Jackson Jambalaya

I agree. Why throw more money at the schools when most of it will go to people other than teachers. They are already paid too much. Even teachers should not get any more money until they start doing a better job. We are in last place when it comes to education. Teachers pay should depend on their work. If we come out of last place they should get a raise. As long as they are not doing a good job they should be paid accordingly.

... the Senate, led by Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, proposed to tweak the MAEP formula ...

Once again Crawford avoids mentioning that the Senate legislation required a mandatory local property tax increase. Previously ol' Bill called these higher taxes a 'contribution' but now, this week, in this column, he avoids even mentioning what would be a state mandated +9.26% increase altogether.

In the end they were just glad to get the extra $100 million out of Gunn’s House.

So Dudley Do-Right Delbert folded like a lawn chair -- outright capitulated -- but Crawford is pissed off at Gunn.

The State spends an enormous amount of money on “education” as it is. The problem is not with the supply of money but on what it us spent. Mainly administrators. The legislature needs to step up and manage the spending decisions of all this money. In any case, “educators’ will never quit crying and complaining about not having enough money, it’s what they do, My father was on a school board in the ‘60s and the ones today are just like the ‘educators” then, just more educated in the subjects they taught.

Teacher pay in MS has never gotten about 45th and that of principals extremely low in some schools $88,000 compared to the national average of $100000. But, some of our schools pay far above the average to principals.
The problem isn't MAEP. The problem is we elect those who perpetuate the " good ole boy reward system".
I had hopes given Gunn's first election result when he realized that the Barbour redistricting was corrupt instructive. I assumed he'd have been able to figure out how the legislature perpetuates the system that caused him to lose by 17 votes.
Clearly,he hasn't bothered.
Instead, he chose to use a fail system to his own advantage instead.

10:33 am Gunn and Hosemann have different JOBS.
Hosemann simply faced the fact that he had no power to change the outcome.
Crawford knows that Gunn could have made the system better but didn't.

I’ll vote for a tax increase when charter schools are allowed to operate.

The main failure of our schools starts at home where children are not socially or educationally prepared to enter school & after entering school are not supported at home.

So Gunn is saying that MAEP funds have been "abused" even as MAEP was always underfunded? So the more funding MAEP gets the dumber our children will be? Thanks Mr. Gunn for saving the children.

"Hosemann and his Senate colleagues wanted to make a statement on school funding ..."

If Hosemann had really wanted to make a statement on school funding - even in this election year, which I'm sure had nothing to do with Hosemann or his Senate colleagues (which in fact they are not; Hosemann is not a Senator, but I digress) Hosemann would have sat down early in the year with Gunn and Reeves ---- yes, I know, dogs and cats are getting together; mass hysteria ----- and worked out a plan that all could agree on.

Yes, there is a budget surplus. Yes, all sides wanted to spend more on education. But in the full face of ego and lack of leadership, Hosemann turns the crank on his Jack-in-the-box and springs out a revamped MAEP formula, puts in on the floor, and passes it all within two days and sends it to the other chamber and says "Here it is; do it".

That's not the way leaders work. Not defending Gunn and the House, or Reeves who basically stayed clear of this train wreck. But if Hosemann were truly the leader that Crawford likes to put him up to be, this would have been handled in a much different manner. Although if that had happened, Crawford would probably be bitching about the result because it didn't fit his idealic world of governance.

The money needs to follow the student, whether it’s to a public , private or home school. Then the legislature can fund all they want.

@10:23 - the problem is that the teachers have to work with YOUR precious little insubordinate children who can't get their noses out of their phones long enough to learn their ABC's. Garbage in, garbage out.

Damn 11:15 - you know so little of truth to drag up such history.

Barbour had nothing to do with redistricting. Barbour had nothing to do with Gunn's loss by a handful of votes. And most folks probably don't know which Barbour you were referring to (or at least which one you could possibly drag into this conversation) which I'm sure was your intent thinking you could make readers think you were referring to the former Governor.

That election fiasco was the result of the previous House of Representatives doiong their redistricting without providing proper details; and the Hinds County Election Commission trying to implement a screwed up report. Barbour's redistricting? Damn what a incompetent attempt at a stretch!

Only School Choice and Vouchers can improve MS education, ensuring parents choose schools and money follows the student, not the system.

Good job Philip Gunn! Delberts political stunt got denied.

So the broken public school system has ONLY an extra $100,000,000 to piss away not educating children. The education lobby and people like Crawford will never quit crying about education funding. Give them an inch and they will take a mile.

Choice and Voucher accounts will favor motivated students from supportive homes, likely leaving the juvenile delinquents in under-performing schools until they earn their way into lockup.

This dropped into the legislative trash bin faster than panties on prom night.

The Legislature could provide a trillion dollars and Crawford would bitch it wasn’t enough.

Hosemann simply faced the fact that he had no power to change the outcome.

Dudley Do-Right Delbert barely tried. The effort was more about free campaign pub than anything else.

The issue is moot, but the MAEP formula subtracts the value of 28.00 mills (or 27%, whichever is smaller) from the “cost of an adequate education” to determine the state’s portion. In this way, districts with small tax bases have a greater portion of the “adequate “ number funded by the state. The proposed adjustment would have reduced the state’s portion, allowing the “full funding” amount to be lower. In reality, all districts have well over 28.00 mills from their taxing authority. The proposed formula adjustment would have not required any increases in local mills. Of course, Gunn has previously stated that he doesn’t understand the formula.

You don’t have to worry about being at the bottom with Missippi , they keep it home!

So many stupid commenters believing they’re qualified to say how public education works

The irony is painful

Shad needs to do his job and itemize how the admins are pulling in all the money - thus, the classroom gets zilch.

Crawford is such a freaking tool. Here are the facts.

Mississippi's graduation rates have increased 18% over the same level in 2004 (74.5% to 88.4% in 2022). Dropout rates have declined from 13.9% in 2004 to 8.5% in 2022. And teacher pay is higher than it's every been essentially at or essentially at the SE average.

ALL WITHOUT THE MAGICAL MAEP.

They just cannot help themselves. They can't stand the fact that good things have happened without their finger on the button.

Does this mean our kids will end up dumber than they are now?
It's all bout the kids when it comes to fully funding and that's a fact.

I think there's a Mississippi law that 'sez' you can't introduce a spending bill in the last five days of a legislative session.

There ought also to be a rule that neither a Leftenant Gubnor nor a House Speakah can serve in that role in his/her last session if he/she has announced retirement.

An Industrial Engineer who gives two weeks' notice and sets about to sabotage all the machines in the plant during that period comes to mind.