Every 8th grader at Clinton Public Schools now has a career plan. At the start of the school year, that seemed close to impossible.
Clinton is one of the largest districts in Mississippi, and it has one full-time Career Coach, Jana Carter, serving both Clinton High School and Clinton Junior High. This year, for the first time, every 8th and 11th grader must leave the grade with an individualized career plan. For one coach in Clinton, that’s a math problem.
A head coach and four assistants
This summer CMPDD tried pairing coaches at smaller schools with coaches at large ones. At Clinton Junior High, Jana is the head coach. Her assistants are Lincoln County’s four Career Coaches: Brandi Jackson (Bogue Chitto), Sabrina Richardson (Enterprise), Lori Harrell (Loyd Star) and Mindy Lofton (West Lincoln).
The five met at CMPDD, built every 8th-grade profile Clinton needed in Career EDGE, and planned how to reach the students. For ten days, all five are at the junior high, each with different classes, so no student waits in line for one coach.
What students are doing
Students explore their interests, career clusters and Mississippi’s priority occupations, review their CareerOneStop interest assessment, and pick careers that fit. That becomes the core of their career plan. They also look at what comes after high school, whether community college, a university or an apprenticeship, and at the Clinton High School programs of study that match. The message to every class: start exploring now.
What made it work
Five coaches from two districts found a way to serve students together and didn’t wait for a memo. It also took administrators who understood the goal: Clinton opened its doors to four coaches who aren’t on its payroll, and Lincoln County let its coaches leave for ten days to help a neighbor. That’s the culture CMPDD is working to build.
This story first appeared in the October 2026 issue of Central Update, CMPDD’s quarterly newsletter. Find this issue and past editions on our Publications page.