Education in Mississippi

Last updated

Formal education in Mississippi began in the early 19th century with private schools and academies, a public education system was founded during the Reconstruction era, by the biracial legislature led by the Republican Party. Throughout its history, Mississippi has produced notable education inequalities due to racial segregation and underfunding of black schools, as well as rural zoning and lack of commitment to funding education.

Contents

In the 21st century, Mississippi struggles to meet national assessment standards, and the state has low graduation rates. The Mississippi Legislature and Board of Education develop policies aimed at building better learning environments and standards in the classroom. In 2005, ninety-one percent of white students statewide were in public schools, and an even higher percentage of black students. [1]

Although unusual in the West, school corporal punishment is common in Mississippi, with 31,236 public school students [2] paddled at least one time. [3] A greater percentage of students were paddled in Mississippi than in any other state, according to government data for the 2011–2012 school year. [3]

Antebellum education

Prior to the American Civil War, the elite arranged for private education of their children, founding private academies and schools. [4] Some sent their children to the North (particularly Philadelphia, which had many Southerners) or England for education. The state government did not set a curriculum. Most children were educated at home for the skills they needed to help support their families. [5]

Funding for the few schools was left to private donations and student tuition. In Columbus, Franklin Academy for Boys was opened in 1821 as the first public school in Mississippi for white students. By 1830, only thirteen percent of white children were enrolled in public schools, and there was limited access to government-funded schools at the beginning of the Reconstruction. [6]

In 1918, Mississippi became the last state in the Union to require children to attend at least some schooling. [7]

Education in the 1868 Constitution

Mississippi's Constitution of 1868, drafted by a biracial convention[ citation needed ], was the first legislation to provide for free public education for all children in the state. The constitution established a “uniform system of free public schools, by taxation or otherwise, for all children between the ages of five and twenty-one years.” [8]

Legislation was passed in 1870 that created school districts under the supervision of an elected State Superintendent of Education and appointed county superintendents, as well. Areas of a population with at least 5000 were permitted to establish separate school districts and extend the school term to seven months. [4]

The Constitution provided the following features in its legislation to establish a public education system: 1. Administration: the state superintendent of public education must be elected to provide “general supervision of the commons schools and the educations interests of the State.” A State Board of Education shall also be made up of the State Superintendent, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State. 2. School Term: The school year should also be at least four months. Any county that does not abide by the guidelines presented in the legislation should forgo its share of school funding and taxes. 3. Funding: The common schools were funded from a combination of revenue earned from the sixteenth sections lands, and an excise tax on alcohol, military exemption fees, and public and private donations specifically designed for public education. Such monies were invested in United States bonds, and the interest collected was allotted to support school systems. A poll tax was also levied to aid in funding education.

By this time, the state was dominated by Protestant European Americans. The Constitution also states that public schools or their funds were not to be controlled by any religious group. It forbade the conversion of public schools into Catholic parochial schools.

African Americans and education

Before the American Civil War, both enslaved and free African Americans were prohibited by state law from receiving education. After the war, missionary groups in northern Mississippi helped establish schools to educate African-American youth. Some white supremacists tried to take control of the educational system, hoping to quell efforts to educate African Americans. [9]

The Constitution of 1868 did not direct integration of the new public school system, in part to gain support to establish it at all. The legislature determined that each individual school district could choose whether to have an integrated or segregated system. Superintendents of each county were told to divide the funds equally between white and black schools in the district, but black schools were underfunded. [9]

White schools were better constructed and were able to better serve the students academically. During the 1870s, education for blacks was further endangered as violence erupted in protest of the education of African Americans. At the same time, the government greatly decreased funding for public schools and the effectiveness of schools diminished. In 1886, state Superintendent J. R. Preston created a revised education code that slowly raised standards in the classroom. Teachers were paid more in salaries and were required to take teacher licensing exams.

From the end of the Reconstruction era in the 1870s down to the 1940s, the state and local governments gave far less money to all-black public schools compared to the favored white public schools. (There were no racially integrated schools). However many private schools for Blacks were funded by Northern philanthropy well into the 20th century. Support came from the American Missionary Association; [10] the Peabody Education Fund; the Jeanes Fund (also known as the Negro Rural School Fund); the Slater Fund; the Rosenwald Fund; the Southern Education Foundation; and the General Education Board, which was massively funded by the Rockefeller family. [11] [12]

Leaders in education

The Mississippi Board of Education, which currently has nine members, oversees education policy in the state. [13] The Board-appointed State Superintendent of Education, sets public education policy and oversees the Mississippi Department of Education.

