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February 6, 2012 |
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NEW NOTIFICATIONS The Office of Special Education The Office of Special Education, Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center, Disability Rights Mississippi, and Mississippi Center for Education Innovation are hosting a conference, “Building Partnerships … Working Together”, March 5-6, 2012 at the Jackson Convention Complex, in Jackson, MS. Loretta Claiborne and Robert Langston are this year’s featured keynote speakers. This conference is designed for parents, school district personnel, advocacy groups, and other persons interested in working with parents and building local partnerships. Location: Jackson Convention Complex Registration Fee: $25.00 For more information, please contact Jason Lee at 601-969-0609 or by email at jlee@mspti.org or call Susan Davis at 601-359-3498 or toll-free at 1-877-544-0408. Office of Healthy Schools Name of Event: Congressman Gregg Harper’s Military Academy Day Date of Event: March 24, 2012 Time of Event: _9:00 a.m.-Noon Place of Event: Madison Central High School Highlights of Events: On March 24, 2012, Congressman Harper will host his fourth annual Military Academy Day at Madison Central High School (1417 Highland Colony Parkway, Madison, Mississippi 39110). High school students preparing for college in the approaching years and considering the military service academies or ROTC scholarships should attend. Junior high students are also welcome to participate. The event is from 9:00 a.m. – noon. Parents, administrators, teachers, and counselors are also encouraged to attend. Registration Information: Registration is at the event on 24 Mar 2011. There is no cost. Contact Name: Steve Guyton Phone: 601-932-2410 Website: http://www.healthyschoolsms.org/jrotc/ Great American Cleanup Announcement: Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest annual community improvement program, brings the power of 3.8 million volunteers and participants to create local change. Volunteers donated more than 5.2 million hours in 2011 to clean, beautify and improve more than 33,700 communities during more than 16,500 events in all 50 states and beyond. Activities included beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter, planting trees and flowers, and conducting educational programs and litter-free events. Click here for the Request Form. Attached is a form that schools, etc would need to participate in this project. The Great American Cleanup of Mississippi 2012 is an excellent learning experience for our Mississippi students in maintaining/protecting our environment and community service. The attached form needs to be completed and returned by February 15th, 2012 to obtain items needed to participate. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Paige Holiman, Assistant Director of Keep Mississippi Beautiful at 601-853-4441 or email: paige@keepmsbeautiful.comMPE 2012 Best Practices Symposium: Supporting Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships in the 21st Century Mr. Ray McNulty, President of the International Center for Leadership in Education, will be the keynote speaker for the Mississippi Professional Educators’ 2012 Best Practices Symposium on Saturday, April 14, at the Jackson Hilton. There will also be two break-out sessions with engaging speakers and the latest information on the budget, common core standards and much more. William Carey University will offer CEUs onsite! Online registration and additional information are available on MPE’s website at www.mpe.org. If you need anything else, please let me know! The Mississippi Association of School Administrators (MASA) The Mississippi Association of School Administrators (MASA) will hold its 2012 Annual Spring Leadership Conference April 15 - 17, 2012 at the Jackson Hilton Hotel. The title of this year’s conference is Transitions to New Leadership Roles. The Pre-Conference on Sunday afternoon will feature two time-sensitive topics, Assessment and Data for the New Common Core State Standards and “Instructional Leadership and Early Intervention Strategies”. Other highlights of the conference include sessions from MDE on new legislation, policies, and programs, The Evaluation Process for MS Educators, Update on Federal Programs, Accountability and Accreditation: The New Alignment, Teaching Children with Autism, PERS Update, Strategies for Detecting Dropouts and Early Intervention, The 21st Century Principal, and a closing message from State Superintendent, Dr. Tom Burnham on the 2012 Legislation Session. MASA will seek MDE approval to offer 10 SEMI Credits for the three-day conference and work with the universities to offer CEUs. Come to learn and to be engaged in conversation with fellow administrators, MDE personnel, and MASA members. Registration information is posted at www.msasa.org. Questions may be directed to masadirector@aol.com. "Financial Fitness" Training To Be Offered To Special Education Teachers Special Education teachers in Mississippi are being invited to participate in a program designed to help them provide lessons about personal finance to high school students. Mississippi State University's Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy, in partnership with the Mississippi Council on Economic Education, recently received a $10,000 federal grant to support the Financial Fitness for Life curriculum. The