Flex Time and Job Shadowing: Teacher Perspectives From Richland High School

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Richland High School in Mississippi has restructured its schedule to give students more opportunities for growth — and the results are impressive. In this third episode featuring Richland, we hear directly from two teachers about how Flex Block and career-connected learning are changing classrooms and student lives.

Social studies teacher Joycelyn McDavid and career readiness teacher Jennifer Osborne join Daniel Rock and Richard Morrison to share:

• How Flex Block helps students balance academics with enrichment, while giving teachers more time for AP prep and creative passions.
• The impact of teacher-led professional learning groups that turn Flex time into a space for cross-curricular growth.
• How job shadowing in the community has transformed career readiness, from shy students becoming confident presenters to new passions discovered in real workplaces.
• Why trust between teachers and administrators has been key to sustaining these changes.

Listen in to hear how Richland is building stronger student ownership, meaningful teacher growth and deeper community partnerships.

The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce.

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