Licensure commission ratifies 29 agreed orders and voluntary surrenders

OEM staff presented 29 agreed orders and voluntary surrenders for the commission's ratification on Jan. 9. Scott De Jong told the commission the cases were presented by standards category: Standard 10 (breach of contract) and Standard 4 (ethics/conduct). He said the educators had consented to enter into agreed orders "relinquishing their educator licenses without the necessity of a disciplinary hearing before the commission." De Jong cited Mississippi Code Annotated Section 37-9-57 when discussing breaches and explained that suspended licenses may be petitioned for reinstatement under Mississippi Code Annotated §37-3-2(14)(a).

The OEM listed individual cases and outcomes in the packet; examples provided in the meeting included license relinquishments from several educators assigned to Jackson Public Schools and other districts, suspensions such as Mia Wamsley (two-year suspension, Vicksburg Warren School District) and Daniel Johnson (five-year suspension, Lamar County School District), and multiple probationary placements with specified durations. De Jong told commissioners the OEM monitors whether educators who breach contracts return to the classroom but did not provide firm return-to-classroom numbers at the meeting.

Commissioners thanked staff for moving these matters along to reduce hearing workload. The commission voted to ratify the agreed orders and voluntary surrenders by voice vote.

Next step: ratified orders take effect as described in the orders; affected educators must follow reinstatement or petition processes outlined in state law.