Mississippi teachers’ union opposes school choice in the Magnolia State

• Polls show an increasing number of voters across political lines support school choice. Traditional education advocates are worried.

One of the state’s teachers’ unions released a statement on Monday strongly opposing efforts to expand school choice in Mississippi.

Erica Jones, President of the Mississippi Association of Educators (MAE), said in the statement that her organization believes school choice could turn out to be a disaster.

“A child’s education experience is not a rehearsal,” Jones said. “We’ve got one chance to get it right and experimenting with their futures isn’t part of the performance.”

Jones adds that the Mississippi Constitution “strictly prohibits giving public funds to private schools.”

However, that point remains up for debate in that Section 208 of the Mississippi Constitution prevents direct appropriation of state education dollars to private schools; it does not prevent giving families resources – or appropriations – who then in turn make their own education decisions.

The MAE President goes on to say that they are concerned that there may be a serious effort “to fund unregulated, expensive, private schools in the guise of ‘School Choice.'”

“Have no doubt, ‘School Choice’ is a catch phrase for funneling taxpayer money to private schools. Proponents allege that citizens should have the right to use their tax dollars as they see fit, no matter the damage to public institutions,” Jones said. “There’s a reason that the combined funds from all taxpayers provide government services – it’s fair, it’s equitable, it’s efficient, and it makes sense.”

MAE is an association of nearly 8,000 members composed of Mississippi elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, retired educators and college students preparing to become teachers.

MAE states that its “fundamental objective” is to work for improved salaries, benefits, and working conditions for all education professionals, as well as for a strong Mississippi public education system.

Douglas Carswell, President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, said it is sad to see teacher unions opposing giving parents more power, “but entirely predictable.”

“Mississippi is now surrounded on three sides by states that have school choice.  Polling shows school choice is overwhelmingly supported by Mississippi families,” Carswell noted.

As previously reported by Magnolia Tribune, a poll conducted by Arc Insights for yes. every kid. foundation. in December 2023 found that nearly 8 in 10 voters, or 79% of the 600 people polled, support school choice. Political affiliation did not affect the results. The poll showed that 84% of Republicans, 80% of Independents and 73% of Democrats support school choice.

Support for open enrollment was also strong with those polled, showing 73% of the respondents support the ability for families to choose any public school for their child to attend.

“Now that every student in Mississippi has a personalized education budget [under the new education funding formula], we need to give families the freedom to allocate that money at a school of their choice,” Carswell said. “Teacher unions need to stop acting like it’s their money. The only way to align the values being promoted in Mississippi classrooms with the values of Mississippi families is to give parents more power.”

National efforts to expand school choice

The issue of school choice has been on many minds as the U.S. presidential race heats up.

In a recent opinion column published in the Wall Street Journal last week, Joshua C. Robertson, senior pastor of the Rock Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and founder and CEO of Black Pastors United for Education, wrote that school choice laws “create the opportunity for communities of color to start, sustain, and scale educational opportunities for our children.”

“If Donald Trump and Kamala Harris want our votes, let them prove they hear our voices, respect our values, and are determined to secure our future,” Robertson wrote. “Are we respecting the legacy of those who fought for our civil rights if we put up with lawmakers who receive our votes but refuse to guarantee our children the educational freedom they need to rise and thrive?”

Voters of both parties have spoken in favor of school choice, Robertson notes, asking, “Why aren’t the leaders who want our support listening?”

Robertson said black voters have repeatedly expressed support for school choice, citing that nearly 80% endorsed policies like education savings accounts and vouchers, according to Morning Consult.

“Polling by RealClear Opinion Research also shows that black voters support school choice more than any other race,” Robertson added. “Clearly, our communities want our children to have the same opportunities as others, regardless of race, geography or socioeconomic status. We need courageous leadership that will equip our students to thrive.”

Robertson said the presidential election is tremendously important to black Americans.

“We need to elect leaders who have the compassion, as well as the courage, to enact the wishes of the people,” Robertson continued. “We need to elect leaders who give our votes meaning by hearing our voices and respecting our values. We need to force political leaders to earn our votes. Without backing school choice, how are we going to accomplish the great American task of equality?”

Universal school choice was made a part of the Republican Party’s platform during the recent GOP Convention, as recently noted by Magnolia Tribune.

“We support Universal School Choice in every State in America,” the 2024 Republican Platform reads.

READ MORE: National Republicans embrace universal school choice. Will Mississippi’s GOP leaders follow the lead?

Republican-led states across the nation have embraced the idea of empowering families to choose the best possible education for their children. Mississippi could be next to expand school choice options.

Speaker Jason White (R) said in July that the House of Representatives led the charge to fund students, not systems this year.

“With the passage of the Mississippi Student Funding Formula, the state took a major step forward in our effort to emphasize outcomes, rather than inputs while putting the emphasis of funding on the individual student (and not the system or district),” White said.

White has also said that he’s long been on record as a supporter of increasing educational opportunities for Mississippi students by allowing parents to make decisions that are best for their children.