Sollie Norwood (left) and Marshand Crisler (right) Official Portrait/Trip Burns
Monday, February 25, 2013
Because of Sen. Alice Harden's untimely death in December, the people of Mississippi's Senate District 28 have been without representation for two-thirds of the legislative session.
Tomorrow, that will change.
Marshand Crisler, a former Jackson City Council president and mayoral candidate, and Sollie Norwood, a former Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees member, emerged as the top contenders in the Feb. 5 special election. Because no candidate received a majority of votes cast, the two will face off in a runoff election tomorrow.
Crisler received 25 percent of the 2,789 votes cast; Norwood received 22.5 percent of the votes.
The Jackson Free Press interviewed both candidates before the special election. Both men are running on platforms that highlight the importance of public education. Even though the Mississippi Senate and House have already debated and passed controversial proposals to expand publicly funded, privately run charter schools in the state, the differences in the two bills must be worked out before each body can vote on its final version.
Crisler, who is director of adult education at Hinds Community College, believes fully funding public education according to Mississippi Adequate Education Program formula could help lower Mississippi's 1-to-27 teacher-student ratio (the national average is 1-to-16) and help pay the state's teachers more inviting wages, he said.
He also rejects the argument from charter-school supporters that public schools are not working.
"I just think that if it's funded properly, you can be successful," Crisler said of the Legislature's relationship to traditional public schools in a January interview with the Jackson Free Press.
Norwood said he would not have voted for the Senate charter-school bill. "You're going to further diminish the public schools because everyone isn't going to be fortunate enough to go to a charter school," he said. "We have many successful students that have come from public schools."
In addition, Norwood said he would fight Bryant's attempt to halt expansion of Medicaid, and said the state could shift spending priorities to accommodate adding 330,000 more people to the rolls. Budget experts predict that expanding Medicaid would create up to 9,000 jobs.
Calling expanded health-care coverage a sanctity-of-life issue, Norwood told the JFP earlier this month: "We have people who are literally dying every day because of lack of health care. A person shouldn't have to worry about whether they've got food (or health insurance). This is America. I don't think that's something we should have to worry about."
Crisler, who also supports Medicaid expansion, said he "can't think of one conceivable practical reason" why Mississippi wouldn't accept the same assistance from the federal government that other states have agreed to take. Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government would pay 100 percent of the cost of expanding Medicaid for the first three years.
Norwood and Crisler also disagree with a legislative proposal that has traction in the House and Senate to give schools money to hire armed guards.
"I'm in favor of security measures, but I'm not in favor of arming guards because then you've got to be worried about who are the armed guards," Norwood said.
Crisler, who is retired from the U.S. Air Force, said he believes citizens should have the right to own guns to protected their life and property but questions whether that right extends to weapons with rapid-fire capabilities.
"You don't need that to protect your home," Crisler said.
Comments
hotrodrobert 11 years, 2 months ago
There is one specific issue that both of them support and that is to exclude the choice for families to give their kids a chance through the charter school avenue.We have had 50 years and promises by every single politician that they will fix the school system and it will just require "a little " more funding.And we have paid and paid;guess what? They are worse and no one has a plan except "a little more funding"I know Marshand and he is a decent guy. But like all politicians he is and his competition Mr Norwood having to go along to get along and have a chance to get elected. Many of you and myself out there want better opportunities for these kids.If the charters don't work we can scrap them;if they do work the kids win and the families will have given their children a chance.After 50 years of corruption and failure lets give this idea a chance.I am pulling for Crisler and hope he wins.And if he does we need to get him to change his mind on the charter school issue.The education cabal has held our kids back for to long,there is never enough money or power for the school board ,now lets use our power to break the bonds of failing schools. Good Luck Marshand.
mnofmh 11 years, 2 months ago
hotrodrobert, what happened 50 years ago that made schools so bad?
hotrodrobert 11 years, 2 months ago
Politicians using them to get elected,by lying to the people about how they would improve them.The school boards gaining power and using the money allocated for education and making them selves rich. Now we have school unions that have little to do with education and more about protecting teachers.We have slid down the 17th place and are listed as average in the world rankings of education compliance.I care little for the political environment that lies to us while our children are harvested in the emergency rooms in Jackson and across the nation.Our Jackson mothers and fathers don't give a whoop about Mr. or Ms. "give me a vote and cash and I'm your guy"let's be real.Children have been abandoned in South Jackson, Harvey #1 ;Melton ;and Harvey #2 promised all kinds of progress and then them and the money all ran back to "Downtown Partners"and hired private policing and we are left here with gunfire,drugs and gangs.Most South Jackson parents won't let their kids platy in the front yard to keep them safer (Not safe but as safe as they can be).The people want the educational chances for their kids the "Downtown" money wants to keep control of the purse strings.Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is insane.So we will see what happens.
mnofmh 11 years, 2 months ago
I think politicians do intend to better schools. I don't think its lying to say I want to make schools better. However, the problems are obviously systemic and won't be solved by one person coming into office. I don't recall any investigations or arrests from illegal spending by school board members, so I won't comment. Teacher's union, like any union, are there for the employees, so yes, it is intended to look out for the best interest of teachers.
