The Parents' Campaign

06/08/2026

Mississippi House Speaker Jason White has named six new select committees to study issues that affect your community and make policy recommendations to be considered in the 2027 Legislative Session. Among the study committees is one focused on "consolidation opportunities" within public school districts, community colleges, and universities, co-chaired by House Education Chair Rob Roberson of Starkville and Universities and Colleges Chair Donnie Scoggin of Ellisville.

Last week, at the consolidation committee's first meeting, members heard from State Superintendent Dr. Lance Evans and Deputy Superintendent Mike Kent, as well as the leadership of Mississippi's Community College Board and Institutions of Higher Learning. The Mississippi Department of Education provided the committee information on past school district consolidations (https://mdek12.org/districtconsolidation/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/11/Mississippi-School-District-Consolidations-November-2018.pdf) and outcomes in those districts. Dr. Evans urged that the best interests of students remain the top priority for the committee and suggested that legislators develop a 10-year plan laying out objective criteria and a realistic timeline for proposed consolidations.

Another topic raised was the condition of public school facilities and the importance of ensuring that all students have a quality learning environment. The State of Mississippi does not provide funding for public school facilities, leaving that responsibility to local taxpayers and creating the enormous disparity in facilities we see across our state.

We at The Parents' Campaign are compiling research on the issue of school consolidation, which we will share with you in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we'll keep you updated on future meetings and actions of the committee, as well as the potential impact on your public schools.

Now is a good time to encourage other public school supporters in your community to join us in standing up for strong public schools, competitive teacher pay, broader access to state-funded pre-k, and the same rules for all schools that receive state funding - the same assessment and accountability ratings, same admissions requirements, the very same rules.

There is never a charge for any of our services, and we don't sell or otherwise share our supporters' contact information. Ask your friends and family to join us here: https://msparentscampaign.nationbuilder.com/. Together, we've got this!

05/28/2026

The ultimate money grab: Private voucher schools take state funding, raise tuition, and keep out children who can't afford to pay the tuition balance. It's happened in North Carolina and other voucher states.

05/21/2026

As the Wild, Wild West of voucher programs, Arizona's lack of accountability and governance has opened the door to some questionable purchases (diamond rings, luxury travel, lingerie, and more) by parents who have claimed publicly-funded voucher money for their own personal use.

05/13/2026

75% of Texas voucher applicants in that state's new voucher program already are attending private school or are homeschooled. Here's the secret the voucher lobby doesn't want you to know: Private school vouchers rarely open doors for families seeking "choice." More often, they funnel taxpayers' hard-earned cash to those already enrolled in private school.

05/07/2026

I can't thank you enough for your terrific work to push back against the voucher lobby that has been working nonstop to dismantle our public schools. Your steadfast support of our children, our public schools, and the legislators who stand with them has been critical in our fight to ensure that every Mississippi child has a shot at a bright future.

Unfortunately, that fight is about to escalate, with a pivotal statewide election right around the corner. National voucher groups are threatening to infiltrate Mississippi's 2027 election for state legislators and leaders, filling pro-voucher candidates' campaign coffers with cash in hopes of unseating pro-public school legislators. We can't let that happen. We must make sure that public school supporters in every district are engaged and informed, have great candidates on the ballot, and get to the polls in every election.

Here's how you can help:
• Pitch in $5: https://msparentscampaign.nationbuilder.com/donate. Help us pay for travel and materials to reach public school supporters in every corner of the state. Your confidential recurring donation of just $5 a month - the cost of a cup of coffee - will make a big difference.
• Spread the word. Ask other public school supporters you know to join our effort. They can sign up here: https://msparentscampaign.nationbuilder.com/, and we'll be in touch soon with easy ways to help ensure that our Legislature stays public school strong!

Our approach to protecting and strengthening public education isn't complicated; it just makes sense. In a state that loves its teachers and local schools, we need only to uplift parent voices, and they will win the day. When moms and dads, grandparents, and community leaders know how and when to help, they step up. And children win.

But we've got a lot of voters to reach, and we need your help to do it. Can you send $5 today? If you donate in the next 5 days, you can double your contribution, thanks to matching funds from an enthusiastic and generous donor. You can donate confidentially and securely online here: https://msparentscampaign.nationbuilder.com/donate, or you can mail a check to:
The Parents' Campaign
222 N. President St., Suite 102
Jackson, MS 39201

You've probably heard that Gov. Reeves has called a special session for May 20, when the Legislature will return to Jackson to redraw Mississippi's Supreme Court districts. Speculation is swirling about other issues that might be added to the special session agenda, including additional redistricting. I will alert you if school choice arises as part of the special session.

The voucher lobby is well funded and determined, and we can't afford to be complacent about their plans to employ the same unseemly tactics they've used elsewhere to take over state legislatures. A well-informed and engaged electorate is the key to a public school-friendly Legislature. We'll be hitting the road this summer with that goal top of mind. Will you help us with a $5 donation? Together, we've got this!

Nancy Loome, Executive Director

04/29/2026

Skepticism about private school vouchers is growing in voucher states, including in Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and even Florida. With ballooning costs to states as new vouchers are scooped up by existing private school families, lawmakers - including previous voucher supporters - are calling for more accountability and controls for voucher programs.

