Ole Miss Program Builds Teacher Pipeline in Rural Schools

Sixty-one Mississippi Teacher Corps educators began their teaching careers in Marshall County since the first placements there in 1997, including eight alumni who stayed and eight teachers currently enrolled in the program.

"The partnership with Marshall County is one of the strongest we have," said Joe Sweeney, the program's director and an alumnus of the program. "We know the district is going to support our MTC teachers, and that is really important to us.

"The efforts of everyone in the district have led to historic gains in the district's rating, and we are glad our teachers have been a part of that."

The alternate-route teacher preparation program is based in the UM School of Education, recruits Mississippi and out-of-state students and places them in high-need Mississippi public schools. MTC provides a full scholarship for a master's degree in teaching. Participants commit to teach for at least two years, and many choose to remain in the classroom long after.

In Marshall County, that consistency is paying off. Yixing Lu, a second-year algebra teacher at Byhalia High School who earned a bachelor's degree at Mount Holyoke College, led more than 100 students to measurable growth in math proficiency last year. According to state test data, her classes collectively reached 100% academic growth, reflecting strong gains across each class during the school year.

Lu credits her success to the mentorship and collaboration she found from MTC mentors and fellow educators who helped her translate big ideas into daily classroom impact.

"I've learned to connect with my students by genuinely seeing and hearing them," Lu said. "My certainty steadies their uncertainty. Each day, I reset, stay grounded, and bring positive energy so my students feel supported and confident to meet high expectations."

That combination of strong support and personal investment has helped Marshall County grow a core of MTC alumni who serve in leadership roles.

Landon Pollard, the district's assistant superintendent, and Liz Towle, principal at Byhalia Middle School, both entered the district as MTC teachers more than a decade ago and chose to stay, eventually moving into administration.

"We don't have enough certified math teachers, and three of my four math teachers right now are MTC teachers, so we do depend on MTC to help us recruit," said Towle, a Fulbright Scholar and Harvard graduate who grew up in New Hampshire.

"When you can get staff to stay, year after year, it really creates a lot of trust and confidence between the kids and their families, and that makes it so much easier to get a lot more done for them."

Pollard, an Ole Miss alumnus from Alabama, has seen the power of the district's partnership and the cohesion of teachers from several angles. He was an MTC teacher and served eight years as principal at Byhalia Middle School.

"What's really cool in Marshall County is seeing Mississippi Teacher Corps alumni who have made teaching and educating here their intentional career choice," he said. "They've set up their lives around this. They come back every year and they're passionate about it."

"They've bought homes and are raising families in the area."

Together, MTC and Mississippi educators are creating a model for what's possible with teamwork as the state works to address the teacher shortage.

"One hundred and two school districts in Mississippi have been identified by the Mississippi Department of Education as official teacher shortage areas, which is just about 75% of all the districts in Mississippi," Sweeney said. "We can't provide all the teachers Mississippi needs, but we are a piece of the solution."

Top: Yixing Lu, a second-year algebra teacher at Byhalia High School and Mississippi Teacher Corps participant, leads a lesson on data and correlation. Her students achieved 100% academic growth in math proficiency last year through the UM-based program’s mentorship and support. Photo by Hunt Mercier/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services