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Leading the Way
Jenny Cox Holman
Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, Nancy
Whitten New, the daughter of a farmer, has vivid
memories when she and her sisters enjoyed sunny
afternoons among the cotton fields. From an early
age, Nancy learned valuable lessons from the
dedicated work of her farming father–and her passion
for planting, nurturing and cultivating began to
blossom. She learned that for success to be a part
of opportunities and life-long dreams, one must be
dedicated and willing to work hard and maintain
patience, coupled with persistence, to see that the
job is completed with excellence.
Beyond the cotton fields of her childhood in
Avalon, Mississippi, to classrooms and communities
throughout the state of Mississippi, Nancy has
carried with her the love for planting and cultivating;
but the harvest has been one to provide academic
and social opportunities for the diverse learning
needs of students and create stability and success
for all Mississippi families.
Dr. Nancy Whitten New’s career in the field of
education, and as a compassionate advocate for
Mississippi’s students with learning differences and
diverse learning needs, spans nearly 40 years in
educational and business settings as a classroom
instructor, school administrator, and a community
and adult education administrator.
72 • December 2018
Dr. New received her Ph.D., Master, and Bachelor
of English Education and Educational Leadership
and Administration from The University of Southern
Mississippi, during which time she recognized that
she had dyslexia. Upon graduation, Dr. New’s
newfound calling was to help children with learning
differences and diverse learning needs.
After serving nearly 17 years with the Rankin
County Public School system, in 1991, Dr. New
founded New Learning Resources which has grown
to include Mississippi Community Education Center,
Mississippi Dyslexia Centers, New Summit School,
North New Summit School, South New Summit
School, The Spectrum Academy, and New Learning
Resources Online.
Dr. New simultaneously serves as the executive
administrator and founder for New Summit Schools
and The Spectrum Academy, as well as the executive
director of Mississippi Community Education Center
and Mississippi Dyslexia Centers. She has been able
to serve in various roles as an innovative school
administrator as well as a community leader
dedicated to improving the lives of children and
families at the community level.
New Learning Resources School District serves
collectively over 500 students annually at New
Summit Schools. New Summit School has three
campuses in Mississippi – Jackson, Greenwood, and
Hattiesburg. At New Summit, hundreds of students
and their families are served with a full range of
services to fit the individual student’s needs.
Dr. New’s vision is driven by her belief that all students,
regardless of their demographic or learning
differences, should have access to a high-quality
education right here in Mississippi. New Summit
Schools offer students who may encounter learning
differences an opportunity to excel under the care
of our highly trained teachers.
With dyslexia affecting one in five people, Dr.
New recognized a need in the state of Mississippi
for dyslexia therapy services. In 2009, Dr. New
founded the Mississippi Dyslexia Centers to serve
the needs of over 2,000 students since its inception
and 300 students, annually, at six centers located in
Madison, Jackson, Hattiesburg, Oxford, Greenwood,
and Tupelo. The Mississippi Dyslexia Centers offers
therapy to individuals of all ages to meet the
educational needs of individuals by providing quality
dyslexia therapy.
In 2014, Dr. New oversaw the development of
the Mississippi Autism Center, serving children
3-5 years old. In 2017, as a part of New Learning
Resources School District, Dr. New recognized the
critical need for early childhood educational services