The U.S. Secretary of Education is coming to Mississippi.
According to a post on the Holmes County Consolidated School District’s website, Secretary Betsy DeVos will make her way to the district on October 4th.
In an emailed statement, superintendent James Henderson stated that DeVos’ visit signals a new direction for the district.
Being the poorest county in the poorest state in these GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, I say – NO MORE for the students of my home District! We have smart children in this county; we seek equity, because – “It’s That TIME!” We have been at the bottom far too long and as the new superintendent of schools and a Native Son-not, a Prodigal Son-I am grateful to serve OUR children and to have OUR U.S. Secretary of Education’s presence in our School District! – James Henderson
Henderson also praised DeVos for her commitment to students in all areas across the country.
“Ms. DeVos’s presence shows that she not only cares for the urban and suburban children but that she also cares for children in the rural schools and she’s putting her time toward-and will allocate equitable funding to ensure the academic success of students from the rural areas,” he said. “Her visit is not a surprise, it’s an expectation because she is the U.S. Secretary for ALL children in this GREAT Country!”
The post says that DeVos is coming to visit their distance learning AP Physics class and to discuss the importance of the AP Access Initiative with the Holmes County community.
These initiatives work to ensure all students are able to take classes that prepare them for college.
“Her visit (this time) will focus on the blended-learning AP Physics class-a partnership with Yale University,” Henderson said. “Last year, we had several students enrolled in the AP Physics class with a 10% passing rate on the National AP exam, and this year, our aim is to see at least 50% of these students passing the National AP Physics exam. Again, we have smart children in the rural areas of this country and Ms. DeVos wants to ensure that they have the same access to the latest technology as other children across this country!”
This will be DeVos’ first visit to Mississippi as Secretary of Education.
