A Plan for ChangeOtha Burton may be one of the newest appointees to the Jackson Public Schools board, but he is a veteran of city government. Burton served as chief administrative officer for Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., during Johnson's first two terms as …
[Kamikaze] New Breed of Renaissance ManIf you're an avid fan of the NFL, then you were probably glued to your TV this past weekend as the 2010 draft unveiled America's newest millionaires. The draft always holds a few surprises, and after 72 hours of picks, …
[Kamikaze] Open the DialogueMy father and I are the only non-educators in my immediate family. My mother and my siblings were once or are all teachers. And since my father sees every conversation as a "teachable" moment, I guess he could qualify as …
Pre-K: An Ounce of PreventionLittle Samaritan Montessori is an unusual sight in Jackson's Midtown neighborhood. In an area with high rates of vacancy and a declining population, Little Samaritan represents the future. The child-care center serves 62 children, from 6 weeks to 5 years …
Mason Could Leave Hard FeelingsJackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. is scheduled to interview for the president's post at the Southern University System in Louisiana today, and his potential departure could mean new leadership for JSU.
New Charter School Law Brings New CostsFormer Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Earl Watkins said a new charter school law that both the House and Senate approved last month will carry additional costs to the local public-school districts, which already have strapped budgets.
NAACP President: Segregation Still a ProblemOne example of how state and local government continues to attack public education in Mississippi is a bill that would allow charter schools, said NAACP President Derrick Johnson during a community meeting at Koinonia Coffee House today.
Learning SpacesThere are more than 132,000 public and private schools in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Legislators Want Session Postponed for Education FundsThe Mississippi Legislature should suspend negotiations on the 2011 budget for three weeks until lawmakers know whether the state will receive an additional $150 million in federal money, Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, said today. Speaking at a rally in support …
Lawmakers to Rally for Education Funds TomorrowHouse Education Committee Chairman Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, will lead a rally in support of education funding tomorrow in the rotunda of the state Capitol at 11 a.m. The rally comes in the wake of further budget cuts to K-12 education …
Charters and Quasi-ChartersThe Mississippi Legislature's wrangling over charter schools intensified yesterday when the House of Representatives passed a bill that would authorize "innovative schools" but voted down a provision for actual charter schools.
Lawmakers Debate Alternate Education TrackGeneral classroom goals for high-school students, in Mississippi and elsewhere, emphasize pushing kids toward four-year college degrees. Some Magnolia state lawmakers are now looking at introducing a career-track curriculum for the many teens who may not be college bound, reports …
Obama Appoints Mason to Federal HBCU BoardPresident Barack Obama announced Friday that he wants Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. on the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The board exists to strengthen the nation's list of HBCUs, many of which …
JPS to Cut Jobs, Fill ClassroomsState budget cuts this year and next will force the Jackson Public School District to cut teacher positions and increase class sizes, a district official said today. Michael Thomas, the district's Deputy Superintendent for Operations, told an audience at the …
The Power of NowWhen I moved back to Mississippi in 2001, I was naïve. I thought I was coming home to write about the past that shamed me as a white Mississippian. I wanted to be a white Mississippian who wasn't afraid to …