House Speaker Jason White has named a Select Committee on “Education Freedom” to help him decide the details of his voucher agenda. The committee will hold its first meeting on Monday (August 25) at 1:00 in Room 113 of the Capitol.
Speaker White’s staff informed us that this meeting will not provide an opportunity for public comment. Therefore, it is critical that the committee members and your own legislators hear from you before the meeting.
Please let the “Education Freedom” Committee know that Mississippians do not want our tax dollars going to private schools that reject the children they don’t want to admit. There is no “freedom” for our children in letting private schools pick and choose who to educate with our tax dollars. Public funds are for public schools that are open to ALL children.
FIND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE.
Send the same message to Speaker White: 601.359.3300
Speaker White has said that getting vouchers into our state is his number one priority, despite opposition from the vast majority of Mississippians. And he’s acknowledged that a majority of legislators stand with their constituents in opposition to the school choice debacle – which is why vouchers have been defeated in our state year after year. So, the speaker has engaged President Trump’s administration to help him pressure our representatives to support passage of a voucher bill. Which makes it more important than ever for your representatives to hear from you and others in your community who oppose vouchers and support strong public schools for ALL children.
Your representatives want to defend your interests, but they are getting immense pressure to side with the Speaker on this issue instead of with the folks back home. They need to know that you will have their backs when they stand with their constituents and oppose the dangerous school choice measures that are wreaking havoc in other states, driving levels of student learning loss that exceed those experienced during the pandemic and after Hurricane Katrina. It is confounding that politicians would try to ram through a policy that has taken the national test scores of the top 10 school choice states backward while Mississippi’s scores have been soaring.
It is important for your own legislators to hear from you, even those not on the committee.
Please call House members who represent your school district with the message above. Find their contact information here.
NOTE: Some representatives list no contact information other than the Capitol Switchboard, and in recent years the switchboard has been closed when the Legislature is not in session. If the only number we have for your representative(s) is the switchboard number (601.359.3770), these are steps you can take:
- Call Speaker White’s office (601.359.3300) and ask for a phone number to reach your representative(s)
- Reach out to friends in your legislative district and ask if they have contact information for your representative(s)
- Call the House Docket Room (601.359.3360) and ask for a phone number to reach your representative(s)
- Reach out to your representative(s) on social media and ask for contact information
I’ll be at that meeting on Monday, and I hope you’ll join me if you can. Regardless, I promise to keep you updated on the voucher lobby’s schemes to pressure your elected officials to vote against your interests. Meanwhile, please reach out to the “Education Freedom” Committee members and your representative. Let them know that you are committed to giving them the support they need to stand strong for your community and your public schools. Our children are counting on us, and together, we’ve got this!
Nancy Loome, Executive Director
