Ed group: JPS internal audits show pattern of noncompliance

Internal audits of Jackson Public Schools show work done to fix some of the district’s most severe accreditation violations are not enough to muster clearance from the Mississippi Department of Education.

A number of those violations place Mississippi’s second-largest school system at risk of a state takeover.

Interim Superintendent Freddrick Murray foreshadowed that personnel changes could be forthcoming, as a result of the deficiencies.

“We have some people who will not be at the table (next year,)” he said.

Ann Moore, a consultant with the Ridgeland-based Bailey Education Group, advised school board members of the findings on Thursday. The board approved a contract on April 4 to hire the company to assist in the process of bringing the district, which is on probation, into compliance with the state’s accreditation standards. A copy of the contract award for the Bailey Education Group was not available by press time.

SEE MORE: Why is JPS on probation?

During her presentation, Moore said the district’s internal reviews found continuing problems in several areas related to teacher instruction and safety.

She said the district still has inoperable metal detectors. Reviews further cited a failure to follow outlined procedures.

Buses arriving late also continues to be a concern. Murray estimated that up to a third of the district’s fleet drops students off after the school’s start time. Several drivers have taken on more than one route to address the problem, but Murray said the district still lacks the appropriate number of buses and drivers.

Moore told the board there was at least one unlicensed teacher in each of the district’s schools. Although leaders have referenced a critical teacher shortage, Moore said there were indicators that licensed teachers were applying for vacancies but not being hired.

“On the front end (such as career fairs), you’re identifying qualified applicants,” she said. “But they don’t get hired anywhere in the district. This is one of your bigger issues.”

Murray explained that while the district prioritizes licensed teacher candidates, some might not be hired because of issues with background checks.

Moore also said the internal reviews “consistently show a pattern of non-compliance” concerning teacher lesson plans. MDE faulted several elementary schools for problems with lesson plans in its initial audit. Moore did not say whether the schools where the problems were occurring were the same. In its corrective action plan, JPS told the state that each teacher in the district would receive a curriculum binder. Educators would have to keep copies of the current week’s lesson plans in the binder.

The district’s plan states “the curriculum binder should be available and visible in (the) classroom at all times.” The review did not touch on the reason for the breakdown of the plan.

Moore plans to follow up with the district more in depth on the issue next week.

The review also highlighted problems with record-keeping.

One area of concern was attendance data.

Board member Richard Lind asked whether collecting the data incorrectly could have an impact on the district's funding. The state's funding formula is based in part on student attendance. Reporting inaccurate numbers could result in a district receiving more or less money than the formula calls for.

Moore told The Clarion-Ledger that the district is on track to clear deficiencies related to early childhood learning and non-licensed librarians.

Still, she noted to board members, "there are some timelines in your corrective action plan that have not been met,"

"There are some others that there are no immediate plans to implement corrections by June 30," Moore said.

JPS' timeline for correcting all problems found by state audits was approved by state education officials. But state Superintendent Carey Wright has expressed concern in the past about the district's plan "lacking urgency."

At a board meeting last December, she warned that failure to operate the corrective plan with fidelity could warrant the state's harshest sanction — an emergency takeover.

Asked whether he thought the progress was lagging, Murray responded, "I think urgency is there. I think them (The Bailey Education Group) being here shows urgency. These things that have been ongoing for years just don't happen overnight."

Board President Beneta Burt emphasized a need for a long-term goal of sustainability, not a temporary fix.

"We need to do this (corrections) because we need to do it forever," she said.

Burt called on district employees from the top down to do their part.

"We will all sink together or we will all rise together."

Last August, JPS’ accreditation was downgraded after state monitors found the district was in violation of 19 accrediting standards, involving academics, safety, transportation, governance and record-keeping.

Those citations stemmed from a review of roughly a third of JPS schools.

Then Superintendent Cedrick Gray announced his intent to resign in October and was gone by Nov. 16. Murray was named interim.

Currently, the district is undergoing a full investigative audit of all 62 of its schools as ordered by the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation.

MDE officials have not indicated when that audit will be complete.

Contact Bracey Harris  at 601-961-7248 or bharris2@gannett.com . Follow her on Twitter.