In the face of historic cuts to federal support for states, some state lawmakers are considering shifting spending priorities away from school voucher programs.

04/03/2026

The Mississippi House and Senate have completed their work in the 2026 Legislative Session and adjourned - for now. Earlier in the week, both chambers adopted HCR 64, which extended the session until April 15 to give them some breathing room on some looming conference report deadlines. The resolution states that they will reconvene in the meantime only if Lt. Gov. Hosemann and Speaker White deem it necessary.

Many thanks are due you and our legislators who took bold stands this session in support of our public schools and the children they serve!

As a recap, the Legislature adopted the following raises:
• $2,000 across-the-board pay raise for certified teachers
• Additional $2,000 salary supplement for special education teachers who are teaching special education in a public school (total $4,000 raise for SPED teachers)
• $2,000 pay raise for teacher assistants
• $2,000 salary supplement for occupational therapists
• $2,000 salary supplement for school psychologists
• $5,000 pay raise for school attendance officers (SAO)

Additionally, the Legislature provided:
• Funding for more SAO positions (enough for one for every 4,000 students)
new math and adolescent literacy initiatives
• Amendments to the PERS statute to strengthen the incentive for retired teachers to return to public school classrooms and to address issues with the Tier 5 provision passed last year
• Full funding for the Chickasaw Cession program
• Level funding for pre-k and the National Board Certified Teacher program (which, in the past, has been sufficient to provide NBCT supplements for all who qualify)

See more details here: https://msparentscampaign.org/legislature-adopts-school-funding-teacher-pay-raise-bills/

I am exceedingly proud of the remarkable work you did this session in concert with courageous local leaders and legislators to defeat the onslaught of school choice legislation pushed by the billionaire voucher lobby. State-funded schools should not be allowed to pick and choose their students, and all state-funded schools should operate under the same rules.

Please join me in thanking the legislators who stood with us in support of our public schools! We will not forget these important votes. If you haven't had a chance to listen to Senate President Pro Tempore Dean Kirby talk about the Senate vote to defeat HB 2 - and the thousands of you who called urging legislators to oppose school choice - take a minute to listen now (just past the 4-minute mark in the podcast): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWIGX26d9pk. It will make you proud.

Mississippi children are incredibly fortunate to have you in their corner. What a blessing it is that you will invest your time and resources to lift your voice, spread the word, rally the troops, and call, text, and email lawmakers - again and again and again - to ensure brighter futures for thousands of children, most of whom you will never know. You are a gift! To children and to our entire state. And I am ever thankful.

Nancy Loome, Executive Director

04/01/2026

The Legislature has finalized the teacher pay raise, the adolescent literacy initiative, and the Math Act, all of which were funded in the conference report for the P-12 appropriations bill, HB 1935. That conference report includes funding for:

• $2,000 across-the-board pay raise for certified teachers
• Additional $2,000 salary supplement for special education teachers who are teaching special education in a public school (total $4,000 raise for SPED teachers)
• $2,000 pay raise for teacher assistants
• $2,000 salary supplement for occupational therapists
• $2,000 salary supplement for school psychologists
• $5,000 pay raise for School Attendance Officers (SAO)
• Additional SAO positions to provide one SAO for every 4,000 students
• $9-million for the adolescent literacy program
• $3.48-million for the Math Act
• Level funding for the National Board Certified Teacher program
• Level funding for Early Learning Collaborative and State Invested Pre-k programs
• Full funding for Chickasaw Cession

The adolescent literacy program expands Mississippi's nationally-recognized literacy supports into middle grades, something The Parents' Campaign has advocated for and strongly supports. We are concerned, however, that the $9-million appropriated for this initiative will be insufficient to cover the cost of all mandates included in the legislation, creating an unfunded mandate for school districts, each of which is required by the legislation to provide an interventionist or therapist in every school with a grade 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8.

The Math Act provides for screeners, coaches, and remediation programs to identify and address math deficiencies of students in participating school districts.

Neither the literacy nor the math program requires students to pass a middle-grade "gate" assessment for promotion to the next grade. Both programs focus instead on identifying and supporting struggling students.

PERS measures were finalized in HB 4073, which changes the PERS statute to allow most state employees, including teachers, to continue receiving PERS benefits and return to state employment 30 days after retirement at 80% of the salary in effect for the position at the time of employment. The employer will be responsible for paying both the employer and employee contribution to the PERS retirement system. Other changes to PERS include adjusting, for Tier 5 employees, the years of service required for retirement from 35 to 30 and the average salary on which benefits are based from the 8 highest years of compensation to the 4 highest.

Additionally, the House and Senate approved an additional $6-million in Children's Promise Act tax credits for nonpublic special purpose schools, schools that educate primarily students with a special need or disability. Tax credits for other private schools were not increased.

I know the $2,000 teacher pay raise is a disappointment after both chambers gave us hope for a much more significant increase, particularly given the creation of yet another set of tax credits for nonpublic schools. Mississippi's miracle-working public school teachers deserve to be compensated like the professionals they are, and our children deserve reasonable class sizes and highly qualified public school teachers, both of which are becoming increasingly difficult for public schools to provide as Mississippi's teacher shortage crisis escalates.