Section 201 of the Mississippi Constitution states that the Mississippi Governor shall appoint one member from Mississippi's Northern Supreme Court district, one member from Mississippi's Central Supreme Court district, one member from Mississippi's Southern Supreme Court district, one member who is employed as a school administrator, and one member who is employed as a public school teacher. Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor shall appoint two members-at-large, and the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives shall appoint two members-at-large. [13]

Historical Recommendations for Regional Screening Centers in Mississippi

In the past, an advisory council in Mississippi recommended the investigation of establishing regional centers for screening children across several locations, including the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi State College in Starkville, Mississippi State College for Women in Columbus, Delta State Teachers College in Cleveland, and Mississippi Southern College in Hattiesburg, among others. This initiative aimed to address the needs indicated by applications received from various communities. The council emphasized that personnel at each screening center should include representatives from psychological services, medical services, education, and speech correction services. Specifically, it was recommended that when screening African American children, a qualified African American educator, counselor, or social worker be included as part of the screening team to enhance cultural sensitivity. The council outlined specific qualifications for personnel involved in the screening process: a licensed medical doctor, preferably a pediatrician or general practitioner with expertise in exceptional children; a psychologist holding a doctoral degree, qualified through training and experience in individual testing of children; an educator with elementary school experience, particularly knowledgeable about exceptional children; and a speech therapist with training and experience in speech therapy. These recommendations reflect the early efforts in Mississippi to improve educational screening and support services for children with exceptional needs.

Institutions

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oktibbeha County, Mississippi</span> County in Mississippi, United States

Oktibbeha County is a county in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census the population was 51,788. The county seat is Starkville. The county's name is derived from a Choctaw word meaning "icy creek". The Choctaw had long occupied much of this territory prior to European exploration and United States acquisition.

Separate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States constitutional law, according to which racial segregation did not necessarily violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which nominally guaranteed "equal protection" under the law to all people. Under the doctrine, as long as the facilities provided to each race were equal, state and local governments could require that services, facilities, public accommodations, housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation be segregated by race, which was already the case throughout the states of the former Confederacy. The phrase was derived from a Louisiana law of 1890, although the law actually used the phrase "equal but separate".

Bolling v. Sharpe, 347 U.S. 497 (1954), is a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that the Constitution prohibits segregated public schools in the District of Columbia. Originally argued on December 10–11, 1952, a year before Brown v. Board of Education, Bolling was reargued on December 8–9, 1953, and was unanimously decided on May 17, 1954, the same day as Brown. The Bolling decision was supplemented in 1955 with the second Brown opinion, which ordered desegregation "with all deliberate speed". In Bolling, the Court did not address school desegregation in the context of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, which applies only to the states, but rather held that school segregation was unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Court observed that the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution lacked an Equal Protection Clause, as in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. However, the Court held that the concepts of equal protection and due process are not mutually exclusive, establishing the reverse incorporation doctrine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School discipline</span> Types of disciplinary actions used by schools against students

School discipline relates to actions taken by teachers or school organizations toward students when their behavior disrupts the ongoing educational activity or breaks a rule created by the school. Discipline can guide the children's behavior or set limits to help them learn to take better care of themselves, other people and the world around them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of Mississippi</span> Supreme law of Mississippi, US

The Constitution of Mississippi is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of Mississippi delineating the duties, powers, structures, and functions of the state government. Mississippi's original constitution was adopted at a constitutional convention held at Washington, Mississippi in advance of the western portion of the territory's admission to the Union in 1817. The current state constitution was adopted in 1890 following the reconstruction period. It has been amended and updated 100 times in since its adoption in 1890, with some sections being changed or repealed altogether. The most recent modification to the constitution occurred in November 2020, when Section 140 was amended, and Sections 141-143 were repealed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosenwald School</span> Schools in the United States

The Rosenwald School project built more than 5,000 schools, shops, and teacher homes in the United States primarily for the education of African-American children in the South during the early 20th century. The project was the product of the partnership of Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish-American clothier who became part-owner and president of Sears, Roebuck and Company and the African-American leader, educator, and philanthropist Booker T. Washington, who was president of the Tuskegee Institute.

The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District (SOCSD), formerly Starkville Public School District, is a public school district in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, headquartered in Starkville. The district serves all children within the county, including Starkville, residents of Mississippi State University, and the other communities and rural areas countywide due to the state legislature mandated consolidation with the Oktibbeha County School District in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Florida</span>

The Florida education system consists of public and private schools in Florida, including the State University System of Florida (SUSF), the Florida College System (FCS), the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) and other private institutions, and also secondary and primary schools as well as virtual schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi</span> U.S. state

Mississippi is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the southwest, and Arkansas to the northwest. Mississippi's western boundary is largely defined by the Mississippi River, or its historical course. Mississippi is the 32nd largest by area and 35th-most populous of the 50 U.S. states and has the lowest per-capita income. Jackson is both the state's capital and largest city. Greater Jackson is the state's most populous metropolitan area, with a population of 591,978 in 2020. Other major cities include Gulfport, Southaven, Hattiesburg, Biloxi, Olive Branch, Tupelo, Meridian, and Greenville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School corporal punishment</span> Form of punishment

School corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of physical pain as a response to undesired behavior by students. The term corporal punishment derives from the Latin word for the "body", corpus. In schools it may involve striking the student on the buttocks or on the palms of their hands with an implement such as a rattan cane, wooden paddle, slipper, leather strap, belt, or wooden yardstick. Less commonly, it could also include spanking or smacking the student with an open hand, especially at the kindergarten, primary school, or other more junior levels.

