Long Beach assistant superintendent Kelleigh Reynolds Broussard said purposeful virtual learning has been a key factor in the district’s success, according to a guest essay published on Mississippi Today Ideas.
In the essay, Broussard drew a distinction between passive screen time and instructional technology designed to support teaching. She said programs such as i-Ready are used to monitor student progress, personalize support and provide data to guide interventions, not to replace classroom instruction.
Broussard said many instructional programs recommend roughly 45 minutes of instructional use per week rather than hours of daily independent screen time. She argued that when used responsibly and alongside strong teacher-led instruction, technology can help educators target interventions and boost student growth.
She credited the district’s intentional use of such tools with steady gains in reading and math and said Long Beach — which she called the No. 1 school district in Mississippi — has seen students who were multiple grades behind begin to catch up to their peers. Broussard said the district has earned the 2025 National ESEA Distinguished School Award and achieved A ratings across all schools.
An editor’s note on Mississippi Today said the views in the essay are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official positions of the Long Beach School District or its Board of Education. Broussard serves as assistant superintendent overseeing curriculum and instruction and other district initiatives, according to her essay.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
