Pearl Public School District

Chris Chism has dedicated more than 27 years of his life to public education and has been serving as the Superintendent of Schools of Pearl Public School District for the past year. His extensive career includes experience as a classroom teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal, with 7 years as the principal of Pearl High School, 2 years as the principal of Lafayette Middle School, and 2 years as assistant principal at New Albany High School.

He holds an Associate of Arts degree from East Mississippi Community College where he also began his collegiate baseball career. Following EMCC, Chism played baseball at the University of Florida while studying environmental engineering. Drafted out of the University of Florida, he played one year of professional baseball. After his athletic career was cut short by injuries, he went on to receive a Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University, and a Master of Education from the University of Mississippi, where he was part of the Principal Corps. The Principal Corps prepared Mr. Chism for a career in educational leadership. He continued to develop his focus on educational leadership through the National Institute for School Leadership and MASA Superintendent Academy.

Chism's leadership in education has been acknowledged on local, state, and national levels, and he has served on several committees. He currently serves as president of the Pearl Kiwanis Club and president-elect of the Mississippi Professional Educators Board of Directors. Among his recognitions, he most recently was selected as the 2021-2022 PPSD Administrator of the Year and recognized by the University of Mississippi School of Education as a 2020 Practitioner of Distinction. Chism attributes his professional accomplishments to the incredible mentors and coworkers that have believed in and supported him throughout the years.