The Mississippi State Board of Education appointed Dr. Teresa Poole of William Carey University to the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development during its regular meeting earlier this month.

Known as the Licensure Commission, the full membership meets six times a year to make recommendations about how to prepare educators for the classroom, certification and licensure, and the continuing professional development of Mississippi public school teachers.

“I am extremely honored to accept this responsibility and I look forward to serving. It gives me an opportunity to help build, support and sustain strong classroom experiences for both teachers and students in our state,” Poole said.

Poole joined the William Carey faculty in 2018 as chair of curriculum and instruction for the WCU School of Education. Before that, she served Mississippi K-12 students as a science teacher, high school assistant principal, elementary principal, director of curriculum, and associate superintendent in three Mississippi public school districts for 25 years. Poole holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Jackson State University and a doctoral degree from the University of Mississippi.

She was promoted last year to associate dean of the WCU School of Education, then to dean of the school in January 2021, as former dean Dr. Ben Burnett became WCU’s executive vice president.

“Dr. Poole made an immediate impact on the William Carey School of Education upon her arrival three years ago. Her long tenure in K-12 education as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent gives her the ability to know first-hand the needs of our schools across the state. This knowledge will help her guide the Licensure Commission in important decisions about teacher preparation and licensure as we all work together to move the state forward,” Burnett said.

Licensure Commission members also serve on a subcommittee that rules on disciplinary hearings and appeals involving educator misconduct. Poole will represent the Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District on the commission through 2025.