JPS District hosts media breakfast

By Jackie Hampton

Publisher

“Building Stronger Schools Together” is the familiar strategic message from the superintendent of Jackson Public Schools, and on Dec. 9, Superintendent Cedrick Gray hosted a breakfast meeting in the school district’s boardroom with local members of the press as invited guests.

The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the school district’s goals, programs, and initiatives in an effort to discuss how media organizations could partner with the district to support the thousands of scholars, teachers, and parents associated with JPS.

Sherwin Johnson, executive director of PR and media relations welcomed the press to the first media breakfast meeting for JPS and introduced the district’s media relations department whose primary function is to work with every department and school within JPS to meet its media needs.

Johnson’s team consists of Benita Donald, communications specialist; Thea Faulkner, director of Partners in Education; Larry Keeler, coordinator of Instructional Television; Carol Amos and Patricia Thompson, administrative assistants.

Johnson said his department uses a myriad of techniques to maximize publicity for district and school related events and activities and he said, “We work closely with our local print and broadcast media outlets to ensure fair and accurate coverage of our schools.”

Johnson also introduced the district’s leadership team, with some sharing successful academic and performing arts programs within JPS as well as the plans that are underway to continue to improve the school district. These team leaders shared very positive information regarding programs and initiatives that demonstrate the success that JPS is experiencing but may not be known by the general public. Each positive achievement brought applause from media guests.

Informing the press of successful programs within JPS was Michelle King and William Merritt, chief academic officers of the Elementary School division; Chinelo Evans, chief academic officer of Middle Schools; Freddrick Murray, chief academic officer of High Schools, and Thea T. Faulkner, director of Partners in Education.

Also speaking on behalf of JPS was Beneta Burt, JPS Board of Trustees president.

One success story presented by King was that of Casey Elementary School being the only school in Mississippi named a National Blue Ribbon School. The National Blue Ribbon Schools program distinguishes and honors schools for helping students achieve at very high levels and for making significant progress in closing the achievement gap. Casey was one of 335 schools recognized Nov. 9-10 in Washington, D.C.

Closing out the breakfast was Gray, who was recognized Nov. 20 in Washington as Superintendent of the Year by The National Alliance of Black School Educators. He asked the media to partner with JPS in getting information out regarding the positive things that are going on. He told the media that there are 29,000 scholars in and out of school buildings each day. Gray said, “One third of the citizens in the city rest in our hands.”

He said, “Even though students can go to private schools or enroll in charter schools, you cannot ignore our schools because they are located in communities where everyone lives, and so, JPS cannot be ignored.”

Gray said out of the thousands of students in the district, 95 percent do exactly what they are supposed to do. He wanted the media to know that even though JPS must fight perceptions every day, it’s only a few students that are not doing what they should each day.

He wants the media to be fair in their reporting and not to keep the same negative event in the news day after day.

Gray shared several plans that will improve the district, some of which require funding and was pleased to say there is economic capital available that will assist in carrying out these plans.

Local media at the breakfast  included The Clarion Ledger, Jackson Free Press, Outfront, The Mississippi Link, WLBT, Channel 3, WAPT Channel 16 and WJTV Channel 12.