project targets high school teachers working in the Mississippi Occupational Diploma programs. Participants will be part of a free one-day training workshop on how to best utilize the curriculum. Workshops will be held at various locations and dates: Delta State University, March 23; MSU, March 30; USM, April 13; and Mississippi College, April 20. Registration information can be found at www.mscee.org. For more information, contact Kristi James with the Mississippi Council on Economic Education at 601-974-1096. The Jackson Zoo- ED-ZOO-CATION!! The Jackson Zoo is located at 2918 West Capitol Street in Jackson and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.jacksonzoo.org to check out exciting special events, animal updates, one-of-a-kind education programs, membership and adoption packages, and so much more. The Jackson Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The AZA is America's leading accrediting organization that sets rigorous, professional standards for zoos and aquariums. The AZA is building North American's largest wildlife conservation movement by engaging and inspiring the 143 million annual visitors to is member institutions and their communities to care about and take action to help protect wildlife. Special Winter rates: Parents On A Mission
Due to the magnitude of expected guests and the limited amount of space, the award and appreciation dinner has been rescheduled for February 9, 2012. It is mandatory that your district be represented!! Please forgive us for any inconvenience. Also, the deadline to e-mail or mail your attendance letter is Feb. 7, 2012. What: Award and Appreciation Dinner For any questions, concerns, or comments please contact us at (662)390-7249 or e-mail us at poam101@gmail.com.
Parents On A Mission (P.O.A.M.) will be hosting an Award
and Appreciation Dinner for all
Governor Phil Bryant announces Page program: The Governor's Page Program provides an opportunity for high school students to spend a week in Jackson during the regular Legislative session and learn of the roles and functions of state government. Each week, Pages will assist employees with various tasks related to the ongoing Legislative session. In addition to their daily responsibilities, Pages will have the opportunity to attend press conferences, tour the State Capitol, the Governor’s Mansion, participate in service projects, and meet Governor Bryant. For more information and to apply please click on the links below. 2012 Session Page Program Outline, 2012 Page Application MDOT Launches Poster Contest to Promote Kids Riding Bikes The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is partnering with Saris Cycling Group (SCG), a manufacturer of bicycle racks and cycling training products, to launch a poster contest aimed at getting fifth graders to think about the benefits of riding a bicycle. The contest is challenging fifth-grade students to create a poster around the theme, “Bicycling takes me places!” The purpose of the contest is to promote youth riding bicycles as part of an active lifestyle. The deadline to submit entries to MDOT is Thursday, March 1, 2012. To learn more about the SCG Poster Contest or to participate contact Cookie Leffler, MDOT Safe Routes to School Coordinator, at cleffler@mdot.state.ms.us or 601-359-1454. Also visit www.sariscyclinggroup.com/postercontest. Click the link below for more information: Health In Action Lesson Plan Website – a Great FREE Resource for Teachers Health In Action is a helpful on-line lesson plan website for educators who are seeking health and physical education activities. Offered by the Office of Healthy Schools and funded by the Bower Foundation, these lesson plans were written by Mississippi teachers. This easy-to-use site will help fulfill the requirements of the Healthy Students Act and support academic achievement through integrated instruction. With capabilities to search, re-sort, and print activities at your convenience, Health In Action is your one-stop source for activities that you and your students will enjoy. Log on to: www.healthyschoolsms.org/healthinaction.html. If you have questions concerning Health In Action, contact Christine Philley - cphilley@mde.k12.ms.us or call 601-359-1737. National History Teacher of the Year Award REQUEST FOR the Mattie C. Stewart Choice Bus (A Powerful Dropout Prevention Tool) The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) through the Office of Dropout Prevention and Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement in conjunction with State Farm Insurance is in the process of developing a calendar for the spring term to solicit school districts who are interested in having the ‘Choice Bus’ come visit and present in their school district. Written requests for the Choice Bus should be sent to: Mrs. Toni Kersh Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) National Poster Contest The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) is promoting a national poster contest for K-12 schools sponsored by The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). The contest encourages students to create a poster relating to Computer Safety and Cyber Security. Student posters and entry forms should be submitted to the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) by February 22, 2012.Posters will be judged and the top three per age group (K-5, 6-8, 9-12) will be submitted to MS-ISAC (March 1) for the national contest.
