Mississippi News Nonprofits A year ago, Jackson Public Schools District was in serious trouble. It had just managed to avoid a takeover by the state. JPS is still struggling with systemic communication and organizational problems, despite having many assets. A newly released report shows that. It has been 13 months since Gov. Phil Bryant announced the “third option”, the Better Together Commission. This 15-member team includes educators, business leaders, and other professionals. It is responsible for overseeing the evaluation of the district’s nearly 24,000 students and encouraging more communication among those involved in JPS. This group was formed in response to the Mississippi Department of Education declaring a crisis situation and asking the governor to declare a state of emergencies so that the department could assume control of the district. Bryant instead revealed the commission, which is a partnership between his Office and the W.K. The commission is a partnership between Bryant’s office and the W.K. Jackson Mayor Chowke Antar Lumumba, the mayor of Jackson, told a packed room at Thursday’s last community meeting that “This is where conservative governor and radical mayor come together to the betterment our children.” “This is just a beginning… It’s going to take time, and we will make mistakes.” The group meets monthly since November 2017 with many familiar faces, eager to learn more about how to get involved. It hosted events for the community and conducted telephone polls. With the support of One Voice, the commission hired canvassers to knock down nearly 70,000 doors in Jackson and ask residents their opinions about the local school district. In February, the commission contracted California-based Insight Education to study the district and offer suggestions and solutions. The 231-page report entitled “Ready To Rise: Our Students. Our Future. Our Time” was published Thursday. It is clear that JPS must do better at communicating expectations and goals to all members of the district. The current system is not working. Although the report praises the strong leadership of the superintendent and the school board, caring staff, and strong community interest to see the district succeed, it identifies five areas for improvement: * Organizational structure* Core instruction * Education and support for students with special needs * Talent management * Finances. Superintendent Errick Greene spoke with reporters and Better Together partners Thursday. He said that while the recommendations are helpful, true change will take some time. In October, Greene replaced Freddrick Murray as interim superintendent. Greene stated that while each recommendation is worthy of serious consideration and action, the reality is that we don’t have enough resources right now to accomplish all the tasks. The district decided in March 2017 to reorganize itself into four regions. Officials claimed at the time that the move would improve efficiency. According to the report, this is not true. The report’s executive summary stated that “there is widespread uncertainty about district’s theory, mission, vision and goals.” Insight suggests that JPS create a new organizational structure to better align with the district’s goals. It also recommends that JPS foster greater interaction and collaboration among the central office and the other offices within the district. Greene stated that this was his number one priority, as he and his team begin to create their own improvement plan. According to the report, instruction is not well-defined. It states that “instructional practices vary across classrooms and there are a lack of clear and rigorous expectations for teachers.” JPS should create a curriculum and instruction office and either revamp the existing curriculum or buy a new one. District leaders need to create a framework of instruction that outlines what is expected from teachers. The report noted that the district has reduced the number of testing this school year. However, benchmark assessments that measure student progress are not always usable by teachers and employees express frustration at the amount of tests they have to administer. The report stated that JPS should clearly explain why students are being tested, and establish a district-wide testing schedule in order to minimize disruptions to daily instruction and give staff more time to analyze results. The report also highlighted the need to improve the quality of education for exceptional and struggling students. The report stated that school interventionists in JPS spend less then 50% of their time with students, and individual interventionists have different schedules. According to the report, districts should clearly define their roles and responsibilities and provide guidelines for when students need extra support. The report stated that JPS has a solid foundation in providing emotional and social support for students. However, it is not clear how these roles can be combined to create a cohesive system. Michael Moody, co-founder of Insight, said that the district should have a clear framework. Moody stated that academics will suffer if we don’t address the emotional and social needs of students. Greene also agreed with Moody, saying that there is still much to be done in order to address students’ needs. “We must understand our students as individuals, whole people and not just brains.”_x000D
He said. Talent management was also a key area for improvement. The report recommended that the district communicate clearly the principal’s roles and responsibilities and create a framework. Teachers need to have more opportunities for professional and coaching development. The report states that JPS is not making the most of federal funds. JPS should review how it spends its money for staffing and contracts. It is important that the district’s budget align with student enrollment. Moody stated that while enrollment has decreased over the years, so has the budget. The commission was established in November 2018 to engage the community and find solutions. The Insight report was referred to by many officials in the commission as a roadmap for the future of the district. The future of the Better Together Commission is unclear. Claiborne Barksdale, a member of the commission, said that he believes the entity will remain in existence and continue to work with the school board and district. Gov. Pat Ross, Bryant’s education policy advisor, said that there are “no hard timelines”, but all of the stakeholders (Kellogg and the governor’s office as well as JPS) are closely monitoring the district’s progress. Ross stated that “That (turnaround work) doesn’t happen fast enough or fast enough to everyone, but it is an emergency situation which everybody recognizes.” Although technically the state Department of Education has the power to try to take over — JPS received its third consecutive F rating — Greene stated that his interactions with MDE indicate that the department is open to improvement efforts by the district with its corrective actions plan. He stated that he plans to release the finalized version of the “strategic operational plan” for the district by July 2019. The district will work closely with the community in the months that follow to develop the plan. Greene stated, “It’s going be messy. We already know that.” “But if all of us get on our feet and work together to improve the situation, and not just talk about it, we will win.”_x000D