Our public schools rock!! As we struggle to adapt to the disruptions in our lives brought on by the coronavirus, public school leaders and teachers are working overtime to protect the wellbeing of our children and families – and to ensure that learning continues during this unprecedented time. Thank you, Mississippi educators! You are our heroes. […]
Really, Really Super-Cool Stuff! Read More »
Yesterday was the deadline for legislative committees to pass bills that originated in their own chambers. Today, floor debate began in earnest as the Legislature works toward a March 12 deadline for bills to pass the full chamber in which the bill originated (House bills must pass the House, Senate bills must pass the Senate).
We need your help on a voucher bill. You probably know that Mississippi’s ESA voucher program has been fraught with problems. At the root of it is the fact that, though the voucher is available only to children with special needs, the program doesn’t require private voucher schools to provide any special education services to
Voucher Alert, Please Call! Read More »
Mississippi’s ESA voucher program has been analyzed by our sister organization, The Parents’ Campaign Research & Education Fund and by PEER. Findings include: less than half of students assigned vouchers have actually used them, many private voucher schools do not provide special education services (even though the program is intended for children with special needs),
Remember how you felt that day last March? Legislators told us they were with us. Most agreed: more money for teacher pay; no more money for vouchers. And then we got the word. Reeves and Gunn had killed the $4,000 teacher pay raise, and they sneaked in more money for private school vouchers. Without even telling our
Remember How You Felt That Day Last March? Read More »
State test scores are in, and the news is good! School districts continued their decades-long trend of academic improvement. Mississippi students showed gains in nearly every grade and subject area, with more students scoring in the top three proficiency levels and fewer scoring in levels one and two. See the percent of students in your school and school
State Test Scores and Other Testing News Read More »
Ad Valorem Tax ReductionA portion of a school district’s budget is made up of local ad valorem tax dollars (property taxes). This is often referred to as the local contribution. The Mississippi Legislature appropriates state dollars to offset (reduce) part of the local ad valorem tax. Chickasaw CessionChickasaw Cession funding is an annual appropriation by the
