On April 16, 2020, the Mississippi Board of Education passed a waiver for the following rule in the Early Learning Guidelines for Classrooms Serving Three-and Four-Year Old Children due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
By August 1, 2021, 50% of teachers in each district will meet the requirements described below. By August 1, 2023, 100% of regular education pre-kindergarten teachers in each district will meet the requirements described on page 16 of the Guidelines.
Special Education pre-kindergarten teacher requirements are newly announced within the Mississippi Early Learning Guidelines for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four Year-Old Children, therefore; 50% of Special Education classroom teachers must meet this requirement by August 1, 2021, and 100% of Special Education classroom teachers must meet this requirement by August 1, 2023. This guidance can be found on page 17 of the Guidelines.
The pre-kindergarten assistant teacher qualifications will change effective August 1, 2021.
By August 1, 2021, 50% of assistant teachers in each district will meet the requirements described below. By August 1, 2023, 100% of assistant teachers in each district will meet the requirements described on page 18 of the Guidelines.
(If you are a teacher or assistant in an Early Learning Collaborative, your requirements are different from the ones listed in this section.)