Despite those disappointments, we can't lose sight of the truly remarkable work you did alongside your legislators to s***f out the dangerous school choice legislation pushed by the billionaire voucher lobby. We need more legislators like those who have stood strong for public schools, and we have an opportunity right around the corner to improve the landscape of our Legislature. If your representative or senator is not one who has supported public education, begin taking steps now to find a viable, competitive candidate to run for that seat next year. The qualifying deadline for the 2027 state elections is February 1, a mere 10 months from now.

The House and Senate have wrapped up their work on education legislation but still have a few bills on other topics to deal with. I expect them to accomplish that and adjourn the 2026 Legislative Session in the next day or two. I'll send you a final update as soon as they complete their work. Together, we've got this!

Nancy Loome, Executive Director

03/28/2026

The conference report for HB 1944, the Children's Promise Act bill, adds the $6-million in tax credits for nonpublic special purpose schools that we told you about last week. Special purpose schools are private schools that serve students with a special need or learning disability.

These special purpose schools typically have fewer than 100 students and already receive state funding through three different special education voucher programs (ESA vouchers, dyslexia vouchers, and speech-language vouchers). Some of them receive additional state appropriations for as much as $1-million.

This $6-million in tax credits reduces the state funding available for things like a teacher pay raise. In a year when the state says it doesn't have sufficient funding to provide a meaningful teacher pay raise, it is unacceptable that additional funds would be carved out for any nonpublic schools.

You will recall that, when this bill was debated in the Senate last week, Sen. Blount offered an amendment to redirect the $9-million in current private school tax credits to special purpose schools, a move that would accomplish what the new tax credits aspire to achieve without costing the state any additional funding. That amendment almost passed, failing with the narrowest possible margin.

If the state can afford to fund private schools at any level, the state can afford a meaningful pay raise for public school teachers.

Ask all legislators to:

Vote NO on the HB 1944 conference report or VOTE TO RECOMMIT the report to redirect private school tax credits to special purpose schools
and
Commit every spare dollar to a meaningful teacher pay raise

Find contact information for legislators: https://msparentscampaign.org/legislators-by-school-district/

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann: 601.359.3200
House Speaker Jason White: 601.359.3300
Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770

Our children deserve reasonable class sizes and highly qualified public school teachers, something that is becoming increasingly difficult for public schools to provide as teachers leave the profession due to low salaries. Mississippi's miracle-working teachers deserve to be compensated like the professionals they are. Diverting any state funding to private schools, then claiming to have insufficient revenue to pay teachers well is a non-starter. Mississippi must do better.

The House and Senate will reconvene at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Sunday) to begin voting on conference reports, so please make those calls right away. Ask your friends and family to call, too. Spread the word at church and ask others to leave messages for legislators with the switchboard at 601.359.3770 (switchboard should be open Sunday afternoon). Our teachers and our children are counting on us, and together, we've got this!

03/28/2026

Mississippi Today is reporting that the House and Senate have come to an agreement on a one-time $2,000 pay raise for certified and assistant teachers, with an additional $2,000 (total $4,000) for special education teachers (https://mississippitoday.org/2026/03/27/teacher-pay-raise-legislature/). While any pay raise is helpful, this is very disappointing news. A $2,000 pay raise is unlikely to stem the exodus of teachers from the classroom or to attract new teachers into the profession.

For the moment, this increase will leave Mississippi teachers' starting pay $4,700 behind that of neighboring states, and our average teacher pay overall about $3,000 behind that of our neighbors, though those states likely will continue passing their own raises, further widening the gap. Mississippi's public school teachers - among the best in the country - deserve better.

The agreement reportedly also provides a $2,000 raise for occupational therapists and school psychologists, and a $5,000 increase for school attendance officers.

House and Senate Education Chairmen Roberson and DeBar both pointed to the strain put on the state budget by a dramatic $390-million increase required to fund Medicaid as a primary cause of the lower-than-hoped-for pay raise. That eye-popping increase was triggered by HR 1, the federal legislation passed by Congress last summer, which shifted much of the burden for funding Medicaid to the states. That shift, which is costing Mississippi hundreds of millions of dollars, appears to have cost our teachers a decent pay raise.

Both chambers have adjourned until Sunday at 2 p.m., when they are expected to take up the budget bills. In the meantime, you can reach out to legislators who have provided personal phone numbers. Those without personal numbers can be reached at the Capitol when they return on Sunday.

Find contact information for legislators: https://msparentscampaign.org/legislators-by-school-district/

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann: 601.359.3200

House Speaker Jason White: 601.359.3300

Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770

As of this writing, the conference report for SB 2103, the bill amended to include the teacher pay raise, is not yet available to view online. Monday is the deadline for final action on the public school appropriations bill. While the general bill (pay raise) final adoption deadline isn't until Friday, funding in the appropriations bill must be sufficient to cover the raise. We will keep you updated as conference reports are posted online and we get additional information. Together, we've got this!