Burnham Named State Superintendent
JACKSON, Miss.--- Mississippi Board of Education Chairman Bill Jones
announced today that Dean of the School of Education at the University
of Mississippi Dr. Tom Burnham, 56, has been named Mississippi's next
State Superintendent of Education by the Board. Burnham will replace Dr.
John W. Jordan, who is currently serving as Interim State Superintendent
of Education.
€œWe are very pleased that Dr. Burnham has accepted the position of
State Superintendent of Education,€ said Jones. €œHe is well liked by
everyone and has served as State Superintendent in the 1990€™s. We
expect him to come in and not miss a beat in implementing the programs
to help the Board reach its goals.€
A native of Puckett, Burnham has served as Mississippi Superintendent
of Education from 1992 until 1997. Other positions held include
Superintendent of Henderson County Public Schools (North Carolina),
Superintendent of Biloxi School District, Executive Director of the Gulf
Coast Education Initiative Consortium and Adjunct Associate Professor at
the University of Southern Mississippi.
He holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Delta State
University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Business Administration
and master€™s in Educational Leadership from Mississippi College.
In 2003, Burnham was selected as one of four finalists for the Jay
Robinson Leadership Award in the State of North Carolina and in 2005 was
the recipient of the Golden Lamp Award for leadership.
Burnham will begin his second tenure as State Superintendent by the end
of the year.
