Story
Guilty Verdict in JSU Murder Trial
A Hinds County jury found Stanley Cole guilty of the murder of Latasha Norman this afternoon. Cole, 26, faces life in prison for killing Norman, his ex-girlfriend.
Story
State Government
Eight Years in, State Still Neglecting Kids
The foster home was not a haven for the little girl no one cared about. One of the people living in the home was a convicted rapist.
Story
Supes Advisor Sued over Swap
On April 11, Roderick Mullice of Liberty Partners sued Hinds County Board of Supervisors adviser and Malachi Group CEO Porter Bingham for contempt in Fulton County, Ga. Mullice sued Bingham …
Story
Clarion-Ledger Backtracking from ‘Tort Reform' Hysteria
It's intriguing to note that The Clarion-Ledger, after years of gullibility on the U.S. Chamber's stance on "tort reform," is now starting to question what they have not dared to …
Story
Lawmakers: Stop the Shortsighted, Dangerous Budget Cuts
Several state agencies are looking at budget cuts for the coming fiscal year, and a reduction in services to Mississippians—from mental-health care to rehabilitation treatment—will inevitably put pressure on local …
Story
Mississippi’s ‘Frivolous’ Lawsuit Conundrum
In one of the poorest states in the nation, litigating cases in the name of religious freedom or conservative idealism is costly.
Story
State's African Americans See Higher Unemployment
Like many things in Mississippi, the hardship of unemployment during the Great Recession has fallen unequally on the state's population. African American workers in Mississippi experienced an 18 percent unemployment …
Story
‘No Child Left Behind' Favoring White Kids
OK, this is just what I was talking about at the end of my recent column, "For These Are All Our Children": A new Harvard study is finding that 'No …
Story
Deadly Pet Food Filler Open Secret in China
It seems that all that "free trade"—and loss of American jobs and trading economic strength in our communities for sweat shops—is starting to come home to roost by killing our …
Story
Rep. Moak Responds to Bryant SOTS
Democratic Response to State of the State
State Rep. Bobby Moak, of Bogue Chitto, gave the Democratic response to Gov. Phil Bryant's state-of-the-state speech. Here's the text of Moak's remarks:
Story
Person of the Day
Sandra Parks
Sandra Parks, who served on the Mississippi Department of Mental Health Central Office team for 24 years, passed away from a stroke on Monday, Nov. 9, at age 50.
Story
Politics
Guest Wins Run-Off: 'All I Can Say is Thank You'
The celebratory atmosphere filled Mudbugs in Brandon—even before the primary run-off results came in. The crowd knew their candidate, Michael Guest, would win the Republican nomination for the Third U.S. …
Story
City & County
Jackson Mayor Hopefuls Draw Battle Lines
In the first forum for the Jackson mayor's race, which the West Central Jackson Improvement Association hosted Thursday evening, several battlefronts emerged.
Story
Crime
Madison Judge Racial-Abuse Case to go to Grand Jury
Madison County Justice Court Judge Bill Weisenberger is being accused of knocking down, slapping and kicking a mentally disabled young black man and yelling a racial slur: "Run, n*gger, run."
Story
Civil Rights
HRC Targets LGBT African Americans in 'Freedom Summer' Conference
The fight for freedom of both African Americans and LGBT people, and those who are both, is the focus of the Human Rights Campaign's Freedom Summer Conference this week.
Entry
Fla. League of Women Voters Releases Startling Charter School Study
By HaleyFerrettiThe Florida League of Women Voters released the following verbatim news release Tuesday, May 27, 2014 in regard to a recently-completed study on charter schools across the state.
League of Women Voters Releases State-Wide Study on School Choice
Tallahassee, Fla — Twenty percent of the state's charter schools close because of financial mismanagement or poor academic standards, according to the League of Women Voters of Florida after a year-long study of charter schools in 28 Florida counties.
"Charter schools could fill a niche in Florida's educational spectrum, but for many, their biggest contribution may be to corporate bottom lines," said Deirdre Macnab, President of the League of Women Voters of Florida.
With over 576 charter schools in the state, the League of Women Voters of Florida conducted a study in order to better understand the oversight, management, accountability and transparency of charter and private schools in Florida.
The study found that:
Approximately one-third of charters are run by for-profit management companies. Many screen students, then drop those who are not successful, which public schools are prohibited from doing. Charters also serve particular socio-economic groups, increasing segregation in schools.
Although charters tend to be smaller than traditional schools, there is no consistent difference in achievement for charter school and public school students.
Many charters blur the distinction between religious and non-secular schools. Some churches receive as much as a million dollars in lease payments annually for their facilities from charter schools.
In areas with declining enrollments, neither the charters nor regular public schools are large enough to adequately provide support for staff like nurses or counselors. Retaining teachers is also a problem; most charters offer lower salaries and benefits than public schools.
The League's study produced several recommendations:
Charters should be limited to those that fill unmet needs in identified local school districts.
Stronger local management oversight and disclosure policies are needed.
Financial mismanagement issues must be addressed, as too often the privatization of schools leads to financial abuse.
For more information, including further findings and recommendations, please see the state-wide study, along with the individual studies conducted by eighteen local Leagues across Florida.
The League of Women Voters of Florida, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, please visit the League's website at: http://www.TheFloridaVoter.org.
FLORIDA LEGISLATORS WITH A DIRECT INTEREST IN CHARTER SCHOOLS:
Conflict of Interest Concerns
Senator John Legg Chair of Senate Education Committee is co-founder and business administrator of Daysprings Academy in Port Richey.
Senator Kelli Stargel from Orange County is on board of McKeel Academies. She is on the Education Committee and sponsored the Parent Trigger Bill.
House Budget Chairman Seth McKeel is on the board of McKeel Academy Schools in Polk County.
Anne Corcoran, wife of future House Speaker Richard Corcoran has a charter school in Pasco County. Richard Corcoran is Chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
Senator Anitere Flores …
Story
Cover
Drill, Baby, Drill: The Reality of the McCain-Palin Plan
Republican presidential nominee John McCain has a shiny new vice presidential candidate but an old idea for dealing with the nation's gas crisis.
Story
Health Care
The State of Mental Health in Mississippi
Mississippi's mental-health system is mainly run through the Mississippi Department of Health, which certifies private and public mental health-care providers, rapid-response teams of mental health-care professionals and public community mental-health …
Story
Musgrove's Economic Plan
October 5, 2003 -- (verbatim release) Today Governor Ronnie Musgrove proposed a detailed plan to keep Mississippi's economy moving forward. National unemployment has grown to a nine-year high, but we've …
Story
The GOP Gubernatorial Field
Most Republicans in Mississippi's statewide elections can be easily confused with one another in terms of their platforms. There are some differences between them, however, that could prove to be …
