At MSPEPAC, we believe one way we can create change in the way the Mississippi Legislature supports public education is by building strong relationships with legislators. We relish opportunities to work with lawmakers from across the state, but the fact is, some of the most impactful relationships are the ones legislators have with constituents like you. While legislators are often inundated with phone calls or text messages when a critical vote is pending, they are more likely to seek input on policy decisions from the people they already know. Relationships that connect a legislator's work back to the local community can be so powerful in affecting change. If you’re stumped on how to build that kind of relationship, a simple conversation is a great place to start. Whether it’s in a phone call or courtside at a ballgame, here are five easy things you can say to your legislator.

TUPELO, Miss. – The Mississippi Public Education PAC (MSPEPAC), a nonpartisan political action committee that champions public education, has endorsed 20 candidates for the upcoming 2019 primary elections.

MSPEPAC was founded in 2016 by a group of passionate public school parents from around the state who advocate for high-quality public schools. The PAC’s mission is to help elect pro-public-education candidates to the Mississippi Legislature in order to strengthen, support and protect existing public schools in the state.

“The Mississippi Public Education PAC has been successful in seven special elections since we launched,” said Leslie Fye, a founding MSPEPAC board member. “We are looking forward to having an impact in the 2019 election cycle. We need to elect public education champions in the Mississippi Legislature, leaders who are willing to make informed decisions to ensure our children have the resources and support they need for success in school.”

TUPELO, Miss. – The Mississippi Public Education PAC (MSPEPAC), a nonpartisan political action committee that champions public education, has endorsed Kent McCarty in the District 101 House of Representatives special election runoff to replace Representative Brad Touchstone, who was elected Lamar County Court Judge.

MSPEPAC was founded in 2016 by a group of passionate public school parents from around the state who advocate for high-quality public schools. The PAC’s mission is to help elect pro-public-education candidates to the Mississippi Legislature in order to strengthen, support and protect existing public schools in the state.

Every year around this time, the Mississippi Legislature develops a variety of policies and bills designed to reinvent or reform public education – school choice, high-stakes testing, letter grades for school performance, you name it.

Sadly, teachers are very rarely a part of these education reform initiatives, and they have been actively discouraged from participating in the legislative process thanks to bills that have been introduced over the years, such as the one to prohibit educators from contacting their legislators during working hours. And even more disheartening, Mississippi teachers have been excluded from serving as legislators due to a regulation of the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) that, for decades, has forced educators and other public employees to forfeit their retirement benefits if elected to serve in our Legislature.