{"id":3933,"date":"2026-03-19T14:35:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/?p=3933"},"modified":"2026-03-19T14:44:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:44:32","slug":"mde-announces-state-finalists-for-2026-administrator-of-the-year-teacher-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/2026\/03\/19\/mde-announces-state-finalists-for-2026-administrator-of-the-year-teacher-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"MDE announces state finalists for 2026 Administrator of the Year, Teacher of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWS RELEASE
\n<\/strong>For Immediate Release: \u00a0March 19, 2026<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

MDE announces state finalists for 2026 Administrator of the Year, Teacher of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n

JACKSON, Miss. \u2013 The Mississippi Department of\u00a0Education\u00a0announced today\u00a0the finalists for the 2026 Mississippi Administrator of the Year and the 2026 Mississippi Teacher of the Year.<\/p>\n

The Mississippi Administrator of the Year program honors an administrator who demonstrates superior ability to inspire teachers, employs exemplary leadership practices and participates as an active member of the community. The recipient will receive a $5,000 stipend and will share expertise through various presentations, professional development, and activities for the improvement of education in the state.<\/p>\n

The Mississippi Teacher of the Year program recognizes exemplary teachers in the state. The award recipient will be asked to share\u00a0expertise\u00a0through various presentations, professional development, and activities for the improvement of education. The recipient\u00a0also will\u00a0receive a $5,000 stipend and will\u00a0represent\u00a0Mississippi in the National Teacher of the Year competition.<\/p>\n

The recipients will be announced during a program set for 11 a.m. April 17, at the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson.
\n <\/p>\n

2026 Mississippi Administrator of the Year Finalists<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Congressional District 1: April Hobson, Principal<\/strong>
\nNew Albany Middle School, New Albany School District<\/strong>
\nPersonal Philosophy Snapshot: \u201cEducation focuses on preparing every student to learn, grow, and lead academically, socially, and as future members of the workforce. She believes all children deserve high-quality instruction, strong relationships with educators, and supportive environments that help them discover their strengths while building early college and career readiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Congressional District 2:\u00a0 Dr. Matthew Fulton, Principal<\/strong>
\nSumner Hill Junior High School, Clinton Public School District<\/strong>
\nPersonal Philosophy Snapshot: \u201c<\/em>Education is an act of continuous service in which educators do not serve self but consider the needs of others more significant than their own. The God-given dignity and boundless potential of every learner compel a selfless and steadfast commitment to student growth. The fruit of such service and dedication is the future of our society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Congressional District 3: Stephanie Shirley, Principal<\/strong>
\nClarkdale High School, Lauderdale County School District<\/strong>
\nPersonal Philosophy Snapshot:\u00a0\u201cEducation changes trajectories when high expectations are paired with meaningful support. My role as a leader is to protect teaching and learning, support educators, and ensure every student has the opportunity to discover what is possible for their future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Congressional District 4:\u00a0 Patrick Bennett, Principal<\/strong>
\nLong Beach Career and Technical, Long Beach School District<\/strong>
\nPersonal Philosophy Snapshot:\u00a0\u201c<\/em>Education is the most powerful tool we have to expand opportunity and strengthen our communities. Every student should graduate with a plan, a pathway, and a purpose. When schools connect learning to real opportunities, we prepare students not only for successful careers, but for meaningful and productive lives.\u201d
\n <\/p>\n

2026 Mississippi Teacher of the Year Finalists<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Congressional District 1: Lauren Zarandona, Teacher<\/strong>
\nMississippi School for Math and Science<\/strong>
\n11th<\/sup>\u00a0\u2013 12th<\/sup>\u00a0grades\u00a0Mathematics<\/strong>
\nPersonal Philosophy Snapshot:\u00a0\u201c<\/em>Learning is more than getting a correct answer or knowing the right information. Learning must lead to understanding for all students; teaching them how to think is far more important than teaching them what to think.”<\/p>\n

Congressional District 2: Lauren Saxton, Teacher<\/strong>
\nYazoo County High School, Yazoo County School District<\/strong>
\nNinth grade\u00a0Algebra 1<\/strong>
\nPersonal Philosophy Snapshot: Saxton believes,\u00a0\u201c<\/em>Education centers on empowering students to recognize their potential, think critically, and confidently shape their future through relationships, relevance, and rigor. She believes when students feel genuinely seen, valued, and supported they are more willing to engage deeply and rise to their fullest potential. Learning should be about building not only knowledge but also character, confidence, and transforming possibilities into opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Congressional District 3: Lori Street, Teacher<\/strong>
\nWest Marion High School, Marion County School District<\/strong>
\n9th\u00a0<\/sup>– 10th<\/sup>\u00a0grades Algebra 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Personal Philosophy Snapshot:\u00a0 Street believes,\u00a0\u201cEducation is grounded in the belief that every student is capable of growth when given high expectations, support, and opportunities to take ownership of their learning. She values respect and a positive classroom environment where students feel both challenged and encouraged. She believes that when students are held to clear standards and supported with consistency and care, they rise to meet their potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Congressional District 4: Cody Eadie, Teacher<\/strong>
\nHarrison Central High School, Harrison County School District<\/strong>
\n10th<\/sup>\u00a0\u2013 12th<\/sup>\u00a0grades English<\/strong>
\nPersonal Philosophy Snapshot:\u00a0 Eadie believes,\u00a0\u201cEducation centers on helping students develop strong thinking skills by emphasizing analysis, questioning, and reasoning. These skills play a pivotal role in helping students process information in a practical way, which leads to learning that is both lasting and transferable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org\/news<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

Jean Cook, APR
\nChief of Communication
\n601-359-3515
\njcook@mdek12.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Shanderia Minor
\nPublic Information Officer
\n601-359-3515
\nsminor@mdek12.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JACKSON, Miss. \u2013 The Mississippi Department of\u00a0Education\u00a0announced today\u00a0the finalists for the 2026 Mississippi Administrator of the Year and the 2026 Mississippi Teacher of the Year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3933"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3933\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3940,"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3933\/revisions\/3940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/communications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}