Looking for legislators' contact information? Click here to find phone numbers, email addresses, and social media information for all of the legislators who represent your school district. See the bills we are tracking in the 2019 Legislative Session.
Legislative Update on Vouchers, Teacher Pay Raise, School Funding
Posted 2/22/2019
Vouchers – Senate Bill 2675 will die if not passed by the House Education Committee on or before March 5. This would be the best outcome for public school children. If it passes committee, it will go to the full House for a floor vote. Ask representatives to VOTE NO on SB 2675! The bill extends the current special needs voucher program to 2024 (currently set to end in 2020). A well-intentioned Senate amendment does not change the fact that it is a voucher bill that diverts public funds to pay tuition at unaccountable private schools. The Parents' Campaign opposes this bill in all forms.
Teacher pay raise – Senate Bill 2770 provides for a $500 raise in 2019-2020 and another $500 raise in 2020-2021 for teachers and assistant teachers. It's next step in the legislative process is consideration by the House Education Committee and the House Appropriations Committee (double referred) on or before the committee deadline of March 5. Teacher organizations and public education advocates are calling for a much more substantive raise, noting that $1,000 over two years is too low to positively affect the teacher shortage.
Teacher shortage – most of the bills containing measures designed to alleviate the teacher shortage, other than the pay raise bill, have died in the House and Senate. The teacher shortage is a crisis that demands immediate attention from state leaders. Mississippi Today and The Clarion-Ledger have covered this issue extensively in recent days.
School funding – House Bill 1643 funds pre-k through grade 12 for Fiscal Year 2020 at roughly the same level as Fiscal Year 2019. In the current year, public schools are funded $239-million below what state law requires. Next year's budget for public schools and state agencies will be finalized in late March/early April just prior to the end of the Legislative Session.
Dangerous Voucher Bill Passes Senate, Need Calls to Reps
Posted 2/14/2019
Today, the Senate passed a dangerous voucher bill that extends the flawed ESA voucher program to 2024, circumventing the process intended to identify and correct problematic statutes and unintended consequences of laws. A floor amendment added a section of code that makes the bill vulnerable to "vouchers for all" amendments that could send tens of millions of dollars to unaccountable private schools. See more on that and the teacher pay raise bill here.
Good News on PERS, Need Calls on Vouchers
Posted 2/12/2019
Today, the PERS board voted to direct the PERS staff to amend their regulations to comply with the Attorney General opinion allowing state retirees to draw their state retirement pensions while serving in the Mississippi Legislature. Kudos to the PERS board for this great news! And...we need your help on vouchers! There is talk around the Capitol of Senate leadership amending SB 2675 to blow the voucher program wide open. Please call senators and ask them to VOTE NO on SB 2675, oppose any expansion or extension of vouchers. Read more on both of these issues.
State Retirees Urged to Attend Important PERS Board Meeting
Posted 2/11/2019
The Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) board of trustees will hold a special meeting Tuesday, February 12, 11:30 a.m., to discuss retirees' - including retired educators - ability to serve in the Mississippi Legislature without forfeiting their retirement benefits. Attorney General Jim Hood has issued a news release urging state employees and retirees to attend the meeting. Read more.
RED ALERT: Voucher Extension Passes Senate Committee, Call Senators
Posted 2/5/2019
An amended version of Senate Bill 2675 passed the Senate Education Committee today and will now go to the full Senate for a floor vote. This bill originally called for a sweeping expansion of vouchers, but instead, what passed committee today is a provision to keep the current ESA voucher program running into 2024 (it is slated to end in 2020). Why would Senate leaders want to extend this terribly flawed program even longer?! Ask senators to VOTE NO on SB 2675. Read more. All other voucher bills in the first round of legislative action are dead as of tonight's committee deadline.
Stand Up for PUBLIC Schools, Say NO to Vouchers!
Posted 2/1/2019
The House and Senate have adjourned for the weekend and will return Monday afternoon. They have until Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. to pass the first round of bills out of committee. Please touch base with your legislators over the weekend and ask them to OPPOSE any expansion of vouchers! Find contact information for legislators and read more here.
