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Ms. Ashanti Barnes, who previously served as assistant principal, has now been appointed interim principal of Van Winkle Elementary School, a world-class education site committed to providing a strong start to our District’s youngest scholars.

Ms. Barnes is an experiential educator who has devoted her life’s work to building teaching capacity in an effort to positively impact student academic achievement. Ms. Barnes has coordinated and presented professional development sessions for pre-service and in-service educators throughout the state of Mississippi on various topics including, but not limited to, increasing childhood literacy proficiency and incorporating multiple intelligence theory in a class setting.  As a result of her success and expertise, she was asked to serve as a member of the Mississippi Literacy Association’s Board of Directors where she diligently spearheads outreach efforts to advocate for equity in literacy.  She has served as a general education teacher and instructional interventionist in Jackson Public Schools.

Ms. Barnes has also served the Mississippi Department of Education as an educator-in-residence, literacy coach and assessment auditor.  There, she coordinated the Literacy Based Promotion Act and provided appropriate services to schools so there could be a cohesive, sustained, intensive and classroom-focused approach that was rigorous, engaging and relevant for students.

Ms. Barnes received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Elementary Education from Jackson State University.  She also holds a specialist’s degree in Educational Leadership: Curriculum and Instruction and is, presently, pursuing an Educational Administration doctoral degree at Mississippi College.  She is the proud mother of three young adults: Tykia, Tony and Tykala, and is the doting grandmother of Reese and Hendrix.