Thursday, April 21, 2022

Dr. Wright Retires

 Mississippi Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright issued the following statement. 

 After a 5o-year career in public education, State Superintendent of Education Carey Wright, Ed.D., will retire on June 30, 2022.


The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) appointed Dr. Wright to be the state’s top pre-K-12 education official in 2013. Her tenure in Mississippi has been longer and marked by more student gains than any state superintendent of education since the Education Reform Act of 1982 established the SBE. Nationally, Dr. Wright is one of the longest-serving state education chiefs of the 21st century.


Under Dr. Wright’s leadership, the state initiated successful education reforms that made Mississippi a national leader for improving student achievement. Mississippi’s Quality Counts grade for education improved from an F to a C-, its ranking climbed from 50th to 35th and the graduation rate rose from 75.5% to 88.4% – higher than the national average.


 Among students with disabilities, the graduation rate more than doubled from 23.2% to 59.9%. Mississippi 4th graders in 2013 were reading more than one full grade level behind the national average on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). By 2019, Mississippi 4th graders scored higher than the nation’s public school average in mathematics, tied the nation in reading and ranked No. 1 in the nation for making the largest score gains. The rapid progress of Mississippi students earned the state Quality Counts’ No. 2 ranking in the nation for improvement in 2019, 2020 and 2021.


“Dr. Wright never wavered from her belief that Mississippi students were just as capable as students in any other state,” said Rosemary Aultman, SBE chair. “She eliminated the culture of low expectations and proved our students could achieve at the highest levels. States throughout the country now turn to Mississippi to learn about our successful strategies for raising student achievement. Dr. Wright’s leadership has improved educational opportunities and outcomes for a generation of Mississippi students.”


A passionate advocate for early childhood education, Dr. Wright implemented Mississippi’s first publicly funded Early Learning Collaborative program, which earned the state recognition from the National Institute for Early Education Research as one of only six states in the nation that meet all 10 quality standards for early childhood education. The program has grown from 11 collaboratives serving 1,700 children in 2014 to 30 collaboratives that will serve 6,000 children in 2022-23.


Dr. Wright spearheaded initiatives that have increased literacy skills in pre-K through the grade 3, pushed student achievement on the NAEP to improve at a faster rate than most other states, and nearly doubled the Advancement Placement participation and success rate. Pre-pandemic, Mississippi students achieved significant annual gains in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency. Though the pandemic disrupted learning throughout the country, Mississippi’s assessment scores did not fall as much as they did in other states.


Dr. Wright’s most recent innovation includes the Mississippi Connects program, which provided every student in the state with a computer device to learn at school or at home. The program includes enhanced internet connectivity, high-quality digital content, professional development for teachers and administrators, digital learning coaches and the launch of telehealth/teletherapy in schools starting in the 2022-23 school year.


She also implemented the Mississippi Teacher Residency, which provides scholarships and mentors to aspiring teachers, and the Performance-Based Licensure program, which helps Mississippi teachers with provisional licenses become fully licensed. The next teacher residency cohort will provide graduate degree scholarships for 200 aspiring elementary and special education teachers.


Throughout her tenure as Mississippi's state education chief, Dr. Wright has been an active member and leader of numerous national and state boards and organizations that advance the field of education. Notably, the U.S. Secretary of Education appointed her in 2019 to the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for NAEP, the Nation’s Report Card. In 2022, Dr. Wright earned the Mississippi Top 50 Most Influential Leaders Award.


“Leading education in Mississippi has been the honor and privilege of my life. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity I have been given to work with dedicated educators and leaders across Mississippi, the entire Mississippi Department of Education team and committed State Board members and legislative leaders. Together we have worked to make a difference in the lives of children.” Dr. Wright said. “Most especially, I am incredibly proud of Mississippi students. There is no limit to what they can accomplish.”


The SBE will announce plans for Dr. Wright’s transition and its search for a new state superintendent of education once the details have been finalized.


Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.

 

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

Get them high 4 PERS years and retire. Rinse, wash, repeat.

Anonymous said...

Funny how everyone who dutifully served the globalist agenda during the Covid-19 Scamdemic are jumping ship right before the weaponized H5N1 Plandemic. They must be going into the private sector to accept their reward for serving the shadow Cube, aka the Saturnalian Tetragrammaton.

Anonymous said...

She's likely going to enjoy lots of PERS COLA during her retirement from state government.

