The Senate Education Committee has tabled a nomination to fill a vacant seat on the Mississippi Board of Education. Governor Tate Reeves tapped Carrol Powell to serve the state’s 3rd district, but the appointment must also be confirmed by the Senate. Democratic Senator Sollie Norwood of Jackson objected to the nomination, as Powell has served as a charter school lobbyist in Tennessee.
“Look like this individuals and qualifications, I just didn’t feel like it was good fit for public education,” says Norwood. “And we need to build public education up, and I didn’t think [the nomination] was the right thing to do at this time.”
Norwood says they chose to make the motion to table not because of any specific legal objection, but because a lobbyist may have conflicting interests on a board for public education. A point of concern was raised on how Powell could be considered an educator because of her lobbying job in Tennessee, which would disqualify her from serving on the board.
Republican Senator Michael McClendon of Hernando questioned the nomination despite living in the same county as Powell.
McClendon says “The charter schools of Memphis register the Tennessee legislature to give money to outside states for them to be able to go to Tennessee schools. Is that something we would want on the Mississippi Board of Education?”
Members of the committee did not take up a nomination to confirm the new State Superintendent. They say they will take that matter up at a later date when the Department of Education can be present and answer questions.
