This doctoral thesis deals with Panola County, a rural county in northwestern Mississippi. This
historical-comparative study provides insight into the various social, economic, and political
factors which have effected the development and diversity of education and schools in its two
distinct school systems existing above and below the county's Tallahatchie River.
Books, interviews, letters, newspapers, school records, state documents, United States census
reports, the Mississippi Official and Statistical Register, Biennial Reports, school financial
reports, school board minutes, and other local, state, and federal sources were scrutinized to
determine these changes within the county.
Based on an analysis of the information, starting in the 1830s, both sections of the county
became resentful over a battle regarding the site of the county's seat and courthouse. Because
of this dispute, resentment and bitterness developed between residents north and south of the
river which resulted in producing diverse educational methodology, school growth, curricula,
and school advertising. Because of the isolationism of the north portion of the county, residents
refused, or were unable, to attract new industry which would increase their tax base to support
the schools.
During racial integration in the late 1960s the county's southern school district was provided the
opportunity to co-operate with federal officials, black and white civic leaders, and community
residents to form a more progressive school system. South Panola, like North Panola, initially
did not desire integration, but by 1970 knew co-operation between all parties involved was
necessary, and this decision aided the southern district in obtaining additional federal funding
to make it one of the best school districts in the state. White residents in North Panola, refused
to form a co-operative scheme between blacks, whites, and the federal government and chose
instead to support the creation of private schools, further causing an environment leading to poor
educational leadership, corruption, and the near disintegration of the school district by the 1990s / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (History of Education)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:umkn-dsp01.int.unisa.ac.za:10500/17218 |
| Date | 06 1900 |
| Creators | Lindgren, C. E. (Carl Edwin) |
| Contributors | Bender, Kenneth R., Van Zyl, A. E. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (xvi, 276 leaves) |
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