Letter to the editor: Vicksburg voices deserve to be heard—not silenced by bureaucracy


VICKSBURG, Miss. by Christin Streif (VDN) — For the past two months, I’ve made every effort to speak directly before the Vicksburg-Warren School District (VWSD) Board. In mid-June, I hand-delivered a formal request to be placed on the board’s agenda. That letter, once made public, led to a meeting with district officials. While I appreciated the opportunity, the meeting felt more like a public relations exercise than a sincere attempt to address community concerns. Questions were deflected, and difficult topics were avoided.

Despite assurances that I could still speak to the board, follow-up communication was lacking. I was told that that the School Board Administrative Assistant would be in touch to place me on the agenda. I rearranged my schedule—flying back to Vicksburg from Houston the day after a surgical procedure—just to attend the board meeting. Only afterward did I learn that additional paperwork was required, a detail never mentioned during the initial process or in any follow-up.

This isn’t just a clerical error. It reflects a troubling pattern: making it so difficult for concerned parents and citizens to engage that they eventually give up. But I won’t.

A Crisis in Staffing and Leadership

As the new school year begins, our district continues to face a severe teacher shortage. The district’s temporary solution—recruiting foreign educators—has been delayed by bureaucratic red tape. Even when these teachers arrive, it’s a stopgap. The real issue is retention. Why are teachers leaving? When I asked district officials, I was told the “why” was no longer a concern. That response is not only dismissive—it’s dangerous.

I’ve proposed simple, actionable solutions like exit surveys to better understand why educators are leaving our district. These suggestions have been met with indifference.

Vicksburg should be thriving. We are home to over 3,000 engineers—about 160 per 1,000 residents. We have the largest concentration of Corp of Engineer employees in the world. Yet many of these families choose to live elsewhere. Why? Because they don’t trust the school system. They see instability, a lack of transparency, disregard for long-serving staff, and leadership that lacks local roots.

Our superintendent has no ties to Vicksburg and shows little visible commitment to its future. While the district bears much of the responsibility, we as citizens must also step up. We must advocate for our schools, our teachers, and most importantly, our students. We must hold our School Board accountable for the district’s shortcomings and demand change.

Empty Classrooms, Empty Promises

Today, as children return to classrooms, some of those rooms remain empty—no teacher assigned. This is not just a national issue. It is a Vicksburg issue, and it demands local solutions. If we cannot adequately educate our youngest learners in pre-K, how will that affect our district in the years to come?

The time for deflection is over. The time for action is now. We must demand answers and accountability from our leaders.

Budget Crisis and Misplaced Priorities

VWSD is currently facing a budget deficit of nearly $4 million from the previous school year. Yet district officials continue to travel to places like Hawaii for continuing education and school tours. These trips, while potentially beneficial, come at a time when we should be investing in recruiting, developing, and retaining teachers. Innovation means little if we lack the staff to implement it or the community engagement to support it.

Budget cuts are being made—but the most visible ones seem to target educators. River City Early College (RCEC), once a model of academic excellence, has seen a troubling reduction in staff. Meanwhile, sports facilities are being upgraded, school projects are moving forward, and raises are being awarded to top administrators. The reassignment of teachers at RCEC has caused lasting disruption, and the number of students who have left since May 2025 is alarming.

Yet again, the district refuses to examine the root causes. Instead, it applies superficial fixes and moves on. This approach only ensures that problems will grow larger and more complex.

A Call to Action

Let’s stop avoiding the hard questions. Let’s face the real issues. Let’s solve them together. Our students deserve better. Our teachers deserve better. Vicksburg deserves better.

But solving these problems requires more than community concern—it requires a school board willing to engage with the public and a school administration that is visible, accessible, and accountable to those who want change and betterment for our city.

The Vicksburg Daily News is committed to telling the whole story regardless of who is involved or who they know. Sometimes that makes people angry, especially those who feel they are above the news.

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