Story
Barbour, McCoy on course for collision
Geoff Pender of THE SUN HERALDwrites "Barbour is slick; McCoy is sly. Both are powerful - Barbour through his alliance with Tuck and the Senate, his considerable public relations skills …
Story
Face-Off: The Battle for ‘Tort Reform'
When Sen. Gloria Williamson walked up to the podium on the first day of the 2004 Extraordinary Session called by Gov. Haley Barbour, she had one goal. The senator from …
Story
Barbour Used Ledger to Excuse Non-Disclosure
Be sure not to miss the juicy tidbit in Adam's cover story this week about BlindTrust-gate, which I also talk about in my editor's note about Barbour. That is, Barbour's …
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Indeck Magnolia BioFuel Center Breaks Ground
Indeck Energy Services, Inc. of Buffalo Grove, Ill., and Homan Industries of Fulton, Miss., ("The Partners"), invite you to attend the ground breaking ceremony for Indeck Magnolia BioFuel Center wood …
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Celebrating Jerry Clower
My first brush with Jerry Clower was in 1971 when I was in an Army barracks in Baumholder, Germany. Two of my platoon mates (still friends some 40 years later) …
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JPD To Buy License Plate Readers
The Jackson Police Department is purchasing an automatic license plate reader for the four major police precincts this year. The Jackson City Council approved the $76,978 purchase Tuesday, after learning …
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Columbia Training School Removes Last Girls
After years of documented abuse and consequent lawsuits, Columbia Training School is finally closing its doors to troubled girls.
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Senate Kills Public Records Access Bill
The Mississippi Senate shelved a bill designed to make public records more accessible to the public, according to The Greenwood Commonwealth,
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Brown: Governor Will Cut School Funding
State Rep. Cecil Brown is warning that Mississippi's children will be the ultimate losers in the current budget battle if the governor gets his way. In an e-mail sent to …
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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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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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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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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 …
