Mississippi Bill Aims to Let Teachers Grade Parents

A pending bill in Mississippi seeks to boost parental involvement in the classroom. It plans to do so by mandating teachers to evaluate and grade parents.

According to Mississippi Watch Dog, House Bill 4 would require an additional parent's section on a child's report card. Parents will be graded on a number of areas such as responsiveness, parent-teacher communication and homework supervision.

Furthermore, the legislation drafted by state representative Gregory Holloway would mandate all school districts with a grade of C or below to give mandatory homework to students. Children must have daily writing assignments and must read one book per month.

Students should wear school uniforms while teachers must adhere to a strict dress code. For parents, they will be required to participate in at least one supportive function for the school. This includes holding position in the Parent Teacher Association, working at concession stands during sports games or helping kids at bus stops.

Mary Clare Reim, an education researcher at the Heritage Foundation, wasn't sold on the legislation's potential. She thinks it contradicts the idea of parental involvement.

"My initial reaction is, this is absurd. The concept that parents should be graded by teachers on their involvement is a reversal of what the education system should look like," she said. "Parents should be grading teachers on their performance. Putting grades on parental involvement from the top down is not the way this should work."

Moving over to the economic side of things, the Mississippi Senate has approved Senate Bill 2858. The legislation would discontinue corporate franchise tax, provide tax breaks to self-employed people and lessen the individual income tax, as per WTVA.

Tate Reeves, Mississippi's lieutenant governor, believes the plan will encourage economic growth in The Magnolia State. On the other hand, critics think it would lessen state revenue by up to 10 percent.