RED ALERT: Call Representatives, Another Voucher Threat
Posted 1/29/2019
Yesterday we told you about a terrible voucher bill pushed by Senate leadership. Today we have details on House Bill 1072, which has many of the same provisions as SB 2675. Ask representatives to VOTE NO on HB 1072! Read more.
Time to Call Legislators: Voucher Threat
Posted 1/28/2019
Grab your cape! It's time for our children's heroes to take action. A number of privatization bills have been filed in each chamber, and among the worst is voucher expansion legislation, Senate Bill 2675, introduced by Senate Education Chair Gray Tollison. Get the details on this bill here, then find contact information for your legislators and start calling!
Reeves Threatens Voucher Expansion
Posted 1/24/2019
Remember that special education voucher program that was supposed to help children with special needs? Well, here's the truth about that hoax, and news on what Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is proposing now.
Celebrating Public Schools and Teachers This Week
Posted 1/23/2019
We’re all about blue at The Parents’ Campaign this week, supporting our public schools and the teachers who make them great! Voucher lobbyists are busy promoting School Choice Week, but they'll find #NoYellowScarvesHere. Remember to wear blue every Friday during the Legislative Session and share pictures on social media using the hashtag #BlueForMSTeachers.
Time to Grab Your Cape!
Posted1/8/2019
The 2019 Legislature is in session and we're looking forward to working with our children's heroes - parents, educators, and legislators - to strengthen public education. How will you know if your legislators are among the heroes voting to support strong public schools? We'll make it easy for you.
PEER Review of Vouchers: Fraud, Lack of Accountability, Unspent Funds
Posted 12/21/2018
Mississippi's PEER Committee has issued a damning report of our state's ESA voucher program, which uses public funds to pay private school tuition for children with special needs. See our overview of PEER's findings and link to full report here.
BREAKING: Important News for Public Education
Posted 12/3/2018
We've got two pieces of game-changing news for public education supporters: First, Attorney General Jim Hood has just ruled that state retirees - including retired educators - should be able to serve in the Legislature and draw their hard-earned pensions, something that has been disallowed for decades and has discouraged Mississippi's retired educators from running for legislative seats. Secondly, despite what we've been told by legislative leaders seeking to ditch our school funding formula, it turns out that the MAEP is very reasonable after all. Even if the MAEP were FULLY funded, Mississippi's school funding would still lag that of our neighbor states by hundreds of dollars PER STUDENT. Read more about both of these issues.
School Funding: What is Reasonable?
Posted 11/30/2018
Guest column by Nancy Loome, published in Mississippi daily and weekly newspapers.
Accountability Task Force to Meet November 29
Posted 11/28/2018
The state Accountability Task Force will meet Thursday, November 29, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Topics will include the English Learner component of the accountability model and the process for assigning ratings to schools with non-conventional high school grade configurations. View via live stream or attend in person (the meeting is open to the public): 4th Floor Board Room, MDE, 359 North West Street, Jackson.
2018 Accountability Ratings Released
Posted 10/11/2018
School and district accountability ratings for the 2017-2018 school year were released today. Find the grades assigned to your school and district. See more news here.
Accountability Review Set for October 10
Posted 9/26/2018
Mississippi's school and district accountability model will be reviewed by the State Board of Education at a public work session on October 10 at 2 p.m. The review was inspired by numerous concerns expressed to the Board about our state's system of awarding A-F ratings to schools and districts. Read more.
Accountability Ratings Delayed by State Board of Ed
Posted 9/20/2018
The State Board of Education has voted to delay consideration of school and district accountability ratings until its October meeting. Some board members expressed a desire to spend more time reviewing the ratings and considering the numerous public comments they received. Read more.
Public Comments on Resetting of Cut Scores
Posted 9/17/2018
Today is the deadline to submit public comments to the State Board of Education about MDE's proposal to reset high school cut scores, once again using percentile rankings to award accountability grades. Comments will be considered by the board prior to accountability ratings being adopted at Thursday's board meeting. Send your comments to: Mr. Alan Burrow, Director, Office of District and School Performance, Email: accreditation@mdek12.org, Fax: 601-359-1979.
Read the comments submitted by The Parents' Campaign.
