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Honourable Noah Sanford
Honourable Price Wallace
Honourable Andy Berry
Gentlemen:
Recently the State School Board Association sent the attached legislative survey to all the school board members and asked us to fill it out together as a board. This was done at our last regularly scheduled meeting. I presume this survey was sent to all school boards in Mississippi. I have attached the response of our Simpson County Board and my own personal response. The one representing the entire board was decided by reviewing and voting on each question with the majority vote determining our response. Some of the questions were answered by unanimous vote, some 4-1, and some 3-2. I want to share with you gentlemen why I differed from the majority of the board.
The first question regards school choice within the public schools. I highly favour such school choice. Note well, this would be only within public schools. Allowing parents the liberty of choosing their children’s school would encourage healthy competition and encourage schools to prioritize academics and respect the wishes of parents who should have the final say regarding their children’s education. I would support school choice within public schools as long as the district to which the student is transferring agrees. I hope y’all will support school choice.
We were asked in question four would we support allowing home school students to participate in extracurricular activities in the public schools. I would support this. Tim Tebow is a good example of a home school student who was taught at home by his mother and played football for his local high school team. He won a college scholarship and went on to the pros. As you all know, he is a fine Christian man with a good testimony. He was an asset to his local high school, and no doubt he was blessed by them. I urge you all to support a “Tim Tebow” bill for Mississippi.
Questions six and seven are very interesting to say the least. Question six asks if we would support legislation that addresses school board member “misconduct.” It does not say what kind of misconduct. Of course if a school board member breaks the law, there are already penalties prescribed in the statutes. I have observed enough from the State School Board Association and the educational industrial complex to believe that the intent of this question is to try to keep school board members compliant with the agenda of the State School Board Association and the educational industrial complex. In the training we receive as school board members we are urged to not “rock the boat” and to go along with the system. The Education Industrial Complex does not want school board members to think for themselves, but they want them to support their agenda. Please oppose any legislation that would compromise the independence of school board members.
In question seven we are asked if we would support legislation that would require school boards to adopt a “code of conduct” for board members. Again, I can assure you that this is an effort to discourage school board members from independent thinking. We all have to take an oath to support the US and Mississippi Constitutions and the statutes of the Sovereign State of Mississippi. If a person will not do this then some “code of conduct” is not going to make a person more ethical. I have heard enough that is going on to know there are some in the education establishment who would like to prohibit citizens from serving on the school board who do not have children in the public schools. Please remember the public schools belong to all of us no matter where we send (or sent) our children to school. Please oppose any effort to require any more qualifications for school board members than what is already on the statue books. If a person has a high school education (as presently required), and the confidence of his neighbours by their vote, there should be no other “code of conduct.”
In question nine we were asked about limiting the use of artificial intelligence in the public schools. I would support some limitations. As a board we opposed that because the question is somewhat vague and open ended, but my view is that students should learn to write grammatically and perform mathematical equations on their own before using AI. We in the construction industry are getting ready for AI and it is already being used for estimating, but a person needs to know, and must know how to do the math involved before depending on AI. I would support legislation that would prohibit or limit the use of Al by public school students.
On question 10 regarding early childhood education, I oppose public pre-kindergarten. First, experts like the late Dr Raymond Moore believed that formal education should be delayed to at least six years old, or even seven or eight. I highly recommend Dr Moore’s book “Better Late Than Early.” Secondly, Pre-K programs are actually nothing but government run daycare centers. One of the prominent people in the State School Board Association told us in the training I took last January that many four year-olds are being sent to Pre-K who aren’t even potty trained. I can’t imagine parents who are so sorry as to not potty train a child by age four, but it should not be the responsibiity of the taxpayers to potty train other peoples children.
Question twelve asks about vouchers, tuition tax credits, or scholarships for parents who have their children in non-public schools. I STRONGLY support this. Parents who take responsibility for the education of their own children save the state and local governments millions of dollars each year. It is only right that they receive some relief for all they are doing.
On question thirteen regarding charter schools I differed from the majority in supporting charter schools. Everything I have studied on the subject indicates that charter schools have been and are being successful in helping many students get a better education.
On question fourteen I would oppose incentives for people majoring in education. What I would support would be some kind of merit based pay raises for good teachers.
Sincerely,
Thomas Ray Floyd/ School Board Representative District 3 Simpson County
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