Mississippi Achievement School District

The Mississippi State Board of Education appointed Dr. Earl Watkins to lead the Mississippi Achievement School District, effective July 1, 2022. When asked about this opportunity, Dr. Watkins stated, “Many challenges face communities, such as those served by the Mississippi Achievement School District, and there is no silver bullet that will produce sustainable improvements overnight. Improving student outcomes requires passion, commitment, an understanding of community, community buy-in, and so much more. To this end, I am committed. I have lived in both, the Humphreys and Yazoo communities, and I know from personal experience how community and schools working together can create better outcomes for children. I owe my entire career to the foundation that was established for me in Humphreys County. Some say to pay it forward. In this case, I must pay it back in order to bring children from my home community forward.”

The career of Dr. Watkins has included roles such as adjunct professor of educational leadership at Jackson State University, math curriculum coordinator, principal of a middle and high school, Superintendent of Jackson Public Schools, and Conservator of the Indianola and Claiborne County school districts. Under Dr. Watkins’ leadership as the Superintendent in Jackson, JPS passed a $150 million bond referendum with an approval exceeding 80% of the voters. In addition to leading the district to full accreditation by the Mississippi Department of Education, the district was awarded the highest level of accreditation that can be given to a school district by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (formerly known as AdvancED and now known as Cognia), and the district came out of school improvement as noted by No Child Left Behind with 96% of all schools meeting adequate yearly progress. During the 2004 regular legislative session, the Mississippi Senate recognized Dr. Watkins with the Mississippi Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 530 for his courageous and bold move to reorganize and improve one of Jackson’s high schools. In 2006, Dr. Watkins was named Mississippi’s Superintendent of the Year by the Mississippi Association of School Administrators.

Dr. Watkins has served as an education consultant for the Foundation of the Mid South, Ask for More Jackson, One Voice, Community Foundation for Mississippi, Partners in School Innovation, Woodward Hines Education Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. As a school leadership consultant, he has worked with school districts, in addition to regional and state organizations such as the Delta Area Association for Improvement of Schools at Delta State University, the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation, and the Mississippi Department of Education.

Dr. Watkins previously served on the Ready by 21 National Leadership Council at the Forum for Youth Investment, and he is a past state president of the Mississippi Alliance of Black School Educators, a chartered state affiliate of the National Alliance of Black School Educators. Dr. Watkins has also served the Mississippi State Conference NAACP as its state education committee chairman for 11 years and is now the 3rd vice president of the state conference.

Dr. Watkins has degrees from Mississippi Valley State University and Jackson State University. He and his wife, Cassaundra, of 34 years have 2 adult children - Hillary Simone and Christopher Earl. They are committed congregants of World Overcomers Ministries Church in Madison, where Dr. Watkins and his wife serve as lay ministers.

Dr. Earl Watkins, Superintendent