The Parents' Campaign Home Page Legislators, Funding, & Accountability by School District
Candidates for
Candidates for
Senate District 52
All candidates for this office were offered a questionnaire by The Parents’ Campaign regarding education issues.
Responses appear below. The winner of the November 8, 2011, general election is indicated below.
UNOPPOSED IN THE GENERAL ELECTION
What is your vision for Mississippi, and how does education fit into that vision?
My vision for Mississippi is to have and education system that produces the highest level of learning, supports and maximizes the potential of our brightest children and to partner with businesses to connect the education system to the needed workforce. Additionally, to set a standard where parents are engaged daily in the education of their children.
What do you see as the greatest challenge facing Mississippi schools and how will you address it?
Resources and emphasis are placed at places other than on the children. Promote legislation that will let teachers teach and places resources in the classroom. The focus is to be on the children. It must be recognized that different regions of the state may require different strategies.
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?
With current information, yes.
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.
With current information, yes.
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)
I see this as similar to physicians---board certified physicians are the highest trained. Any incentive for teachers is great.
• Vocational Education
We must tailor education to workforce.
• Gifted Education
We have left our best and brightest behind. We must focus on providing the highest, best resources for our gifted. They will come to create and develop jobs for our state----if they stay. We must make them stay and one way to make them stay is to teach to their level and attract businesses that employ the brightest.
• Special Education
Use available federal funds.
• Education Enhancement/Teacher Supply Fund (EEF)
Continue.
• Teacher Salaries
Merit based raises as determined by an evaluation of children actually learning. Teachers who engage children to learn and are successful in getting children to think critically should be rewarded. Should be treated like any profession---the best should be rewarded and rise to the top.
• Chickasaw Cession Payments
Maintain.
• The Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)
Maintain.
How can Mississippi get creative to ensure sufficient revenue to fully fund education and other vital state services?
Partner with businesses and corporations to sponsor a school or schools. Legislation that creates incentives to accomplish this. Bring additional jobs to the state and region.
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?
Depends. One size does not fit all.
What would you do to address Mississippi’s teacher shortage?
Incentives to bring in new teachers. Partner with colleges and trade schools to provide teachers on the front-end.
What steps should be taken to improve the quality of teaching in Mississippi?
Introduce merit based raises based on the actual learning of the children. Also, let teachers teach with the goal be to learn and critically think with an emphasis on the real world.
What steps should be taken to improve the overall quality of Mississippi school leaders?
Less bureaucracy and more on hands training and activities. Engagement with the students. School leaders must encourage and accomplish and community-based approach--the community must be involved with the education of the children. The leaders must foster thus.
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. Children's brains develop and learn the most in the first 5 years. Funding should be directed to early childhood to foster learning at this age. Sponsorships by corporations and businesses would bring in money. We have accomplished this with the Excel By 5 Pascagoula Coalition of which I am founding chairman.