Yet more national coverage on Mississippi (and Trever cartoon nails it again)

The Rio Grande Foundation has been New Mexico’s leader in shining light on the “Mississippi miracle” in education. But other media outlets and columnists left, right, and center have also been doing their part. The latest is NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.

Here are a few choice quotes from his column: “Mississippi has shown that it is possible to raise standards even in a state ranked dead last in the country in child poverty and hunger and second highest in teen births.” Also, “You cannot use poverty as an excuse.” That’s the most important lesson,” David Deming, Harvard economist and education expert.

Contrast that with NM Senator Mimi Stewart’s “NM doesn’t know how to educate poor students.”

Given New Mexico’s challenges with drugs and alcohol, this quote is pertinent, “I’ve lost too many friends I grew up with to drugs, alcohol and suicide, and as I think about what might have saved their lives, education is high on the list.”

Mississippi has achieved its gains despite ranking 46th in spending per pupil in grades K-12. Its low price tag is one reason Mississippi’s strategy might be replicable in other states. Another is that while education reforms around the country have often been ferociously contentious and involved battles with teachers’ unions, this education revolution in Mississippi unfolded with support from teachers and their union.

Mississippi is a red state. New Mexico is a blue state. Sadly when New Mexico attempted to implement reforms closely resembling Mississippi’s, the unions fought it.

“Perhaps the most important single element of the 2013 legislative package was a test informally called the third-grade gate: Any child who does not pass a reading test at the end of third grade is held back and has to redo the year.”

“In fact, the third-grade gate lit a fire under Mississippi. It injected accountability: Principals, teachers, parents and children themselves were galvanized to ensure that kids actually learned to read. Each child’s progress in reading is carefully monitored, and those who lag — as early as kindergarten and ramping up in second and third grades — are given additional tutoring.”

In fact, the third-grade gate lit a fire under Mississippi. It injected accountability: Principals, teachers, parents and children themselves were galvanized to ensure that kids actually learned to read. Each child’s progress in reading is carefully monitored, and those who lag — as early as kindergarten and ramping up in second and third grades — are given additional tutoring.

Interestingly enough, while Albuquerque Public Schools have received a lot of attention for their bloated budget, it is worth noting that Alamogordo schools plans to spend $153,652,893 to educate approximately 5,600 students next school year. That’s more than $27,000 per-student!