House of Representatives District 5: Candidate Q&A
Candidates for this office were offered a questionnaire on education issues by The Parents’ Campaign. See below for responses received to date.
John Faulkner (Incumbent)
» See Voting Record1. What is your experience with K-12 public schools, personally and/or with your children or family? I am a product of public schools, and likewise so are my children.
2. Do you agree that the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) should be fully funded every year? If yes, what actions will you take to ensure full funding? If no, explain why. Yes. I will continue to fight for, and vote in favor of fully funding the MAEP as I have since joining the Legislature in 2013.
3. What will you do to ensure state revenue that is sufficient to provide all of the services Mississippi’s citizens need to lead productive lives? I will continue to vote in favor of all the services that we give throughout the state. We as lawmakers, owe this to all citizens.
4. Will you oppose vouchers that send taxpayer dollars to private schools, religious schools, home schools, or virtual schools? Why or why not? Yes, I will not support any piece of legislation that takes funds from public schools.
5. Do you agree that all K-12 schools that receive taxpayer dollars, including private voucher schools, should be accountable to taxpayers for the quality of education they provide, using the same accountability measures as public schools? Yes.
6. Public schools serve the vast majority of Mississippi students with disabilities. Do you agree that public school special education services should be fully funded every year? (Special education has been underfunded by the state annually since 2008.) If yes, how will you accomplish full funding? If no, explain why. Yes. The approach is the same as with fully funding MAEP.
7. Do you agree that Mississippi should provide high-quality early childhood education statewide? Yes.
8. The nation’s top teachers say that the greatest barriers to school success for K-12 students are family stress, poverty, and learning and psychological problems. What steps do you believe legislators should take to alleviate these obstacles for Mississippi children? In my opinion, a lot of these issues could be resolved with proper funding, also if the Legislature would vote in favor of an increase to the minimum wage, that would help also.
9. Do you support raising teacher salaries at least to the level of our neighboring states and raising pay for teacher assistants? Yes. The teachers/assistants are paid in the neighborhood of 8-10 thousand dollars less compared to neighboring states. As legislators we must address this issue seriously.
10. Do you agree that retired educators (and other retired state employees) should be able to draw their state retirement while serving in the Legislature? Yes.
11. Legislators have little or no staff to help them understand the many bills they must consider. Before introducing or supporting a bill that could affect public education, will you commit to seeking input from teachers, principals, superintendents, and parents of public school students in your district? Who will be advising you on education policies? Yes, I’ve used this approach since 2013, I seek advice from school district/county schools superintendent.
12. Legislators receive tremendous pressure from the leaders of their chamber (House or Senate), state and party leaders, and corporate lobbyists, to vote in ways that may contradict the will of their constituents and harm their communities. How will you respond to this pressure? I don’t have much of a problem in the sense, I stand strong on my principles.
