Meet Our Superintendent
Chris Chism has dedicated more than 30 years to public education and currently serves as Superintendent of Schools for the Pearl Public School District. His career includes experience as a classroom teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal. Prior to becoming superintendent, Chismserved seven years as principal of Pearl High School, two years as principal of Lafayette Middle School, and two years as assistant principal at New Albany High School.
Chism holds an Associate of Arts degree from East Mississippi Community College, where he began his collegiate baseball career. He continued his academic and athletic pursuits at the University of Florida, studying environmental engineering and playing baseball, and was later drafted to play professional baseball. After injuries cut his professional career short, he returned to Mississippi to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi State University and a Master of Education from the University of Mississippi as a member of the Principal Corps. He further developed his leadership skills through the National Institute for School Leadership and the Mississippi Association of School Administrators (MASA) Superintendent Academy.
He currently serves on the EMCED Board and the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Task Force, where he contributes to statewide conversations around innovation, emerging technologies, and their impact on education and workforce development.
In addition to his district leadership, Chism has become a recognized leader in the use of artificial intelligence in education. Over the past two years, he has delivered 228 presentations across 11 states, working primarily with educators and school leaders to explore practical, ethical, and effective uses of AI in schools. In addition to his work with educators, he also partners with organizations outside of education, helping them better understand how emerging technologies can support leadership, innovation, and operations.
His leadership has been recognized at the local, state, and national levels. He was named the 2021–2022 Pearl Public School District Administrator of the Year, recognized by the University of Mississippi School of Education as a 2020 Practitioner of Distinction, and most recently selected as the 2025–2026 Superintendent of the Year by the Mississippi Association of School Administrators.
Chism attributes his professional accomplishments to the incredible mentors and coworkers that have believed in and supported him throughout his career and remains committed to serving students, staff, and the Pearl community.