Mississippi's Rural Teachers

Each year, the Mississippi Rural Education Association (MSREA) recognizes excellence in rural education by naming the Mississippi Rural Teacher of the Year. Four finalists are selected, one from each of Mississippi’s Congressional districts, and honored at an annual ceremony hosted by the Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools (PREPS). According to the Why Rural Matters report, there has been an increase of over 7% in the number of rural students in MS since 2023[i]. This year, MSREA recognized:

• Carrie Guntharp-Computer Science, Fairview Attendance Center, Congressional District 1
• Melanie Davis-Hardy, 6^th-grade mathematics and science, Yazoo County Middle School, Congressional District 2
• Gloria McDuffy, Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Congressional District 3
• Devon Sellers, Jones County Career Technical Center, Congressional District 4

This year’s finalists bring a wealth of experience to teaching, and MSREA sat down with the winners to learn from their knowledge of rural education in our state.  

Excellence through Exposure

The four finalists shared the impact that exposure to experiences, such as field trips and community involvement, can have on students. In 2025, 23% of Mississippi’s rural students experienced poverty[ii], which may affect their ability to travel outside of their community. However, teachers are finding creative solutions with limited resources. Davis-Hardy stated, “I need to go to these places, and I need to gather these funds so I can be able to bring the world to them until they’re able to go into the world. I need to expose them to all these technologies that are current so they will be ready to explore the real world when they get older.” Guntharp noted how her school incorporates hands-on learning activities with a greenhouse for her students, thanks to a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield, “Small rural schools in Mississippi are the heart of their communities. They do more than teach — they bring people together, keep traditions alive, and build pride.” 

Each finalist demonstrated a deep passion for their students’ success, both inside and outside of the classroom. McDuffy shared her desire for partnerships that could allow for her students to participate in events with students from other districts. She was also able to bring in a local successful rapper to perform for and speak with the students, which led to a noticeable increase in math and English classroom efforts in her classroom. Sellers shared that she regularly brings in speakers, such as industrial maintenance, welders, auto mechanics, as well as doctors, to speak with her students. She noted, “… it lets them see that… if they can do it, I can do it.”

Rural Connections Builds Rural Communities

Students are more likely to thrive when teachers and families work together[iii]. The Teacher of the Year finalists highlighted the importance of including parents in students’ success. McDuffy stated, “Sometimes I think we want to do for parents what we think, but we’ve not heard from them to actually find out what works well for them in their household”.  Davis-Hardy echoed, “We’ve got to make sure that they know that we’re partners in, you know, in their child’s education.”

Rural schools allow for opportunities for teachers to fully immerse themselves in the fabric of the community, which can lead to positive educational outcomes. Davis-Hardy stated, “Rural schools do a wonderful job with social learning because we have that community. We have that connection. We have those relationships because we live in these small communities.” When asked about their thoughts on increasing parent engagement, McDuffy stated, “But what we found out is the more that you can include them in non-educational activities, then the more they were there when you really wanted them to be there.”

During the discussion, this year’s Rural Teacher of the Year finalists also shared the importance of connecting with other teachers at in-person events. Sellers said, “I want that human connection, just like the students want the human connection.” She continued, “Coming together . . . face to face, and have it where we actually can sit down, and it’s not competition.” Relationships in education can be just as important as the content that students are learning[iv].

Undoubtedly, the four 2026 Mississippi Rural Teacher of the Year finalists are tirelessly working to build relationships with their fellow teachers, communities, and students and their families for strong foundation in rural Mississippi.

MSREA is operated under a partnership between PREPS at William Carey University and the RE:RI Lab at the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University.