Sierra Mannie

Josalyn Filkins, Principal at Midtown Public Charter School

When Josalyn Filkins sat down with the Jackson Free Press, she talked about her plans for the future of the school and for engaging with the community as Midtown tries to move forward amid potential litigation against the charter law, and as legislation opens the doors of the charter school to kids who don't live in Jackson.

Chronically Absent: Is Quality Education in Juvenile Detention Possible in Mississippi?

Rankin County Youth Court Judge Thomas Broome told the Jackson Free Press with some pain that before 2006, juvenile-detention centers in the state didn't have to have school. With few organized efforts to educate detained children, they missed days or weeks of school at a time.

'Young, Fun, Sexy and Hot': Education Leader Wants Passion in Teaching

Ron Clark, founder of the Ron Clark Academy, a private, nonprofit school in Atlanta, says he wants education to be "young, fun, sexy and hot."

No 'Failing' Districts, but Two Jackson Middle Schools Get 'F' in State Scoring

Just over a third of Mississippi's public-school districts scored a "C" than any other grade on the Mississippi Department of Education district accountability scores released this week.

Kids, Cops and Community Policing

In a nation that is noticing the high incidents of police killing, particularly of black men, public outcry from groups like #BlackLivesMatter and others insist upon police transparency and accountability due to generations of shattered trust between law enforcement and minority communities.

Lawsuit: Charter School Law 'Heralds a Financial Cataclysm' in Mississippi

On July 11, the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of some Jackson parents against Gov. Phil Bryant, the Mississippi Department of Education and Jackson Public Schools, challenging a funding provision of the Mississippi Charter Schools Act.

Simons Says: HB 1523 ‘Is About Bigotry’

Rabbi Jeremy Simons knows his Bible too well to lend credence to people who cherry-pick verses to use it to support House Bill 1523, a law that many criticize as discriminatory against the LGBT community.

UPDATED: 'Still in Legal Limbo': HB 1523 Down in Mississippi, But Not Out

Late last night, U.S. District Court for Southern Mississippi Judge Carlton Reeves stopped Mississippi's controversial HB 1523, the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Religious Discrimination Act, in its tracks.

Feeding Jackson's Hungry Children: Summer Program Continues Until July 15

Hundreds of Jackson-area children gathered at McWillie Elementary School today to for the opportunity to eat lunch, learn healthy habits and, time permitting, hit the Quan.

For Student Achievement, Facilities Matter

This past February, the Yazoo County School District made a $4.2-million deal with Schneider Electric, a global company that specializes in automation and energy, to make its schools "greener" in savings and in energy consumption with an Energy Savings Performance Contract.

Mississippi Sees Growth in Early Childhood Literacy, Graduation Rates

Mississippi's public-school students are showing significant gains in graduation rates and kindergarten literary, the Mississippi Department of Education is reporting.

Lynch Street C.M.E. Church Hosts Summer Reading Program

For the fourth grade students at Lynch Street C.M.E. Church's "Teach, Read, Learn (TRL)—Summer Reading Program" this morning, synonyms were a breeze.

How Deaf Kids Learn in Mississippi

The Mississippi School for the Deaf is the only school in the state that exists primarily to serve deaf children. To do it well isn't cheap.

Legislator: Mississippi Superintendents 'Crossed the Line' in Support of 42

Mississippi public-school districts can no longer use funds to pay their administrators' fees to the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents without forfeiting their state funds.

Trans Children in the Balance in Mississippi

On Tuesday, May 24, the nine-member Mississippi Board of Education decided unanimously to disregard the federal government's Title IX guidelines to protect transgender students from discrimination just days after the state superintendent had said the state would follow t hem.

Resisting the Tide: Trans Mississippians Speak Out

Title IX is usually associated with sex-based equity in athletics, but advocates say it actually applies much more broadly.

Mississippi Education Award Not About Charter-School Legislation

Though Mississippi often ranks low among other states in education, the state got high marks recently from a national education group this month.

Avoiding the School-to-Prison Pipeline

When the parents, students, faculty, and staff at Forest Hill met in the auditorium to discuss violence and fighting at the community chat the night of May 4, the room rang with frustration at the perceived chaos of the school environment and concerns about the safety of the students and teachers after a mom drew her gun during an afterschool fight on campus.

