When Maureen Brennan Power moved to Choctaw County, she took a leap of faith, permanently settling with her husband in his hometown of Ackerman. The couple had graduated from the University of Mississippi and was living in Madison, but the move was necessary for Bill Power to join his family’s farming business.
Some two decades later, the fellow Bachelor of Business Administration graduates are thriving here. Bill Power is keeping the family business going strong, and Clinton native Maureen Power has found her professional niche among the leaders of the Choctaw County School District’s (CCSD) central office, where she’s presently serving as federal programs director.
A career in education seemed like a good pursuit for Power as she became firmly rooted in the town. She enrolled at nearby Mississippi State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, followed by a Master of Science in Educational Leadership, and finally an Educational Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction. She initially spent three years teaching in Attala County. After that, she taught three years at Ackerman Elementary before becoming assistant principal, devoting 12 years to the school.
Ready for another chapter, Power joined CCSD as special education director and district administrator before becoming federal programs director. All public school districts in Mississippi have this position holder working behind the scenes like Power. Her office is a clearinghouse for federal program funds that flow through the state and into the district.
“Mississippi utilizes federal dollars for individual school districts, and the importance of these funds is not always understood,” said Power. “As an integral point person for our office, I collaborate with district-level and school-level personnel on how we spend these dollars, which we choose to distribute evenly to benefit all our CCSD schools.”
Although Power sometimes misses teaching, she feels the opportunity to lead CCSD in its implementation of federal programs is where her detail-oriented expertise and passion for education is needed. Her responsibilities revolve around promoting student achievement through strategic planning, administering professional development, providing research-based curriculum and instructional materials, and organizing learning opportunities for students beyond typical school days.
“By serving as a teacher first, the decisions I now make as an administrator are reflective of that insight, giving me a better one-on-one understanding of how students and teachers will be positively impacted by federal support,” she said.
With eight years amassed at CCSD, Power has grown as a leader.
“In a school district, a leader to me is someone who can listen carefully and gain the necessary input of other leaders, including the superintendent. True leaders are those who work together, bringing all their expertise to make the best educated decisions,” said the central office veteran.
Power takes pride in the school district she serves. “There is such a supportive community of parents, citizens and businesses entwined with our district, and our schools have the best teachers and students,” she said. “I feel like we are gaining ground every year toward achieving the most exemplary academic environment for all our students.”
An advantage of Power’s association with CCSD has been having her children attend the schools she helps lead.
“My children have been fortunate to have grown up as students in our district and matured with an appreciation of the overall safe environment we are privileged to have,” said Power. “They have really loved being here.”
The Powers have three children, daughter Brennan and son Spencer, who are respectively now a senior and a sophomore studying civil engineering at the University of Mississippi, and daughter Ella who will be a freshman at Choctaw County High School this fall.
“It was certainly the decision of a lifetime for Bill and I to settle long term in Choctaw County,” Power said. “It turned out to be a wonderful decision for us and for our family, both personally and professionally.”
