The Parents' Campaign

We asked special election candidates in Mississippi House Districts 70 & 77 for their thoughts on school funding, teacher pay, public funds going to unaccountable private schools, & more. See candidates' responses - unedited, in their own words: tpcref.org/voter-information… #msleg

The ultimate money grab: Private voucher schools take state funding, raise tuition, and keep out children who can't afford to pay the tuition balance. It's happened in North Carolina and other voucher states. #msedu #msleg

As the Wild, Wild West of voucher programs, Arizona's lack of accountability & governance opened the door to some questionable purchases (diamond rings, luxury travel, lingerie, & more) by parents who claimed publicly-funded voucher $$ for their own personal use. #msedu #msleg

Here's the secret the voucher lobby doesn't want you to know: Private school vouchers rarely open doors for families seeking "choice." More often, they funnel taxpayers' hard-earned cash to those already enrolled in private school. #msedu #msleg

Skepticism about private school vouchers is growing in voucher states, including Louisiana, Georgia, S. Carolina, & Florida. With costs ballooning as new vouchers go to existing private school families, lawmakers are calling for accountability & controls. cbpp.org/blog/as-budgets-tig…

If our state has an extra dime to spend, it needs to go to pay raises for the public school teachers who have worked a "miracle" for Mississippi. Not a dime more for unaccountable private schools. VOTE NO on HB 1944. #msleg #msedu

HB 1944 is headed for a vote on the House floor, with a deadline of TODAY, Wednesday, Feb. 25. Ask representatives to VOTE NO on HB 1944. Capitol switchboard: 601.359.3770 More contact info for #msleg: msparentscampaign.org/legisl… Get details on the bill: tpcref.org/legislative-analy…

Ask representatives to VOTE NO on HB 1944. It ramps up state funding for private schools to $20M annually, with no accountability/oversight required. Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770 No to ANY BILL that increases public $$ to private schools via CHILDREN'S PROMISE ACT. #msleg

To vote in the March 10 Primary Election, voters must register by Feb. 9. Register by mail (postmarked on or before Feb. 9): sos.ms.gov/content/documents… Register in person: County Circuit Clerk's Office or Municipal Clerk's Office (by 5 pm Feb. 9) Details: tpcref.org/voter-information…

Wonderful news on deadline day! Senate Education Committee kills HB2 voucher bill; House Education & Approp. Committees pass $5,000 teacher pay raise with $3,000 additional increase for public school special education teachers. #msleg Read all about it: msparentscampaign.org/wonder…

HB 2: "...moves Mississippi away from a shared public commitment to education & toward a model that fragments funding & responsibility. Public funds should be used to serve all students...not to convert a public good into a marketplace transaction." #msleg newtoncountyappeal.com/tyler…

As always, Marshall nails it! HB 2 is loaded with public funds for private schools & stipulations that private schools cannot be held accountable. Meanwhile, HB 2 devotes a complete section to new, unfunded accountability & reporting requirements for public schools. #msleg #msedu

Vote NO on HB 2 - massive school choice bill.

The 2026 #msleg convened today; Senate Education Committee met to pass 3 key bills. Read our full story: msparentscampaign.org/senate… Ask senators to: VOTE NO on SB 2002 (public school choice) VOTE YES on SB 2001 (teacher pay raise) VOTE YES on SB 2003 (retired teachers bill) #msedu

"The 2023 voucher program (in Florida) didn’t encourage school choice; it merely awarded taxpayer money to subsidize families for a choice they had already made – and which they were already paying for themselves." usnews.com/opinion/articles/…

“The argument for subsidizing the expense of private education fails ideologically. Those who are dissatisfied with the services that taxpayers provide cannot expect these same taxpayers to foot the bill for private alternatives..." #msleg #msedu starherald.net/should-public…

Wise words from Louise Smith, 2023 Mississippi Teacher of the Year. “The real choice before us is simple: a future where all children succeed or one where some succeed at the expense of others. That’s a choice we must not accept." clarionledger.com/story/opin…