Keaster's current efforts to plan what principals will learn at the academy coincides with state Department of Education lobbying of the 2000 Legislature to move accountability for student achievement from the district level to the school level. State Superintendent of Education Richard Thompson recently addressed both the House and Senate Education Committees seeking support for a program to offer rewards to high-performing schools, and seek sanctions against schools performing below expectations.
Observers report strong legislative backing for the move.
That line of thinking led to McMinn's office developing criteria for the Mississippi Leadership Academy for Principals. Keaster's response to that proposal led to his contract. Keaster and the state Department of Education have already recruited eight successful current and retired school administrators to serve as faculty for the academy. Academy faculty are expected to use innovative teaching methods to get their ideas across. We hope it's going to be a very practical approach.