It is a travesty that a majority of the Senate Education Committee would consider the CEO of one of Mississippi's greatest success stories to be unworthy to serve on the State Board of Education.

Maybe the education establishment is afraid that Bomgar might try to apply the same innovation to the education system that he has to the technology sector. (more…)

Charter schools are nonprofit educational organizations that are public schools. As such, they:
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This morning, the Senate passed the conference report on charter schools by a vote of 34-18, which sends the measure to the governor for his signature. The House approved the conference report yesterday by a vote of 62-56. This is far from a perfect bill, but it is a good start and will give some Mississippi children an opportunity to receive a quality education that they would not have had otherwise. In politics, (more…)

As part of the president's health care plan ("ObamaCare") states are being encouraged to expand Medicaid to cover able-bodied adults who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). Medicaid already covers low-income mothers and children, as well as disabled adults and low-income seniors. Expanding Medicaid will cover adults with no children who are working or could be working -- at least some of whom already have private insurance coverage. In addition to being unnecessary, the expansion will result in lower quality care for Medicaid patients, higher taxes and debt, and job losses for the country as a whole.
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When legislators or the public consider a newly-proposed government program, or an existing one for that matter, the first thought is usually, "How can we make this work best?" Instead, the first question should be, "Is this something government should be doing at all?" (more…)

Summary: Research on State-Funded Pre-K: Does it work? What does the research really say?

Advocates of government funded Pre-K claim "study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road" and that "five decades of rigorous research have shown that high-quality Pre-K has large and lasting effects." (more…)

The Senate has passed and the House is considering bills that would, for the first time, provide state funding for pre-kindergarten programs from the state budget. Mississippi Center for Public Policy opposes state-funded pre-kindergarten.
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Let's get a few things straight about charter schools. First of all, there is no such thing as a private charter school. Charter schools are, by definition, public schools. They cannot charge tuition, they administer the same tests and are rated under the same system as regular public schools, and they must accept all students who apply, unless there's not enough room, in which case they draw names, giving all students an equal chance. (more…)

We appreciate Governor Bryant's willingness to take a stand on this issue. The promise of state control over an Obamacare health insurance exchange is an illusion. Federal officials have the power to dictate the operation of an Obamacare exchange, and we have no doubt they will do so over time.
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