Former Governor William Winter and State Superintendent Dr. Hank Bounds attended class this month as part of Dr. Andy Mullins’ “Innovations in Education” course.  Governor Winter and Dr. Bounds both addressed the first-year teachers in the Mississippi Teacher Corps.

“As a citizen of Mississippi I want to thank you for all you’ve done,” said Governor Winter.  “Many of you don’t realize the impact you are having.”

“I’m honored to be able to speak to this group of so many dedicated, outstanding teachers,” said Dr. Bounds.  “We are all working together to build a better Mississippi."

(Dr. Bounds)

This was the last class meeting for Dr. Mullins’ course.  The final assignment for the course is to design your own school district.  “Traditionally, we have the first-years present their districts, then take a break, and then we have our speakers come in,” said Dr. Mullins.  “Dr. Bounds insisted on coming early so he could listen to the presentations.”

Most of the first-years heard Governor Winter speak last summer when he was the keynote speaker for the first Teacher Corps Reunion. “I was impressed by them last summer,” said Governor Winter.”  “I’m even more impressed with them now.  The Mississippi Teacher Corps is recruiting and training outstanding teachers.”

The Mississippi Teacher Corps is the most competitive alternate-route teaching program in the country. It 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 student, and Dr. Andy Mullins, then Special Assistant to the State Superintendent of Education. Since 1989 more than 350 participants, reaching an estimated 70,000 students, have taught in critical-needs school districts as part of the Mississippi Teacher Corps.

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