Most of her types are transient, so there's a chance she didn't join PERS when she got the gig. Any way to confirm that, KF?

Anonymous said...

MS tenure = 9 years; Req'd # of years to be vested in PERs = 8 yrs.

Krusatyr said...

When will a GOP controlled MS State Government deliver choice and vouchers to the public school system?

Public Schools across the country have raped and ruined our culture since the 1960s and the nearly three generations of leftists hence continue to attack our religion, families, children born & unborn, borders, economy, trade, individuality and freedom.

Anonymous said...

As I recall, she didn't know how many public school teachers the state had a couple of years ago when the legislature was handing out raises. As a result, thousands of teachers were left out. The legislature later corrected the mistake, but if the Education Department director doesn't know something so basic, why was she one of the highest paid state education directors in the country?

Anonymous said...

Rosemary Aultman, former Mayor of Clinton = Phillip Gunn

Anonymous said...

The statement did not reference any improvements in he Jackson Public School system during her tenure.

Anonymous said...

I have to disagree with you, 3:34. Aultman is not in any way like the disastrous Speaker Gunn. She was an excellent mayor of Clinton — heads and shoulders above the current office holder.

Anonymous said...

Aultman was terrible for Clinton. She drove more business to Rankin County than she brought to town.

Anonymous said...

2:54

Joining PERS is not optional for state employees. She's in PERS and has been there long enough to be vested.

Anonymous said...

This time let’s hire a Mississippi educator to the top position. I don’t know why DOE keeps hiring people from out of state when we have fine educators in this State who already know the positives and negatives of our educational system. It is infuriating how we bring in these people who know nothing about our State for this position and they are unable to really get anything done.

Anonymous said...

I will miss news organizations intentionally choosing the worst possible photos of her to use alongside stories.

Elliott Ness said...

The insider choice is Jason Dean. He’s in the current political circle and has kissed enough tail to get it, if he wants it. He may turn it down as he may want to keep lining his pockets with the “cash” working for a new McNeil Rhoads/Siemens type energy firm who use political connections to wet their beaks.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 5:04P.M. It's time to select someone already in the state. Stop bringing people from other states. They don't bring anything to the table! They are in the state for a few years and then they are gone. It's just a stepping stone for them. They don't know our history and they don't really care about our history. They come and change everything they can and no positive results come from their changes! This should be followed for all areas of education and positions in Mississippi. Nothing good has come from bringing people from other states! Let's allow local people to move into these positions. Promote from within the state!

Anonymous said...

@3:58: I will have to disagree with you having been personally aware of Aultman’s entire tenure as Mayor. Window dressing was of more concern to her rather than matters of substance. Example of when she had crepe myrtle trees planted on the City right of way on Clinton Blvd near Parker Dr. She was advised this would create a traffic hazard for motorists on Parker Dr turning onto Clinton Blvd. Did she listen? Yes, 2 years and 3 accidents later. or again, on Clinton Blvd @ Shaw Rd having the brick and mortar welcome to Clinton structure erected. Again, advised, “don’t do it, traffic hazard”. With in 6 months, a motorist continued north through the stop sign on Shaw Rd and blew up the structure. I can go on.

Anonymous said...

"Joining PERS is not optional for state employees."

I don't know if it is still an option, but when I joined the clinical faculty at UMMC I chose the private option and placed my retirement money in a 403B fund that was totally unrelated to PERS.

Anonymous said...

3:58, she may not be like Philip Gunn, but she was his appointee to this board. And her successor, Phil Fisher has been much better for the City of Clinton that Rosemary. Yes, she was there for a long time in this bedroom community that stayed just that - a bedroom community.

Gunn, following his term on her board put her on 'his' board. And has been mentioned here before - what did the DOE do to deal with the crappy schools in the state, JPS as the leader of that pack? Nothing. Great press release about what they claim as accomplishments, but nothing, nada, zilch, nothing - about the largest school district in the state being an absolute failure ----- under their watch.

Anonymous said...

Who gives a flying crap about crepe myrtles and Clinton’s mayor? She retired 10 years ago and is happily chasing grandchildren. She was a good Mayor. And this has nothing to do with the next head of state education. Stay on point and quit airing local pettiness.

Anonymous said...

Dark horse candidate is Sue Townsend from RCSD. She’s qualified, comes from a hood performing district. Retired last year as well.