Mississippi GOP Reps: Superintendent Should Oppose Transgender Rules or Step Down

A group of Mississippi House Republicans emailed a letter today directly to state Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright, asking her to step down unless the Mississippi Department of Education swiftly reverses its decision to follow the president’s guidelines on protecting transgender students’ rights.

UPDATED: Obama Tells Schools How to Protect Transgender Students' Civil Rights

Today the Obama administration issued a directive offering "significant guidance" to school districts on curbing sex-based discrimination in schools, specifically against students who do not identify with the gender commonly linked to their biological sex.

‘The Right Leadership’: The JFP Interview with Dr. Carey Wright

Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education, recently sat down with the Jackson Free Press to talk about education legislation, school funding and charter schools.

UPDATED: Frustration Over Violence, Chaos at Forest Hill Community Chat

The auditorium of Forest Hill High School was packed Wednesday night where parents, students and teachers sounded off to Jackson Public Schools' top administration, airing their frustrations about violence and instability at the JPS school.

Could an After-school Network Solve Mississippi’s Education ‘Crisis’?

Proponents say high-quality after-school programs are one solution to Mississippi's ongoing education problems, including some of the lowest scores on national tests, and Operation Shoestring's data seems to support their claims.

Public-school Tests Glitch Across State

Twelve thousand Mississippi students spent nearly 20 minutes unable to take their Mississippi Assessment Program tests yesterday morning.

What Black Dads Do: First Class Father Present for Duty

This year, Jackson Public Schools named Steve Collins Parent of the Year for his efforts. Yet, Collins is like a lot of other African American fathers: involved with their children's lives and passionate about their success in school.

LaShunna McInnis

LaShunna McInnis, a 10th-grade English teacher at Provine High School, was recently named Jackson Public Schools' Teacher of the Year for the 2015-2016 school year.

Lance Bass Brings His Green Thumb Back to Mississippi, Says State Leaders Are 'Backward'

Former NSYNC member, author and philanthropist Lance Bass says he and his husband, artist Michael Turchin, come back to visit Mississippi at least five times a year.

Factcheck: The Charter Scoop

The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board helped us factcheck some statements made in interviews about charter schools, including by Forest Thigpen in this issue and in the March 9 interview with Mississippi Association of Educators President Joyce Helmick.

Thigpen: ‘No Such Thing’ as ‘Private Charter Schools’

Mississippi Center for Public Policy President Forest Thigpen insists that charter schools not only play fair in the state of Mississippi, but have the ability to change the game of Mississippi education by encouraging competition amongst public schools.

Rankin Assistant Superintendent, Ridgeland Businessman New Mississippi Board of Education Members

Dr. Jason Scott Dean of Madison and Edward "Buddy" Bailey of Brandon both received the Senate Education Committee's blessing for their appointment to the Mississippi Board of Education this Monday.

JPS: Charter Schools Cost Jackson Half A Million Dollars, Drain Needed Resources

New charter schools are a money drain on Jackson Public Schools, the district's chief financial officer, Sharolyn Miller, warned Thursday.

Ed Update: HB 1523, Charter Schools and Appointed Supes

Now that Gov. Bryant has signed SB 2438 into law, Mississippians are past the days of voting for their school district superintendents.

Debating Restraining, Secluding Kids

The Mississippi Board of Education released an updated restraint and seclusion policy this month that inaugurates more stringent regulations for when adults working in public schools can use force in order to handle student behavioral issues.

Molly Bashay

Molly Bashay is the newest policy analyst for Hope Policy Institute, a division of HOPE, which includes Hope Credit Union and Hope Enterprise Corporation, a community development financial institution in Jackson.

HB 1523's Religious Refusals Could Discriminate Against Public, Private Students

Although the Mississippi governor and legislators who support HB 1523, the "Freedom of Conscience of Religion Act," say it will not contribute to discrimination against the LGBTQ community, many legal professionals and policy experts remain skeptical.

Jumping the Line: Caught in the Crossfire of Ridgeland's Demographic Struggles

Many parents in urban areas, met with the spatial and academic barrier of their zip codes, have no choice but to send their children to the public school available to them within their school districts, regardless of its performance.

JPS Gifted Students Teach Classmates About Mardi Gras with a Parade

Decked out in feathers and beads and decorative umbrellas, the sixth-grade Northwest Jackson IB Middle School students hosted a lively parade celebrating the historical and cultural significance of Mardi Gras in the front hallway of the school to an enthusiastic audience of their peers.

Stories by Sierra