Degrees Held:
- Ph.D. – University of Mississippi, 1987
- M.Ed. – Mississippi State University, 1977
- B.S. – Mississippi State University, 1975
Career Highlights:
- 42 years of teaching and administrative experience in education
- Mississippi Secondary Principal of the Year — 2002
- Past member/Chairman, Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation
- Past member — State SACS Committee
Which online degree program(s) do you teach?
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Which classes do you teach online?
EDU 6517, EDU 6518, EDU 6533, EDU 6536
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What can students expect in your classes?
Weekly discussion board posts, weekly reading assignments, student presentations, professor lectures, live video conferencing.
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What do you want students to take away from your classes? What do you want them to learn?
I want students to learn how to develop relationships, gain knowledge and awareness of what it takes to be an effective education leader, and how to apply what they learn to make a difference in their students', teachers', and parents' lives. Educators who complete the Mississippi College Educational Leadership Program are prepared to provide immediate educational leadership for schools by focusing on excellence in teaching and learning.
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What is the value of this degree?
The courses and practicum experiences ground participants in the centrality of teaching and learning, and helps them understand and navigate schools and the systems that support them. The program focuses on the leadership development of each student and skills in working effectively with students, parents, and teachers, while providing the knowledge, skills, and social development all aspiring leaders need. The ISLLC and ELCC standards are integrated in coursework and within internships and field experiences during the academic year.
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Why did you start teaching?
Teaching is all I have ever wanted to do. My father was a teacher. I grew up on a school campus and lived a large part of my life either on campus or very close to one. I have always enjoyed the newness of every day, the energy of the students, and the challenge of educating each and every one of them. While loving the classroom, I saw leadership as a possible opportunity to impact not just the students in my classroom but all of the students in the building as well as the teachers and the community.
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What advice would you give to prospective students considering this program?
Our students are taught by professionals who have a great deal of practical experience. They learn from teachers who not only have the knowledge but also the experience to teach our students how to apply that knowledge. Our students need to be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities and apply themselves equally to the coursework and to the internship and field experiences.
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What qualities make someone particularly successful in education?
There are several traits that enable people to be successful in any field that deals with people. Some of these traits are ability to build relationships, listen and communicate, flexibility, patience, integrity, honesty, respectful, consistent, passionate, and having a servant's heart.
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What is the one book you think everyone should read?
Outside of the Bible, the book "Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals" by Elaine K. McEwan
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Tell us something your students may not know about you:
I live a fairly uneventful life compared to some, but I like it. I love the outdoors and I love to read. I suppose one interesting thing is that we once had part of a movie filmed on our property. They were there for six or seven days and it was an interesting process that involved a lot of very interesting people.
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