Anonymous said...

Jason Dean is a good insider pick. Someone knows their stuff.

Townsend has too many enemies in the Rankin GOP. She pissed off the Weathersby clan which might have been good for Rankin Schools but they are tight with Tate Reeves.

If I had to pick a dark horse, it would Be Hank Bounds’ return. He’s doing consulting work in Mobile now.

Anonymous said...

"Ed.D." Heh, heh, heh.

Anonymous said...

Shouldn't the headline read, "PhD Wright Retires?"

Don Drane said...

So, let's see a test of the newly passed 'Mississippi Equal Pay Act'. Not that the new pay law was needed, since we've fallen under the federal equal pay act since 1963.

According to the language I've seen, it will be illegal for a person, based on sex, to be paid less than another person of the opposite sex (there are only two) if the qualifications, job duties, expectations, etc are the same. The narrative you'll find on the web alludes to a woman filing suit if she is paid less than a man who holds or held the same job and they have the same qualifications. But the new law (obviously) does not and will not apply only to women plaintiffs.

Seems to me if the Board hires a man to replace Dr. Wright, they damned well better pay him three hundred thousand dollars annually.

Anonymous said...

Stay on point and quit airing local pettiness.


You must be new here...

Anonymous said...

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. There may be hope now for the 100,000+ students that are stuck in D and F schools.

Anonymous said...

8"49 - The reason Aultman is relevant to this discussion is not because of Crepe Myrtles but is about her quick public comment bemoaning the departure of Wright. She would have served herself and the state better had she not responded at all.

Anonymous said...

@6:11am Agreed. Rosemary is useless, except for covering for the insider horseshite and keeping the money flowing....kinda like Philbilly.

Anonymous said...

If I recall correctly the State Board of Ed voted to take over JPS. This would have meant getting rid of all top leadership and restoring discipline a few years ago. And guess who refused to sign the order? Governor Phil Bryant.

Anonymous said...

Dear Skippy @11:46 - Could it be that those students are actually D and F students? If you could pick them all up and drop them at Rankin, Madison, or Clinton schools, I suppose they would all just turn in to A+ scholars, right? Puh-leaze.

Anonymous said...

8:17
University employees have a choice between PERS and a 403B fund, given that professors tend to move from job to job. State employees, such as those at MDE, do not have a choice.

Anonymous said...

Will somebody either provide a list of names or post a link to 'The Board', who they are, and, if possible, whose appointee they are. We don't need any more 'cloaked in secrecy' up in here. Look where it got us!

Anonymous said...

Crepes Suzette. Crape myrtles.

Anonymous said...

805 for the win. Yes, normally someone on here steps up and awards a win to the funniest comment, but this time - the comment is based on actual facts.

Phyll decided he didn't want the problems tied to JPS - he never shyed away from taking on Holmes County, or Noxubee County, or several others - but he wouldn't sign off on Jackson. Was it political? Was it because there was little he thought could be done? Was it because he was so focused on getting TANF dollars to his buddies and to USM? Only the Shadow knows, but what we all know is that he didn't do it. And that left the students that live in the wrong zip codes with no hope. Other than Charter Schools, which have done wonders for a few students in Jackson - against all the "nothing but public deserves attention and more importantly dollars - the rest of those poor kids remain in a hellhole today.

But - can't give the credit for the vote of the BOE to take over the schools to Dr. Wright, it was a vote of the Board and Wright wasn't involved in that decision.

Anonymous said...

10:14 - What do you suppose Tater would have done...or WILL do if it comes back before the governor?

Anonymous said...

Clinton was a lot better off when Rosemary and Phillip Gunn were representing us. Please come back Rosemary!

Anonymous said...

Food for thought… Apr 21 3:38 sounds suspiciously like the rambling, egotistical, doltish, angry, hate-filled bully that Phil Fisher hopes the majority of the citizens of Clinton never find out he truly is. Any who have ever spoken to him already know.

Aultman certainly wasn’t perfect, but at least she had class and could work with other people. After watching General Fisher as Mayor, it’s easy to see why he was passed over for TAG; no one who knows him likes him. I feel so sorry for his department heads who routinely get called out, admonished, mocked, and belittled in front of others so the mayor can feel like he still wears his star.

God bless you, City of Clinton department heads, for your service. You are appreciated by Clintonians. I hope Clinton can deliver you a better boss one day.


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