October 8, 2008, Jackson, MS – Eight parents, students, school board members and activists in the MS Delta Catalyst Roundtable were among those who testified at a public input hearing of the Legislative Task Force on Underperforming Schools held to allow education activists a brief opportunity to share their views.
Ellen Reddy, Director of Nollie Citizens for Quality Education and Joyce Parker, Director of Citizens for a Better Greenville, emphasized the need to bring parents and students into the schools to create positive behavior intervention models to provide students the support they need to stay in school.
Helen Johnson, a Holmes County School Board member, and Betty Petty, an Indianola School Board member, cited the challenges faced by school board members who attempt to be accountable to the education needs of students and parents.
Ashley McKay, a Jackson buy tramadol order ambien online State Univ. student, and Kahlil Johnson, a Tougaloo College student, talked about the impact of underperforming schools on students and proposed new approaches that schools ought to take to address barriers facing students.
Leroy Johnson, Southern Echo Exec. Dir., told the Task Force that when 65 percent of the students in the state are at-risk the state cannot sacrifice the education needs of students in low-performing districts on the altar of the state budget.
Mike Sayer, Southern Echo Training Coordinator, pointed out that parents, students and educators from underperforming schools were not represented on the Task Force and need to be in the future because meaningful parent and student involvement is key to solving these problems.
Click here for more pictures from the hearing.
