Michael Cormack, deputy superintendent of Jackson Public Schools, is leaving the district to lead a network of charter schools in Atlanta. 

Cormack was Superintendent Errick Greene’s first hire in 2019, according to an announcement the district released Monday. He led academics at JPS, brainstorming initiatives like Project 75, which focuses on reading, and working with school leaders to improve student achievement. 

Project 75 aims to boost the percentage of third graders in JPS who pass the state assessment on the first attempt from 55% to 75%. Cormack presented his plan for the initiative to the school board in August, but it kicked off in earnest in mid-November. Cormack told Mississippi Today he will continue working on Project 75 until his exit in March, and he’s confident the district will continue the initiative in his absence.

Under Cormack’s leadership, the district’s state accountability rating improved from an F to a C and graduation rates increased. The district’s announcement called the time of Cormack’s tenure one of the “most significant periods of sustained academic and organization improvement in its history.”

“Dr. Cormack’s impact on Jackson Public Schools has been profound,” Greene said in the announcement. “His relentless focus on instructional excellence, organizational effectiveness, and leadership development has strengthened our schools and improved outcomes for our scholars. We are grateful for his service to JPS, and proud to see him elevate and expand his impact even farther.” 

Cormack drew from his experience as a classroom teacher in the Delta for his work at JPS and his former position as CEO of the Barksdale Reading Institute, which closed in 2023. 

“I fundamentally believe that reading is freedom,” Cormack told Mississippi Today in a previous interview. “Part of my job is to make sure our scholars have the ability to be and do whatever their potential takes them.” 

He will assume his new position as CEO of KIPP Atlanta Schools on March 16. KIPP is a national charter school network with hubs across the country, including schools in Memphis, New Orleans and Houston. 

“Thank you, Jackson Public Schools, for the privilege of serving our scholars and community,” Cormack said in a statement on LinkedIn. “I carry that work and those lessons with me as I step into this new role.”