MADISON COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – Addressing teacher shortages, maintaining a standard of excellence and enforcing safety are some of the elements the future superintendent of Madison County Schools plans to focus on.

Following the retirement announcement of Superintendent Charlotte Seals, the Madison County Board of Education announced Ted Poore was selected to serve as the next superintendent of the school district.

He has 40 years of experience in education with 26 of those years spent in Madison County Schools. Poore is currently the deputy superintendent.

According to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), the district has an “A” rating. Poore said the most important thing is hiring the right people for the district, especially teachers.

“We do have literacy specialists and math specialists on the district level that go into classrooms and work with teachers, helping train teachers, helping coach teachers and right methodology and strategy in the classroom. But they also work one-on-one with students,” he explained.

Student safety is also a top priority for the future superintendent.

“We also have one safety security coordinator. And then to safety security officers and all of our schools and all of our personnel in our schools are trained periodically throughout the year. They’re required to do that not only by the state but by our district to have those safety drills,” he said.

Poore is expected to begin his first day on July 1, 2024.