I'm not clear whether you're saying South Jackson is a problem area because of the mothers and fathers abandoning children or the politicians for supporting downtown. I'd argue that parents have more of an effect on their child than a politician does.
hotrodrobert 11 years, 2 months ago
So according to your line of reasoning ,the politicians have our best interests in heart but are powerless to get anything done because of the system?I agree and so the best thing to do is not to bother wasting time voting for them ,contributing money to their campaigns,or getting involved at all because it is hopeless.I am so glad you cleared that up for us all.Shame on them for lying to us all this time and saying they could fix these problems.And you are right again on the Teachers Unions,like I also said they have nothing to do with educating our kids because they are in the business of of gaining money and power for themselves and using the teachers to do that,you know there is a famous video out there of a National high ranking Union official saying "We have little to do with educating children and everything to do with gaining wealth and power"if you have computer skills you should be able to find it.If you want to see an education machine you just need to look at Jackson Academy,One of the top K-3 through high school programs in the country.They are spitting out little geniuses right and left and guess what with all the special stuff and fine campus extras they spend substantially less on each student to teach them. Corruption and failure are expensive , commitment and focused dedication to excellence are priceless.We are being scammed and I don't understand why you and others make excuses for the failures that leave our kids in a cycle of failure?As for the Mothers and Fathers in south jackson, well they are promised and lied to so much,they just finally fall into a pattern of survival and the kids become the generational victims of their lack of hope for a better outcome.I always pray that people like Marshand who could do some thing ,he has the skills .That he would stand up ,buck the system ,do the right thing for the people.Or he can do for himself and be another political animal feeding on the corpses of the weak and systemically gain power while throwing crumbs to the people who look up to him. Mnofm h it is about what is real ,don't be mad at me for pointing out that Jackson is a toilet compared to all the towns around us ,truth to power my friend,what is the difference?It is our leadership from the City Counsel to the Mayor we are broken and the kids pay the price.Wipe out the old and start again.Just saying!!
mnofmh 11 years, 2 months ago
You beat me. I don't have the energy to respond to all of that.
mnofmh 11 years, 2 months ago
But I do have to disagree with you about JA. It's not one of the top K-3 through high school programs in the country. Its not event the best in the metro area.
hotrodrobert 11 years, 2 months ago
Wow good catch,I sure did type Jackson Academy,when I meant Jackson Prep out on Lakeland. And for the record I am not trying to beat anyone,I'm here because I love this city and hate to see us in such terrible shape with sub-standard leadership and a failing experience waiting for our kids. Heck we just saw Sam's Club flee with so many other businesses and Harvey is wanting another term.The city counsel is the same people over and over.Why do we shoot our selves in the foot and reload by voting these obviously failed politicians back to do the same failed policies.Businesses pay taxes,people on welfare consume taxes,and the services, opportunities, and jobs leave with the tax revenues.If you own a house here or a business it just keeps losing value.Are your taxes going down?So you are paying for more and more people who pay no taxes.Man you have "Drug Boys" rolling on rims that are more expensive then some homes are worth here in Jackson.Maybe we should tax their rims so we can fix some roads and educate the kids.
mnofmh 11 years, 2 months ago
I realize its not a competition, just good conversation that I'm too lazy too respond to.
Ha, a luxury tax on rims in Jackson might go a good ways toward solving our pothole problems!
Also, same goes for Prep. I'm not impressed...
hotrodrobert 11 years, 2 months ago
Come on we can't be lazy that is a main factor in our condition and lack of awe in the spectacular performance of JP is why we are failing so much .We should copy everything that works especially when it works well.JP graduates excel in politics, medicine ,business and manufacturing.At such a rate as to be noted nationwide as a superior teaching facility.
mnofmh 11 years, 2 months ago
I disagree with your premise that there is spectacular performance at Prep and that it is the best in the area. Regarding JA, Prep and the rest, students in private schools typically score higher than those in public schools. But I think those differences are generally aligned with the differences in performance among racial, economic and social backgrounds.
Briefly, and speaking very generally, those who send their children to privates schools have the means to afford it. These people have the means because they are smart and have been successful. These smart parents have smart kids. Smart kids do well at school, and when grouped together in one school, the school does well. Not necessarily that the school is doing anything special, they've just got "smart" kids. This is what you see at Prep and JA, and to a certain extent, the public schools that the middle class have moved to.
However, I will highlight St. Andrews as a spectacular performer. The school has higher scores, more National Merit/Achievement scholars, and the kids go to school somewhere other than Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Specifically, they send a lot of kids to the Ivy League schools. And they start this early on... for example, the pre-K kids are learning mandarin and Spanish. It's very impressive what they're doing.
hotrodrobert 11 years, 2 months ago
mnofmh 11 years, 2 months ago
I didn't say being black is a path to failure. In fact, I believe it has more to do with socioeconomic factors that racial demographics. If you were to take anything from my post, the children of those with means are likely to be on a path to success due to their environment. I did not say the reverse that this will equal success or that the inverse equals failure.
America is great in that you can rise from humble beginnings to the top of your field. Unfortunately, those mentioned are exceptions and not the rule. We've got a cyclical poverty problem that spans the racial spectrum, so this isn't just a black issue.
Charter schools might be good for those who are able to attend, but what about the rest of the community that will be left behind? I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I don't believe you can rightfully argue that we need basically to reform the school system top down to benefit all and then advocate for a system that will only benefit a precious few.
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