Mississippi legislators are considering a charter school proposal that proponents say could better position the state for the federal Race to the Top competition and provide an option for parents with children in struggling schools.
The Obama Administration has set aside $4.35 billion for states in its education reform competition. In Mississippi, any boost in education funding would be welcomed, some lawmakers say.
But debate has been heated on proposals to give parents the option to create charter schools and 鈥渘ew start鈥� schools in an effort to convert failing ones. Mississippi has 212 schools that are classified as failing or at risk of failing. The state has a total of 951 elementary and secondary schools.
Generally, charter schools are supported with public funding but have a different governing structure and don鈥檛 have to adhere to all state mandates.
鈥淚t gives parents an option. This hopefully will prevent a lot of these schools from being under (state control) later on down the road,鈥� said Senate Education Committee Chairman Videt Carmichael, R-Meridian.
Carmichael said the state could earn extra points if it has a charter school law.
A former teacher and principal, Carmichael said the state has a chance to receive between $47 million to $175 in the federal competition, 鈥渄epending on what we apply for.鈥� The program provides grants to states that take a series of steps, including stricter evaluation of teachers and principals.
Saturday is the deadline for agreements on general bills to be filed.
Mississippi didn鈥檛 submit an application for the first round when 16 states were picked. The state is going to submit an application for the next round.
Mississippi Superintendent of Education Tom Burnham is concerned about how the measure could affect his agency. He said his staff is already stretched thin assisting in the oversight of five school districts under state control. He told House and Senate negotiators this week that two more school districts could be taken over within the next few months.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not an infrastructure to manage charter schools with the limited personnel. Hopefully we wouldn鈥檛 be put into that position,鈥� Burnham said.
House Education Committee Chairman Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, acknowledged the concern about resources, but he also said the agency doesn鈥檛 have the capability to help all 212 schools.
Other resistance has come lawmakers who represent the poverty-stricken Mississippi Delta region, which has majority black public school systems.
鈥淐harter schools is not the answer to the problems in education. The answer to the problems is fully funding education and making sure you have the people in place to improve the school district,鈥� said state Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood.
Jordan said he鈥檚 the product of poorly funded schools, but educators learned to make due with what they had.
鈥淚 was classmates with Morgan Freeman at Broad Street High School in Greenwood. He鈥檚 worth millions of dollars today. I came from the cotton fields and earned two degrees, served as city councilman and a legislator. Don鈥檛 tell me about failing schools,鈥� Jordan said.
Rep. Clara Burnett, D-Tunica, one of the House negotiators on the proposal, said she doesn鈥檛 even want the term 鈥渃harter鈥� in the bill.
Rep. Chuck Espy, D-Clarksdale, is one of the few Delta lawmakers in favor of charter schools. Espy said he wants to take legislators on a tour of KIPP Delta Public Schools in Arkansas. He said children from all socio-economic backgrounds have excelled in those charter schools.
鈥淧eople in the upper echelon of the financial structure are at this Capitol. They can put their kids any place in the world. They have options. What about the single mother in the Delta that鈥檚 just making ends meet?鈥� Espy said.
The Tennessee Legislature went into special session to make changes to that state鈥檚 laws to qualify for the program, he said. 鈥淓verybody is going over the call of duty and here in Mississippi we have nothing to lose and we still won鈥檛 get up and fight for quality education,鈥� said Espy.
