The Mississippi Department of Education issued the following statement.
Today the Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) named Dr. Robert Taylor, a 30-year veteran educator and deputy state superintendent for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Mississippi’s new state superintendent of education.
A Mississippi native and University of Southern Mississippi graduate, Dr. Taylor began his career as a teacher’s assistant in Mississippi and served North Carolina public schools throughout his career as a teacher, principal, district superintendent and state education leader. Quality Counts ranks North Carolina No. 14 in the nation for K-12 achievement.
“Dr. Taylor possesses all the qualities the Board sought for the next state superintendent of education. He brings extensive leadership experience at the school, district and state levels and the skill and commitment needed to continuously improve student achievement statewide,” SBE Chair Rosemary Aultman said. “Mississippi has become a national leader for improving student outcomes. The Board is confident we selected the right person to lead our state to achieve at even higher levels.”
Dr. Taylor will succeed Dr. Kim Benton, who has been serving as interim state superintendent of education since July.
“Dr. Benton’s contributions to advancing public education in Mississippi have been enormous. She successfully implemented the state’s signature education reforms while working as Mississippi Department of Education’s chief academic officer. She devoted her service to MDE once again when the Board needed her to lead the department as the interim superintendent,” SBE Chair Rosemary Aultman said. “The Board is deeply grateful for Dr. Benton’s commitment and service to Mississippi’s students, educators and school and district leaders.”
Dr. Benton will continue to serve as interim superintendent until Dr. Taylor assumes the role in January.
“It has been my honor and joy to serve the state as the interim state superintendent of education. I am incredibly proud of the outstanding students, educators and leaders throughout the state and appreciate the hard work and dedication of my colleagues at Mississippi Department of Education,” Dr. Benton said. “I welcome Dr. Taylor's appointment and offer my full support to ensure a smooth leadership transition.”
Statement from Dr. Robert Taylor:
“The task of selecting a State Superintendent of Education is perhaps the most difficult task of a State Board, and my family and I thank the Mississippi State Board of Education immensely for offering me the opportunity to lead public education. Mississippi has made tremendous strides in literacy and our goal as a state should be to continue this growth and refine the work that has produced such great results.
I look forward to working with local school districts, superintendents, and their school staff in identifying barriers to success. The MDE will continue its support of local districts, working to expand our efforts to support the work that makes children college and career ready. Many districts produce outstanding student results, and I welcome the opportunity to examine this work and develop pathways for all schools and districts to share successful work.
The work of producing legislation to support schools resides with our Legislature and Governor, and I along with the State Board of Education, look forward to collaborating on legislative issues that will benefit our entire state. My goal will be to offer effective legislative ideas that we all recognize will benefit student growth.
Our parents expect the best from us as educators, and I will work tirelessly to meet this goal. As always, parents should have the loudest voice regarding the education of their children, and as State Superintendent you will have my listening ear.
The opportunity to return home to Mississippi and work hand in hand with all stakeholders to improve education is perhaps the pinnacle of one’s career. This opportunity has been afforded to my family and I and we look forward to our homecoming.”
34 comments:
Establish School Choice and Vouchers, no CRT, no gender bender grooming, rigorous standards, no Fs to Cs grade inflation.
Close state and federal Dept of Mis-Education..
"Nah."
He must not be very qualified. Why would he leave North Carolina to move to the highest murder rate city, that has non drivable streets, no water, a school system at the nation bottom, etc.?
5:56 While I wholeheartedly agree with you, you're dreaming. Remember, these are Mississippi public schools we're talking about.
He's lived in the Woke Forest area for 30 years.
Here's a verbatim excerpt from his USM Bio: "But perhaps the greatest way that USM prepared to accomplish my goals was the exposure to the real world of being undervalued, underestimated, and marginalized by a white minority, which did not always understand or support your unique needs."
Tater, did you just get Randi Weingarten and the NEA to ship this guy down here to fully implement CRT? WTH.
There's not one word about what this new guy has accomplished in his career. Drafting legislation & participating in task forces of one kind or another don't mean anything unless there are positive achievements to show. And by the way, why do all of the education goobs wear bow ties, like the loser, do-nothing JPD superindendent?
NC schools are far better than any public school we have in Mississippi… look at there public universities… UNC chapel hill is nearly an Ivy League quality… yes, we need school choice charter schools Catholic schools and private school vouchers. Seems racists to disagree.
He obviously had issues and problems in North Carolina, why else would he leave there and come to Mississippi?
Rosemary Aultman was in the same position when 'her' board hired the previous clown who summarily handed out state contracts to many of her Maryland friends and associates. Where is the statement Aultman gave the press when Carey Wright was hired. Probably the same fill in the blanks statement except for the name of the hiree.
