Press Releases

The Mississippi Association of Educators (MAE) is pleased to announce Dr. Darein Spann as the organization’s President, following Erica Webber Jones’ transition to Executive Director.

The Mississippi Association of Educators (MAE) is pleased to announce the appointment of Erica Webber Jones as its new Executive Director. With a distinguished career in education and advocacy, Erica Webber Jones brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to advancing public education and supporting educators across the state of Mississippi.

That's why we're advocating for the 2025 Legislature to support the establishment of community schools across Mississippi. House Bill 1398, introduced during the 2024 legislative session by Representative Daryl Porter, provides a strong foundation for this initiative. You can view the measure here: HB1398IN.pdf (state.ms.us). Unfortunately, the bill didn’t progress past the committee stage, but the conversation must continue.

Joan Wicker, a History and Mathematics educator at Grenada High School, has been selected as a 2025 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow. She joins educators from across the U.S. and Japan in a year-long professional development program focused on global competency. Through workshops, independent study, mentoring, and an international field study, Wicker will gain valuable insights to bring back to her classroom and community, helping her students succeed in an interconnected world.

The NEA Foundation announced today that 48 public school educators will be honored with the esteemed 2025 Travelers Awards for Teaching Excellence. The awardees, who come from every region of the country and serve urban, rural, and suburban communities, have demonstrated excellence in the classroom, leadership in the teaching profession, engagement.

"We are grateful for the cooperative spirit Mississippi’s Legislature exhibits in their quest to lift our public school system into the best it can be. We are grateful for their willingness to listen to those of us who are working hard to make sure our students, teachers, and support staff are offered every opportunity to succeed. We are still working to Raise Mississippi, and we hope Legislators will join us in that once again."

MAE President Erica Jones issues a request for Legislators to conference on a reliable, sustainable, fair and fully-funded formula for public schools.

Pam McLendon, South UniServ Director of Leaf, Mississippi has been selected as a statewide finalist for Sales and Marketing Professionals’ 2024 Mississippi Pinnacle Awards. 

"With all the discussion swirling about public school funding bills, we are grateful that the Legislature has heard our voices asking for fully funding public schools during this legislative session. Full funding was the leading point in our Raise Mississippi initiative, and based on public support of that program, we believe our legislators listened."

The Mississippi Association of Educators, along with the Mississippi AFL-CIO and the Central Mississippi Central Labor Council hosted a round-table discussion with labor leaders, workers, and community supporters on Wednesday, February 14, at the Smith Robertson Museum in Jackson. Organizers provided Acting U. S. Secretary Julie Su with an opportunity to hear directly from those who are impacted by working conditions in the state – from factory workers to teachers.