U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon made a stop in Mississippi on Wednesday as she continues to tour public schools across the country amid a White House push to give states full education authority.
McMahon visited the Oxford Early Childhood Center as part of her “Returning Education to the States” tour. The tour was launched earlier this month as the Trump administration works to disband the federal Department of Education.
While McMahon’s visit to the Oxford Early Childhood Center was not open to members of the media, officials in attendance spoke with SuperTalk Mississippi News afterward. They said the secretary was given a full run-down of student-focused strategies recently implemented to make the Oxford School District one of the better-performing districts in the state.
McMahon even stopped by a pre-K classroom to read to students before hosting a roundtable discussion with school district officials, elected leaders, teachers, students, and community stakeholders.
“We were honored to welcome Secretary McMahon to the Oxford School District as part of her ‘Returning Education to the States’ tour,” Oxford School District superintendent Bradley Roberson said. “Her visit gave us the opportunity to showcase the incredible work of our students, teachers, and community, and to highlight how local innovation and collaboration are shaping the future of education in Mississippi and beyond.”
Roberson added that the Oxford Early Childhood Center was strategically chosen for McMahon’s visit to showcase the district’s “Pre-K to Professional” readiness initiative that tracks college, career, and life readiness using multiple metrics, beginning in pre-K and continuing through graduation.
“We were also proud to showcase the Oxford Early Childhood Center for her visit because it represents the foundation of our district’s commitment to early learning and preparing every child for long-term success,” he continued. “The secretary and I share the belief that early childhood education is a powerful mechanism to shrink – and ultimately eliminate – achievement gaps in our country.”
McMahon was joined on the tour by local, state, and federal leaders glad to share success stories from within the Oxford School District. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans, U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill, state Rep. Clay Deweese, state Rep. Josh Hawkins, and state Sen. Nicole Akins Boyd were among those who walked the hallways alongside the secretary.
Boyd, a Republican representing portions of Panola and Lafayette counties including Oxford, said McMahon’s visit was a chance to show how Mississippi has climbed in educational rankings as of late. The state, ranking one of the worst in the U.S. for decades, has seen leaps in test scores and graduation rates across the board. The latest edition of the KIDS COUNT Data Book, released in June, placed Mississippi’s public education system at No. 16 for 2025.
“Mississippi’s story in education is one of hope and progress. We’ve climbed from last in the nation to 16th, and we’re still moving forward,” Boyd said. “Having a secretary of education here in Oxford to witness Mississippi’s transformation is a proud moment for our students, teachers, parents, and communities.”
McMahon visited the University of Mississippi after leaving the Oxford Early Childhood Center. She released a statement about her trip on Wednesday afternoon.
“Mississippi has made remarkable strides in early literacy through focused state leadership and a return to the fundamentals,” McMahon said. “It was a joy to start my morning reading to students in Oxford and witnessing the Mississippi Miracle firsthand. The experiences will help inform our ongoing efforts to encourage local involvement in education across the nation.”
Her 50-state tour has now made stops in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana, and is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
