Mississippi lawmakers punished the state’s superintendents by defunding their association. This was in retaliation for the superintendents support for Initiative 42, a referendum calling upon the legislature to fund the schools adequately.
Mississippi has extreme poverty, and Schools that are underfunded. Imagine the nerve of those superintendents, sticking up for the children!
“The move creates an uncertain future for what has traditionally been Mississippi’s most powerful school lobbying group. The long-term power of the association was already in question after lawmakers voted this year to make all superintendents appointive. Traditionally, the elected members of the association, especially those in the state’s largest school districts, have wielded the most political power.
“Initiative 42 would have amended the state Constitution to require the state to provide “an adequate and efficient system of free public schools.” Supporters said it would have blocked lawmakers from being able to spend less than the amount required by Mississippi’s school funding formula, and would have allowed people to sue the state to seek additional money for schools.
“Gov. Phil Bryant and legislative leaders opposed the measure because it could have limited legislative power and transferred some power to judges. They warned that it could have led to budget cuts to other state agencies. Lawmakers placed an alternative measure on the ballot, which made it harder to pass the measure. Voters ultimately rejected any change by a 52 percent to 48 percent margin.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Mississippi has extreme poverty, and Schools that are underfunded.
“Initiative 42 would have amended the state Constitution to require the state
(funded by the taxes collected)
to provide “an adequate and efficient system of free public schools.”
Initiative 42 would have allowed people to sue the state(by proxy, the tax payers)
to seek additional money for schools.
“Gov. Phil Bryant and legislative leaders opposed the measure because it could have limited legislative power and transferred some power to judges.”
The lust for power continues to favor internal coherence over social relevance…
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The way Gmail displayed Diane’s title, it appears as “Mississippi: Legislators Strike Back at Superintendents for Seeking More Fun…”
I thought, How wonderful that the Supes even imagined that more fun would be helpful in school! Alas….
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The more people disinvest in education the dumber they become.
The dumber people become the more they disinvest in education.
And so it goes …
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It appears the Mississippi Governor and Legislators are only interested in ensuring that their pet governmental agencies remain fully funded. One of these pet agencies is NOT education of the Mississippi. Of course the Governor and Legislators can probably send all their children to private schools so there is absolutely no impact on them and their families. This is one way of stifling the education of the masses. This is what happened in the 1930’s under Hitler.
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Reblogged this on Mister Journalism: "Reading, Sharing, Discussing, Learning" and commented:
Mississippi lawmakers punished the state’s superintendents by defunding their association. This was in retaliation for the superintendents support for Initiative 42, a referendum calling upon the legislature to fund the schools adequately.
Mississippi has extreme poverty, and Schools that are underfunded. Imagine the nerve of those superintendents, sticking up for the children!
“The move creates an uncertain future for what has traditionally been Mississippi’s most powerful school lobbying group. The long-term power of the association was already in question after lawmakers voted this year to make all superintendents appointive. Traditionally, the elected members of the association, especially those in the state’s largest school districts, have wielded the most political power.
“Initiative 42 would have amended the state Constitution to require the state to provide “an adequate and efficient system of free public schools.” Supporters said it would have blocked lawmakers from being able to spend less than the amount required by Mississippi’s school funding formula, and would have allowed people to sue the state to seek additional money for schools.
“Gov. Phil Bryant and legislative leaders opposed the measure because it could have limited legislative power and transferred some power to judges. They warned that it could have led to budget cuts to other state agencies. Lawmakers placed an alternative measure on the ballot, which made it harder to pass the measure. Voters ultimately rejected any change by a 52 percent to 48 percent margin.”
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