"...and I and we look forward..."
Really?
Future lifetime PERS recipient.
@6:37.. I didn't believe it- I thought you were instigating however ,you nailed it...Unbelievable
What a hire!
@7:17- you took the words right out of my mouth.
Take “my family” out and it’s “this opportunity was afforded to I.”
People with doctorate degrees still can’t get it right. .
“This opportunity was afforded my to family and me…” is the corrrct way.
Sheesh. Before all of you come at me saying I’m the grammar police, you’re damn right I am. Someone who has been hired to lead the state department of education ought to be able to correctly say this sentence.
Next thing you know people will be hiring away all the Mississippi Edumaction experts commenting here at JJ. That's when things will commence to go all pear shaped!
Completely qualified individual selected by a gov selected search committee contracted to do so and yet every one on this thread is losing their mind. The dude literally graduated and was born in MS and yet most of you act like him coming home to make a difference for children all over the state makes him unqualified. Get rid of your dog whistle terms and just show your true colors @ most of the people on this thread
If any of you twits would actually get your heads out of your arses and look around, you’d see your public school teachers at church, on your street or at your grocery store. You can ask them if they’d ever teach CRT or promote gender bending. Who the heck do you all is standing in front of your kids (or grandkids, boomers)? Our kids are being taught by good people that care for your kids. Go talk to a teacher and get the facts!
7:24 - I agree with you, but you're talking about white teachers.
Alarmingly, probably for you, a teacher has no say-so when it comes to curriculum set by the State Department or District in which one teaches our little scholars. They follow the game plan or they leave (one way or another).
Turn your cap around, youngster.
signed - A Twit
Just because he's from Mississippi doesn't mean a thing....in fact, it's a guarantee that he'll "play ball" and pick up where Wright left off. He'll keep cooking the "outcomes" and touting how Mississippi's educational system is accomplishing great things.
Some students just the other day related they were in a "gifted" program and that it was a complete joke....as the entire system is, and everyone knows it.
I pray for this man. We need him to succeed.
That position has the highest pay of any state superintendent in the U.S., but MS still has about the lowest educational system in the U.S. I guess that fancy government car, reserved/covered parking space, and luxury office suite doesn't help the outcome.
Why wouldn't he leave NC for MS? Have you seen how much we pay the State Superintendent? This needs to be changed as we pay the most, but also last in Education...
Still another education “doctor,” another proven leader. But somehow it’s going to be different this time.
@7:24, Teacher can still attend my church, sing in the choir, volunteer in the youth program, and, hell, even preach a sermon. But in the classroom she’ll teach what the person signing her paycheck tells her to or she can head down the road kicking rocks.
Sid Salter approves this message.
With-holding judgement right now, but have extremely low expectations. 30 yrs in NC - Probably has retired from with a full pension and is now looking to double dip in the MS Retirement pool. The last one was just short of useless. We contacted the Dept and her on several occasions concerning the lack of Dyslexia services in the MS school systems. She would talk a good game, but never would do anything. I have very LOW expectations about our administrative state and our education system as a whole. Especially when they are more interested in protecting little serfdoms than educating our students. Better to look good in front of your peers than to do something productive. Allow School Choice, let the money follow the child. and stop the indoctrination.
What is troublesome is his statement. At least 4 punctuation errors. 3 grammatical errors at a minimum. 4 or 5 areas that lack conciseness and clarity. He also shows a lack of vocabulary by using the exact words repeatedly. All this in less than 300 words. The graves of English teachers are spinning everywhere.
A marginalized wokester-
He'll do no more than the job demands. That's the way it works. Mississippi has never placed education for ALL it's children as a top priority. Of all so-called Southern states North Carolina has done just that. At least he knows what commitment to education looks like. Now he must be held accountable. At least he'll be under much more scrutiny than the last one.
Why can’t you racists just accept that this man is better than you all?
Bless his heart!
He had a job where education is valued and the people in education are smart and committed and willing to innovate where needed.
I wish him well but I fear he'll be stymied and attacked at every turn and learn Mississippians are unable to accept any plan, no matter the record of success. It's seen as a criticism that they didn't think of it first.
Another useless bureaucrat. Abolish both federal and state departments of education. We would save a lot of tax money.
Show me one education data point where Mississippi is last. I’ll wait.
I’ve never seen a people with more self-loathing than those that comment about being a Mississippian on this site. Y’all brainwashed and don’t let facts confuse your point of view.
Please keep up the (non-troll feeding) good work guys!
(10:47am)
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