MDE is in the process of developing a Statewide Teacher Evaluation System. The goal of the new system is to improve teacher practice, which will ultimately increase student achievement. MDE will be hosting focus group sessions across the state to provide teachers and principals an opportunity to review and offer feedback regarding the standards and indicators for the evaluation system. Each district may send one teacher and one principal to the session of their choice (they should attend on the same date.) Morning sessions (9:00 a.m. – Noon) are open for teachers, and lunch will be provided for them. Afternoon sessions (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) are dedicated to principals; however, lunch will be on their own. Teachers and principals who participate will be expected to return to their districts to inform other district personnel about the new evaluation system. Participation at each site is limited. Once capacity has been reached, registration will close, and your team must then choose an alternate date. Session dates, locations and registration information are below. Thank you for ensuring that the voices of Mississippi educators are heard on this important initiative. If you have questions about the registration process, please contact Susan Scott at sscott@olemiss.edu or call 662.915.7763. If you need more information about session content, please contact Cecily McNair at cmcnair@mde.k12.ms.us or call the Mississippi Teacher Center at 601.359.3631. To register, go to www.nmec.net and enter the following code: eval January 31: JACKSON - Universities Center, (Room 5-3), 3825 Ridgewood Rd. February 15: MERIDIAN - MSU – Meridian Campus, (Room 112), 1000 Hwy 19 N. February 27: OXFORD - Oxford Conference Center, 102 Ed Perry Blvd. March 6: CLEVELAND - DSU- Ewing Hall, (Jacob Room) March 20: GULFPORT - Handsboro Community Center, 1890 Switzer Rd. Special Education Advisory Panel The Special Education Advisory Panel will meet on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, located at 200 Township Place, Ridgeland, MS 39157. The Panel will hear public comments at 10:15 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Written comments may be submitted to Dr. Armerita Tell, Mississippi Department of Education, P.O. Box 771, Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0771; fax: 601-359-1829; email: atell@mde.k12.ms.us; or call the Parent Hotline Number: 1-877-544-0408. For more information, or if you need accommodations due to a disability, contact Dr. Armerita Tell at 601-359-3498. Mississippi Development Authority/Mississippi Power Company The Mississippi Development Authority’s Energy Division has partnered with Mississippi Power Company to offer two (2) FREE science/energy education workshops to educators in the southern part of the state. These workshops are loaded with practical ideas on teaching energy concepts, and implementing hands-on, interdisciplinary energy units into the curriculum. All participating teachers will receive program materials and information that will allow them to plan objective and informative energy units for their classrooms. One (1) CEU credit is also available for attending this workshop. The first workshop will be held on Monday, February 6, 2012 at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, MS. To register for this workshop, please visit www.regonline.com/needmdaellisville. The next workshop will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Gulfport, MS. Interested teachers should register for the Coast workshop at www.regonline.com/needmdagulfport. For more information, click on the links below. Mississippi NEED Workshop and Energizing Your Curriculum REMINDERS
Mississippi Delegates and Alternate Delegates for the 2012 United States Senate Youth Program: See attached Press Release Schoolfest matinees for New Stage Theatre’s Production Schoolfest matinees for New Stage Theatre’s production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons! April 18, 20, 24 and 26 at 10:00 a.m. Ticket price - $7.00 In Arthur Miller’s powerful story about personal responsibility, the issues that surface are just as compelling today as when the play was first performed. Joe Keller strives for the American Dream, but two years after WWII's end, his family still suffers from its aftershocks. When Chris, the elder son, announces his plan to marry his still missing-in-action brother's fiancée, a mother must confront her denial, a son his father's fallibility, and a father his true responsibilities. This 1947 Tony Award winner for Best Play is emotionally electrifying and jarring in its continued relevance. For more information, please contact the New Stage Theatre box office at 601-948-3531 or tickets@newstagetheatre.com Tupelo Elvis Presley Fan Club $5,000.00 Music Scholarship
