Mississippi First Releases Recommendations for Selecting a State Superintendent
By Rachel Canter | Executive Director Mississippi First has published a public memo to the State Board of Education to support the selection of a new state superintendent. This choice will not only be the most important decision the State Board makes this year; it will also be the most important decision they will make in the […]
One Voice Stands Along; Together, We Become the Answer to Our Prayers.
Editor’s Note: This is a personal reflection by Rachel Canter in response to the tragedy in Uvalde. It reflects her thoughts and feelings alone. It was originally published in an email. By Rachel Canter | Executive Director There are no sacred spaces left in America. This is the thought I keep coming back to after the […]
Pre-K in the 2022 Legislative Session
The 2022 legislative session was a wild ride for pre-K. Our bill to permanently change the per-pupil funding rate, HB 1246, died late in the session due to unrelated politics. This bill would have increased the state share of per-pupil pre-K funds from $2,150 to $2,500 per child—an increase of $350 per child in state funds […]
Statement on American History in Public Schools
By Rachel Canter | Executive Director When I was a first year teacher, I asked my students a basic question about American history—“Why do we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday every year?”—as a way of introducing Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Without exception, the answer I got from every class was that […]
Mississippi First Releases Three Big Ideas for the Future of Schools for Families, Teachers, and Students
Today, we are excited to release our policy vision, “The Future of Schools: Supporting Families, Teachers, and Students.” This publication details three ways that Mississippi First believes we can change with the times in order to better serve all of our students. Families: Align and Extend the School Day and School Year Juggling school and […]
Mississippi First Releases New Resource to Support District Communications
School districts have had to grapple with a host of new communications challenges this year. The best way to navigate the new school year is by learning best practices for communications from districts across the state. To support Mississippi school districts, we are excited to announce the publication of Learning from the Moment: District Communications During a Pandemic. […]
Communications Tools: Navigating Crisis
We would love to imagine a world in which school districts never have to engage in crisis communications, but this past month, schools began re-opening for a new school year right as the Delta variant is surging in Mississippi. In some ways, we know just as little about how this school year will unfold as we […]
Mississippi First Releases Report on Technology in Schools
Mississippi schools have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Every student now has access to a device, and the state is working to expand broadband access. These circumstances make it the right time for districts to establish a one-to-one technology initiative. Today, Mississippi First released our One-to-One Implementation Guide: Establishing Your District’s One-to-One Technology Initiative. The guide supports Mississippi school […]
$16M for Mississippi Four-Year-Olds!
This news deserves its own post. The Mississippi State Legislature doubled its investment in state-funded pre-K to $16M. This is an historic step that ensures educational excellence for Mississippi kids. Pre-K has been a founding policy area for us. When we helped pass the original law in 2013, we hoped that within 10 years 25% of Mississippi’s […]
The “Raise the Rate” Impact
Last year, the legislature proved its commitment to early education by ensuring per-pupil pre-K funding was enough to promote quality. The legislature raised the pre-K rate from $4,300 to $5,000 per child, a difference of $700 total and $350 in state funds. Because the pandemic interrupted the session, the legislature made this change directly in the budget […]