Editor’s Note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I Director of Research and K-12 Policy The Potential of Career Advancement Opportunities for Teachers Despite recent wins for public education in Mississippi, maintaining a strong and stable teacher workforce remains an…
Read MoreWhat Factors Influence a Teacher’s Salary?
Editor’s Note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate In recent reports—including Falling Behind, which we released earlier this month—we have presented evidence that a large proportion of Mississippi teachers struggle with financial insecurity. A teacher survey…
Read MoreStudents Deserve a Diverse Teacher Workforce
Editor’s Note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate A growing body of research indicates that students of color benefit when their race or ethnicity is represented in the teacher workforce. Unfortunately, Mississippi’s teacher workforce does not…
Read MoreAn Accumulation of Grievances
Editor’s Note: This blog post is a part of a new ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate Teacher compensation has rightfully taken center stage in the effort to address the teacher shortage crisis in Mississippi. Still, there remains a host of additional challenges…
Read MoreMississippi Teachers Are Eyeing the Exit
Jackson, MS—Today, Mississippi First released our newest report, Eyeing the Exit: Teacher Turnover and What We Can Do About It. This report takes a deeper dive into data first reported in our February 2022 report Voices of the Shortage: 2022 Mississippi Teacher Survey, which revealed that over half of teachers surveyed reported being “somewhat” or…
Read MoreThe Leadership Shuffle: Exploring Turnover in Mississippi’s Principal Workforce
Editor’s Note: This blog post is a part of a new ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate School and district leaders can be heavily influential in shaping the experiences of teachers, who in turn influence the strength of the educator pipeline. This impact…
Read MoreThe Student Debt Crisis: Implications for Mississippi Teachers
Editor’s Note: This blog post is a part of a new ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate A growing student debt crisis may be contributing to Mississippi’s critical teacher shortage. Mississippi First’s 2022 Teacher Survey, completed by 6,496 teachers across Mississippi, provides…
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