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?

The greatest challenge for the Mississippi Schools is to convince the legislators that if education is not fully funded the quality of our workforce will suffer. I do not have to be convinced of this since I taught for 29 years. Uneducated students become the wards of the state or DOC. 

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? 

Yes! It bothers me that we can not fund MAEP up front and then fund other parts of our government. Without the proper investment in education we will not have the trained workforce that business and industry needs. 

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.

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)

 The amount of time and effort that it takes to be a NBCT will always be remembered as I vote to fully fund this wonderful stipend. Mississippi ranks well with other states in the number of NBCT.

• Vocational Education

I support the expansion of the Vocational Education programs in our high schools and community colleges. We must coordinate dialog between industry and our Votech centers. I would love to see business and industry support the training of their employees with financial aid. 

• Gifted Education

For far too long the gifted students have not been given the attention they deserve in funding. I will support funding Gifted Education as fully as possible. 

• Special Education

Since most of the money for Special Education comes from the federal government the legislature must demand that these students must be challenged to develop there potential as fully as as possible. We need to encourage the college and universities to train Special Education teachers as well as possible. 

• Education Enhancement/Teacher Supply Fund (EEF)

The full amount of EEF money must be directed to the classroom teachers as it was intended from the beginning. It is sad that they rarely ever get the full amount due them. 

• Teacher Salaries

As the recession improves we must strive to improve teachers' salaries. I also want to abolish furloughs which have actually reduced salaries. 

• Chickasaw Cession Payments

School districts which deserve the Chickasaw Cession Payments must be paid their funds. 

• The Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)

I oppose the reduction of benefits paid to retirees. I will never support the reduction of the 13th check. This is the only way that retirees can keep up with inflation. 

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

I would like to see state tax deductions to be given to businesses, industries or individuals which donate funds or services to the local school districts. 

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 do not support the elimination of elected superintendents.  

 

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

I think that if we allow retired teachers to draw their retirement pay and then allow them to be rehired to teach full-time in subjects where we have the greatest shortages. For example, math and science teachers are in demand. I propose to allow them to earn what a first year teacher would earn and require them to pay into the retirement system on this income. Many of the retired teachers would return to the classroom. 

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

Education majors should be required to go into the classroom the first nine weeks of their freshmen year to observe what is involved in the teaching career. Too many teachers wait until their senior year to observe. This would help them decide if teaching is the career for them. Then teach the teachers more about classroom management. 

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

I think superintendents should have experience as a principal in several levels of the K-12 system. I think that principals and superintendents should return to the classroom and teach for at least for six weeks a year for at least one hour each day. This would allow them to see what teachers are dealing with in lesson preparations and discipline. My superintendent did this at my school one year and he learned that times had changed from the time he had taught.