Education

Sex Education is Not a Partisan issue

For so long, Mississippi's public officials, and its community and school district leaders have shied away from talking about sex to avoid the potential political consequences. Last week however, the Women's Fund of Mississippi began advocating for school districts and parents to teach children comprehensive sex education.

Sargent Plans for Future of JPS

Interim Superintendent Jayne Sargent will only be at Jackson Public Schools for six months to a year, but she is working on technology and curriculum changes that will help the school system in the future.

Put to the Test

Where the Candidates Stand on Education

Along the roads that yellow school buses are just beginning to frequent, red-and-blue campaign signs are reminders that this is also a political season. Many of the signs are for Johnny DuPree or Bill Luckett, Democratic candidates for governor who will face each other in a runoff election Aug. 23.

Welcome, New Jacksonians

Fact: Jackson is a college town. The metro area is home to eight colleges and universities plus a few technical schools. Despite the popular (and false) saying of "there's nothing to do in Jackson," people flock here for their education, swelling the city's population by 30,000 to 40,000 people. There are plenty of places to go and things to see, some of which are free.

Education Update

Mississippi Curriculum Test 2 scores for the 2010-2011 school year show that for the first time in Mississippi more than 50 percent of students in each grade scored proficient or above in language arts. Each year, students in third through eighth grades take the tests, meant to measure school and district performance.

Travels With Chickens

It started out as a typical yellow school bus. When six Mississippi teens were done with it, the bus had turned into a colorful "Farm on Wheels," with a cheery agricultural scene along the side topped with puffy clouds and even a rainbow or two. Oh, and it now runs on vegetable oil instead of gasoline, and a chicken coop is among its new features.

Job Trainer Loses Job

One month ago, Machelle Kyles was busy preparing to train another wave of job seekers at Florida-based Paxen Learning Corp.'s office in Jackson. Now, the former program coordinator is job-hunting herself.

[Stiggers] Re-educate the People

"We're fed up with the present government regulations that force us to give more to the poor. We've seen enough of the under classes rising up and making history. The madness must stop. Therefore, we must do all we can to continue to mis-educate the lower class through social media, radio, television and print."

Edwards Signs Off

Even though the Jackson Public Schools Board has not decided on the fate of Superintendent Lonnie Edwards, Edwards said his goodbyes yesterday to the school district.

Teachers: No More Social Media

A new Mississippi ethics policy for teachers raises questions about student-teacher relationships in the digital age. The policy prevents teachers from directly communicating with students through social media websites and text messaging.

JPS Names New Superintendent; Approves Budget

Jackson Public Schools Board members voted to name former superintendent Jayne Sargent as the district's interim superintendent last night. The district also adopted a budget for the 2011-2010 fiscal year.

Still Waiting

Marriage might be far away from most teenagers' minds, especially as they relish freedom from teachers and textbooks this summer. But waiting until then to engage in sexual activity was the message more than 40 teenagers heard during an abstinence rally earlier this month.

[Kamikaze] The Propaganda Machine

Let me explain the difference between Eric Bolling and Jon Stewart. One guy is on a fake news show on Comedy Central. The other is on a real news network where they are supposed to deliver (ahem) real news. Deliver a well-placed joke on one network, and we laugh. Make an ill-timed one on another, and you may find yourself in hot water.

Edwards' Days Numbered?

With less than 30 days left before Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards' contract expires, school board members must decide this month who will serve as the district's superintendent as of July 1.

City Launches Summer Reading Program

The Jackson Public Schools District and city leaders announced an initiative yesterday to recruit 30,000 young readers across the city to read 100,000 books over the summer.

Where the Candidates Stand on Education

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