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

I was blessed to grow-up in a town that emphasized and invested in public education. Because citizens put their money and their time into Oxford's schools, our town created an environment where children were given the opportunity to succeed and where companies chose to locate. Simply put, I want all of Mississippi to have that opportunity. I want children of all abilities to have the opportunity to graduate from high school, stay and strengthen their hometown because quality jobs are available. Quality jobs and quality public education will allow Mississippians to pursue their idea of happiness.  

 

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

Mississippi's schools face a number of major challenges. Primary among them are lack of parental involvement and adequate funding. As much as it dismays me to admit it, I don't know that a near-term solution for parental involvement exists. I will emphasize it and support an awareness campaign, but that will likely take years to succeed. The fight for funding is a much more immediate problem with attainable solutions. I will endeavor to fully fund MAEP if at all possible. Secondly, I will work to create incentives for small school systems to consolidate their administrations at the district level in order to plough the money saved (which would be tens of millions) back into the classrooms.  

 

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? 

So long as we do not raise taxes, I will always push for full-funding in budget negotiations. I will prioritize funding education only behind debt-service (and I will not support further increasing our annual debt out-lay at least until revenues have increased dramatically and not necessarily then). 

 

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.

See above 

 

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)

Having qualified teachers - especially when we can establish a standard for what "quality" means - should be an important goal for Mississippi schools. Rewarding those who have already accomplished this goal, is highly important. The state should provide reimbursement for those in the program because they undertook the expense with the expectation of being reimbursed.  

 

• Vocational Education

For the past year, I have served on the Advisory Board and the Executive Board of the Lafayette-Oxford School of Applied Technology (our joint Vocational program). I firmly believe that vocational education is elementary to our state's future. Developing skills in students that they may use immediately after graduation or, more likely, pursue at our community colleges and universities will create opportunities for students to help build their communities and enjoy a good quality of life.

 

• Gifted Education

As a former gifted student, I know the benefits that our programs offer. I have every expectation that my children will enroll in Oxford’s gifted program. Of course, I have an incentive to fund it. However, I would not place gifted funding as my top priority. Frankly, I don't believe in depriving 8 classrooms of "average" students in order to further a dozen gifted students. I don't believe that it is fair and it will not benefit our communities as much. Of the 40 or so children in my gifted class and the class ahead of mine (with whom we shared programs), fewer than half still live in Mississippi and only a handful live in my hometown. Meanwhile, a large majority of the "average" students make their lives here and contribute to improving our town. Our return on investment as a state is better if we fully-fund our "average" classrooms first. 

 

• Special Education

While Gifted Education is a choice to provide stimulation and education over and above "average", special education insures that the least among us developmentally are educated to the best of our and their abilities. 

 

• Education Enhancement/Teacher Supply Fund (EEF)

Teachers should not have to pay for necessary classroom supplies. Those are an essential element to quality education. 

 

• Teacher Salaries

Teacher salaries should be improved when and if revenues have increased and our classroom needs are met - just as the pay of all state employees should be evaluated and adjusted where necessary. We can't afford to give raises now or, likely, for the next few years. 

 

• Chickasaw Cession Payments

To not fund Chickasaw Cession Payments is patently unfair to those counties. 

 

• The Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)

The State has a contract with PERS members and the Legislature must uphold that contract. However, as an investment advisor, I believe the state would be well-served to transition to a defined contribution (eg: 401k) plan for all NEW hires. As an advisor, I counsel my clients that pension plans are dangerous and often unsustainable. Poor decision making by the Legislature has created a future hole that must be addressed now. However, we must uphold the agreement that we have with current PERS members. 

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

 

I do not believe we should raise taxes. However, I would be open to supporting an internet sales tax because the current system hurts our local businesses. We must live within our means.  

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 a fully appointed system. Frankly, it is ridiculous that school systems are lead by the person presently living in that district who can mobilize enough voters. That prevents state-wide and nation-wide searches for quality candidates. Our schools deserve the opportunity to hire the best and most qualified, not get stuck with the guy with the most cousins or a great personality and no educational experience. 

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

I would establish a long-term growth plan with benchmarks (both revenue and hiring). With the current revenue environment, hiring a slew of new teachers - even though they are necessary - is not feasible. 

 

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

I would support allowing principals to negotiate pay with teachers (with a minimum standard of present salaries).  

 

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

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?

Yes, when we are able to afford it. Early childhood education should be a leading priority as state revenues begin to rebound. However, creating new revenue by raising taxes as people and businesses begin to rebound from this recession would hamper revenues not increase them. Considering the development chasm that many of our children face, Mississippi will never begin to fully move forward economically unless we improve early childhood education.