Election Recap: Mississippi Rejects Parent-Driven Funding Push, and 6 Other Notable Education Votes
Amidst the media frenzy surrounding the 2016 presidential election, it is important to note that Tuesday also marked a significant election for America’s K-12 students. The Seventy Four provides an analysis of the election results in several states.
Mississippi:
In Mississippi, voters rejected a citizen-led ballot initiative that aimed to ensure "adequate funding" for public schools or face legal action. They also rejected an alternative initiative proposed by lawmakers, which was believed to be included on the ballot to confuse voters. Both initiatives required approval from 40 percent of voters to be passed. It was reported that 54 percent of Mississippians rejected any changes to the state constitution. Grant Callen, founder of Empower Mississippi, a school choice advocacy group, believes that the rejection indicates that citizens approve of the current path and are more concerned with how the money is being spent rather than the amount of money being allocated.
The debate stemmed from a 1997 law that established a formula to determine the necessary funding for successful student performance. However, the formula has been fully funded by state lawmakers only twice since its inception, leaving public schools underfunded by approximately $1.7 billion since 2009.
Kentucky:
Republican businessman Matt Bevin emerged victorious in Kentucky’s gubernatorial election, defeating Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway. Bevin, who will replace Democrat Steve Beshear due to term limits, is known for his staunch opposition to Common Core. However, it remains unclear how aggressively he will pursue the repeal of the educational standards. Kentucky’s education system has seen improvements in recent years, as demonstrated by its rise from 34th to 10th in Education Week’s Quality Counts annual report. Bevin campaigned in support of school vouchers, while Conway emphasized the importance of early childhood education.
Colorado:
In a significant development, three members of the Jefferson County school board were recalled, resulting in a complete turnover of the five-person board. The suburban district west of Denver garnered attention due to controversial actions taken by the conservative majority, including attempts to revise history standards. The recall effort received significant financial support from teachers unions and the Koch brothers. Ultimately, the recall was successful, with the conservative members being replaced by candidates supported by the recall effort. In nearby Douglas County, three incumbent school board members were also defeated, although majority support for current policies, such as performance pay and school vouchers, still exists among the seven-member board. In Denver, the reform camp maintained control over the school board, with candidates aligned with Democrats For Education Reform and supportive of current policies prevailing over those backed by city teachers unions.
Philadelphia:
No information is provided about Philadelphia in the given text.
Houston
After two months of Superintendent Terry Grier’s resignation announcement, the incumbents of Houston Independent School District’s school board are facing difficulty in retaining their seats. Grier’s administration brought the nation’s eighth-largest school district into the spotlight in recent years by implementing various reforms, such as a performance-based evaluation system and bonus program for teachers. However, he encountered resistance from the teachers’ union and activists during board meetings. The recent election, which consisted of four out of nine seats, was seen as a reflection of Grier’s tenure. While two races had clear winners, the remaining two will be decided in a runoff election on December 12th. Incumbent Juliet Stipeche, who was critical of Grier and supported by the Houston Federation of Teachers, was defeated by Diana Davila, a former board trustee who previously hired Grier but later rallied against him. Two other candidates endorsed by the teachers’ union, Jolanda Jones and current school board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones, performed well in the election. Additionally, current school board trustee Manuel Rodriguez, a supporter of Grier, will participate in a runoff against Jose Leal, an assistant principal at a charter school. The newly elected board will be responsible for selecting a new superintendent to take over when Grier departs in March.
