Better MS Report

The Clarion-Ledger: We might not want to call it the Mississippi Miracle just yet, but news that state revenue has perked up should end some “poor mouthing” by politicians that there won’t be enough money to adequately fund education next year. State government ended the fiscal year June 30 with about $62 million in the [...]

The Clarion-Ledger: Americans from east to west celebrated the July 4 holiday with fireworks, barbecue and lengthy discussions of the American colonists’ grievances with the Colonial British. Well, maybe that is not precisely how it went. Many Americans are lacking in the knowledge of their nation’s early days. According to a survey published in Newsweek [...]

The Clarion-Ledger: Unlike most other children his age, 7-year-old Austin Carter can’t tell his dad about his day in school. “I don’t have the luxury,” said Chris Carter, 32, of Jackson. “I can’t wait for that day to come.” How long that will take is unknown; Austin’s language problems stem from autism. A range of [...]

GOP gubernatorial candidate sent campaign messages to taxpayer-funded school teacher e-mail accounts From Better Mississippi Report: JACKSON (Wednesday, July 6, 2011) – Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Bryant’s weekly campaign e-mails have appeared unsolicited in teachers’ in-boxes across the Rankin County Public School system, according to documents obtained by Better Mississippi Group. Better Mississippi Group questions [...]

The Mississippi Press: All but one of Moss Point School District’s deficiencies that were recently cited by the state Department of Education will be corrected on the very first day of school in August, the district’s interim superintendent said Tuesday. Moss Point hired John G. “Greg” Ladner to serve as interim superintendent last week, after [...]

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: Gov. Haley Barbour today declared a state of emergency exists in the Drew School District, authorizing the state Department of Education to take immediate corrective action. “After reviewing documentation provided by the state Department of Education, I am convinced the conditions in the Drew School District jeopardize the educational interests of the [...]

THE CLARION-LEDGER: Four men have been charged in connection with the theft of a Petal High School panther statue. The bronze statue, one of three at the school’s football stadium, was taken May 22. It had rested atop a brick pedestal and was almost 7 feet long and nearly 3 feet high. Jordan Thrash, 19, [...]

THE CLARION-LEDGER: With the end nearing on Superintendent Lonnie Edwards’ contract, Jackson School Board members met behind closed doors Tuesday for more than two hours without taking any action related to the district’s leadership. The board has not voted on whether to validate or reverse its earlier decision to not renew Edwards’ contract, which expires [...]

THE CLARION-LEDGER: The district still is facing tight budget times, but Jackson Public Schools officials do not expect any layoffs in the coming fiscal year, nor will they request a tax increase. The district should receive about $127 million this year in state and federal funds, which reflects a continued funding decrease. But the JPS [...]

THE NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI DAILY JOURNAL: While children enjoy rest and relaxation, school districts across Mississippi are using the summer break to prepare for a monumental shift in education. This fall, the state’s public schools will begin teaching from a new set of standards that will be used by 42 states across the country. Those standards [...]