It’s going to be a pretty big order to take over for Dede Smith, the executive director of the Coleman Center for Families and Children, but if anyone can do it, it’s Jana Perry.
That’s mostly because of Perry’s experience in education, including stints at the Mississippi School of the Arts, the Mississippi Children’s Museum, and as a teacher and assistant principal. Effective July 1, she will take over at the Coleman Center – which is part of the Petal School District – for Smith, who is retiring to spend more time with her family.
The move was recently approved at a meeting of the Petal School District Board of Trustees.
“I am extremely excited,” Perry said. “I think the background that I have with the Mississippi Children’s Museum and with Petal Primary School is going to serve me well, and I think I can contribute to the programming, as well as community outreach.
“In every position I’ve held, I’ve been in some component of education.”
Perry earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1999 and began teaching in Starkville. She served as principal of the Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven, where she developed policy and coordinated several fundraisers and special events.
Perry then served as the director of education and programs for the Mississippi Children’s Museum in Jackson, where she was in charge of working daycares and elementary schools across the state on site-based visits and museum experiences. While there, she wrote almost $1.5 million in grants for the museum.
After leaving there, Perry came to Petal Primary School, where she has served as assistant principal for the last four years.
Perry also has worked in schools in the Jackson Public School District and McComb. She holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Mississippi College.
Perry said she believes all her prior experience has prepared her for her upcoming role at the Coleman Center, which offers resources and support for families with children aged 0-5 years.
“I think just the information that I have from Petal Primary allows me to know the community very well already,” Perry said. “There are definitely parts of it that I don’t know about, but I will learn easily (at the Coleman Center). I know where the deficits are at the school, and I can help fill those in.
“Part of my mission is going to be to find the students that we don’t know about yet – the ones that may not be going to daycares before they come to us. (That way), I can help their parents get what they need before they come to Petal Primary, so they know the developmental skills that they need and the importance of reading and talking to their children as they grow from 0 to 5 (years old).”
Community outreach will be one of Perry’s main goals when she takes over at the center, along with reaching out to the staff members.
“They’re just amazing, very knowledgeable people, and I’m looking to grow that as well,” Perry said. “I really want to work with community partners too, like Excel By 5 and our Petal Education Foundation and Petal Partners.
“I’m excited about that part too.”
Smith, meanwhile, is looking forward to retirement and catching up on family time.
“I have had what I call the journey of a lifetime, because I have enjoyed all of the places where I’ve been over my career,” she said. “You just get to a point where you realize that I’ve worked all my life – even before I became a teacher, I worked in high school, and in college.
“So I’m ready to spend more time with my family, especially our grandchildren – we have five grandchildren now.
‘It’s time for the next generation to come in and continue the work, so I’m looking forward to it. Several people have asked me if I’m going to get another part-time job, and the answer is no. I’m going to enjoy your family.”
Smith started her education career during the pilot year of kindgergarten in Mississippi, and worked at Earl Travillion Attendance Center for one year. After moving to the Jackson area, Smith and her husband – who was a coach – worked at a private school for two years.
Smith then moved back to the Petal area in the ‘80s, where her husband continued to coach and she was a teacher in the Hattiesburg School District.
In 1999, Smith came to the Petal School District and has been there ever since. In that district, she has served as lead teacher of what was then W.L. Smith Elementary, assistant principal at Petal Elementary School, and principal at Petal Primary School, among other roles.
From there, she took over as assistant superintendent for the Petal School District and later as director of the Coleman Center. She held both roles concurrently before focusing solely on the center.
“Although I’ve loved all the stops along the way, my favorite is the Coleman Center; I’ll be leaving a piece of my heart here when I leave,” Smith said. “I’ve loved it thoroughly, and Nadine Coleman (the former director who the center is named after) is such an important part of the work here.
“I knew coming in following Nadine, that I was really following in the footsteps of a giant in the field of early childhood. So I wanted to do a good job, and I wanted to make sure that the work we did carried on what Nadine had started. I’ve had the best staff imaginable, and I’m going to miss them very much – I have the feeling that I’ll still be getting to see them from time to time.”
Smith has a specialist degree in educational leadership and a Ph.D. in educational administration and supervision, both from the University of Southern Mississippi.
