About Us The Mississippi First team is a group of dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to promote the mission of Mississippi First.
Our Focus Areas At Mississippi First, we lead change by advancing ideas through the policy continuum. We are a leading voice for high-quality early education, high-quality public charter schools, access to highly effective teachers and leaders, and creating a future for public schools.
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News & Updates Stay informed with the latest updates, stories, and perspectives on our work to advance educational excellence in Mississippi.
Take Action Check out the various ways to get involved below and help us increase access to high-quality public education in Mississippi.
Angela Bass
Staff Executive Director

Angela Bass has dedicated most of her career to advancing educational excellence in Mississippi. A proud Spelman College alumna, she began her journey in the classroom through Teach For America in the Greater Mississippi Delta. Her passion for education policy reform was sparked during an internship with Mississippi First in 2009, leading her to earn […]

Linda Caldwell
Staff Charter Schools Program (CSP) Coordinator

Linda was born in Flora, MS and raised in Jackson, MS.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Jackson State University, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Texas Southern University.  She has over ten (10) years’ experience with administering and managing federal grants which involved assisting organizations/non-profits […]

Pheron Russell
Staff Director of Special Projects

Pheron, a Mississippi native, got to experience both rural and urban education as a student. After high school, she attended the historical, Wiley University in Marshall, Texas, earning her Bachelor’s in English. Pheron then became a Teach For America corps member, teaching high school English in the Arkansas Delta. Since then, Pheron has taught in […]

Micayla Tatum
Staff Director of Early Childhood Policy

Micayla was born and raised in Lexington, KY, with family roots in central and eastern Kentucky. She attended Amherst College, where she received degrees (cum laude) in American Studies and Anthropology as well as a certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies. After college, Micayla joined Teach for America’s Greater New Orleans-Louisiana Delta subregion as […]

Grace Breazeale
Staff Director of Research and K-12 Policy

Grace was raised in Columbia, SC. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019 with degrees in Public Policy and Economics, and a minor in Chemistry. During college, Grace completed internships at the Brookings Institution, the US House of Representatives, and UNC’s Office of Ethics and Policy, in addition to […]

Tomeka Cheatham
Staff Director of Operations

Dr. Tomeka Cheatham is a seasoned nonprofit leader and business professional with over 29 years of experience in management, retail, business startups, event planning, finance, and grant writing. A native of Prentiss, Mississippi, she began her academic journey at Hinds Community College, earning associate degrees in Business Technology and Pre-Nursing. She went on to receive […]