Stakes Higher for Elementary Students This Year
Posted 9/13/2018
If you have a child in kindergarten through third grade, you will want to attend an important meeting in which MDE will share information and strategies to help parents prepare their children for the new, higher standards that third-grade students must meet to be promoted to grade four. Beginning this year, students must score at Level Three or higher on the state reading test to be promoted to fourth grade. In previous years, students had to score at Level Two or higher to be promoted. See meeting dates, locations, and other details here.
Input Invited: MDE Considers Accountability Changes
Posted 8/29/2018
The State Board of Education is considering resetting cut scores, once again, which could affect the accountability rating for your high school. The MDE is required to accept public comments on any proposed change in the accountability system. Public comments are due no later than September 17. See details on proposed changes and instructions on submitting public comments.
2018 State Test Scores Bring Good News
Posted 8/16/2018
State assessment results have been released and the news is good. Students showed improvement in every grade and subject area, with more students scoring in the top three proficiency levels and fewer scoring in levels one and two. See how your school and district fared.
School Choice Antithetical to Public Education
Posted 7/16/2018
Christopher Lubienski, co-author of "The Public School Advantage: Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools," speaks on the myths and deceptions of school choice and competition: "...research shows some negative effects from competition, where schools compete often by excluding students...very much antithetical to the idea of public education." Watch short video clip.
Wow! Great News About Mississippi Public Schools
Posted 5/8/2018
Mississippi's public school teachers are amazing, and our most recent national test scores prove it! Over the last decade, our students have outpaced the nation in improvement on NAEP, but the really great news comes when we dig a little deeper. Read the details. It's Teacher Appreciation Week - thank your classroom heroes today!
Pro-public Education Wave Sweeping Across Mississippi and U.S.
Posted 5/2/2018
Public school supporters across the country are taking to the streets to demand that their elected officials put their money where their mouths are when it comes to strengthening public schools. Educators are using their "teacher voices" as they march on their state capitols and head to the polls, demanding higher salaries and better funding for their public schools. Read about the #RedforEd movement and what it could mean for Mississippi.
It's a Wrap! Here's Our Take...
Posted 3/28/2018
Congratulations, SUPERHERO! Today, the Mississippi House and Senate adjourned the 2018 Regular Legislative Session sine die, closing out a session in which parents, educators, public school supporters, and legislators STOOD UP together to protect our children and their public schools. Read our session wrap-up here.
K-12 Appropriation for FY2019 Passed by House and Senate
Posted 3/26/2018
Today, the Mississippi House and Senate passed HB 1592, the K-12 funding bill that increases the overall K-12 appropriation by $12.8-million, including a $3.1-million increase for the MAEP and $2.5-million more for pre-k. We are told that a large share of the credit for these increases goes to House Education Chairman Richard Bennett. We are thankful for his leadership. We are making progress, but our public schools, and the children they serve, remain at a significant disadvantage: HB 1592 underfunds the MAEP for FY2019 by approximately $240-million; school district funding for next year is $37-million less than schools got two years ago; and Mississippi schools still receive about $1,300 less per student than do schools in our neighboring states. Read more.
K-12 Funding Bill a Win for Children
Posted 3/25/2018, 10:15 p.m.
Good news on the K-12 funding agreement reached tonight by conferees: while the final conference report doesn't include all that we asked for, it does increase the overall appropriation by $12.8-million, including an increase in MAEP of $3.1-million. Thanks to superhero legislators, parents, and teachers who pulled together to improve the outlook for public schools. See overview here.
Need Calls on K-12 Funding Bill
Posted 3/24/2018, 10:30 p.m.
Appropriations update: Conferees have not come to an agreement on the K-12 funding bill, so a "dummy" placeholder bill was filed to meet tonight's 8 p.m. deadline. The hang-up appears to be over whether or not to provide a slight increase in the MAEP - the core funding for teachers and classrooms. After this evening's deadline, Lt. Gov. Reeves opined that K-12 should receive an increase in other line items but NOT in the MAEP. Get the details here.
School Funding Bill Deadline This Weekend
Posted 3/23/2018
School funding for the 2018-2019 school year will be decided in the next few days; your legislators need to hear from you on HB 1592, the K-12 appropriations bill. Ask them to stand with our public school children one more time and ensure them at least the $8.2-million above level funding that was promised earlier in the session. Read more.
