September 1st, 2014
Everyone always hears that children are our future, right? Well, here in Mississippi, that must just be sound bite for some of our legislators. According to the Mississippi Association of Educators and Keep Mississippi Public Schools Public, our schools have been underfunded from 2009 to 2015. In our district alone, ALL school districts in Lauderdale County have been underfunded by $40.1 Million. In other words, our legislature has deprived our public schools, and your children, of $40,100,000.00USD. Clarke County, the southern part of Senate District 33, did not fair much better. From 2009 to 2015, ALL school districts in Clarke County have been underfunded by $9 Million, or, in other words, they deprived your schools, and your children, of $9,000,000.00USD. This means that children in our public schools have missed out on funding that would have increased funding for early childhood education, smaller class sizes, school supplies (such as new text books, technology, math and science supplies, etc. . .), and most importantly, qualified educators.
While I cannot change the past, I can promise you this: If I'm elected, I will work everyday to make sure that your children, our future, and the public schools that service them, are never underfunded again. Students and teachers alike will have all the materials they require to become successful. Teachers won't have to teach from books that are outdated and students will have access to technology that will help prepare them for their future in our ever advancing world.