Local educator makes history with leadership role in MAIS District II East
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Historically, black leadership in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools District II East has been limited.
This Women’s History Month, Columbus Christian Academy is marking a milestone, recognizing the first black woman to serve as Head of School in the district.
Mrs. Norma Jones has always had a passion for education, but she says she never thought about leadership roles within the industry.
“It’s a privilege God has called me to,” Jones said. “I didn’t set a goal to be here, but God orchestrated me being here.”
Jones says her goal was to be a teacher. She has 21 years of experience in education and has served in public education for 16 years.
After retirement, she felt the pull to return to her calling and came to Columbus Christian as a 6th-grade teacher, later becoming the elementary principal.
“I worked on my master’s degree in Educational Leadership a few years back; it’s been about 15 years now, never thinking that I would use it at an independent private school,” Jones said. “That’s why God had me go back to school to get this certain degree.”
She is now making history, becoming the first black woman to serve as Interim Head of School in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools District II East.
“Given the history of independent schools, we have evolved,” Jones said. “We are at another place in history, we are at another place in time, and we are ready to move on to better understanding, better love, and just better togetherness in the independent schools.”
Jones says most of the challenges she faced along the way were internal battles by wondering and being unsure if she could serve in these positions she was called toward.
“Me saying, ‘Norma, you can’t do that, or you can’t do this and just overcoming those things. Just being real with God and saying, ‘God, you know I don’t know how to do this, so I need you to help me.’ And he has,” Jones said,
She says she wants all students to take away a message from seeing her in this position.
“To follow God is to sometimes end up in a place that you didn’t expect to be,” Jones said. “But to also end up in a good place because God will take you to places you didn’t expect and didn’t know and didn’t set goals for, but to be in that place, and content, and to serve God’s people, be a servant. A servant leader is what we should all strive to be.”
Jones says she hopes to leave a legacy of overcoming situations through God’s help, bringing people together, and always doing the best for students.
