JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Senate has chosen not to confirm Dr. Robert Taylor as state superintendent of education and has questioned the process the Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) used to select a candidate.

According to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Senate confirmation is required to complete the appointment process of the state superintendent of education.

“The State Board of Education conducted a fair, competitive and rigorous application process to select the most qualified candidate to fulfill the duties of state superintendent of education,” said Rosemary Aultman, SBE chair. “The search firm we hired was helpful in giving the board direction, and we are confident we selected the best candidate.”

The SBE conducted a six-month, national search before voting unanimously on November 21, 2022, to hire Taylor. The SBE said they conducted interviews with finalists over three days before selecting Taylor, who began serving in the position on January 17, 2023.

The SBE said they will schedule a special-called meeting in the coming days to name an interim state superintendent and take steps to begin a new search.