NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: May 15, 2020
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education is pleased to partner with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and XQ Institute in support of Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, a one-hour, commercial-free primetime graduation special to be broadcast Saturday. During the broadcast, viewers will be directed to XQ’s new Rethink Together online forum, which will feature specific content for each state, including a congratulatory message from Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education, and stories highlighting the resiliency and strength of students, teachers and schools amid the pandemic.
”I am honored to have this chance to congratulate Mississippi’s Class of 2020 and to say how incredibly proud I am of each and every student. They have worked hard for this moment and should be celebrated for this important milestone in their lives,” Wright said.
The national telecast will air on Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. Central on more than 30 broadcast and cable networks and streaming services, as well as various social media platforms. Rodney Robinson, the 2019 National Teacher of the Year, joins a list of prominent leaders and entertainers in celebrating the Class of 2020. Led by XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation, and The Entertainment Industry Foundation, the special is being produced in partnership with a broad coalition of education, philanthropic, and corporate partners. In addition, corporate and philanthropic giving associated with #GraduateTogether will benefit DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund to help meet student needs in some of our nation’s most underserved and under-resourced communities.
States’ involvement was coordinated through CCSSO.
Mississippi is pleased to highlight Shelby Dean, the 2019-20 senior member of the Mississippi State Board of Education and several members of the State Superintendent of Education’s Student Advisory Council.
View the Mississippi page:
https://xqsuperschool.org/rethinktogether/states/mississippi-education/
Media Contact:
Patrice Guilfoyle, APR
Director of Communications
601-359-3515
pguilfoyle@mdek12.org
Jean Cook, APR
Director of Public Relations
601-359-3515
jcook@mdek12.org