TL;DR: With nearly 3,000 teaching vacancies and over half of its school districts classified as critical shortage areas, Mississippi is taking a technological leap to address its long-standing teacher shortage. A new initiative launched this fall is placing certified teachers in classrooms across the state – not in person, but through live-streamed instruction powered by cutting-edge technology.
The initiative, officially named the Mississippi Virtual Synchronous Learning Initiative, or REACH MS, is a joint effort between the Mississippi Department of Education and Mississippi Public Broadcasting. It is currently in its pilot phase, supported by a $2.2 million appropriation from the Mississippi Legislature.
Unlike pre-recorded or independent online courses, REACH MS provides real-time instruction from certified teachers using an advanced setup known as eGlass. These interactive transparent lightboards allow educators to teach as if they're writing on a traditional whiteboard, while a camera captures their lessons and broadcasts them live to classrooms miles away.
Five districts – Hinds County, Yazoo County, Yazoo City, Claiborne, and West Point – are participating in the initial rollout. The program currently includes three certified teachers and three teaching assistants who are education majors nearing graduation. Districts provide physical classrooms, in-person facilitators, and reliable internet access, while the virtual teachers handle instruction.
On a recent school day in Yazoo City High School, students in Caitlin Perkins' ninth-grade English class worked through a lesson on thesis writing. Perkins, though not physically in the room, appeared on a large screen at the front of the class, broadcasting live from MPB's Jackson studios. Her lesson played out in real time, with students watching attentively, participating in discussions, and responding aloud.
A certified teaching assistant walked the aisles, distributing worksheets and helping students stay on track. The classroom setting – desks, uniforms, face-to-face interaction – remained traditional, but the instructional delivery had changed.
Perkins is among the program's student teachers, completing her final training while simultaneously leading a virtual classroom. For students like 14-year-olds Rodrianna Drain, Mikeria Brown, and Devin Gibbs, the experience was initially unexpected, but it has become a preferred part of their school day.
Brown said she finds it easier to think through her answers when she types rather than responds on the spot. "It gives me more time to process," she said. The students praised Perkins' storytelling style and said they felt connected to her, despite the digital distance. "She talks to us like she's one of us," Drain said.
The move to virtual instruction may trigger comparisons to pandemic-era remote learning, a time when engagement and academic performance often plummeted. However, education officials are quick to draw a distinction.
"This is not your normal sit-and-get-lectured style of teaching," Bryan Marshall, associate state superintendent of career and technical education at the Mississippi Department of Education, told The Associated Press. "When the pandemic was here, the teachers talked and the kids listened – and that was it. This is almost like having a real person in the classroom."
A key element is the eGlass system. The $3,000 system includes a transparent lightboard that allows teachers to write and draw while maintaining eye contact with students through a forward-facing camera. This helps bridge the visual gap often found in video-based instruction. Only two such systems are currently in use, though 12 more are on order as the program prepares to expand.
At present, REACH MS offers courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, English I, and English III. About 150 students are enrolled, but the infrastructure is designed to support up to 5,400 students with six full-time teachers and six assistants.
The program isn't without challenges. Students have reported occasional issues with Wi-Fi or lagging video feeds. On one recent day, Perkins' lesson buffered briefly, her image freezing mid-sentence. But students waited patiently, and the issue was resolved within minutes.
These hiccups are familiar remnants of remote learning, but in the current structured, supervised classroom setting, they are easier to manage. Facilitators are present to ensure continuity and maintain student focus – a contrast to the often-isolated learning environments many students faced during the pandemic.
With promising early results and a strong legislative push, REACH MS could become a permanent fixture in Mississippi's education strategy. State Superintendent Lance Evans has advocated publicly for continued investment and is seeking renewed funding to expand the program in 2026.
Image credit: The Associated Press
Inside Mississippi's new virtual teaching experiment to fix its teacher shortage
