NC Educator Becomes Mississippi's First Black State Superintendent

North Carolina educator Henry L. Johnson is Mississippi's new state superintendent of education. He is also the state's first black superintendent of education.

Mississippi Board of Education members Friday announced the selection of the 56-year-old Johnson. He was one of three candidates interviewed Thursday.

Johnson is the associate state superintendent of education in North Carolina. Board members said today that Johnson goes to work in Jackson August first.

His salary has been set at 184-thousand-dollars effective January first. The current superintendent's salary is 144-thousand-dollars.

Johnson replaces Superintendent of Education Richard Thompson, who announced last week he will leave the post he's held for four years to return to his native North Carolina as an executive for the University of North Carolina system.

Board chairman Kenny Bush says Thompson has experience with "a strong accountability system and an assessment and accreditation model very similar to that which we are implementing.''