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

I first ran for office pledging commitment to education as my first priority. My record shows that I have kept that commitment. I am convinced that education is the key to good jobs. Good jobs cure poverty and strengthen family life. I want a community and state that is filled with opportunity for all of its citizens. Every economic study of our state's situation has pointed to the schools as the key to transforming our state. That's why I have battled consistently to put education first.

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

We have accomplished many good things for our schools in the past 20 years, but our most immediate challenge is funding what our children need. I have always been an advocate of funding education first. I have co-authored legislation to do this. We must prioritize our spending with an eye to building our children's future in good times as well as bad. That's my record, and that's my continuing commitment.

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?

Since its inception, I have always supported full funding of MAEP, and I will continue to support full funding of MAEP

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.

Again, since its inception, I have supported full funding of MAEP. I am committed to continuing to close the gap between current funding and full funding of MAEP.

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 support the NBCT program because it has shown that it produces results for our classrooms and plays a significant role in helping us keep good teachers in the profession.

• Vocational Education

I have a 100% track record of support for Workforce Development and Vocational Education programs. I believe they are a crucial part of our overall approach. I authored and passed legislation that created or specified vocational programs such as the Tourism Academy in the Gulfport Schools and vocational opportunities for area high school students on the West Harrison Campus of MGCCC. I will continue to support the creation of wide vocational training opportunities.

• Gifted Education

Every child deserves a full education opportunity to develop and maximize their individual abilities. I have a record of consistent support for both gifted education and special education. I will continue that commitment.

• Special Education

Mississippi needs all of its children educated to their fullest individual potential. I have a record of consistent support for both gifted education and special education and will continue that support.

• Education Enhancement/Teacher Supply Fund (EEF)

I have supported the EEF (Teacher Supply Fund) since its inception. The intent of EEF is to ensure that teachers do not have to dig into their own meager bank accounts to buy classroom supplies. I continue to support directing EEF to meet needs identified at the classroom level.

• Teacher Salaries

I support the goal of bringing Mississippi Teacher Salaries to the southeastern average and keeping them there. I have voted in favor of every teacher pay bill that has come before me over the past 24 years of service in the legislature. Good teachers enter the field for the satisfaction of serving. However, keeping good teachers in the profession past the first four or five years means that we must respond to their commitment by sustaining them with a living wage.

• Chickasaw Cession Payments

I have supported and will continue to support Chickasaw Cession Payments in the absence of Sixteenth Section funding.

• The Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)

I have a record of unwavering support for a strong, fiscally-sound Public Employees Retirement System. Retirement security is a solemn pledge to teachers and others who give us long years of service at salaries that are lower than what they could earn elsewhere. We have taken the steps needed to keep our Mississippi system financially strong. I am committed to keeping the retirement promises that the state has made to its longest-serving employees and teachers.

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

Because education and jobs go hand in hand, education has to be our number one state priority. I have authored legislation to force us to set aside the money needed to adequately fund education at the start of each session. The legislature has adopted this approach in some years, but not consistently. I will continue to advocate that approach. However, we have also seen evidence that closing various loopholes that have crept into the state tax system over the years might yield significant resources. I support the elimination of unproductive and/or unfair loopholes.

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?

Yes, I would support such a gradual transition wherever local school boards see the merit

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

I will continue to work to bring teacher salaries to the southeastern average in order to attract more young people into the profession. My record shows my support for state-sponsored forgivable college loans for those who choose to teach in Mississippi for at least 5 years after their graduation. Every community also needs regular public ceremonies to honor and recognize its teachers and help make the profession more attractive to our brightest college students. On a personal level, I have endowed a scholarship for junior or senior teacher-licensure students at USM Gulf Coast.

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

I would support legislation to fund regular classroom teacher attendance at regional conferences dealing with their teaching specialties with the proviso that attendees, upon their return, provide workshops within their school to disseminate ideas and information on best practices to their colleagues.

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

Our leadership development programs need to incorporate the concept of pre-service one or two semester internships for our administrators in high quality school districts across our region. Through such internships we could speed the development of our own home-grown leadership, as large numbers of our principals gain extended firsthand experience with best practices in high performing districts before they assume these responsibilities in their home districts.

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?

I support the concept of establishing statewide non-compulsory early childhood education. All of our sister states in the South have such efforts underway. Studies now show that in a state like Mississippi there could be great potential benefit from early childhood efforts. We can afford pilot programs now to help us understand both the challenges and benefits. Pilot programs could lay a foundation for gradual expansion as the economy improves. Closing unproductive tax loopholes seems the most promising potential revenue source at this time.