(Photo from Speaker Jason White on Facebook)
- “Some are pro-school choice for parents, and some aren’t,” State Rep. Roberson said. See who will be presenting.
On Thursday, the Mississippi House of Representatives’ Education Freedom Select Committee will host four speakers who will present varying viewpoints on the topic of school choice.
The meeting is part of Speaker Jason White’s promise to gather information from a variety of sources on the topic ahead of the 2026 legislative session. The Republican leader has said some form of school choice legislation will be considered in the chamber when the House gavels back in.
During the Neshoba County Fair in July, White said publicly that school choice, in all of its various forms, would be up for review.
“We are committed to transforming the educational landscape in Mississippi to ensure that every child in our state has access to an education that caters to their unique needs and aspirations,” White told fairgoers.
This week’s hearing by the Education Freedom Select Committee will include testimony from the following:
- Dr. Kim Wiley, Director of Education Equity at the Mississippi Center for Justice
- Marcus Boudreaux, Superintendent of the Biloxi School District
- Erika Donalds, Chair of America First Policy Institute’s Center for Education Opportunity
- Dr. Patrick Wolf, Distinguished Professor of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas.
Each speaker is expected to have about an hour for their presentation and interaction with the committee.
“I’m looking forward to having a conversation with [these individuals],” State Rep. Rob Roberson (R), chair of the committee, told Magnolia Tribune. “Some are pro-school choice for parents, and some aren’t.”
About the Speakers
Dr. Kim Wiley is with the Mississippi Center for Justice, a nonprofit, public interest law firm that often argues on behalf of left-leaning causes such as “economic justice” and Medicaid expansion. MCJ says Dr. Wiley has a decade of experience as an educator in secondary and higher education settings before moving on to research development across a number of fields.
For four years she served in the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Geriatrics as a medical writer. Wiley also worked as a program evaluator with Professional Associates, Inc. to assess the state’s agencies and local programs that took part in the Mississippi Justice and Assistance Grant for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.
Dr. Wiley holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction from Mississippi State University and a Master of Education from Mississippi College.
From the Biloxi School District, Marcus Boudreaux has served as superintendent for the school district since January 2020. Prior to that role, Boudreaux was the principal of Biloxi High School for five years, principal of Biloxi Junior High School for one year, and assistant principal of Biloxi High for almost five years. He was an educator for the Biloxi school district for about eight years before joining the administration.
Boudreaux holds a specialist degree in educational leadership and administration from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Arts in secondary education and teaching from William Carey University.
Erika Donalds is expected to speak in support of expanding school choice. She serves as chair of America First Policy Institute’s Center for Education Opportunity where she uses her expertise on education and school choice policy daily. According to AFPI, her passion for accountability within schools in the U.S. has led her to use her business executive experience to support the “expansion of high-quality school choice options.”
Donalds, is married to Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, founded an education technology company called OptimaEd, which is a collection of six classical charter schools. She has prior experience as a school board member and university trustee as well as two decades of experience as a Chief Financial Officer/Chief Compliance Officer and Managing Partner at a multi-billion-dollar investment management firm.
Dr. Patrick Wolf, who is a 21st Century Endowed Chair in School Choice in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, is expected to share findings on his evaluations of school voucher programs in states such as Louisiana.
In his professional career, Wolf has authored hundreds of journal articles and reports on private school choice and public charter schools. His school choice research has been discussed on various networks from Fox News to ABC World News Tonight to CNN and more.
Wolf holds a Ph.D. and a master’s in political science from Harvard University.
Jeremy Pittari
