Photography by Brandi Stage Portraiture | Makeup and hair by Bria Fowlers of Elle Louise, LLC
Dr. Carla J. Evers begins her day not in an office, but on the front lines of learning — greeting students and teachers in “Pirate Nation.”
By about 7:30 a.m., the superintendent of the Pass Christian Public School District is welcoming car and bus riders as they arrive. Her long, action-packed days are dedicated to connecting with schools, attending events and advancing her vision through planning and stakeholder engagement.
“It sounds exhausting, yet this is where I find energy,” the superintendent says. “To see the children excelling in and out of the classroom is one of my greatest joys.”
“It sounds exhausting, yet this is where I find energy,” the superintendent says. “To see the children excelling in and out of the classroom is one of my greatest joys.”
Since beginning her education career in 1991, Evers has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and director of instructional programs. During her tenure, the district has elevated its ranking to sixth in the state — its highest in over a decade — and earned national acclaim from U.S. News & World Report for having one of Mississippi’s top high schools.
But as she reflects on 34 years of successes big and small — what many would call a legacy of excellence — Evers emphasizes that she didn’t do it alone.
“I work in teams and surround myself with brilliant people who will challenge my thinking by sharing their own ideas and opinions,” she adds. “The work I have had the honor to be a part of has demonstrated our youth’s potential given the right circumstances….”
EFFECTING CHANGE THROUGH EDUCATION
Evers discovered her own potential in Carriere, Mississippi, where she was once a “small-town girl with big dreams.”
“I am the only surviving child of three premature births; I have always been told that God has a purpose for me as a result,” she says. “Yet, I know that God has a purpose for each of us. We have to listen and obey to know what that is.”
Her parents told her that a good education plus hard work and determination were her tickets to anywhere. In her formative years, Evers and her best friend dreamed of becoming teachers, principals and superintendents.
“We were going to change the world through education by starting our own school in Atlanta,” she recalls. “I’m sure God laughed at our plans because he had different paths for each of us.”
After receiving an associate’s degree from Pearl River Community College, Evers ultimately earned a Doctor of Philosophy in educational leadership from The University of Southern Mississippi. She taught in Hattiesburg and Birmingham before joining the Natchez Adams School District — a consequential position where she learned to work in large teams.
In 2003, Evers’s family took a leap of faith and relocated to Gulfport during a tropical storm — where she served as principal of West Elementary and later as director of instructional programs. During her time there, Evers and her team took a new approach to high school design by introducing career academies and early college.
“If we had stayed in comfort,” she muses, “I would have missed the opportunities that were ahead.”
‘YET I GO IN ANYWAY’
In 2016, Evers brought her ambitious vision to Pass Christian. Other school boards had turned her down, but in that rejection, she learned to trust in divine timing — a tough lesson for a woman used to getting every job she pursued.
“A closed door is God’s way of offering His protection,” she says. “I now have my dream position with a dream team!”
“A closed door is God’s way of offering His protection,” she says. “I now have my dream position with a dream team!”
Since arriving in Pass Christian, Evers and her team have taken an innovative approach, she says.
“We have implemented maker-spaces as part of our X-S.T.R.E.A.M. initiative,” the superintendent adds. “Additionally, (there have been) investments in the arts and athletics, with the successful $10 million bond.”
A modified academic calendar was implemented a few years ago, she says, which includes intersessions in the fall and spring to give families more time together. As the only Apple for Education district in South Mississippi, Pass Christian provides every student and teacher with Apple technology. Additionally, as of this year, the district has partnered with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College to offer an early college program.
“We believe our students deserve a well-rounded education that taps into their academic, athletic and artistic strengths,” Evers says. “These innovations have worked well for us, with our students and teachers having earned our highest performance ranking in 13 years.”
To this day, she knows she can seem shrewd when she enters a room. Evers attributes this trait to her high school basketball coach, Roland Ladner.
“He taught me to stand up straight with square shoulders and look people in their eyes when entering an opponent’s gym — act like it’s your gym,” she recalls. “I must admit that while that may be the optics, some rooms can be intimidating even at this stage in life. Yet I go in anyway.”
CEO: CHIEF EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS
Evers’ commitment to service and excellence extends to the broader community. She’s a member of First Missionary Baptist Church and serves on boards such as the Children’s Foundation of Mississippi and the Rotary Club of Pass Christian. Through these roles, she contributes her expertise and resources to initiatives that uplift the region and the state.
Above all, the superintendent strives to be a CEO: Chief Example for Others.
“I want others to see me doing and giving my best in all that I do” she says. “I hope that my work ethic is contagious and that others around me will give me wind beneath my wings and that I would do the same for them, thereby creating a form of synergy that advances us forward as a team.”
Her best advice is don’t set out intending to create a legacy, but instead, strive to make a difference in your field. On a personal level, her 32-year marriage to Carlos M. Evers, retired U.S. Army sergeant first class, and the accomplishments of their six children give her hope for the future.
While she hasn’t fully realized the impact of her own life, because she’s always looking to new horizons, Evers prays that the youth she has taught and served view her as someone to look up to.
“I would hope that they saw or see something in me that is affirming and reassuring,” she says. “I hope that the ripple effect of my life in theirs will cause a wave that will benefit the world.”