What is your vision for Mississippi, and how does education fit into that vision?

 

What do you see as the greatest challenge facing Mississippi schools and how will you address it?

  

For Fiscal Year 2012, the MAEP appropriation is underfunded by $237,386,693. Assuming no more than 2% inflation, the formula would likely require about $2,365,180,600 for Fiscal Year 2014 (to be decided in the 2013 Legislative Session), about $392-million more than was appropriated for Fiscal Year 2012. Would you support getting to this full funding level in two legislative sessions? 

MAEP has only been fully funded twice-in 2003 and 2007, both of which were election years, not coincidentally. My opponent and I have sharply different views on MAEP, as he was one of only a handful legislators to vote against MAEP's formation in 2003, and he has since annually voted in opposition to that fair funding formula. I would support fully funding MAEP within two legislative sessions. Monetary support towards proven and promising educational strategies whether through reallocation or new funding must be considered. 

 

Will you commit to closing by a significant margin the current gap between current funding and full funding of the MAEP for Fiscal Year 2013 (to be decided in the 2012 Legislative Session)? The MAEP is currently underfunded by $237,386,693.

Yes, I would support narrowing the current gap between current and full funding of MAEP. We must fundamentally remake our system through careful study and implementation of successful national practices in education; high performing, high poverty schools; public pre-kindergarten; and charter schools. 

 

The following issues are very important to the 60,000 members of The Parents’ Campaign. Frequently throughout the year, we get calls and emails regarding these topics, and many of the questions submitted for this questionnaire were about funding for these specific areas.Where do these fit into your funding priorities, and how would you, as a legislator, address them?

 

• National Board Certification Program Stipend/National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT)

National Board Certified Teachers have been proven to be most effective in promoting student learning. Supporting continuing education as well as rewarding certification attainment is imperative in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers.  

 

• Vocational Education

While I believe that all students have the ability to learn, some students do not fit best into a college preparatory educational track. Vocational Education provides important opportunities for interested students to learn and perfect job skills which can lead to successful career opportunities or supplemental work outcomes. It can also lead to a lower dropout rate, and consequentially lower crime. I am a construction lawyer, and the construction industry is a prime example of one where workforce training can take students who are not meant for college but have talent, and turn them into successful construction professionals. 

 

• Gifted Education

Providing specialized programs for intellectually gifted students in Mississippi is necessary for encouraging high performance, combating boredom, providing behavior management and maintaining individualized instruction. Additional programs for creatively and artistically gifted students and academically gifted students should be continued and/or developed if at all possible. 

 

• Special Education

Upholding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is not only mandated but of utmost importance in Mississippi's schools in order to assist in decreasing the dropout rates in the state and in providing equal and inclusive educational opportunities for students with disabilities. Supporting not only special education teachers but providing a wide variety of specialized services for students with disabilities such as Assistive Technology, Speech/Language Therapy, Autism therapies, prompt alternate format availability, and Orientation and Mobility training are of particular interest to me. 

 

• Education Enhancement/Teacher Supply Fund (EEF)

Many teachers spend their own money on buying supplies for their classrooms. Teachers should not have to provide personal funding for supplies. Restoring Teacher Supply Funds and Public School Building Funds that have been diverted to MAEP is necessary in order to provide curriculum supplies for teachers and to maintain and build school facilities. 

 

• Teacher Salaries

Recruiting and retaining top quality teachers is the key to any successful classroom. Funding a minimum of 3 percent pay increase while developing a plan to align teacher pay with the Southeastern average within 5 years is necessary in order to recruit and retain qualified teachers. 

 

• Chickasaw Cession Payments

I support continuing efforts to resolve the disparity between counties which have sixteenth section lands and the Chickasaw Cession counties through appropriation of the formula set forth in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit's Order. 

 

• The Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)

I support PERS and believe in the importance of retirement income to former teachers and other state employees. I believe in proper management of PERS in order to achieve the best income on the investments. 

How can Mississippi get creative to ensure sufficient revenue to fully fund education and other vital state services?

You do not have to raise taxes in order to fully fund education. We need to take what works in other states, and implement those best practices here in Mississippi. As one example, Mississippians spend hundreds of millions of dollars on lotteries in surrounding states, which help to fund the educational systems of Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, among others. Those dollars need to stay in the state. By popular referendum vote, our citizens removed the constitutional prohibition on a state lottery in 1992 in order to fund education, and our Legislature has since done nothing to implement the will of the people. It is past time for the Legislature to act on this voluntary revenue source. 

 

In Mississippi, some local school superintendents are elected rather than being appointed by their boards. Would you support or oppose a phase-out of elected superintendents, moving to appointment as incumbent elected superintendents retire or leave their positions?

I would support moving to elect/appoint new superintendents through a neutral and informed school board committee rather than by general election. 

 

What would you do to address Mississippi’s teacher shortage?

I would move towards alignment of teacher pay with the average teacher pay rates in the Southeast. In addition, through school turn around processes, increased provision of resources, and better autonomy, our schools may be more attractive to new teachers rather than graduates leaving our state for neighboring school districts. 

 

What steps should be taken to improve the quality of teaching in Mississippi?

Student learning should be the ultimate consideration in teacher evaluations. Instructional effectiveness should be measured, and all teachers should be evaluated on an annual basis. 

 

What steps should be taken to improve the overall quality of Mississippi school leaders?

School leaders should be evaluated annually by a neutral committee of parents, teachers, and community leaders. Some school districts should be combined. 

 

Would you support state funding for a statewide non-compulsory early childhood education program? If yes, what is your plan for getting state funding for early education? If no, why are you opposed to state funding for early education?