State Board of Ed may vote on new school evaluations until SB 2396 takes effect.

The board is likely to vote Friday to seek public comment on a new system to determine A-to-F grades for schools and districts. Board members may also vote on a temporary system to evaluate schools this year, until the new formula takes effect.

At a Thursday meeting, board members said the new system’s goal should be improving student achievement, not merely providing a measuring stick.

Lawmakers pushed for a new grading system after the board removed high school graduation rates from the grading system. Senate Bill 2396, approved by lawmakers and sent to Gov. Phil Bryant, sets performance goals and directs the Department of Education to link state and federal standards.

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House revives bill to raise speed limit to 75.

House members amended an unrelated Senate bill Thursday to allow the state Transportation Commission to raise the speed limit on some highways to 75 mph.

The amendment was offered by Rep. Johnny Stringer, a Montrose Democrat. The House earlier passed his bill to allow the three transportation commissioners to increase top speeds on interstate highways and some other limited access highways.

Stringer’s bill died in a Senate committee and the prospects of the bill amended Thursday are uncertain.

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Gov. Bryant to campaign in North Carolina for Romney, chance at political payback for Gov. Perdue’s disparaging remarks about Mississippi

English: Official photo of Governor Beverly Perdue (D-NC). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The governor of Mississippi will barnstorm North Carolina this week for the national Republican ticket, in what could be seen as political payback for Gov. Bev Perdue’s comments about his state.

Gov. Phil Bryant is scheduled to campaign in New Bern, and Wilmington on Wednesday and on Oak Island on Thursday for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. It was in May after North Carolina voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment declaring that a marriage is between a man and woman, that Perdue said “people are saying what in the world is going on with North Carolina, we look like Mississippi.”

At the time, Bryant said Perdue’s comments were “very disappointing” “To be able to use Mississippi in a disparaging way on a popular vote in her state is, I think, something that’s certainly petty and something I think she will reflect on and hopefully apologize for those types of remarks.”

Read more here: http://projects.newsobserver.com/node/25362#storylink=cpy

Phil Bryant touts teacher merit pay in Neshoba County Fair speech

Gov. Phil Bryant used his Neshoba County Fair speech Thursday to promote merit pay for teachers, a plan he unveiled last week.

Republican Bryant says there are ways to avoid the possibility of principals simply giving more money to their favorite employees. He says the system should be based on students’ academic improvement.

Hundreds of people gathered on the red-clay fairgrounds south of Philadelphia to hear speeches from Bryant and other politicians.

Bryant repeated his opposition to expanding Medicaid to cover up to 400,000 more people under the federal health care overhaul plan.

via Phil Bryant touts teacher merit pay in Neshoba County Fair speech | gulflive.com.

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Mississippi House passes bill that requires reporting sex abuse of minors

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Supporters say a bill that passed in the Mississippi House on Thursday is aimed at stopping sexual abuse of minors, including cases involving underage girls who are impregnated by men age 20 or older.

Critics say it would do little to change existing state laws that already require people who know about abuse allegations to report what they know to law enforcement officers.

The Child Protection Act and Child Rape Protection Act is the first bill to come up for consideration in either chamber during the month-old legislative session. New House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, is the bill’s primary sponsor. Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said he also supports it, and Republican Gov. Phil Bryant has urged legislators to put the bill on his desk.

The measure passed the House 106-9 after a nearly three-hour debate often was intertwined with politics left over from the 2011 elections. It was held for another possible round of House discussion before it can move to the Senate.

Child sexual abuse often goes unreported in Mississippi, said House Judiciary B Committee Chairman Andy Gipson, R-Braxton.

“This is an opportunity to address the problem in a way that is meaningful, in a way that would protect our young people and punish those who are hurting them,” he said.

via Mississippi House passes bill that requires reporting sex abuse of minors | gulflive.com.

You go, Granny! Gun-toting grandmother says alleged robbers messed with wrong person

Gigl was loading groceries into the back of her vehicle when one of the suspects came up from behind and started trying to wrestle Gigl’s purse from her hand. In a matter of seconds, she said, she had her gun out and was poised and ready to do what she had to do to protect herself and her belongings.

“When it happened, it was scary,” she said this morning. “I didn’t know if the guy had a gun or a knife.”

Arrested and charged with one count each of strong-arm robbery were Donald James Peckinpaugh, 27, and Vernon Dale Rowe, 33, who both indicated they were homeless. Ocean Springs police arrested the two Thursday in a room at the Imperial Motel.

via Gun-toting grandmother says alleged robbers messed with wrong person – Ocean Springs – SunHerald.com.

House 111 race coming down to the wire again, may not be decided until next week.

PASCAGOULA — Election officials just counted absentee ballots, but the race for state House District 111 remains undecided and may not be finalized until next week.

After absentees were counted, Republican challenger Charles Busby today still holds a slim lead — 57 votes, or about 50.4 percent — over incumbent Democrat Brandon Jones.

There remains more than 200 affidavit ballots, with about 180 or so of those estimated to be inside that House district.

Election workers told the candidates they would work until noon today, then knock off, then work until noon Thursday. Friday’s Veterans Day holiday means results may not be final until next week.

via Busby/Jones House 111 race remains undecided – Elections – SunHerald.com.

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