Dr. Andy Mullins, the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Mississippi Teacher Corps, has a published a new book, The Measure of Our Days, collecting the speeches and writings of William Winter, the former governor of Mississippi.

(The Measure of Our Days)

“The seed for the book was planted three years ago,” said Dr. Mullins.  “I was working on the ceremonies for Governor Winter’s 80th birthday celebration.  We were planning to name the Institute for Racial Reconciliation after him and I asked the Governor for some of his speeches on issues of race.”

“Once I started reading is speeches and writings I was amazed at the breadth and depth,” said Dr. Mullins.  “Ultimately, I went through 100 boxes of personal papers to organize the book.  The book covers a wide range of topics including education, civic responsibility, Mississippi, and politics.”

“The response has been fantastic,” said Dr. Mullins.  “We sold out of the first printing and are now on the second.”  The Measure of Our Days is available here on amazon.com.  Gov. Winter will speak to the second-year Teacher Corp participants on December 9th.

“Leadership is about courage,” said Dr. Tom Burnham, the current Dean of the School of Education at the University of Mississippi and the former State Superintendent of Mississippi.  “Gov. Winter showed tremendous courage in supporting fairness and equity for all children of Mississippi at a time, in the early 1980’s, when many in the state were opposed to any progressive changes in the public education system.  The Education Reform Act of 1982 was a great achievement for the people of Mississippi.”

“Throughout his career, both as a public official and a private citizen, Gov. Winter has supported change and reform in public education,” said Dr. Whitney Webb, the Assistant Dean of the School of Education at the University of Mississippi and the former Program Manager of the Mississippi Teacher Corps.  “His leadership and visibility has been key in improving education in the state.”

(Dr. Mullins Speaks to the Class of 2006)

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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