Sebastopol Attendance Center's 100% Graduation Rate: Why Public Education Isn't Broken

This week, the Mississippi Department of Education released its four-year graduation rates, and Sebastopol Attendance Center is one of just six schools in the state to achieve a 100% graduation rate.

This isn’t just a number—it’s a powerful indicator of success. It means that every student who started high school four years ago at our school walked across the stage with a diploma in hand. It means that our teachers, staff, and families worked together to provide the support, instruction, and encouragement necessary to help every student meet rigorous requirements.

Mississippi's graduation rate remained high at 89.2%. Mississippi has seen unprecedented results in public education recently, not only in the number of schools making gains in accountability measures, but also in national comparisons. This success has been dubbed the "Mississippi Miracle."

Why Graduation Rate Matters

Graduation is more than a data point—it’s one of the most important measures of success in education. Test scores, school ratings, and benchmarks all have their place, but at the end of the day, what are we here for? To prepare students for the next step in life.

A strong graduation rate signals that a school has systems in place to ensure that students not only pass tests but also develop the skills they need to earn their diploma and move forward—whether that means college, career, or military service.

A Measurable Path to Success

One of the biggest misconceptions in education is that schools demand perfection. That simply isn’t true. The reality is that our accountability system is designed to measure progress, not perfection.

For example, to be an A-rated school, a school needs only 754 out of 1000 points—not a perfect 1000. Even for individual students, proficiency is attainable. On most assessments, students need to score around 60% to be considered proficient. If 75% of students at a school reach that threshold, the school earns an A rating.

Does that sound like an unrealistic expectation? Of course not.

The Work of Educators: More Than a Job

Some critics argue that education is “broken” because teachers are expected to do too much—serve as counselors, social workers, mentors, and miracle workers. But isn’t that exactly what great teachers do?

The best educators don’t just deliver content; they build relationships, create safe learning environments, and meet students where they are. Yes, the job is demanding. Yes, students come to school with challenges—poverty, trauma, hunger, and more. But teachers show up and do the work every day because they care.

Mississippi schools continue to improve because educators show up and do the work every single day.

The Real Question: How Do We Improve?

It’s easy to point fingers and say the system is broken. But where are the solutions? Lowering standards isn’t the answer—it only devalues a high school diploma and does a disservice to students. The real solution lies in:

• Strong teaching practices that engage and challenge students.

• Effective remediation and intervention to ensure no student falls behind.

• Partnerships between teachers, administrators, and parents to provide the best possible education for every child.

A Shared Responsibility

Education is not just the responsibility of teachers or administrators—it’s a collective effort. Parents, community members, legislators, district leaders, and students all play a role.

Instead of debating whether the system is broken, let’s recognize the hard work happening in our schools and focus on what’s working. The success of Mississippi students—our rising test scores, our growing graduation rates, and our dedicated educators—proves that public education is not failing.

It’s succeeding. And we’re proud to be part of that success.

What about you? What are some ways that we can work together to improve student outcomes?

Let me know in the comments below!