Mississippi has ranked relatively high in national scores for educational achievement in recent years, and state lawmakers continue to search for ways to improve the education system. This year a pay raise went into effect for teachers, putting Mississippi’s starting salaries for educators above the national average. Erica Jones, President of the Mississippi Association of Educators, says the next step is extending those pay raises to all school staff and providing livable wages.
“Those are our teacher's assistants, our bus drivers, our secretaries, and our cafeteria workers,” says Jones. “We’re also advocating around community schools, as well as something we’ve advocated for years on. Fully funding of MAEP.”
Jones says fully funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program would help teachers do their jobs and connect with more students in classrooms. This program has only been fully funded three times by the legislature.
Among the educators at the capitol is Suzanne Smith, a teacher at Grenada Middle and High Schools with more than 30 years of experience. She says the teacher pay raise did help, but she says the premiums for state insurance rose at a similar rate.
“Even though they provide the majority of our insurance funds, we still have to pay part of that premium. And then also for the retirees, our retirees are being almost punished for having to pay such an exorbitant cost for their health insurance,” says Smith.
Public education lobbyists are also asking lawmakers to invest in community schools that can offer unique services in underserved areas.
