Well, friends, we got our answer… In today’s debate over corporate tax cuts and adequate school funding, a majority of senators chose tax cuts. They passed a bill containing $550-million in tax cuts, which would remove enough revenue from the state budget to ensure that the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) is never fully funded and that colleges, universities, […]
Senate Chooses Tax Cuts Over School Funding Read More »
Many legislators fail to take into account, when voting on the K-12 budget, that the state salary schedule they passed into law requires districts to give each teacher a small salary increase for each additional year of service. That same salary schedule also requires an additional bump in pay when a teacher earns an advanced degree and
Will Your Senator Stand Up for Public Schools This Week? Read More »
No effort was made in the House today to reconsider the vote on the voucher bill so that it could be amended. The bill now will go back to the Senate, which will vote either to concur with the House changes and send it on to the governor or to invite conference for further work
Today’s News from the Capitol Read More »
The voucher bill passed the House on a 65-51 vote this afternoon. Important amendments were offered and rejected; see below for explanations of the amendments and vote reports showing how your representative voted. As recently as this morning, there were not enough yes votes for the leadership to bring the bill up for consideration. Between 10:30
Your Representative’s Votes on Vouchers and Amendments Read More »
Parents all across the state are fed up with the childish partisan politics that have resulted in Mississippi’s 50th ranking on virtually every positive poll, particularly those related to the education of our children, and they have taken to social media to express their frustration. Those sites are taking off like wildfire. Check out these
Mississippi Parents Are Standing Up for Public Schools Read More »
When you pray, move your feet. It’s an old proverb that is among my favorites. Sometimes, the answer to a heartfelt prayer comes in a call to get up and do something – to be the vessel, the hands and feet, through which important works are done. Mississippi parents are answering that call. They are moving their feet
Down to the Wire: Privatization Votes Coming in House and Senate Read More »
Mississippi parents make my heart sing! My phone has been ringing and my inbox is full. Droves of Mississippi parents are asking, “What else can we do to make our legislators support our public schools?” Hang in there, and don’t give up! Tell ten of your friends how your legislators voted on bills in the last round,
Some Bad News, Some Good News Read More »
We need your help again! Vouchers are still very much in play. A voucher bill that would send $6,500 per student to private schools is slated for a vote by the full House. Click here to see an analysis of the bill. Legislators whose ultimate goal is to privatize our public schools are still pushing their plan to hand debit
Voucher Bill Awaiting House Floor Vote Read More »
In an incredibly irresponsible, politically-motivated move, the House passed a bill today that, if enacted, will ensure that our children will never receive adequate school resources. You can see your legislator’s vote here. HB 1629 removes 30 percent of state general fund revenue by eliminating the entire state income tax, phased out over the course of 15 years. The
Legislators Play High Stakes Politics with Children’s Futures Read More »
Mississippi lawmakers claim to have modeled Mississippi’s Literacy-Based Promotion Act after Florida’s, but Florida did not base its retentions on one test. The Sunshine State’s statute has a provision that leaves the final say with teachers, principals and superintendents, so long as they can back up their recommendations with evidence that the student in question
