MC Graduate Tom Burnham Named Mississippi Superintendent of Education
A native of Puckett in Rankin County, Burnham led Mississippi's public school system from 1992 until 1997. He serves as School of Education dean at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
The state Board of Education interviewed four candidates and unanimously selected the 63-year-old Burnham to succeed former Superintendent Hank Bounds, who resigned to become Mississippi higher education commissioner.
In a phone interview Wednesday from his Oxford office, Burnham said the new position in Jackson will bring "a number of challenges, but if you are not careful, you will talk about the problems, and not the solutions."
Given Mississippi's shrinking pool of financial resources in the midst of the nation's recession, the challenges will be tough for the new superintendent and school leaders across the state.
But given the challenges of financial resources, "we will work more efficiently and effectively," Burnham said. He joins an agency that recently saw its budget slashed by 5 percent and more cuts could be coming.
In a front-page story in Wednesday's "Clarion-Ledger" by reporter Jerry Mitchell, state Board of Education Chairman Bill Jones of Petal praised Burnham."He's a great selection," Jones said. "He just brings a lot of things to the table."
In the winter 2008 edition of "MC Education" magazine, Burnham was saluted as one of nine MC School of Education alumni making a difference in the Magnolia State.
"The most significant thing I can recall about Mississippi College was the caring commitment to help me complete my degree and to prepare me for a successful career," Burnham said at the time. MC professors and others at the Baptist-affiliated school took Burnham "under their wing" and made sure he graduated.
Although Burnham was a business major at MC, he was advised by a faculty member in education to take additional courses, tackle student teaching and get a teaching certificate. He completed his bachelor's degree from MC in business administration from MC in 1969. In 1975, he earned his master's degree in school administration at MC. He holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Delta State University.
Mississippi College School of Education Dean Don Locke also commended the selection of Burnham. "He has the background and experience to step right in and move Mississippi's education activities in a positive direction," Locke said Wednesday. "We at MC are somewhat biased in our enthusiasm since Dr. Burnham's early training in educational leadership and his master's degree were received here, adding to our confidence in his leadership skills."
Burnham has worked closely with a number of MC School of Education faculty. The list includes professor Gerald Hasselman, a 1969 MC graduate who was deputy state superintendent of education under Burnham in the 1990s. Professor Doris Smith served as superintendent of the Winona public schools when Burnham was state superintendent for five years.
The state's new superintendent is expected to assume his new duties by the end of the year, said Pete Smith, the communications director for the Mississippi Department of Education. Smith is also an MC alumnus who last week received the Department of Communication's 2009 Alumnus of the Year award.
Burnham previously served as superintendent for the Henderson County Public Schools in North Carolina and led the Biloxi Public Schools. At Ole Miss, he was responsible for the Mississippi Teacher Corps and other programs.
But the foundation for his career took root at Mississippi College. "I received an excellent education at MC," Burnham said.
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