The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has partnered with a workgroup of nine superintendents from a diverse range of school districts to outline the key issues districts need to address for the eventual reopening of schools. The districts that make up the workgroup are all at different levels of implementation with their reopening plans.
The issues are divided into six topics:
- Academic Programming
- Operations
- Family and Community Support
- Communications
- Health and Safety
- Technology/Learning Management Systems
Early next week, the MDE will issue the document, Considerations for Reopening Mississippi Schools, which outlines a three-month timeline of strategies to consider as district leaders plan for the start of the 2020-21 school year. This document is intended to be used as a resource and starting point that school and district leaders can modify in collaboration with local stakeholders and needs.
The strategies related to each topic will be updated in three-month intervals to help district leaders plan for each segment of the school year. This will help district and school leaders adjust to the unpredictable and changing nature of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Members of the Superintendents’ Workgroup and MDE will lead virtual meetings at 10 a.m. June 16 and June 25 to discuss the specifics and logistics related to the six key issues. Subsequent meetings will be held at the start of each three-month cycle. Registration information for the meetings will be sent to superintendents and principals next week.
Mississippi Superintendents’ Workgroup Membership
- Todd English, Booneville School District
- Jason Harris, Columbia School District
- Adrian Hammitte, Jefferson County School District
- Tess Smith, Lamar County Public Schools
- Charlotte Seals , Madison County Schools
- Lance Evans, New Albany Schools
- Bonita Coleman, Ocean Springs School District
- Matt Dillon, Petal School District
- Miskia Davis, Sunflower County School District