2021 Mississippi Parent of the Year Program: Deadline is January 29

Parent of the Year 2021 Application

Greetings District Superintendents,

The State Board of Education strongly promotes the active involvement of parents in their children’s education in all Mississippi public schools.  It is undeniable that regardless of socioeconomic status, parent involvement and support has a powerful effect on the success of our schools, the improvement of student performance, and largely, the extent of positive support that schools receive from the community.  The critical importance and positive impact of parent involvement upon our schools was acknowledged with the enactment of MS Code Ann. § 37-3-73.  This law authorized the State Board of Education to establish an awards program to publicly recognize each year the dedication and commitment of parents who have partnered with their local schools to help insure the success of their school improvement efforts.

The Parent of the Year Program invites each district to select an outstanding parent who has made a significant commitment to their local school through their dedication to students and their generous gifts of time and other resources.  The district’s candidate for Mississippi Parent of the Year should be submitted to our office using the attached application form.  A finalist will be selected from each Congressional District, and from these finalists, the 2021 Mississippi Parent of the Year will be named.

Thank you for promoting parent involvement in your district that results in substantial benefits for everyone. We appreciate your efforts to acknowledge these parents and the important role they play in the success of our schools.  If you have questions regarding this process, please contact Sandra Hilliard at (601) 359-3631 or shilliard@mdek12.org.  The deadline for receipt of applications is 5:00 p.m., January 29, 2021.