Development Schedule

OFFICERSPresident

Bobby Gault New Albany

Vice PresidentJames Stubbs Long Beach

Secretary-TreasurerEtta TaplinNorth Pike

Immediate Past President

Miranda BeardLaurel

DIRECTORSDISTRICT 1

(2011-13) David Duncan South Tippah

Steven DoddDeSoto County

Elizabeth StoneTupelo

DISTRICT 2 (2012-14)

Leroy MatthewsQuitman County

Marilyn YoungTunica County

Jesse KingGreenville


Lucius LamptonSouth Pike

Sondra OdomPearl

von norwoodJeff Davis County


Annie ChapmanHattiesburg

Bobbie WhitfieldEast Jasper

Randall DewittPass Christian

MaSBO ReP.Sandy Halliwell

Clinton - Ex Officio

MSBA Board of Directors

Glenda BarrettNewton County

Scott BryanLawrence County

Mindy BrandAmory

Lygunnah BeanSouth Panola

Presidential Appointees (Serve during the President’s 1-year term)


New on the MSBA Website:

A Newsroom section on the MSBA website provides handy information for everyone, including media representatives. The prototype here lists the areas covered.

To access the section, visit www.msbaonline.org and click on “Newsroom” from the “About MSBA” dropdown menu at the top of the screen.

Contact Denotris Jackson [email protected]

A Publication of the Mississippi School Boards Association ...

Documents

Transcript of A Publication of the Mississippi School Boards Association ...