Two local educators were among 15 fellows representing various statewide institutions who graduated from the Mississippi Education Policy Fellowship Program, hosted by Mississippi State’s Social Science Research Center, this spring.
The Mississippi EPFP is part of a national cohort coordinated by the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington, D.C. The program brings together professionals who have a direct interest in education policy from early childhood through higher education and workforce development.
Local graduates of the program were Robbi Cooper, assistant principal at West Lauderdale Middle School, and LaMareshia Johnson, an instructor in the Division of Education at Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus.
Mississippi’s fellows, led by program coordinators Devon Brenner and Amanda Tullos, focused on working together to advance equitable policies for the state’s students. Over nine months, fellows learned about specific policy issues, policymaking and implementation processes; the intersections of local, state and national policies; and how effective leaders function in the policy environment.
“EPFP connected me with professionals who have been instrumental in helping me grow as an administrator. It was hands down the best professional development experience and learning experience I have had as an administrator,” Cooper said.
For the 2023-24 program year, the Mississippi EPFP focused on rural education, including the role of rural schools in communities and the workforce, the unique needs and concerns of rural schools in policy and practice, and the importance of working together to advance education outcomes for rural students in Mississippi.
The fellows met from September to April to learn about statewide issues and policy and traveled to Washington, D.C., in March to discuss educational policies with Mississippi’s congressional delegation. Specifically, the fellows met with U.S. Reps. Michael Guest and Bennie Thompson.
“Being an EPFP Fellow afforded me the opportunity to learn about how policies are created and put into place. By getting a look at the political side of education, it not only helped me see how the laws that impact education are created but also how they can be changed and influenced,” said Lori Nail, AccelerateMS youth programs manager.