The Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools (PREPS) has a new executive director – Dr. Chuck Benigno of William Carey University.
“I am absolutely thrilled to join the PREPS leadership team. The pandemic makes this an extremely challenging time for schools across Mississippi. It is my hope that PREPS can play an important role in helping our more than 70 school districts navigate these uncharted waters,” Benigno said.
Now an associate professor at William Carey University, Benigno was superintendent of the Laurel School District from 2010-17. In 2014, he was named Mississippi Superintendent of the Year. He has also served as a vice president at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and principal of North Forrest High School and West Jones Middle School. Benigno participated in the Project Zero Classroom at Harvard University and is a motivational speaker for schools and corporations across the Southeast. He is also the author of “Teaching: Excellence or Survival?”
“Dr. Benigno has been instrumental as a leader in the PREPS CEO Leadership Academy. His expertise and enthusiasm for public education will be great assets in the challenging times ahead,” said Dr. Patti Permenter, PREPS associate director.
PREPS was organized four decades ago as a non-profit organization dedicated to serving Mississippi public schools. Housed at William Carey University for the last five years, its board of directors is made up of nine current school district superintendents. As the only statewide educational consortium, PREPS supports schools with resources and professional development opportunities that draw on proven, research-based strategies.
Benigno is replacing Dr. Ben Burnett as PREPS executive director. Burnett was recently named acting executive vice-president of William Carey University and will continue to support PREPS in his dual role as dean of the WCU School of Education.