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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Our Work Mississippi First is a policy organization. We work closely with elected officials to pass legislation that will increase educational excellence for kids.
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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.
Grace Breazeale 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 working as a research assistant in UNC's Department of Public Policy. After graduation, Grace moved to the Mississippi Delta as a Teach For America corps member and taught in the Sunflower County Consolidated School District for three years. In 2022, she completed a Master's of Business Administration at Delta State University through the Teach For America Fellows Program. As the Director of Research and K-12 Policy at Mississippi First, Grace is responsible for working with the executive director to create and execute the organization’s K-12 agenda, in addition to leading the organization’s research efforts.