When it comes to the future of public education, the stakes are high in the August 4 primary election (see more below).
We need your help to win the day for our children – and it will only take a few minutes of your time…
Each week between now and the primary election, we will ask you to do one or two very simple things that will make a very big difference. If each of us does our part, we will win. Click here to see if your House and/or Senate district has a primary race.
Last week we asked that you share the Candidate Q&A responses in your district, and plan a Meet & Greet for your preferred candidate.
This week, we need you to:
1. Promote your candidate with yard signs. Put a sign in your own yard, and ask at least 3 friends to put signs in their yards, too. Encourage your contacts through email, text messages, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to post signs for your candidate in their yards or at their businesses.
2. Make a campaign donation. Even a small contribution helps – campaigns are very expensive; the cost of yard signs, newspaper ads, and push cards add up quickly. Encourage your friends to do the same by sharing donation information for your candidate on social media. Candidates are required to report publicly any donations in excess of $200.
We can’t overstate how important this election is for our children and our public schools. Privatization groups, many from out of state, are pouring money into Mississippi campaigns, working overtime to win legislative seats in the primary election. Their goal? To dictate the outcome of every education issue that will be debated in our state legislature for the next four years. Read how the same groups are taking over state legislatures and local school boards across the country here.
Defeating the privatizers
The publicly announced strategy of the privatizers is a state-by-state takeover of state legislatures. They’ve been successful in places like Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina, and they now have their sights on Mississippi. One of the biggest funders of this privatization scheme is already at work in Mississippi, funneling its contributions through the Empower Mississippi PAC (political action committee) to fund candidates who were recruited specifically for the purpose of privatizing Mississippi’s public education system through vouchers, virtual schools, and for-profits (while starving public schools of the resources they need to be successful).
You can beat the privatizers by knowing where the candidates in your district stand on education and sharing that information with your family and friends.
Will you step up for our kids?
Our kids can’t vote. We owe it to them to do our homework before we cast votes that will shape their futures. Take a look at what the candidates have to say, and spread the word. With your help, we’re going to win the day for Mississippi children!
