Blog

Mississippi First Statement on the Charter School Lawsuit Victory

Education News

Yesterday, the Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of charter schools receiving state and local dollars. Mississippi First is thrilled for the 1,750-plus children receiving their public education from one of the six public charter schools in Mississippi. The ruling unequivocally affirms what we have said all along: public education dollars belong to public school children for their public education; charter…

Read More
Mississippi First Statement on the Charter School Lawsuit Victory

MSF celebrates 10 years!

MSF Updates

In January, we celebrated our 10-year anniversary with a breakfast at the State Capitol. Several legislators, education policy partners, and even a few former interns stopped by to congratulate us on our first decade. “For the last 10 years, Mississippi First has championed transformative policy solutions ensuring educational excellence for every Mississippi child. We are proud…

Read More
MSF celebrates 10 years!

MCSAB Authorizes New Charter Schools

Education News

This year, the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board (MCSAB) has approved the application of three more charter schools, bringing the total count to eight public charter schools in Mississippi. Charter schools are free public schools. They get their name from the contract—or charter—that the school signs with the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board. The charter…

Read More
MCSAB Authorizes New Charter Schools

Accountability and Charter Schools

Education News

This week, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) made the 2017-2018 accountability scores public, after delaying the public release on September 20. Each year, Mississippi schools and districts are rated using an A-F scale, just like children receive a grade A, B, C, D, or F on a report card. To understand the accountability system…

Read More
Accountability and Charter Schools

MSF Releases New Report on District and State Testing

Assessment

Jackson, MS—Today, Mississippi First released Understanding District and State Testing in Mississippi. This report uses field research on testing practices in four diverse Mississippi school districts to determine how many tests Mississippi students take and how much time they spend taking those tests. It also describes common school district testing practices, such as how testing…

Read More
MSF Releases New Report on District and State Testing

$15M to Expand High-Quality Public Charter Schools in Mississippi

Implementation

Today, the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board received a $15M grant from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) through the Expanding Opportunities Through Quality Charter Schools Program Grants to State Entities (CSP State Entities program). ED selected 9 state entities out of 22 state applicants to receive a total of $144.7M in funding. The Authorizer…

Read More
$15M to Expand High-Quality Public Charter Schools in Mississippi