Voucher Bill Dies at Legislature, Possibly Ending Program Next Year
Mississippi's education voucher program, which subsidizes private-school tuition at the expense of public schools, could end next year after lawmakers allowed a bill to extend it to die in committee.
Three Charter Schools Advance to Final Evaluation Step
Three charter schools advanced to the final stage of the application process this month, and now an independent four-person evaluation team will review the full proposals from three groups looking to open charter schools in Canton, Drew and Clarksdale.
Charter School Funding Case Before Hinds County Judge
A group of parents with children in Jackson Public Schools challenged Mississippi's funding mechanism in the state's charter-school law in summer 2016, and this morning Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Dewayne Thomas heard oral arguments from several attorneys in the case.
JPS Shrinks as Charters Pull Students, Money
In Dr. Freddrick Murray's view, Jackson Public Schools has to be proactive to get in front of the myriad problems the district faces, from decreasing enrollment and funding at most levels to maintaining the district's 60 schools and buildings with enough teachers, staff and maintenance.
Is Mississippi Too Selective with Charters?
Some parents in Mississippi who don't want to send their children to district schools or private schools have another option: charter schools. But as these publicly funded, privately run schools have proliferated across the nation, Mississippi's charter-school growth has been relatively sluggish. Only three charter schools exist in the state, all of which are in the Jackson area.
Opponents of Charter Schools Ready for Quick Judgment in Lawsuit
In a small room in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center, challengers to the state's funding portion of the charter-school law spoke out about the negative impact they believe the schools have on their children's lives.
Conservative Legal Group Enters the Charter School Lawsuit Fray
A conservative legal group is intervening in the Southern Poverty Law Center's lawsuit challenging the state's charter-school law.
Josalyn Filkins, Principal at Midtown Public Charter School
When Josalyn Filkins sat down with the Jackson Free Press, she talked about her plans for the future of the school and for engaging with the community as Midtown tries to move forward amid potential litigation against the charter law, and as legislation opens the doors of the charter school to kids who don't live in Jackson.
Lawsuit: Charter School Law 'Heralds a Financial Cataclysm' in Mississippi
On July 11, the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of some Jackson parents against Gov. Phil Bryant, the Mississippi Department of Education and Jackson Public Schools, challenging a funding provision of the Mississippi Charter Schools Act.
Mississippi Education Award Not About Charter-School Legislation
Though Mississippi often ranks low among other states in education, the state got high marks recently from a national education group this month.
Factcheck: The Charter Scoop
The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board helped us factcheck some statements made in interviews about charter schools, including by Forest Thigpen in this issue and in the March 9 interview with Mississippi Association of Educators President Joyce Helmick.
Thigpen: ‘No Such Thing’ as ‘Private Charter Schools’
Mississippi Center for Public Policy President Forest Thigpen insists that charter schools not only play fair in the state of Mississippi, but have the ability to change the game of Mississippi education by encouraging competition amongst public schools.
JPS: Charter Schools Cost Jackson Half A Million Dollars, Drain Needed Resources
New charter schools are a money drain on Jackson Public Schools, the district's chief financial officer, Sharolyn Miller, warned Thursday.
Parents’ Conundrum: Mississippi Charter Schools
Jackson mom and business owner Tracie James was dissatisfied with the lack of one-on-one opportunities at school for her youngest son, formerly a North Jackson Elementary School student in Jackson Public Schools.
Helmick: ‘Private’ Charter Schools Drain Public Schools
When the Jackson Free Press sat down again with Joyce Helmick, president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, she repeatedly called charter schools "private charter schools."
Mississippi Charter Law One Step Closer to Changing
Tuesday's Senate session rang with reprobation from Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, who spoke bitterly about Mississippi First, a group that he says acts as a front group for charter schools.
Charter School Expansion Bills Ignite House, Senate
So far, only two charter schools operate in the state, but the Mississippi House and Senate Education Committees met yesterday in hot debate over the establishment of more.
Tale of Two Charter Schools in Mississippi
Charter schools weren't legal in Mississippi until 2013, when the Legislature passed the Mississippi Charter School Law, allowing nonprofit charter schools to enter the state for the first time.
