Two detrimental bills that passed the House today could be overturned with your help. House Bills 47 and 29 were held on motions to reconsider, which means that they could be brought back to the floor for a re-vote.
Please ask your representative to vote to RECONSIDER HB 47 and HB 29 and then to VOTE NO on both bills.
(Reps who voted yes today could vote NO tomorrow and win the day for Mississippi children.)
You may be surprised at how your representative voted; please be sure that he or she understands how harmful these bills would be to your schools.
HB 47 would prohibit hold-harmless waivers in years in which a new assessment is used for the first time and would give the State Auditor oversight of the ratings process. Read more. See how your rep voted today.
HB 29 gives authority to the legislative PEER committee to evaluate each school district’s curricula and programs of instruction and intervention to determine that they meet the committee’s definition of evidence-based; adds bureaucracy and reduces local control. See how your rep voted today.
Below is an update on other priority bills. Please urge your legislators to vote against the harmful bills that remain and to support those that strengthen public schools.
Click here to find contact information for the legislators who represent your school district.
Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770
Share the same message with Lt. Governor Reeves and Speaker Gunn:
Lt. Governor Reeves Capitol: 601.359.3200
Speaker Gunn Capitol: 601.359.3300
House:
- HB 958 – VOTE NO – Prohibits public K-12, university, and college administrators and board members from using their official capacity to lobby the Legislature for policy change – something that is a right and an obligation in their roles as administrators and trustees. Any attempt by legislators to silence the people they were elected to represent is unconscionable. NOT YET DEBATED.
- HB 990 – VOTE NO – Requires election of all school board members at the time of the presidential and gubernatorial elections; exempts districts rated A & B, but if rating falls, all board members become elected; could diminish the quality of school boards (see more). LAID ON THE TABLE SUBJECT TO CALL. (This bill was debated and had a good deal of opposition. Debate was halted, but the bill could come back up again for a vote.)
- HB 1044 – VOTE NO – Allows any student statewide to cross district lines to attend charter schools; local and state funding follows the student. The Parents’ Campaign opposes allowing students who are not in under-performing districts to cross district lines to attend a charter school. AMENDED TO ALLOW STUDENTS IN ONLY DISTRICTS RATED D & F TO CROSS DISTRICT LINES TO ATTEND A CHARTER. PASSED HOUSE 66 TO 53. See vote
Senate:
- SB 2158 – VOTE YES – Provides for calculation of the MAEP formula using average daily membership (enrollment) rather than average daily attendance. PASSED SENATE 48 TO 3. See vote
- SB 2161 – VOTE NO – Charter schools may locate in C districts without local board approval; statewide open enrollment in charters; local and state funding follows the student. PASSED SENATE 31 TO 19. See vote
Thanks so much for your diligent work on behalf of our children!
