Jackson Jambalaya

So refreshing to hear an unbiased analysis!

The public is being sold a bill of goods about the "improvements"
in pupils attending government schools.

Education isn't that hard. Affluent areas have money. Others do not. Affluent people that live in areas with poor schools pay to send their kids elsewhere. Kids that have reinforcement at home generally do better than kids that do not.

Education starts at home before pre-school. When parents are AWOL at home, and don't read to/with their young children, the kids begin their formal education already behind the curve.

You own the Legislature, Governor and probably the Lt. Governor; since you have all the answers, kindly fix public education.

Or, is it much easier to criticize (even if accurately) than it is to improve a situation?

you must have skipped the last paragraph acknowledging this was a lobbyist's hit piece. Lobbyists only attack when it profits them to do so. At least the author owns what it is. Guess he didn't pay enough to have the comments shut off.

I grew up quite poor in the 80's, but my parents made it clear that I was expected to do well in school. They took us to the small town local library and instilled a love of reading. Our public school education was mid at best, but I graduated college because that was also expected of me.
Lazy, absentee parents that do not want to do the hard work of raising a child is a much bigger problem in our society than our mediocre schools.

Why do we never question the quality of the students? We always look at the teachers, parents, and lack of discipline, but are the majority bright enough to learn?

Yes, affluent areas have more money. But, some of the poorer areas, spend more money per child to educate said child and still don't do a good job whatsoever. Meanwhile, some private schools cost less than many public schools get for educating 1 child, and they tend to do well there. So, what is the solution? We can't make the parents care. Spending more money doesn't necessarily work either. Something needs to be done, I agree. I just don't know what

It should be easy to spot the problem. Is it the teachers? Is it the students? Just two choices.

MCPP has way less influence than they would like you to believe. I don't think anyone with real power takes them seriously.

For 1:55, four problems, third, that should be first, is parents, fourth, which is you for not realizing that fact. Why do you think a teacher could make up for five years of poor parenting prior to kindergarten of first grade?

1:55 you have a valid point. To be a teacher in Mississippi is tough because you know you won't get paid a lot for the results that are expected. Too many districts are also so top heavy with administration that teachers sometimes can't just teach but have to answer to so many above them (what is the ratio of administrators in Jackson Public Schools compared to students?) And what kind of parental participation can be expected when you can barely afford feeding the kids?

don't forget the parents!!
my wife is a teacher for 20 years. we have seen parents that now think the school will do everything for their children. they do not help with homework or even read to or with their kids. we raised three boys by reading to them ever night. checked homework ever night and study with them for test. but parents today are not doing their part of raising their own children.

There has been enough evidence for a long time to prove it is the students. Some people have evolved to build starships and others to chase balls.

It would seem those who work in the dept of education are more concerned with justifying their existence and keeping their high-paying jobs.

3:27 PM, blame the parents if that makes you feel better. That means the students are still the problem. The students are not learning. Why not hold the students back until they learn what the teacher is trying to teach them.

Mississippi spends $6700 per student (HB 4130 implements a BSA of $6,695.34 in FY25). Many others spend up to $20,000 per student.

The MCPP is again identifying a problem and drawing a politically convenient conclusion instead of bothering to take an in depth look at the differences in teaching requirements and curriculum in states with better public schools. Also, horribly ignored are children who are " home schooled". Every child can pass a test if they are taught the answers to the questions repeatedly in the days just before the test. That does not mean they learned or retained anything. Wouldn't we all have loved having a copy of our tests to study the night before being tested much less being taught the answers to the question for days in advance? The PSAT and SAT results would be a far better measure of how prepared our children are. And, even at our private schools, parents need to know how many of those graduates actually successfully get into good colleges and universities and make good grades to pass their freshman and sophomore years.
Try offering to substitute teach for a few days at least before writing an article on the state of education in this state. Also, the notion that " problem" students from "troubled homes" exist only in public schools is ridiculous.

Don't blame schools. Blame politicians who have put these requirements on educators.

Unmotivated students with nasty attitudes prevent others from learning. What ever happened to "Reform Schools"?

Whose fault is it that some parents either can't read or don't read well? You're probably also of the opinion that parents should help their child-scholars with math.

Reform Schools didn't work out. Why? Because it was impossible to 'reform' anybody sent there. Sort of like a 'department of corrections' where nobody is corrected. Shall we discuss a 'rehabilitation program'?

Reform schools do not work. Keeping kids in a grade until they can pass that grade does not work. They used to work. What happened to them?

Funneling public money to the private schools does nothing to solve the problem. It merely gives a break to the leaders of and donors to the MCPP. If MCPP really wants to make a difference, lead the way to seismic change in public education. They have the political clout. The question is, do they really care?

Interesting you left out "Is it the parents?". Was it on purpose? Or out of stupidity?

There won't be any "rehabilitation" if there hasn't ben any HABILITATION in the first place! Pre-kindergarten was Sesame Street, Zoom, and The Electric Company on PBS (before it went communist) and these served millions of children to be fully ready for school. The discipline from parents back then was more than enough to make sure there weren't any distractions or disrespect in the classrooms ever. If there was, that child at hell to pay at home. Now they pathologize them and say, "Poor thing". Nobody wants to discuss the fact that now, more than ever before there are people having children who should not. Period.