John,

This election is only 6 weeks away and I’m not taking one moment for granted. That’s why I’ve been hitting the campaign trail hard all across the state to talk about my vision for Mississippi. Last week, I unveiled my plan to improve public education in Mississippi. Here are some of the highlights:

I kicked off the week by visiting Dana Road Elementary School in Vicksburg, where I got to visit one of the now 17 pre-kindergarten classes in the Vicksburg-Warren district. Most economists agree that investing in quality early childhood education programs is fundamental to long-term economic success. As governor, I will prioritize implementing pre-K statewide.

In Cleveland and Greenville, I heard from packed crowds of public school students, educators, and community members about their concerns regarding the public education system in Mississippi and the future of our state.

I visited public schools, talked to public school students from pre-kindergarteners to 12th graders, heard from both retired and active public school educators, and the consensus is clear -- we cannot cheat our students out of a quality education by failing to provide the resources necessary for success. Chip in now if you agree.

As governor, I will prioritize fully funding our public schools, expanding pre-K statewide, combatting our teacher shortage, and increasing teacher pay. Our public education system and our educators are the cornerstone of success for our children. We must act now. The future of our state depends on it.

Best,
Jim