One
deserving SENIOR will win a FIVE Thousand Dollar Music Scholarship. Two
alternates will receive $500.00 Music Scholarships
The
RULES are simple:
·
You MUST be a SENIOR enrolled now and graduating in 2012 in a
Mississippi High School
·
Record a short bio
·
Perform two numbers (one MUST be an Elvis song)
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Your talent may be singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument
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The DVD cannot exceed 10 minutes
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You must send a Demo DVD (must be a DVD) including name, age, address,
email, school and day & evening phone numbers to:
·
Diane Whitt Finalist will be notified and a winner will be chosen
at a live finale on May 1st, 2012
Tips
for a good DVD
·
Try and get access to a good camera (anything is better than a webcam
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Have your surroundings quiet so that we can hear a good crisp voice or
the instrument you are playing
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You are judged on your stage presence as much as your talent
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Relax, have fun and enjoy what you are doing - it shows in your
performance Federal Service Language Academy Name of Event: Federal Service Language Academy Date of Event: 10-29 June and 8-27 July 2012 Time of Event: Place of Event: North Georgia College and State University, Dahlonega, GA Cost of Event: $1,800 Highlights of Events: The Mississippi Bar’s Young Lawyers Division’s Lawyer
in Every Mississippi Classroom Program
Do you need an outside resource person to come to visit your classroom? Do you need answers to legal questions for your students? Do your students need to learn more about their consequences of misconduct in school, getting a DUI or the Court System? Do you and your students want to learn more about courtroom procedures, youth court or people’s individual rights? This program, sponsored by The Mississippi Bar Young Lawyers Division, offers you a chance to have a legal resource person come to your classroom anytime during Spring 2012. Any teacher (Kindergarten through 12th Grade) is invited to have a lawyer visit for one class period. Topics available are listed on the form. Sign up soon using this form and an attorney will coordinate with your class schedule in the Spring 2012. Click on the form below for more information http://www.msbar.org/admin/spotimages/2433.pdf United States Department of Agriculture Income Guidelines The Mississippi Department of Education announces the United States Department of Agriculture income guidelines for free and reduced price meals served under the Child and Adult Care Food Program At-Risk After School Meals Program, and Food Distribution Program. Families with children or adults in any of these facilities are encouraged to complete a meal application for their children or adult family members to apply for benefits. Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. During the 2011-2012 school year, administrators, fellow teachers, and parents can nominate an elementary (Grades K-6) teacher for the award. Teachers may also self-nominate to apply. Online nomination forms and eligibility requirements are available at www.paemst.org . Secondary school teachers (Grades 7-12) are eligible to apply during the 2012-2013 school year. For more information, please contact Lakechia Grant at (601)359-2586 or lgrant@mde.k12.ms.us . Master Teacher of Entrepreneurship (MTEnt) Program Open The Master Teacher of Entrepreneurship (MTEnt) program is designed for middle and high school teachers to increase their understanding of entrepreneurship. The program improves teachers' abilities to bring this subject to their students in stand-alone entrepreneurship courses or to integrate this subject area as a strand within other business curricula. MTEnt trainings are offered beginning in January so get your application in now! The Department of Education confers the "Master Teacher of Entrepreneurship" designation. There is no cost to you for this program and you will receive $500 upon successful completion of all 5 modules. Click here for the application from the Mississippi Council on Economic Education and more information. Field Trips Available at the Jackson Evers International Airport Looking for a field trip idea? A three in one experience is available at the Jackson Evers International Airport, Airport Road off I-20, East of Jackson. See the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame Museum, Medgar Evers Exhibit, and view airplane take offs and landings. Box lunches for students available. For more