Recently, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced the 2026 Mississippi Administrator of the Year is Dr. Matthew Fulton, principal at Sumner Hill Junior High School in the Clinton Public School District, and the 2026 Mississippi Teacher of the Year is Lauren Zarandona, a teacher at Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.
The winners were announced at a program today led by MDE’s Office of Teaching and Leading at the Jackson Convention Complex. The program celebrated all school districts’ top 2026 administrators of the year and teachers of the year as well as recognized the 2026 Mississippi Parent of the Year Kristina Carter, a mother of four with three students in the Natchez-Adams School District.
The annual Mississippi Administrator of the Year program honors an administrator who demonstrates superior ability to inspire teachers, to employ exemplary leadership practices and to participate as an active member of the community. The recipient receives a $5,000 stipend and shares expertise through various presentations and activities for the improvement of education in the state…