Mississippi

From 48th to 16th, Mississippi’s K-12 education ranking keeps on climbing

By Devna Bose Mississippi Today
The top reasons teachers give for leaving their jobs. Classrooms around the U.S. are full of students again with the pandemic on the wane. But teachers? An estimated nearly 30,000 of them were absent from classrooms at the end of the the 2021-22 school year—a symptom of schools’ inability to keep teachers on payroll. HeyTutor analyzed teacher attrition data from the National Center for Education Statistics to shed light on how teachers feel about leaving their jobs. The latest survey data available comes from the 2021-22 school year. A modest amount of attrition is often seen as a natural part of doing business for any organization, but schools have been seeing teachers leave faster than they can recruit new ones in recent years. It’s a trend that threatens the quality of education for students, especially for schools serving students in low-income areas. Attrition data for teachers is difficult to come by, and states report that info differently and to varying degrees. A Chalkbeat analysis of state attrition data found that states including Washington, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maine saw their highest teacher attrition rates in five years during the 2021-22 school year. Teaching positions for math and science, as well as inclusive education, are some of the hardest to fill, impacting the most vulnerable students. Schools are also struggling to hire and retain bus drivers, classroom aides, and custodial staff. Teachers describe burnout, lack of respect from upper management, unbearable workloads that stretch into weekends, and low pay. In 2022, a survey of 3 million professionals, including 130,000 teachers, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that teachers experienced even more anxiety than health care workers during the pandemic. While attrition rates increased, according to surveys of teachers who left their K-12 teaching jobs in the 2021-22 school year, retirement was the most commonly cited primary reason for leaving the classroom.
The top reasons teachers give for leaving their jobs. Classrooms around the U.S. are full of students again with the pandemic on the wane. But teachers? An estimated nearly 30,000 of them were absent from classrooms at the end of the the 2021-22 school year—a symptom of schools’ inability to keep teachers on payroll. HeyTutor analyzed teacher attrition data from the National Center for Education Statistics to shed light on how teachers feel about leaving their jobs. The latest survey data available comes from the 2021-22 school year. A modest amount of attrition is often seen as a natural part of doing business for any organization, but schools have been seeing teachers leave faster than they can recruit new ones in recent years. It’s a trend that threatens the quality of education for students, especially for schools serving students in low-income areas. Attrition data for teachers is difficult to come by, and states report that info differently and to varying degrees. A Chalkbeat analysis of state attrition data found that states including Washington, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maine saw their highest teacher attrition rates in five years during the 2021-22 school year. Teaching positions for math and science, as well as inclusive education, are some of the hardest to fill, impacting the most vulnerable students. Schools are also struggling to hire and retain bus drivers, classroom aides, and custodial staff. Teachers describe burnout, lack of respect from upper management, unbearable workloads that stretch into weekends, and low pay. In 2022, a survey of 3 million professionals, including 130,000 teachers, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that teachers experienced even more anxiety than health care workers during the pandemic. While attrition rates increased, according to surveys of teachers who left their K-12 teaching jobs in the 2021-22 school year, retirement was the most commonly cited primary reason for leaving the classroom.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways

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  • Mississippi’s K-12 education ranking rose to 16th nationally in 2025.
  • Improved graduation rates and reading scores drove gains in education rank.
  • State ranks low in health and economic outcomes, despite education progress.

A new report ranks Mississippi’s K-12 education at 16th in the nation, the state’s highest ranking ever.

The state’s Kids Count score has steadily risen from 48th in 2014 to 30th last year — though other measures have stagnated.

The 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book, published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, puts Mississippi at 48th for overall child well-being, 47th for economic well-being, 50th for health and 48th for family and community.

The education rating is based on how many young children are in school, reading proficiency by fourth grade, math proficiency by eighth grade and high school graduation rates. Mississippi just barely bests the national averages in all categories except math proficiency.

A press release from the Mississippi Department of Education points out the state’s graduation rate has risen from 75% to 89.2% over the past decade.

“Mississippi’s momentum in education is the result of strong policies and dedicated, effective educators,” said state superintendent Lance Evans in the release. “Our students’ achievements have made the state a national leader in improving academic outcomes.

“Mississippi students have proven once again that there is no limit to what they can accomplish with the strong support of Mississippi educators.”

Linda Southward, executive director of the Children’s Foundation of Mississippi, said that the gains were largely due to improved graduation rates. Her organization helps create a “Factbook” for the data each year.

She also noted that rankings are impacted by what’s happening in other states.

“When we look at education, Mississippi’s ranking has held steady and increased in some areas, while other states’ performances may have worsened during the pandemic,” she said. “This is a testament to the importance of dedicated teachers, students and parents who are all part of the educational experience.”

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