information, call Shannon Wasson 1-601-939-5942, ext. 1. FEBRUARY Mississippi Educational Computing Association's 29th Annual Conference The MECA Executive Board would like to extend an invitation to the Mississippi Educational Computing Association's 29th annual conference. MECA 2012 "Classrooms at the Crossroads" on February 6-8, 2012 at the Jackson Convention Center. MECA is especially excited to have Ron Clark, the 2000 Disney American Teacher of the Year, a two time New York Times Bestselling author, the subject of a television movie and the founder of The Ron Clark Academy. Ron is regularly featured on network and cable television (The Today Show, CNN and Oprah,) and was dubbed by Ms. Winfrey as her first “Phenomenal Man.” In addition, MECA's traditional excellent concurrent and hands-on sessions led by educators for educators provide integral educational technology professional development opportunities. CEU/SEMI credit will be available through William Carey University. Registration, session, and hotel information is available at www.ms-meca.org/conference. The Mississippi Academy for Science Teaching The Mississippi Academy for Science Teaching (Project MAST) at Jackson State University invites all district and school administrators to its annual Leadership Seminar, February 8, 2012 from 8am to 4pm at the Mississippi e-center @ Jackson State University. Seminar participants will learn more about the world class science teacher professional development Project MAST offers to teachers in grades 4-12 and how and why it should be integrated into their district and school reform efforts. SEMI credits may be awarded contingent on MDE approval. For more information about the seminar or the program, please contact James Cooper, Program Coordinator, at (601) 979-3613, or james.b.cooper@jsums.edu. For a brochure and application, please go to: www.jsums.edu/projectmast and click on the Leadership Seminar Application link on the left side of the page. Teachers of the Gifted Instructional Forum (TGIF) Mississippi University for Women Department of Education will be hosting the annual Teachers of the Gifted Instructional Forum (TGIF) on Friday February 24th from 8:30 - 3:30. This opportunity is available to all interested attendees, but is specifically geared toward educators of the gifted. The cost is $40.00 which includes lunch. For an additional fee attendees can purchase .6 CEU's. Attached please find the corresponding information for the forum: Registration Information, 2012 Registration Form, CEU Application Career and Technical Education (CTE) Capitol Day Please join us for the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education CTE Capitol Day on February 17, 2012, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. CTE Capitol Day will inform the community about middle and high school Career and Technical Education programs across Mississippi and about opportunities that help students excel in college and careers. The event will be held at the State Capitol Building in Jackson, MS, in the Rotunda. Office of Healthy Schools Name of Event: Date of Event: February 23rd, 2012 Time of Event: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM Location of Event: Hind’s Community Center’s Clyde Muse Center, Pearl, MS Cost of Event: Free workshop! Credit: .6 CEUs Live It: Real Life Nutrition for Teens is a high school nutrition education curriculum that was developed by the Nutrition Education Services/Oregon Dairy Council to motivate and teach teens to make nutrient-rich food choices. Lessons incorporate the Dietary Guidelines to address nutrition topics for teens. Exercise Your Options: Middle School Nutrition Training is a middle school nutrition education curriculum that was developed by the California Dairy Council to help students assess their current food and activity choices and plan for improvement. The lessons focus on improvement rather than perfection. Participants: Administrators, Middle and High School Health and Physical Education Teachers, Food Service Directors, Family and Consumer Science Teachers, School Nurses, Curriculum Directors Additional Information:
