Mississippi Professional Educators: 2018 U.S. Senate Special Election Candidate Questionnaire While MPE does not endorse political candidates, we encourage our members to be actively involved in the political process and to exercise their right to vote. MPE sent this questionnaire to candidates in Mississippi’s special election for U.S. Senate Their responses are below. Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. United States Senate Special Election Mike Espy Cindy Hyde-Smith Chris McDaniel What qualifies you as the best My wife, Portia, and I have been blessed to MPE sent this questionnaire to MPE submitted a request via candidate to serve as United raise three beautiful children in Mississippi. the designated contact on the McDaniel campaign's States Senator? We know that a quality education has placed Cindy Hyde-Smith's campaign online portal on August 8 and each of them on a path to success. My on August 21. We emailed the August 13 for the appropriate experience as a Congressman and Secretary staff member on September 4 staff member's email address of the USDA taught me that education is the and September 25 regarding so we could send the surest way to make our state more the deadline for submitting questionnaire to the campaign. competitive. As a U.S. Senator, I will work, responses, but the campaign We did not receive a response daily, to make sure every Mississippi child did not submit a response to to our inquiries. has access to a quality education. But I will the questionnaire. also remind folks in Washington that education decisions are best left to those on the ground - the parents, teachers, and principals. What do you see as the Pay and respect for the education profession biggest challenge facing are challenges that go hand in hand. State educators today? How will and national leaders must have more you address this issue? reverence for the role teachers play in our society. We have failed to show that appropriate regard for teachers in Mississippi. Pay is too low, and teachers are forced to over-test. As a result, we are seeing fewer young people go into the profession and lawmakers interject themselves into the classroom. I will work to ensure that much needed federal resources for education continue to support Mississippi's schools. What is your top priority for All children deserve access to a quality strengthening and advancing education that will allow them to reach their public education not only in full potential. We must take a more Mississippi, but in our collective, community approach to our country? education system. Students bring their societal challenges, particularly children living in poverty, into the classroom. It shouldn't be up to teachers to take on all of these issues. I will push for greater resources so that our public schools can be a hub where parents and students can receive top- quality academics, enrichment, health and social services, and opportunities to succeed in school and in life. United States Senate Special Election Mike Espy Cindy Hyde-Smith Chris McDaniel In a recent review of It is just a reality that too many Mississippi Mississippi’s education towns and counties do not have the tax base funding formula, a consultant to properly support public schools or to pay recommended removing the and retain educators. At its core, cap on the amount of mills a Mississippi's funding formula should make local community can raise. If our state's education funding more equitable. the Mississippi Legislature A child's educational opportunities should should consider a new not be limited solely by their school's zip funding formula, do you code. It is also important that any change to believe local communities the formula should only come after should be responsible for a consultation with local stakeholders on the greater portion of that needs of their school districts and the formula? families they serve. According to the Mississippi The teacher shortage is a growing crisis in Department of Education, the Mississippi and across the nation. The number of teachers’ licenses Mississippi Legislature has work to do to earned declined by 92% from increase educator pay and reduce 2007 to 2017. What do you unnecessary licensing requirements as see as a solution to increased professional development is Mississippi’s teacher essential to improving the quality of our shortage? teacher workforce. However, Congress should also provide greater support to boost the pay and benefits for teachers. I plan to work with rural lawmakers from across the country to push for loan forgiveness programs and other incentives to help bring more qualified teachers to low-income areas, which has already been successful in attracting doctors to rural areas. What is your vision for My daughter is a graduate of Mississippi Mississippi’s community State and Ole Miss Law. My eldest son is colleges and universities for also a graduate of Ole Miss. I know first- the next decade? hand that our universities and colleges provide first-rate opportunities to our young people. Recent budget cuts from the Mississippi legislature have resulted in rising tuition costs and greater financial burdens on working families. Leaders in Washington and Jackson must make sure that these schools remain affordable and accessible to all Mississippians. And as education is the key to Mississippi's success, college and post- secondary education should be made more affordable by increasing interest subsidies on student loans and by stopping predatory for- profit schools from exploiting our adult learners. United States Senate Special Election Mike Espy Cindy Hyde-Smith Chris McDaniel According to a report No other Southeastern state has experienced prepared for the Mississippi a net migration loss in recents years. We Board of Trustees of State can't afford to continue the brain drain, and Institutions of Higher young people shouldn't have to leave home Learning in 2016, only in search of better opportunities. We must be slightly more than half of the willing to invite innovators to stay and/or people who graduate from come to Mississippi to take on our state's Mississippi's eight public social and economic challenges. Mississipi universities are still working can appeal to millennials who want to be in the state five years after problem solvers and innovators. they graduate. What can we do as a state to prevent this brain drain? Do you support the diversion No, public dollars should go to public of federal and state funds schools. We cannot further drain resources from public schools to from schools already struggling to pay nonpublic schools, home teachers and improve facilities. schools or virtual schools via vouchers, tuition tax credits, scholarships, individualized education funds (IEFs), or some other means?.