The teacher pay raise, HB 504, passed the House of Representatives today on a vote of 86 to 26. See that vote here. Please join me in thanking the House of Representatives for this effort to move teacher compensation to a more competitive level. The bill now will go to the Senate where its fate is uncertain. Click here for a description of […]
Teacher Pay Raise Passes House Read More »
Vouchers are part of the scheme to privatize and “profitize” public education – to funnel taxpayer dollars to unregulated, unaccountable private and/or for-profit schools. Public schools operate under the most stringent standards of government accountability and transparency; private schools are completely unaccountable to taxpayers for the public dollars that go into their coffers. Vouchers have been shown to be ineffective in
Voucher Bills Designed to Divert Dollars from Public to Private Schools Read More »
Three voucher bills have passed out of committee and are headed to the floor for a vote. These bills funnel taxpayer dollars to private, virtual, and other non-public schools to pay the cost of tuition, activities, etc. Unlike public schools, the private entities receiving vouchers are not held accountable to taxpayers. HB 831 – Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship. HB
Voucher Bills Pass Committee, Head to Floor for Vote Read More »
The House Education Committee has passed a bill that gives teachers a pay increase of up to $4,250 over four years. Here’s how the plan works… Teachers with fewer than 5 years of teaching experience automatically get increases as follows: $1,000 increase January 1, 2015 $500 increase July 1, 2015 $1,350 increase July 1, 2016, contingent
House Education Committee Passes Teacher Pay Raise Bill Read More »
Numerous bills have been filed that address school funding, open enrollment (crossing district lines), vouchers, charter schools, school standards, and how school boards are selected. Most of these bills have not yet been taken up in committee, but this is a heads-up just in case they make it out of committee and onto the calendar
Vouchers, Tax Credit Scholarships, Opportunity Scholarships, and More The following bills have been introduced in the 2014 Legislative Session; all are designed to divert taxpayer dollars from public schools to private schools. Public schools operate under the most stringent standards of government accountability and transparency; private schools are completely unaccountable to taxpayers for the public dollars
Voucher Bills Filed This Session Read More »
A student is disabled under Section 504 if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities are listed in the Americans with Disabilities Act and include learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, speaking, sleeping, bending, caring for one’s self, lifting, walking, standing, hearing, seeing, etc. Included in the
Voucher-Eligible Impairments in SB 2325 and HB 765 Read More »
If we want our legislators to cast votes that are in line with our priorities and values, it is incumbent upon us to let them know what our priorities and values are. If we expect them to vote for adequarte school funding and strong standards, or against privatization efforts, we need to be sure that
What You Can Do to Influence Your Legislators Read More »
House Speaker Philip Gunn will hold public meetings around the state to get input from Mississippians about issues they would like to see addressed. You are invited to attend a meeting near you. This is a great opportunity to let Speaker Gunn know about the issues that are important to you. The hour-long meetings will take place the week of
Speaker Gunn to Hold Second Ideas Tour Read More »
Literacy – SB 2347. This conference report misses the boat entirely. It does not require that children in K-3rd be screened for reading deficiencies; rather it makes the screening optional (line 55: “may”). Therefore, many children with reading deficiencies will never be identified before they reach third grade. Reading coaches, the most effective means of improving reading
Update on the conference reports that have been filed for several important bills Read More »
