Friday, March 18, 2022

Mannsdale OK'ed for School of Innovation Status

 The Mississippi Department of Education issued the following statement. 

The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) has approved plans for Mannsdale Upper Elementary in the Madison County School District to be Mississippi’s newest School of Innovation and for Pascagoula-Gautier School District and Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District to be Mississippi’s newest Districts of Innovation for 2022-23.

The SBE also renewed District of Innovation status for Booneville School District and Grenada School District, which both received the status in 2016. 

Mississippi will have 10 total Districts of Innovation in 2022-23. The other six are Hinds County School District, Oxford School District, Rankin County School District, Tupelo Public School District, Corinth School District and Gulfport School District.

Legislation passed in 2015 allows school districts and schools within a district to apply for District of Innovation or School of Innovation status, which enables the district or school to request exemptions from certain state regulations to improve student achievement. Through the innovative model, districts and schools have flexibility in areas such as seat time and teacher certification to allow for innovative scheduling and instruction.

Districts of Innovation and Schools of Innovation are intended to expand learning choices, implement rigorous standards, reduce achievement gaps, reduce student remediation post-graduation, increase student engagement and increase the number of students who are ready for college and/or career.

Mannsdale Upper Elementary’s goals include investigating a learning community where the general education teacher is team-teaching with a gifted education teacher; to create a self-sustaining gardening program that teaches students the steps to building either a career or college major in farming, entrepreneurship, food services or business management; and to create a school structure where teachers are compensated for mentorship.

Pascagoula-Gautier School District’s goals include expanding its career academies while providing students with opportunities to take the ACT WorkKeys and helping students graduate with an associate’s degree and earn national certifications. Students in the district will have the opportunity to earn their LPN license before graduation. 

Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District’s goals include expanding its career academy model to include all high school students and provide preparation classes in elementary grades.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What this status amounts to is giving the school the ability to ignore the standardizing bureaucratic requirements of a central governmental authority and to instead offer parents an alternative choice about how their children are educated. Choice is good. So why dont we have more of it? Why do we insist on giving the government a monopoly in educating our children? Is government known for providing quality goods at low prices? NO.

Give parents a voucher and let them make their own choices. Let them hold schools accountable by voting with their children's feet. Not a good school? Leave and go to a better one -- public, private, or religious. Competition will improve quality and reduce cost. It always does.

Anonymous said...

Hinds County Schools says “welcome to the team”.

Anonymous said...

So they no have Vo-tech ? :)

Anonymous said...

We have a serious problem in schools not offering skills training. At some point in time we need qualified intelligent people to work with their hands and not have the idea that you need to get a degree in college to make a good living. I have skilled employees who make more than most college graduates. It takes time and money to cultivate this but an employer cannot depend on the educational system to teach certain aspects and I’m speaking of basic knowledge needed to perform certain tasks, not about certain aspects of a certain type of history that is pounded into their heads every waking moment. We have been surpassed by many nations in the skilled trades area and it has reared its ugly head and bit us right in the ass.

Anonymous said...

8:58 - Many public-school districts DO have strong Career Center Programs. I'm sorry you don't know that. You probably also don't know that (even) the scholars who attend private schools have a right to and CAN enroll in the public-school career programs. If only their peers and parents wouldn't shame them for accessing a trade course or two.

Meanwhile: 10:33 posted: "Competition will improve quality and reduce cost. It always does."

Well, for at least 57 years (1965), this state has had private and parochial schools scattered from Tupelo to Biloxi, Columbus to Greenville. That competition has done little to improve quality (coming from the public schools) and NOTHING to reduce costs. Shoving most of these JPS-type kids into other school districts (via vouchers) would only dilute the product coming out of those districts.

85% of a student's success in school (and life) is based on the first five years of his/her home life. Switching schools and dumping kids in alternate districts won't change that.


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In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

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Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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