By Rita Howell

Mississippi State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tom Burnham has announced the appointment of Dr. Oscar Love Jr. as the new interim conservator for the North Panola School District.  

Love succeeds Glenn Swann who was named conservator in March and will be leaving the post in June.

Swann took the position after the departure of Bob Strebeck who was named conservator in May, 2008 after the state took control of the troubled district.

The Mississippi Department of Education cited “serious leadership, management and instructional concerns” and  “serious violations of accreditation standards, board policy and state law” when it took over management of the North Panola School District two years ago.

A native of Kosciusko, Love has served as principal at several Memphis schools, including Raleigh Egypt, East and Trezevant Vocational Technical Center. He was named Memphis City Schools Principal of the Year in 2008 and was a finalist for Tennessee Teacher of the Year.

Love “has worked in every facet of education and knows what it takes to turn around schools,” Burnham said in a press release.  

Love’s education career has spanned 40 years, which includes serving as an associate superintendent of the Haywood County Schools in Brownsville, Tenn. He has also served as an assistant professor at Memphis State University, Jackson State University and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.  

  Love holds a doctorate in philosophy from Kansas State University, a master’s degree from Mississippi State University and a bachelor’s degree from Jackson State University.  
He is married to Fannye Love and they have three children.