Oct 16, 2015: Hechinger Report: Under pressure: Some Mississippi educators told to stay quiet on school funding battle
The warnings also are taking a toll on Carroll County Superintendent Billy Joe Ferguson, who has been outspoken about the extreme financial needs of his school district.

May 27, 2015: Jackson Free Press: Tests on Trial
Billy Joe Ferguson, Carroll County's outspoken longtime superintendent, said when he dug into the scores, he saw that the 13 third-graders from his district's only elementary school (Marshall Elementary, where Zanysha Amos goes to school) who fell below the cutoff score were all students his teachers had long ago identified as struggling readers who would likely have difficulty doing fourth-grade work.

Feb 2, 2015: Hechinger Report: Q & A: Mississippi superintendent explains why he gave up his salary to help relieve ‘wretched conditions’ at his schools
Billy Joe Ferguson works full time as the superintendent of the Carroll County School District, but he’s paid just $18,000 a year, less than most first-year teachers in Mississippi.