Jackson Jambalaya

The Senate Education Committee approved a charter school bill today before a packed room. The committee also approved an amendment by Senator David Blount striking all language concerning virtual schools. Only one Senator voted against the amendment.

Lobbyists, educators, Superintendents, and politicians packed the audience as the Senate moved the meeting to a larger room to accommodate the crowd. There was the feeling this was a different day in Mississippi- and they all knew it. There was little debate on the bill, no colorful speeches by supporters of public schools, just a few questions, some discussion, and then a couple of votes. Here is the video of the hearing:





SB# 2401

Meanwhile, Nancy Loome, Executive Director of the Parents' Campaign (funded by Parents for Public Schools), sent out this email this afternoon:

Dear

This morning, the Senate Education Committee amended the charter school bill to prohibit virtual charter schools. Senator David Blount offered the amendment, and it passed overwhelmingly.

Senator Blount and the committee are to be commended for their strong stand on this issue - one that protects Mississippi children and taxpayers. Read about virtual charter schools here. Thank you for your great work on that piece of the bill. You spoke up, and legislators heard you.

Now we need one more amendment on the Senate floor to make this a workable bill, and we believe our position aligns well with the Lieutenant Governor's position.

There is a misconception that we want to prevent charter schools from competing with unsuccessful schools that are in successful school districts. This is not correct. Our focus is on schools, not districts.

Children who are trapped in underperforming schools (below successful on the state's accountability system) should have a charter school option - even if the underperforming school is in a successful district. All children in Mississippi's 232 persistently underperforming schools need help. What we cannot afford is to create new schools where the public schools already are doing a good job.

Please call your senator with this message:

Amend Senate Bill 2401 to limit charter schools to the school attendance zones of underperforming schools (including those in successful school districts) or vote no on the bill. We must focus charter schools where they are needed. We cannot afford to create more schools - more administrators, more buildings, more overhead - in places where we already have good public schools.

Please call your senator today - and ask your friends and family to call, too:

I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your terrific work so far on this bill. Thank you for the many, many calls, emails, and words of support. Constituents overwhelmingly agree with us on this issue; make sure that your legislators know where you stand. The bill will probably be taken up on the Senate floor in the next day or two.

Ask everyone you know to call their senators today and tell them to amend the bill or kill it. If this bill fails, we'll have another shot at a charter school bill in the House. Legislators are getting lots of pressure from lobbyists and all sorts of folks they were not elected to represent. They need to hear from you - their constituents.

This is a very, very important bill for public education, and we need your help to make it work well for Mississippi children. I promise to keep you updated; check our website for the most recent postings. Stay tuned, and stay after it! Our kids really are counting on us.

Many, many thanks,

Nancy

Meanwhile, the website of the leading advocate for charter schools, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, is silent on the passing of the bill or what it means for the charter school movement.

The Democratic Trust sent out this email this afternoon as well:

Jackson, MS - Today, the Mississippi Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill 2401, the “Mississippi Public Charter Schools Act of 2012”. During committee, Sen. David Blount (D-Jackson) offered an amendment to strip virtual charter schools from the bill. The bill ultimately passed the full committee and will now be in line for consideration by the full Senate.

Brandon Jones, Executive Director of the Mississippi Democratic Trust said, “Democrats are ready and willing to embrace any innovation that may improve the quality of education provided in Mississippi’s failing school districts but any change to our current system should account for those communities that are getting it right.” Jones added, “If we introduce changes that ultimately serve to destabilize high performing schools, we will have done a disservice to the children in our best schools.”

Sen. Kelvin Butler (D-McComb) said, “Accountability is the key. We should implement charter schools with a scalpel and not a cleaver. This means limiting charters to underperforming districts and restricting the operation of virtual, online profit centers.” Butler added, “There are groups who would like to profit off of Mississippi’s educational dilemma. We have to make sure that any charter school bill contains safeguards that protect Mississippi children and Mississippi taxpayers.”