Will MAEP Funds Be Cut in Retaliation for Defeat of School Funding Rewrite?
Posted 3/20/2018
When the House passed its version of the K-12 appropriation bill, it provided an increase of $8.2-million over current-year funding for the MAEP. However, after the Senate killed HB 957, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves implied that the appropriation for public schools likely would be reduced, seemingly in retaliation for the defeat of the school funding law rewrite. See related video/audio clips and read more.
Threats, Coercion, and the School Funding Rewrite
Posted 3/12/2018
Legislators in both parties are speculating that the leadership will hold the appropriations, transportation, and bond bills in conference and use them as leverage to flip enough votes to pass HB 957, threatening to kill important projects in districts of legislators who don’t agree to support this dreadful bill and offering sweetheart deals to those who do. Tell your legislators that public school supporters stand with legislators who stand up to bullies and with our children. Read more.
Will Leadership Resurrect HB 957, Overrule Voters?
Posted 3/6/2018
Word at the Capitol is that there's a move afoot to resurrect HB 957 and ram it through the Legislature in a special session. Sources tell us that Lt. Gov. Reeves is applying tremendous pressure to senators to flip the votes of our HERO legislators who helped kill HB 957. Read more.
A Big Win for Mississippi Children!
Posted 3/1/2018
Wow! Your State Senate came through for our children big time today: HB 957 is dead. During debate on the bill, Sen. Hob Bryan made a procedural motion which, if passed, would kill the bill. That motion passed on a vote of 27-21. Join us in thanking senators who stood up for public school children today. See vote report and read more.
RED ALERT: HB 957 Slashes Special Education Funding
Posted 2/28/2018
The latest revelation about the devastating nature of HB 957 is that it will slash funding for children with special needs. HB 957 would send 102 school districts even LESS special education funding than they got this year. The leadership says this bill is good for students. How could it possibly be good for students to pass a law that would give them LESS of everything that school funding provides? Read more. The Senate is likely to vote on the bill Thursday, March 1. Ask senators to vote NO on HB 957!
RED ALERT: School Funding Rewrite Headed to Senate Floor
Posted 2/27/2018
It's now or never, friends! It's time for moms, dads, and educators to stand up, speak out, and let our legislators know that we will not stand by while they devastate our public schools. HB 957 passed out of committee today and is headed to the Senate floor. Ask your senator to vote NO! Read about the dangers this bill poses to Mississippi's public school students.
Senate Version of HB 957 Indicates Additional Losses
Posted 2/26/2018
The Senate version of HB 957 will be considered by the Senate Education Committee Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 11 a.m. The version indicates that the Legislature's intent is to withhold almost $100-million in Career and Technical Education (CTE) funding, in addition to the $292-million in losses already reported. Ask members of the Education Committee to vote NO on HB 957. Read more.
Senate Ed Comm. Meets on School Funding Rewrite
Posted 2/21/2018
Today the Senate Education Committee met with EdBuild representative Rebecca Sibilia about HB 957. The bottom line? They have not been providing an apples-to-apples comparison of the new proposal vs. MAEP. The truth is that the funding provided for school districts in HB 957 is worse than an underfunded MAEP. Read more.
Senate Leadership Evades Questions on School Funding Plan
Posted 2/20/2018
In an afternoon meeting with EdBuild and senators, Senate Education Chairman Gray Tollison was evasive about a Senate version of HB 957, declining to answer senators' questions about whether a Senate plan exists or what it might entail. It appears that the Senate leadership fears public scrutiny of their school funding proposal, even the scrutiny of their own Senate colleagues. The Senate Education Committee will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon and the deadline to vote on the measure is in a few days. Keep calling your senators: ask them to vote NO on HB 957. Remember, the House version of HB 957 provides schools even LESS than an underfunded MAEP.
Important Update on School Funding Law, Remember Teachers
Posted 2/16/2018
Heads up: HB 957 was referred to the Senate Education Committee this afternoon, an indication that it will be taken up for a vote soon. The Senate reconvenes Monday at 2 p.m.; senators need to know that you oppose this bill. Ask your own senator AND senators on the Education Committee to VOTE NO on HB 957! Find contact information for Senate Education Committee members.
