The Mississippi Department of Education will begin searching in earnest for a new MSMS executive director in early 2024, MDE Chief of Communication Jean Cook said in a Nov. 14 email.
While traditional school districts across Mississippi typically handle their own superintendent searches, Cook confirmed MDE itself will facilitate the executive director search since MSMS and its leadership position report directly to the state superintendent of education’s office.
“MDE plans to conduct a survey of faculty/staff early in 2024 to collect input on the qualities needed in the position and the priorities of the positions,” Cook said in the email to The Vision. “MDE will engage the alumni, as in the past, to assist in the interview process.”
MDE’s upcoming search will be the second since former MSMS Executive Director Germain McConnell left for a job with Oxford School District in 2021 and his replacement, Donald Cook, was fired by MDE in late September.
In a Sept. 29 email to MSMS employees, students, parents and stakeholders announcing his ousting, Donald Cook said he knew of nothing that could have caused this sudden termination other than talk of moving MSMS to the MSU campus. During this situation, Cook said in his email, he was told to “cease and desist” by MDE Chief Academic Officer Donna Boone. He also encouraged recipients of his email to contact MDE and complain about his removal.
In a special-call meeting on Sept. 29, the State Board of Education went into a closed-door executive session to discuss “discrete personnel matters.” Minutes from the meeting state the board emerged from executive session after a 5-0 vote unanimously tasked Director for Academic Affairs Ginger Tedder with leading MSMS on an interim basis.
A vote on Donald Cook’s employment was not taken by the board, minutes state; however, Jean Cook said the board delegates certain responsibilities to the state superintendent of education’s office, including personnel matters of Mississippi’s state schools.
“The State Board of Education delegates to the State Superintendent of Education various duties and responsibilities, which includes oversight of the state schools,” Jean Cook said in the email. “The Executive Directors/Superintendents of the state schools report directly to the State Superintendent, and the Superintendent is authorized to handle personnel matters as necessary. In this instance, this included relieving Dr. [Donald] Cook of his duties. The power to appoint an interim or permanent executive director is vested in statute with the State Board.”
