One Voice values all Mississippi children and the importance of access to quality, equitable public education. We champion community stakeholders’ needs to demonstrate their power and build the progressive, nurturing centers our children deserve.
One Voice established the Education Equity team to help our community bring to fruition the vision of safe, accessible, quality, and equitable educational opportunities in Mississippi. Through key campaigns, this team works to connect students, parents, educators, and advocates around this common goal.
As advocates for public education, the Education Equity team is charged with reaching community where they are and empowering them with resources to improve the conditions in their school districts. This mission is achieved through several strategies.
Team members have traveled all over the state to conduct training, facilitate meetings, and participate in events to listen to community needs. The information gathered is used as a catalyst to develop programs and campaigns to find resources and solutions to address the needs. Several community leaders request visits to their areas to gain the knowledge needed to make a difference in their schools or districts.
With the motivation of innovating Mississippi schools, One Voice has joined the OurJPS coalition in its efforts to implement the community schools’ model in the Jackson Public School District. One Voice sees this implementation as a pilot to launch a statewide community schools’ model.
According to the Partnership for the Future of Learning, community schools work with partners to provide comprehensive support and opportunities to meet students’ and families’ unique needs and interests rooted in their neighborhoods’ existing resources and knowledge.
Integrated student supports, such as health care, behavioral health, and dental services
Expanded and enriched learning time and 02 opportunities
Family and community engagement
Collaborative leadership and practices, such as shared goal setting and decision making
One Voice’s Education Equity Team has teamed up with the Mississippi Coalition to End Corporal Punishment and the Federal School and Climate Coalition (FedSDC) to see an end to corporal punishment in Mississippi schools. Corporal punishment is the practice of physically disciplining a student for certain violations. Currently, more than 70 districts use corporal punishment in schools across Mississippi. Research has shown that corporal punishment can increase aggression, lead to poor academic performance, negatively affect physical and emotional behavior, and weaken student-teacher relationships. Moreover, corporal punishment is always unfairly used on Black students. Black students are at least 51% more likely to have experienced corporal punishment while in school. Moreover, research has shown that it is simply an ineffective form of discipline for students.
Building a dedicated, visionary school board member is one of the best things you can do to support high-quality schools in your community. Over the past few years, we have seen clips of tense school board meetings with long lines of people ready to speak for or against a particular issue. But outside of those moments when all eyes are on the school board because of controversy, many don’t know what role a school board plays or can play in the life of students and our communities.
School boards hire and supervise the superintendent, approve, and monitor the school district budget, plan and fund school facilities, serve as the community’s voice regarding school policy, and advocate for the district at the local, state, and federal levels. These are vital duties that shape the lives of all the young people in their jurisdiction, so when you have the chance, voting in school board elections is important to work. School board decisions are vital to our children’s safety, education, and future.
In Mississippi, school boards are formed in a few different ways. Some school boards are appointed, some are elected, and some have both appointed and elected members. All County Districts, all Consolidated Districts, and two Countywide Special Municipal School Districts elect their school board members. Most school board members in Municipal School Districts are appointed by their City Council members or Board of Aldermen. The power to develop effective school leadership lies with the community. Use your voice to build the best future for all Mississippi children.
Our mission is to ensure an equal voice for traditionally silenced communities. When One Voice’s work is done, we envision a Mississippi with a healthy vibrant thriving neighborhoods, schools, economy, and most importantly families.
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