With the heart-rending events taking place in our country, most recently the school shooting in Florida, we appreciate more than ever the role that teachers serve in our public schools. Please join us in praying for the precious children and teachers in all of our classrooms, and remember the African proverb, "When you pray, move your feet."
See How Much Your School District Loses in HB 957
Posted 2/15/2018
Have you seen how much your school district will lose if HB 957 becomes law? No matter how legislative leaders spin it, HB 957 is bad for students. It provides less than what current law requires, is worse than the funding trend in the Barbour years, and is worse than what schools would get if the current Legislature simply continued the underfunding pattern of the last six years. Ask your senator to vote NO on HB 957. Read more.
SB 2623 Dies in Senate; Voucher/Funding Threat Remains in HB 957
Posted 2/8/2018
Kudos to Mississippi senators who stood up for our public schools! With so little support for vouchers in the Senate, SB 2623 was never brought up for a vote by today's deadline. The Senate has adjourned for the day, and SB 2623 is dead. Please thank your senator and ask for his or her help again. A voucher threat remains in HB 957, the bill that would change the way public schools are funded, dramatically reduce the funding required, and pave the way for vouchers. Read more. Remember to wear #BlueForMSTeachers tomorrow and post pictures on social media. Our children are blessed to have great teachers in their classrooms - let's show our support!
Deadline Day: Ask Senators to Vote NO on SB 2623
Posted 2/8/2018 
Wear BLUE this Friday, Support Public School Teachers
Posted 1/31/2018
Show your support for public school teachers by wearing blue this Friday, and keep it up throughout the legislative session! This terrific idea is from Mississippi Professional Educators, inspired by a high school principal who was dismayed to see state leaders pushing private school vouchers last week at the Capitol while wearing yellow scarves in support of school choice week. Principal Chris Chism suggests we wear #BlueForMSTeachers and we agree! Also, keep calling senators on the three bills of concern - SB 2623, vouchers; SB 2400, school board elections; and HB 957, funding law. Read more.
RED ALERT: Voucher Bill Headed to Senate Floor - Please Call
Posted 1/30/2018
SB 2623, an alarming voucher bill, passed the Senate Education Committee today and is headed to the Senate floor for a vote. Please ask your senator to vote NO on this bill, which opens vouchers to all students and sends hundreds of millions of dollars to unaccountable private schools. Read details about the bill here.
Privatization Bill Passes First Committee - Need Calls
Posted 1/26/2018
We need your help again. The Koch brothers want to take over your school board and privatize your schools, and SB 2400 is their vehicle. Get the details on the dangers of this bill.
Thanks for a Terrific Response to the Virtual Rally!
Posted 1/25/2018
Well, Mississippi, you did yourself proud in the STAND UP FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS virtual rally! We had an amazing response yesterday and folks are still rallying today! Let's keep the momentum going. Continue to contact legislators...it would be terrific to see the virtual rally extend through the weekend. Ask your friends to call. Post on social media and use the hashtags #No2VouchersMS and #ProtectSchoolFunding. Make sure all legislators get the message. Our children are counting on us.
Today's the Day to Speak Up for Our Kids
Posted 1/24/2018
Wednesday, January 24: Stand Up for Public Schools Virtual Rally. Here's what we need you to do:
• Contact your legislators and the leadership with our rally message: STAND UP FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS #No2VouchersMS #ProtectSchoolFunding.
• Don't pick just one method of communicating, use them all: call, text, email, tweet, and post on Facebook and Instagram! Find legislators' contact information here.
• On social media, use hashtags #No2VouchersMS and #ProtectSchoolFunding with the rally graphic linked here (and pictured below).
• Post the graphic and your message on legislators' own social media pages AND tag legislators in all of your posts on your own pages.
• Invite legislators to rally with us in support of public schools.
• Teachers, remember to use your personal phones, computers, email addresses, and time to take action.
URGENT: Our Kids Need You Wednesday
Posted 1/22/2018
Tired of the threats to slash school funding and send what little funding we have left to private academies? Make your voice heard without ever leaving home or work, missing carpool or appointments. Add your voice to thousands of others with a VIRTUAL RALLY this Wednesday, Jan. 24! Get the details here.
