Bryant says private school should be an example for education

JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) - If you want better education levels in Mississippi, Governor Phil Bryant says look no further than the New Learning Resources School District.

"This is what we need more of. This is what our public schools in Mississippi should look like," said Bryant.

In the district is New Summit School in Jackson. Established in 1997, it's a private K-12 which individualizes student learning and mainly targets those with learning challenges and those who are at risk of dropping out. With merit pay for teachers and a zero percent drop out rate, Bryant says it's a model for education reform and falls in line with his legislative agenda.

"This is easy to magnify, to emulate if you will, across the state of Mississippi," said Bryant. "It's a perfect example of what we're saying a charter school should be."

With its record of success, AT&T is stepping in with a six figure investment to help the school with resources. With $100,000 now in the district's bank account, House Education Committee Chairman, Representative John Moore, says the state needs to pay close attention.

"I don't know how they do it. I just know they're doing it and they're doing it right,"said Moore, a Republican from Brandon.

Moore says he would like to see a public-private partnership between the state and private schools, like New Summit, to really understand what works and what doesn't. That, he says, would help lawmakers craft better legislation.

"Every person learns in a different style and there's a lot that can be learned here about efficiency and operation and what's actually needed to educate students. I think that's the solution. That's the magic solution in Mississippi, that every child has to be singled out," said Moore.

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