The Class of 2003 has finished their portfolio defense and completed all of the coursework for the Mississippi Teacher Corps. They enjoyed their farewell dinner in February.

“This is the first class that I worked with through the two years,” said Ben Guest, Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Teacher Corps. “It was emotional because I've seen them grow as teachers and as people.”

“One of the great things about this group is that so many are staying,” said Dr. Andy Mullins , the co-director of the Teacher Corps. "Of the sixteen graduates 10 of them plan to stay in Mississippi to teach next year."

“This group had a lot of successes,” said Mr. Guest. “Many of them are teaching state-tested grades and the scores have improved dramatically. Two of our teachers, Sarah Alford and Clint Blacker, were chosen as teachers of the year at their respective schools in their first year teaching. I'm sure several more will be chosen this year.”

The Mississippi Teacher Corps is a two-year program that recruits recent college graduates to teach in critical-shortage areas in the Mississippi Delta, in exchange for a full scholarship for a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi. The program was founded in 1989 by Amy Gutman, a Harvard University graduate and Dr. Andy Mullins , current Special Assistant to the Chancellor of Ole Miss. Since 1989 more than 300 participants, reaching an estimated 60,000 students, have taught in critical-needs school districts as part of the Mississippi Teacher Corps.

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