Hancock takes new role with Philadelphia schools

Hancock takes new role with Philadelphia schools

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Melishia Hancock has spent more than 20 years as a teacher and administrator within the Philadelphia schools.

Now she has been promoted to director of Federal Programs within the district. Hancock had been working as the assistant principal in charge of the middle school. But she started her new job Sept. 1.

“I am still learning about this job,” Hancock said. “Everything that comes into the office, comes to me.

“Federal Programs deals a lot with federal money. There are a lot of regulations and rules about how our money is spent and we have to document where it goes. We pay for a lot of our services and materials teachers use from their extra things.”

 Pre-K (four-year-olds) uses a large amount of the Philadelphia schools’ federal money. The district has two classes made up of 20 students in each.

“That’s the biggest part,” Hancock said. “We pay our pre-k teachers from this.

“We have to show the student’s need. We test and they have to be placed, based on need. If we have openings and there is no one who is based on need and we have others on a waiting list, we can place them provided there are still openings.”

She said there are around 70 students in kindergarten, meaning all do not go to pre-k.

She wears other hats a well. She is in charge of professional development. She is the curriculum coordinator. And still teaches an advanced math class in the middle school.

“That lets me still be around the students,” Hancock said. “I do enjoy teaching and working with the children. I get to be back in the classroom for one hour a day so I get my teaching fix.”

Hancock is originally from Columbia. She attended high school at West Marion. She then went to Southwest Community College and received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Southern Mississippi. She received her Master’s degree from Mississippi State University Meridian. She is also nationally board certified.

Until this year, she was the cheerleader sponsor which had her traveling every night to football games. She also takes pictures at the game.

“I am still helping some,” she said     Superintendent Lisa Hull is happy to have Hancock with her in the administration building.

“Ms. Hancock will do a fantastic job,” Hull said. “She has been in our district for a long time. She excelled as a teacher and administrator, so it was a natural progression for her to move on into the district office. She comes with a wealth of knowledge of all the things we do from all of the curriculum standpoint she has done it.”






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