Canton mourns the loss of middle school teacher

By Courtney Warren

The Canton community lost a beloved teacher, friend and family member when  Mrs. Tyra Small-Jackson was killed in a crash on an interstate highway. 
In a statement made by the Canton Public School District, the district expressed “our condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the family of Mrs. Tyra Small-Jackson. We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time.”

“Mrs. Small-Jackson was a loving and dedicated educator in the district who will be sorely missed in our community. She was selected as Nichols Middle School’s 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year and received numerous awards during her tenure in the district. Her beautiful spirit will forever live on in the memory and the hearts and minds of the countless lives she touched,” said the statement. 
 

Small-Jackson dedicated her life to making sure her students felt loved and prepared for the next level. 
 

She submitted the following biography when she was selected as the Teacher of the Year at Nichols Middle School: “Tyra Small-Jackson is a twenty-three-year veteran teacher and a native Cantonian who has matriculated through these halls as a Mighty Tiger. She was Miss Sophomore, Miss BSAP, a yearbook staff member and an editor of the Tiger Tribune. She was a member of the Canton High Gospel Soul Children, founded by the great Randolph Watson. 

Being in the choir afforded her an opportunity to travel in and out of state, perform in choir competitions, record music professionally, and also sing in the movie A Time to Kill. Mrs. Jackson was also a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the National Honor Society. While in Mu Alpha Theta, she was able to compete in math competitions on the local and state levels. She graduated in 1994 in the top three of her class.”
 

“After graduating high school, Mrs. Jackson attended Belhaven College, later named Belhaven University. While there, she was a member of BSA, the Black Student Association, a Scholar in Resident, and a recipient of Representative Bennie G. Thompson’s scholarship. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education.”
 

“Mrs. Jackson chose to give back to her community and began her teaching career at Nichols Middle School under the leadership of Mr. Cleveland Anderson. She has taught seventh-grade reading, fifth- and sixth-grade ELA, and eighth-grade Computer Discovery, ICT II, and Cyber Foundations II. She has worked at Porter Middle School and briefly at Canton Elementary. During her tenure, she has served on several committees and received many accolades.”
 

“While teaching, Mrs. Jackson furthered her education by attending Jackson State University, where she received a Master’s degree in elementary education.”
 

“Mrs. Jackson’s philosophy in education was that all children are unique and must have a stimulating educational environment where they can grow physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. It has always been her desire.”