The Yazoo City and Yazoo County school districts were among the 18 state public schools that have been put on probation for violating state standards.
The probation list was approved by the state School Accreditation Commission last Tuesday.
According to the Mississippi Department of Education’s 2016 Accountability Standards handbook, school districts are held accountable for accreditation policies and process standards. Standards address accepted educational principles and practices that are believed to promote educational quality. Any violation is recorded but does not affect the current accreditation status of the district. If the violations are not corrected by the following school year when accreditation statuses are assigned, the violation is reported for appropriate action.
The Yazoo City Municipal School District was reported as violating the state’s licensed professional staff standard, which requires “all district professional positions requiring licensed staff are filled by staff that are properly licensed and endorsed as required by state law and federal requirements.”
The Yazoo County School District was reported as violating the state’s local school board and superintendent, library media center and alternative education standards.
The standard required for superintendent duties’ states that “the school board assigns all executive and administrative duties to the superintendent, who is properly licensed and chosen in the manner prescribed by law.”
The state requires that “each school has a library media center with an organized collection of materials and equipment that represents a broad range of current learning media, including instructional technology…and the library staff offers a systematic program of service to students and staff by providing access to the materials and equipment, by providing instruction in the use of the materials and equipment, and by working with teachers and other staff members to provide learning activities for the students.”
With alternative education programs, the state’s standards include that “the school district provides access to an alternative education program that meets the program guidelines.”
The Yazoo County School District released a statement Wednesday confirming that the state’s reports were accurate, but the district was still in full accreditation status and lacking clearance on minor citations of three accountability standards.
“The Mississippi Department of Education has been in receipt of the school district’s Corrective Action Plan, and the district is expected to fully clear each of these deficiencies before December 2017,” the county’s statement said. “None of the standards cited were related to deficiencies of academic performance, instructional or teacher quality, safe and orderly schools, school facilities, or transportation.”
The county district said it addressed the three violations and submitted its Corrective Action Plan to the state before Tuesday’s announcement.
County school leaders also encouraged the public to contact Superintendent Becky Fisher or Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tom Taylor 746-4672 with any questions or concerns.