Dangerous Voucher Bills Introduced in House & Senate
Posted 1/19/2018
Several variations of voucher bills have been introduced; those most likely to come up in committee open the current special needs voucher program to all students. All of the voucher bills send taxpayer dollars to unaccountable private schools. Ask senators and representatives to vote NO on any voucher bill. Read more.
House Passes Terrible Funding Bill, Ask Senators to Vote NO
Posted 1/18/2018
This morning, the House tabled the motion to reconsider HB 957, sending the bill on to the Senate. Ask your senator to vote NO on HB 957 and send it back to the drawing board. And be sure to thank representatives who voted against HB 957. Find contact information for legislators. This is far from a done deal, so grab your cape and make those calls! Read more.
House Votes to Gut School Funding; Bill Held Over - Call Reps Again
Posted 1/17/2018, 8:05 p.m.
On a vote of 66-54, the House of Representatives passed HB 957, a bill that guts school funding, reducing by $150-million what current law requires for our public schools. The bill was held on a motion to reconsider the vote, so if your rep voted yes, you have another chance to get a "NO." There will be a motion to table the motion to reconsider. Defeating that "motion to table" would allow the bill to be brought back up for another vote. Ask your representative to vote NO when asked to table the motion to reconsider and then to vote NO on HB 957 when it comes back up.
Many of you watched the livestream of the House debate this afternoon and evening, and expressed your outrage at the rushed process to pass a bill giving our public schools the worst funding outlook that we have faced at any time since the MAEP went into effect. Many representatives spoke against the bill and pushed hard for reasonable amendments to improve it. All of those efforts were defeated. Remind your representatives that HB 957 will be devastating to public schools, and that this flawed bill will become their legacy.
Watch House Debate on HB 957 Today at 2 p.m.
Posted 1/17/2018
The House will take up HB 957 at 2 p.m. today.
Watch it online: http://www.legislature.ms.gov/Pages/Web-Cast.aspx. It should be telling.
Read more, including facts about why HB 957 is bad for Mississippi's 490,000 public school children.
CALL NOW! Stop HB 957!
Posted 1/16/2018
Please call your representative right away - our children need your help to defeat House Bill 957. This devastating legislation was passed by the House Appropriations Committee this morning and will go to the House for a floor vote tomorrow. Read more here.
Capitol Switchboard 601.359.3770.
RED ALERT: HB 957 Guts School Funding; Call Today!
Posted 1/15/2018
Thought it couldn't get any worse? HB 957, up for votes in the House this week, is worse than school funding in the Barbour administration and worse than school funding in the current administration. The Capitol switchboard is open today (601.359.3770). Call and leave a message for each of your legislators to vote NO on HB 957. Read more here.
MAEP Rewrite Gives Less to Every School District
Posted 1/12/2018
The new school funding plan proposed in House Bill 957 would be devastating to many school districts and would require less, over time, for the children in every school district than is required in current law. Many of the costs to districts are hidden in the details of the bill and are not reflected in the numbers that EdBuild provided to legislators. This could be the most consequential piece of legislation passed in a decade by the Mississippi Legislature. Read more here, including our list of primary concerns.
Public Education PAC is Great News for MS Public Schools
Posted 1/10/2018
The newly formed Mississippi Public Education PAC (MSPEPAC) endorsed its first three candidates in recent special elections, and these candidates swept all three races. Read here about the nonpartisan PAC and why it was formed and about the PAC-endorsed legislators who ran successfully in their districts on a pro-public education platform.
Rep. Richard Bennett Named House Education Chair
Posted 1/5/2018
House Speaker Philip Gunn this morning named Rep. Richard Bennett of Long Beach as chairman of the House Education Committee. Rep. Bennett is a former school board member and has deep roots in public education. Read more here.
Time to Call! Vouchers & MAEP Rewrite May Be Fast Tracked
Posted 1/3/2018
Grab your cape! The 2018 Legislative Session convened yesterday, and already, privatizers are stalking the hallways of the Capitol, pressuring lawmakers to make a commitment this week about their votes on voucher bills. Read more here. Please check in with your legislators now and ask them to:
• Vote no on any expansion of vouchers
• Vote no on any change to the school funding law that does not include an objective formula for calculating the base student cost