The future of public education in Clarksdale was the topic of discussion during a forum the Mississippi Humanities Council put together at Meraki Roasting Co. Tuesday night.
Aallyah Wright, a reporter for Mississippi Today, talked about the importance of finding solutions to the problems experienced in the area.
“I think, when talking about public education, especially in the Mississippi Delta, the conversation always leans on how school districts are so low performing, how there’s a lack of resources, there’s a severe teacher shortage,” she said.
Wright also said quality of life and poverty have consistently been a big part of the discussion.
Adrienne White-Hudson represented RISE, Inc., an organization looking for sustainable leaders. She suggested a wide range of ideas to help teacher retention in the area.
One possibility she mentioned was giving teachers a true lunch break during the day that would get them away from everything.
White-Hudson has seen many not believe in the Mississippi Delta first hand, including when a former state superintendent said things would be much better if it was not here. That inspired her to come home and make a difference.
“I remember being heartbroken,” she said. “I remember being crushed. I was like, ‘We are not to be moved. We are not something you could just exterminate.’ Instead, let’s put some work and effort into helping.”
“If you don’t like it, change it. Let’s change it.”
White-Hudson maintained an optimistic attitude from her first day.
“When I started as a teacher, I remember sitting in the audience an eager beaver,” she said. “My email was and still is excitedaboutteaching@yahoo.com. I was ready. I was so excited to be a teacher.”
Joe Sweeney, director of MS Teacher Corps, also said it was important to pay teachers what they deserve. He noted some teachers move to surrounding states for the pay.
On a positive note, Sweeney said, National Board Certified Teachers in Coahoma County receive a $10,000 pay raise.
Sweeney also said Mississippi has issues with its image.
“You’ve got a state flag that has a hate symbol on it,” he said. “You’ve got to get rid of that. That from an outside standpoint, someone coming from Michigan coming down here, that’s not something I want to see. People see that and don’t want to come to Mississippi. They’re looking at it from parts of other states. It’s got to go.
“You lost a war fighting for slavery. That’s not heritage.”
Coahoma Early College High School Principal Cloretha Jamison was the other panelist. She has worked in all three local public school districts.
“We took kind of the same ideas that we know as teachers and administrators things that make great teachers,” she said. “Let’s seek out people that have those qualities and then let’s work on the test.”
Jamison stressed the importance of all teachers working as a team.
Taylor Cargile, who was in the audience, came to the Clarksdale Municipal School District in the Teach for America program. It is her third year in the Delta and she raised a question.
“I know a lot of teachers in my school that are certified and they turned in their letter that they are not going to return and no one has contacted us,” Cargile said. “No one in the district has asked what can we do to keep you?”
Yasmine Malone, a Clarksdale High School graduate, mentioned how there are a lack of resources in the classroom as the public school districts are segregated from one another. She specifically raised concerns about financial issues.
“If all collaborate, we will use our common sense, we will use what we have,” said Jamison in response. “We will find that we have more than enough in our area.”
Jamison said that could lead to schools receiving an “A” grade with the Mississippi Department of Education.
Clarksdale High School graduate Tyler Yarbrough talked about students being able to capitalize on the assets in their community.
“One of the things I really see is the lack of connecting opportunities in the city to the kids in the school district,” he said. “That’s a huge problem. We’ve got such a deep music history. Young people aren’t connecting to that in our downtown area. Murals are downtown. You don’t see the artists in our schools painting our murals.”
Marchellos Scott, a Clarksdale High School graduate, raised the issue about developing relationships with teachers in the Teach for America program. He mentioned he has had strong relationships with Teach for America instructors and then they have left the district.
