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Press Release

A JMCSS communication for families & community stakeholders

Press Release A JMCSS communication for families & community stakeholders

Arlington's Jamaica Kirby featured on nationally syndicated talk show

Friday, November 22, 2024


JACKSON, TN — Arlington Elementary School PreK teacher Jamaica Kirby is a strong advocate for students at Arlington, and the veteran teacher has drawn national attention for her efforts in promoting her school and early learning opportunities. One month after being honored with $2,000 and a Tennessee Early Education Award from Tennesseans for Quality Early Education, Mrs. Kirby appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show, a nationally syndicated talk show hosted by Grammy and Tony Award-winning singer and actress.


“As educators, we know what we do every day in our classroom. We know that we are working day in and day out for our kiddos. But it's amazing when another person sees it, and they want to give you a pat on the back,” Kirby said during The Jennifer Hudson Show broadcast in Los Angeles on Tuesday.


A native of Brownsville, Kirby has worked in education for 7 years and shares her experiences as a teacher on social media. She has more than 63,000 followers on Instagram and another 50,000 on Tik Tok where she shares classroom projects and chronicles the successes, challenges, and emotional complexities of working in education.


Above photo: Jackson-Madison County Schools' own Jamaica Kirby shines on The Jennifer Hudson Show. The Arlington Elementary PreK teacher brought her passion for education to the national stage during her recent visit to Los Angeles to tape an interview on the popular talk show.


“I just want to grow future educators. Four-year-olds have goals too and if I can grow at least like two or three of them to be amazing educators, maybe we can change education for more kids out there,” Kirby added.


The producers at The Jennifer Hudson Show heard about Mrs. Kirby’s hard work and passion for students including her efforts to buy school supplies, food, and clothes for her students. In addition to earning the Tennessee Early Educator of the Year Award, Mrs. Kirby was Arlington’s Teacher of the Year for 2022-2023. On the show, Hudson revealed to Mrs. Kirby that Hasbro, Inc. was inspired by her story and dedicated 100 Play-Doh Pizza Delivery Scooters to Mrs. Kirby’s students.


“While I am so thankful for the amazing opportunity to be on The Jennifer Hudson Show, what made it worthwhile for me was the opportunity to provide an amazing Christmas gift to every PreK student at Arlington. I’m so excited to spoil so many kiddos this Christmas,” Kirby said.

Photo above: Arlington Elementary's Jamaica Kirby is leading the way in early education! Out of 1,700 applicants statewide, the JMCSS PreK teacher was one of only 20 educators selected for the inaugural Tennessee Early Education Award this October.


“We’re so thankful for Jamaica’s passion for education and her love for students. Arlington Elementary is a special place because teachers like Mrs. Kirby bring their individual talents and personalities to campus and use those gifts for the betterment of our students and families. It’s been an amazing semester, and Jamaica is a big reason why,” said Principal Dr. Josie Currie.


Video below: Jamaica Kirby is an enthusiastic PreK teacher who regularly posts videos on her TikTok channel @lifewithmrsjamaica Click the video below to watch her interview with superstar singer and actress Jennifer Hudson.

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For the District - the JMCSS podcast

For the District, the JMCSS podcast, is a production of the Jackson-Madison County School System in partnership with Forever Communications. You can listen to this episode on-demand on Apple ITunes, Google Podcast, Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. Email comments@jmcss.org to request a spot on the show!

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