At a press conference yesterday, MASS unveiled and broke down 24 legislative priorities into three categories --- instruction, quality leadership and facilities and technology.
Marietta James is Superintendent of the Columbia School District. She says funding is the key to educational success.
"The way that we're going to increase student achievement is through the resources that are provided so that we can get the things that we need to get to that point," says James.
MASS Executive Director, Sam Bounds says while funding is important, his organization is not asking for specific amounts of money. He says he's more concerned about issues like school choice, which has become a popular Republican rallying cry.
"There's a lot to be known about student choice that I need to know and learn more about. I'm concerned about for-profit organizations. They're going to be worried about the bottom line. Well, our bottom line is student achievement. Our bottom line is not about the dollar," says Bounds.
Carl Merritt is Superintendent of the Poplarville School District. He says the agenda is meant to cut down what he thinks could be part of the problem for Mississippi's education system - lack of communication.
"It is very direct and we're more than willing to sit down with any policy maker that wants more detail, or that wants more information. I'm sure that there are policy makers out there that are willing to do that," Merritt says.
Some of the priorities in the agenda include continuing a statewide literacy campaign, restoring public school building funds, and providing a literacy coach for every elementary school. All literacy coaches would be under the supervision of the local school district.
