Jill Dent, Ph.D.

Dr. Jill Dent is the Director of the Office of Early Childhood for the Mississippi Department of Education. She manages the pre[1]k and kindergarten initiatives for MDE. She has led implementation of a quality  for pre-k, and the implementation of the Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013 in the state. She has implemented a quality pre-k initiative to include early childhood coaches, family engagement activities, and professional development activities with a Kellogg Foundation grant. Dr. Dent has worked in the early childhood field for over 30 years. As the previous Director of the Office of Early Childhood Care and Development with the MS Department of Human Services (MDHS), she managed the Child Care Development Funds and the Healthy Homes MS home visiting program. Prior to this position, she managed the child welfare data system at MDHS, managed state and federal grants at various non-profits, and managed and taught in early learning classrooms for many years. Dr. Dent earned a PhD. in Educational Leadership and Administration from Jackson State University, a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Administration from William Carey University, and a B.S. in Child and Family Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.