Mississippi e-Learning for Educators Initiative The Mississippi e-Learning for Educators Initiative offers inexpensive on-line professional development workshops through collaboration between the Mississippi Department of Education and Mississippi Public Broadcasting. This initiative provides Mississippi educators with quality professional development designed to address content knowledge and the skills required to improve student performance. Registration is now open for Winter 2. The Winter 2 workshops dates are March 21 - May 9, 2012. Registration ends on May 7, 2012. Workshops are either 4 or 7 weeks in length with 1 week of orientation. The remaining weeks are specific to the workshops content area. e-Learning participants are eligible for 3.0 CEU credits upon completion of a workshop and payment of registration fee. The registration fee is $65.00. Register at http://www.mpbonlinepd.org/ . National Missing Children's Day Ceremony Annually, the Department of Justice sponsors a national poster contest for 5th grade students to promote awareness of missing children. The national winner, along with his or her teacher and parents, will be flown to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Missing Children's Day Ceremony, on or around May 23, 2012. Entries must be postmarked by February 10, 2012, to be judged in the state competition. The state coordinator for the contest is Mr. Mike Curry, phone 601-359-1816, e-mail mcurry@mde.k12.ms.us . Information on this contest is at: http://www.healthyschoolsms.org/healthy_school_environment/NationalMissingChildrensDayPosterContest.htm Office of Healthy Schools Name of Event: Time of Event: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM Location of Event: Gale Community Center, Hernando, MS Cost of Event: Free workshop! Credit: .6 CEUs Participants: 6-12 Physical Education Teachers Additional Information:
Mississippi Valley State University Foreign LanguageWorkshop Faculty development opportunity for foreign languages teachers. The workshop will take place on Friday, February 17 from 8:00 to 4:00 at the Mississippi Valley State University campus located in Itta Bena, MS. The workshop and meals (breakfast and lunch) are free. The presentations include topics on technology, innovative techniques and ideas, and communication activities in the foreign languages classes. Two of the presenters are recipients of the MFLA "Best of Mississippi" award. Click the links below for more information. Workshop Flyer and Form, Topics and Presenters Form ESEA Flexibility Waiver Request The Mississippi Department of Education is preparing the ESEA Flexibility Waiver Request, due to the USDE on February 21, 2012. The Waiver Request will be presented to the State Board of Education for final approval on February 16, 2012. School districts, schools, and the community may review the draft of this Waiver and the corresponding materials below. We encourage schools to share the information about the waiver and garner support and feedback from parents, community members, and students, as appropriate. We request that any feedback on the draft be submitted through our dedicated email address: nclbwaiver@mde.k12.ms.us on or before February 10, 2012. All feedback will be considered as we continue to improve our Waiver Request. Mississippi Association for Middle Level Education Conference MAMLE (Mississippi Association. for Middle Level Education) invites you to attend their annual conference for teachers and administrators of 5th – 8th grade students. This action packed conference is being held at the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg, February 9th – 11th. Get the latest information on Common Core and so much more. CEU's, SEMI Credits and an OSL module are offered to attendees. For registration information visit www.mamle.org 2012 Mississippi Administrator of the Year Program We encourage each superintendent to take advantage of a wonderful
opportunity to honor the achievement and performance of an outstanding
leader. Please read the attached memo and download the entire application
packet for your 2012 Mississippi Administrator of the Year district nominee
and mail it to MDE by February 14, 2012. If you have any questions or
need additional information, please email Gail Gettis at ggettis@mde.k12.ms.us or call the
Teacher Center at 601.359.3631. For more information, please see the
following attachments. Memo to
Superintendents MONDAY MEMO ANNOUNCEMENTS To submit information for consideration in the Monday Memo, email the information to Tabatha Burkett at tburkett@mde.k12.ms.us by noon on Thursday. VACANCIES To inform you of vacancies in school districts, we provide a link each week to a list of school district openings. This list, updated monthly, is compiled by the Mississippi Teacher Center and includes job openings for administrators and teachers. Superintendents, please encourage all schools within your district to submit their vacancies to your office. To view the current monthly list, visit http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/mtc/vacancy.htm . For information on employment in the MDE, contact the Office of Human Resources at 601-359-3511 or visit the "Active Recruitment List" on the State Personnel Board Web site at http://www.spb.state.ms.us for a list of openings in all state agencies.
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