Jackson Free Press

The State Board of Education named Lynn House, Ph.D., interim State Superintendent of Education Thursday. Superintendent Tom Burnham will retire June 30.

House, a Desoto County native, is currently the deputy state superintendent in charge of instructional enhancement and internal operations. She has more than 37 years experience in education, including work as a teacher, principal, university professor and dean.

The Board has not set a timeline for hiring Burnham's permanent replacement. "It is very important to the state board that we continue the progress that has been made under Dr. Burnham's leadership," Charles McClelland, Chairman of the Mississippi Board of Education, said in a press release. "The best choice for our public-school students is someone with a lifetime of service to public education. Dr. House will keep us moving forward."

House earned her bachelors degree in English education from the University of New Orleans in 1974. She started her career as an English teacher at Laurens Junior High School in Laurens, S.C., while she worked on her masters degree in reading education from Furman University.

She taught in locations across Mississippi and Tennessee before earning her doctorate in administration and supervision from the University of Mississippi in 1993. Since then, she has taught at Delta State University, where she was the dean of the College of Education from 2003-2006, and taught at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla. and has worked for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and the Louisiana Board of Regents. In Louisiana, she held the position of deputy commissioner for academic and student affairs.

House took her current position with the Mississippi Department of Education Feb. 1, 2010. As deputy superintendent, House is responsible for the direct supervision of seven offices within the Department of Education including curriculum and instruction, student assessment, business services, career and technical education, special education, federal programs and healthy schools/child nutrition.

She also represented Superintendent Burnham in his absence and served as his liaison with various constituencies including the Partnership for Readiness for College and Careers.

House and her husband, Stan have been married 34 years. They live in Madison and have two married sons and three granddaughters.