Beneta Burt, president of the school board, announced that Cedrick Gray, Jackson Public School District superintendent will resign following four years. Gray’s resignation was made during a special school board meeting, which was held to discuss Gray’s administration’s performance following an F rating from the state and possible downgrading of the district’s accreditation status. Gray and the board were seated separately when the public returned to their meeting on Friday evening. The state has deemed 19 school districts failing due to a more stringent accountability system. This was based on student achievement and test-score growth. Graduation rate and other factors. JPS was one among them. Burt stated that the ratings were “not acceptable” and called for a special meeting to assess district leaders. Gray repeatedly stated that the state test changes were unfair and placed a burden on school districts prior to the release. Students in Mississippi have completed three state assessments over the last three years. Now, they are being graded with an extra emphasis on students who scored the lowest. JPS has a reading proficiency of less than 20% and math proficiency of only 15%. Gray arrived in Jackson from Fayette county Schools, Tennessee in 2012. After the district was downgraded due to non-compliance with federal law regarding students with special needs, Gray oversaw its restoration to accreditation status. The school board approved Gray’s contract extension for another year last year. They cited his accomplishments, including increased parent participation and a decrease of discipline incidents in the district. Gray was also the founder of Academies Jackson, which he started in the 9th grade. The Academies were designed to provide small learning groups for students to study core academic subjects as well as electives. Students may also choose courses that relate to their chosen career. He was also responsible for the implementation of 1:1 technology, which gave every 9th grader an Apple MacBook Air starting in the 2014-2015 school years. Gray earned $205,000 per year after receiving a $5,000 merit-based increase last year. Although Gray’s last day at JPS is not yet determined, Burt stated that the board will discuss more details at Tuesday’s regular meeting. To support this important work, you can make a regular donation to the Spring Member Drive today. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. To ensure that our work is aligned with the priorities and needs of all Mississippians, we are listening to you. Click the button below to let us know what you think.