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[City Buzz] no. 13 December 13 - 20
King Edward Still Moving
Jackson Attorney David Watkins, who is a partner in King Edward Revitalization Co., along with Deuce McAllister and other investors, said the King Edward redevelopment is still ongoing, despite the …
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Dems: State GOP Lying About House
[verbatim statement]By attacking the integrity of one of the state's longest-serving legislators, the Mississippi Republican Party has once again launched into their far-too-familiar practice of spreading lies and misinformation. GOP …
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Mason Gets Mixed Reviews
Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr.'s announcement last week that he will be ending his 10-year stint at JSU and taking the reins at Louisiana's Southern University and A&M …
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Personhood Mississippi: We Are Listening to Voters
Personhood Mississippi founder Les Riley sent out a statement this morning praising Personhood legislation in the Oklahoma Senate and promising further efforts in Mississippi that will address voters' concerns about …
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City & County
Bryant Ignores Jackson in Address
Conspicuously absent from the governor’s eight-and-a-half page speech was any mention of the capital city.
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How to Pass a Restitution Bill
Passing a law is rarely an easy process when it comes to a contentious issue that requires a state commitment to more money, especially when that money is essentially an …
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First Gubernatorial Candidate Debate Sept. 29 at Belhaven
WHAT: The first of four 2003 gubernatorial candidate debates to be held across the state. The event is being sponsored by WLBT-TV and Belhaven College and will be aired live …
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Education
Don’t Screw with MAEP
Since its original adoption in 1997, MAEP been funded only two times in accordance with the law. There are lots of reasons for the State's failure to fund, and no …
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Politics
McDaniel Campaign Finds Enough Illegal Votes to Warrant Challenge
The campaign for state Sen. Chris McDaniel charged Wednesday that more illegal votes exist than Republican representatives like Pete Perry of Hinds County suggest.
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City & County
Analysis: No Safe Wards in Mayor's Race
As of this morning, nine individuals—two women and seven men—have said they would participate in the special election to replace late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba.
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Business
KiOR Files for Bankruptcy, but Not Miss. Unit
Biofuel maker KiOR Inc. has filed for bankruptcy, although its Mississippi subsidiary has not, preserving the chance that its Columbus plant could be sold quickly.
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State Education Leaders Respond to Lt. Gov.'s Statements on Education
By AnnaWolfeAt the Dec. 1 Stennis Press Forum, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves spoke about upcoming efforts for education reform, touted school choice alongside greater funding and announced plans to move away from Common Core standards.
Mississippi Department of Education leaders responded with this statement:
Joint statement from State Board of Education Chairman Dr. John Kelly and State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright on Lieutenant Governor’s remarks on education
While we fully support the Lieutenant Governor’s desire to set the highest possible standards for the students of Mississippi, we have grave reservations about changing the playbook in the middle of the game. The Mississippi Board of Education adopted the state’s College- and Career-Ready Standards in 2010, which set a new baseline expectation for what students should learn and achieve. The need for higher standards was made evident by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, which evaluated education standards in every state. The institute deemed Mississippi’s math standards “mediocre,” and described our English standards as among “the worst in the country.”
Mississippi’s College- and Career-Ready Standards are by far the highest academic standards we have ever had in the state or the nation. Mississippi is one of 46 states that voluntarily adopted these rigorous standards to prepare students for the demands of 21st century careers. Both Gov. Phil Bryant and former Gov. Haley Barbour endorsed the standards when they each signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that denoted the State of Mississippi as a Governing State in the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) consortium.
Though we now have our highest academic standards in history, the standards have always been viewed as the floor, or minimum, of what to expect from our students. The state Board of Education and Department of Education will continue to aim high by always raising the bar for academic achievement. We welcome the opportunity to partner with lawmakers and stakeholders in this effort.
We understand that the term “Common Core” has become a lightning rod in some political circles, and as a result, has become attached to an unprecedented level of misinformation. For example, Oklahoma had its U.S. Department of Education flexibility waiver revoked because it did not have standards in place when it dropped the Common Core State Standards. Having rigorous standards is a requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Mississippi remains in charge of its education policies and must remain committed to higher standards.
The Lieutenant Governor’s proposal to drop Mississippi’s College- and Career-Ready Standards and write new ones is not as simple as it may appear. Developing new standards is a multiyear, and very expensive, process. Implementing new standards also takes several years. Just ask the thousands of educators and school leaders around the state who have invested a tremendous amount of time, work, training, and resources to implement our College- and Career-Ready Standards. These costs include millions of dollars invested by local school districts for textbooks, curriculum materials, and professional development. Changing course after our …
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[Dickerson] Long Live the ‘W'
When Gov. Haley Barbour came out in favor of merging Mississippi University for Women with Mississippi State University, I was ecstatic.
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Dem Candidates A Minority at ‘Republican Woodstock'
Even though Democratic candidates are the minority at the Neshoba County Fair, many see the Republican-heavy grounds as a vital campaign stop to rub elbows with party supporters, media and …
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Undocumented Workers, Felons and Fines
Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin warned that legislators had better be ready to back up Senate Bill 2988 with more funding if they intend for local law enforcement and jails …
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Mississippi Passes Tough Price Gouging Law
In the wake of last year's skyrocketing prices at the pumps, Gov. Haley Barbour has signed a bill stiffening penalties for gasoline price gouging. The bill, SB 2032, increases jail …
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[City Buzz] A Time to Speak
A TIME TO SPEAK: Due to it being the 40th anniversary of Freedom Summer, 2004 seems to be the year of activism in the state of Mississippi. In fact, at …
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Hood Responds to Hayne Criticism
Gov. Haley Barbour signed H.B. 1456 into law March 19, requiring that pathologists doing autopsies in Mississippi--in addition to the state medical examiner--hold American Board of Pathology certification. Such certification …
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Times Columnist on the New Evangelicals
Regardless, this evangelical shift should be noticed ... and applauded, I would add.
In a way, it was great to see the New York Times' Nick Kristof write about the changes that have hit the evangelical movement in this country—specifically the move away …
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Funny How Things Come in Waves
-----Original Message-----
The juvi-trolls are back at it, folks. Obviously, I did not go to John Eaves' Web site and send these e-mails out to people:
