Eighty-nine percent of our state's kids go to public schools. To have the kind of workforce to succeed in the 21st century, we start in K-12. Our schools are getting better. Our last NAEP scores were up more than the national average, and the dropout
rate is going down. But that improvement is not enough. We need to make dual enrollment easier and more common. The students can learn more, and their parents will save money as college credits are earned while in high school.
In constrained budget times we must put more resources into the classroom and reduce what is spent on administration. We must continue to focus on improving the quality of teachers coming out of our colleges of education,
while simultaneously using technology more in teaching our kids. Finally, because competition is good in every sphere, I urge you to reform Charter School law so more children can benefit.
Continued large increases in funding higher education
Higher education also received record increases in state funding these last four years. Universities saw state funding go up by nearly one-third, and it was greatly needed after a seven percent cut in funding during the Musgrove administration.
Community colleges got cut even more when Musgrove was governor, and I’m proud that in my first administration state appropriations for community colleges went up
52%, including a more than doubling of state spending on workforce development and job training... a key to our job creation success.
I’m on record as favoring continued, large increases in funding higher education... increases similar to my first term; but I’ll tell you right now, we can’t afford that this year. The money won’t be there.
Spending $8,500 per student is enough--no increase this year
This year our K-12 schools are receiving more than $4.2 billion from state, federal and local sources... more than $8,500 for every child attending our public schools compared to $6,800 per child just four years ago.
Education is our top priority, but we must recognize we won’t be able to increase K-12 spending nearly that much this session, unless you’re willing to gut other critical programs, which I’m not.
Source: 2008 State of the State address to state legislature
, Jan 21, 2008
Extra pay for experienced teachers and for mentoring
To keep our best teachers, we should increase the salaries of teachers with more than 25 years experience. My budget will.
For our beginning teachers, we need to give them more support as they learn to manage a classroom full of kids.
We lose a third of our new teachers within three years. Every new teacher in our schools should have an experienced teacher serving as a mentor, and we should pay that mentor an extra $1000 for this valuable service. It is more than worth it.
Source: 2008 State of the State address to state legislature
, Jan 21, 2008
More local control over schools
Our record funding of education is important, but the true test of our commitment to education is not how much we spend; it is the results we demand & achieve for our students. The taxpayers rightly expect us to get their money’s worth for what we spend.
Reforms passed last year will help, such as giving local leaders more control over their schools. This year, I ask to expand funding an early childhood education initiative that builds on the network of private child care and Head Start centers.
Source: 2008 State of the State address to state legislature
, Jan 15, 2007
Give parents vouchers so they can choose kids' schools
Republicans are pushing ideas like school choice through vouchers to assist the American family in paying for the educational services of their choice. The idea is simple: parents know best how to spend educational dollars on their children.
Parents know how to judge a school without relying on stacks of reports from Washington. Another benefit of school choice is that it forces schools and teachers to compete for students.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p.131
, Apr 25, 1996
Supports charter schools as a means to local control
Charter schools encourage innovation and decentralization. Charter schools are government-funded schools that are created and operated by a group of qualified people. They enter into a contractual arrangement with the state or school system, and
as long as they prove they are meeting their contractual agreement, they operate free from state and district supervision.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p.135
, Apr 25, 1996