Education in Alabama consists of public and private schools in Alabama, including the University of Alabama, private colleges, and secondary and primary schools.

Education in Arkansas covers the history and current status of education at all levels, public and private, and related policies.

The civil rights movement (1865–1896) aimed to eliminate racial discrimination against African Americans, improve their educational and employment opportunities, and establish their electoral power, just after the abolition of slavery in the United States. The period from 1865 to 1895 saw a tremendous change in the fortunes of the Black community following the elimination of slavery in the South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J.W. Randolph School (Pass Christian, Mississippi)</span> Historic building in Pass Christian, Mississippi, United States

The J.W. Randolph School was constructed in 1928 as a public school for African-American students in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The building was vacated as a school in 2000. In 2006, the structure was designated a Mississippi Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School corporal punishment in the United States</span> United States corporal punishment in schools

Corporal punishment, sometimes referred to as "physical punishment" or "physical discipline", has been defined as the use of physical force, no matter how light, to cause deliberate bodily pain or discomfort in response to undesired behavior. In schools in the United States, corporal punishment takes the form of a school teacher or administrator striking a student's buttocks with a wooden paddle.

Henderson High School was a public secondary school in Starkville, Mississippi. United States. It served as the high school for black students until the public schools were integrated in 1970. Grades k–8 were also located on the same property. After integration, the buildings served as a junior high school and later as an elementary school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Americans in Arkansas</span> Racial group in the US state

African Americans have played an essential role in the history of Arkansas, but their role has often been marginalized as they confronted a society and polity controlled by white supremacists. As slaves in the United States, they were considered property and were subjected to the harsh conditions of forced labor. After the Civil War and the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Reconstruction Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, African Americans gained their freedom and the right to vote. However, the rise of Jim Crow laws in the 1890s and early 1900s led to a period of segregation and discrimination that lasted into the 1960s. Most were farmers, working their own property or poor sharecroppers on white-owned land, or very poor day laborers. By World War I, there was steady emigration from farms to nearby cities such as Little Rock and Memphis, as well as to St. Louis and Chicago.

History of education in the Southern United States covers the institutions, ideas and leaders of schools and education in the Southern states from colonial times to about the 2000s. It covers all the states and the main gender, racial and ethnic groups.

The History of African-American education deals with the public and private schools at all levels used by African Americans in the United States and for the related policies and debates. Black schools, also referred to as "Negro schools" and "colored schools", were racially segregated schools in the United States that originated in the Reconstruction era after the American Civil War. They were created in Southern states under biracial Republican governments as free public schools for the formerly enslaved. All their students were blacks. After 1877, conservative whites took control across the South. They continued the black schools, but at a much lower funding rate than white schools.

References

  1. ↑ Bolton, Charles C. The Hardest Deal of All: The Battle Over School Integration in Mississippi, 1870-1980. University Press of Mississippi, 2005, pp. 136, 178-179. ISBN   1604730609, 9781604730609.
  2. ↑ Please note this figure refers to only the number of students paddled, regardless of whether a student was spanked multiple times in a year, and does not refer to the number of instances of corporal punishment, which would be substantially higher.
  3. 1 2 Farrell, Colin (February 2016). "Corporal punishment in US schools". World Corporal Punishment Research . Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  4. 1 2 McLemore, R.A. A. (1973). A History of Mississippi.
  5. ↑ "Education | Mississippi History Now". www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  6. ↑ Guyton, Pearl Vivian (1935). The History of Mississippi.
  7. ↑ "Arizona lawmaker: Let's end compulsory schooling and stop forcing education 'down everybody's throat'". The Washington Post. 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  8. ↑ "The Mississippi Constitution of 1868 -". mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  9. 1 2 McMillen, Neil. Dark Journey.
  10. ↑ Joe M. Richardson, Christian Reconstruction: The American Missionary Association and Southern Blacks, 1861–1890 (1986).
  11. ↑ Stephanie Deutsch, You Need a Schoolhouse: Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald, and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South (Northwestern University Press, 2015).
  12. ↑ James Christopher Carbaugh, "The philanthropic confluence of the General Education Board and the Jeanes, Slater, and Rosenwald Funds: African-American education in South Carolina, 1900-1930" (PhD dissertation, Clemson University, 1997;  ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 9833440.)
  13. 1 2 "Mississippi Department of Education" . Retrieved April 14, 2011.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.