By Rupert Howell
First year North Panola School superintendent Cedric Richardson praised North Panola High Principal Jamone Edwards, his staff and students for the most recent ranking of “B” in the State Accountability Rankings.

Richardson said Edwards has taken the school from low performing to a “B” rated school by increasing the graduation rate, retaining and developing a quality group of teachers and keeping parents involved at the high school level.

“There’s been a dramatic cultural change on our high school campus,” Richardson said, explaining that student attitudes have changed to the point that they want to go into the classroom and perform at the highest level.

“When you walk through the hallways, you can sense it,” Richardson said.

Principal Edwards says North Panola’s success comes from accountability beginning at the superintendent’s office, students “buying in” and teachers being engaged in students’ learning.
“Just because teaching is going on doesn’t mean learning is taking place,” Edwards said, noting that ineffective teachers have been replaced.

“The classroom teacher is where the rubber meets the road,” Edwards said, emphatically adding the effective teachers have been put in place and “We made sure they had every resource they needed.”

Edwards explained data exposes weak areas so that decisions can be made where to put emphasis and make changes adding, “North Panola will be an ‘A’ school beyond a shadow of a doubt because the teachers are in place and the students have bought in.”

Discipline problems that once plagued the school now mostly involve tardiness, the principal stated.

While Edwards admits the new Common Core curriculum has brought about challenges, “Regardless, we are going to adjust and do what’s best for children.”

The University of Mississippi claims some of the credit as more than one-third of North Panola’s teachers are current or former members of the Ole Miss Teacher Corps program.

The graduate rate has risen from 49 percent to 72 percent.    In subjects such as Algebra I and U.S. History, students’ test scores surpass state averages and they’re not far behind state averages in areas such as English II and Biology I.

Last year, North Panola graduates received college scholarships valued at more than $2.2 million, up dramatically from $200,000 in 2010.