Walters new director of state education assistance program

The former head of Tupelo's schools is the new director of a statewide public school research and service program headquartered at Mississippi State.

C. Mike Walters, former school superintendent for the Northeast Mississippi city, is now leading PREPS, the Program for Research and Evaluation for Public Schools Inc. Walters, also

a former superintendent in his hometown of Petal, led the Tupelo schools from 1990-95.

Formed in 1976 and housed in the College of Education, PREPS is a private, non-profit corporation that provides educational extension services to member school districts. The previous director, Hugh Peck, died in late 1994.

Walters holds a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Southern Mississippi and completed advanced studies at Vanderbilt and Harvard universities. He received bachelor's and master's degrees from Mississippi and William Carey colleges, respectively.

In 1993, he was honored by the Mississippi Academy of School Executives with its Distinguished Achievement Award. A year earlier, the Phi Delta Kappa education honor society at Mississippi State presented him with its Creative Leadership Award.

While at Tupelo in 1991, he worked to secure the largest private gift to a public school system in the history of American education--$3.5 million from L.D. Hancock to restructure the school district.

In the immediate future, Walters said Mississippi State and PREPS member districts "will be working together to improve instructional programs and school district operations." PREPS currently includes 13 member districts.

Citing another goal, he added, "We are committed to having a minimum of 60 member districts within a year."