Communications and Government Relations

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – I don't think anyone, especially us high school seniors, saw this coming. I keep thinking back to mid-January, a few weeks after coming back to school from Christmas break, when I heard about the virus outbreak in China. It came up in small talk among my Biomedical Research class, and the conversation always ended with, "Well, it will end soon," or "Wouldn't it be crazy if it made it all the way to us?"

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: March 26, 2020 

JACKSON, Miss. –  The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) today suspended several statewide policies to manage the impact of extended school closures due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health crisis. The policy suspensions apply only to students and educator candidates in the 2019-20 school year and educator preparation program applicants through December 2021.

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: March 23, 2020 

JACKSON, Miss. –  The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has compiled a host of learning-at-home resources for students in pre-K through grade 12 to support student learning during the extended school closure. The resources are available online at www.mdek12.org/LearningAtHome.

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: March 20, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) has selected 10 semifinalists to serve as the SBE junior student representative in the 2020-21 school year.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 19, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) voted today to suspend all federal and state assessments for the 2019-20 school year and to submit a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for exemption of those federal requirements.

As a result of the suspension of federal and state assessments, districts will retain the accountability grade for the 2020-21 school year that they received in the 2019-20 school year.

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: March 18, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) Office of Special Education has created this Q & A as a resource to parents of children with disabilities to help support their learning during school closures. Please visit the MDE’s Special Education webpage for more information and for an email list of staff contacts: www.mdek12.org/OSE.

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: March 17, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Child Nutrition (OCN) has secured two waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assist school districts in establishing meal programs at this time. These waivers allow all schools to serve meals to students during an unanticipated school closure. 

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:  March 16, 2020

(JACKSON, MS) – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is providing this update on the impact of school closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  

“This is an unprecedented time in our state and country, and the safety, health and well-being of students, school staff and communities are the MDE’s and the Mississippi State Board of Education’s (SBE) top priorities,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. 

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release: March 12, 2020

WHO: Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE)

WHAT: The SBE will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting virtually, with board members participating via teleconference. The SBE is taking this step to limit public contact due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The public will have access to the SBE meeting via the livestream only.

WHEN: Thursday, March 19, 10 a.m.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 10, 2020

(JACKSON, MS) – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced this week the finalists for the 2020 Mississippi Administrator of the Year and the 2020 Mississippi Teacher of the Year.