国产麻豆AV, William Carey partnership recognizes Rural Teacher of the Year
Contact: Emile Pennington
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥The Mississippi Rural Education Association is honoring Yazoo County Middle School鈥檚 Melanie Davis-Hardy as its Rural Teacher of the Year.
A partnership between 国产麻豆AV鈥檚 Social Science Research Center and William Carey University鈥檚 Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools, the MSREA serves as a professional organization for rural education leaders and advocates in the Magnolia State. It is a state affiliate of the National Rural Education Association.
The award recognizes and honors outstanding teachers who have made significant contributions to rural education statewide. Davis-Hardy was selected from four finalists, each representing one of Mississippi鈥檚 congressional districts.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 finalists bring a wealth of experience to teaching, and each immerses themselves in the fabric of the community, which leads to positive educational outcomes,鈥 said Bradley Long, MSREA and SSRC project manager.
Davis-Hardy emphasized the importance of connecting with her sixth grade math and science students and their families to foster a team approach to student success.
鈥淩ural schools do a wonderful job with social learning because we have that community. We have that connection,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e have those relationships because we live in these small communities.鈥
In 2025, the NREA estimated that nearly a quarter of rural students in Mississippi experienced poverty. In her classroom, Davis-Hardy works to introduce students to a variety of places and cultures, helping them recognize the potential opportunities available to them.聽
鈥淚 can bring the world to them until they鈥檙e able to go into the world. I need to expose them to all these technologies that are current, so they will be ready to explore the real world when they get older,鈥 she said.
Davis-Hardy will serve as an ambassador for鈥痳ural鈥痚ducation, representing鈥痶he鈥痚xcellence and commitment鈥痮f鈥痚ducators in Mississippi and the state at the NREA conference, where the nation鈥檚 top rural teacher will be named.
聽Other Mississippi finalists include Carrie Guntharp, Fairview Attendance Center of Golden; Devon Sellers, Jones County Career Technical Center; and Gloria McDuffy, Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and the Blind of Jackson.
For more information on MSREA, visit .
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