MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL FOR MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE: A SCHOOL CHOICE SUCCESS STORY
MSMS provides a unique, high quality education option, but it is not for every student. MSMS is a special purpose school with a competitive admissions process which excludes all but the most talented students in the state. This school is needed and is doing great things, but how can we foster an environment where other high quality schools of choice open throughout the state and are available to more students?
At Empower Mississippi, we believe that the tax dollars allocated for a child’s education should follow that student to the school that best serves that student’s needs. In the long-run, this would provide a roadmap for a new way of funding all schools in Mississippi – a way that allows parents to choose and that rewards educational success.
If education funding was portable, parents would be encouraged to seek out high quality options and educators would become entrepreneurs by starting schools that fill a void to serve students in specific ways. Because of the Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship and the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs program, Mississippi schools are already looking to expand to parts of the state where special needs options are currently limited. By focusing on funding students rather than schools, we let families cultivate the high quality education options that their children need and ensure that schools are created where parents demand them.
Empower MS
6/15/16
Magnolia Tribune
