Education as a Continuum – Tackling Persistent Poverty: 2014 Policy Conference

October 14th, 2014

On October 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Jackson Convention Complex, the Mississippi Economic Policy Center will host our 2014 Policy Conference – Tackling Persistent Poverty: Why Here? Why Now?The conference will feature national and local experts who will discuss key policy opportunities and challenges; and provide a forum for attendees to frame solutions that improve the lives of Mississippi families and those living in other persistently impoverished communities. Registration is free and available through this link: MEPC Policy Conference Registration.

Part of the policy conference will include dynamic breakout sessions that will push attendees to discuss prevailing issues in our communities. My session will revolve around the education system in Mississippi, specifically the continuum of education – from early childhood education (Pre-K) to post-secondary education and what that continuum looks like in Mississippi. We stress the importance of an education, but what are we instilling in individuals who earn their education and how do we ensure success for these individuals? In essence, when a high school or college graduate walks across the graduation stage, what skills and insights will they have received that will ultimately make them self-sufficient?

Education is a series of moving parts that begins at an early age. If we look at the years a student spends within the education system as the continuum, we can see there are several transition points along the continuum where the individual moves from one phase to another. If the system malfunctions, students can get lost at these transition points. Through the session, I am interested in exploring whether the different aspects of this education continuum function in concert with each other, and what are the pressure points that need attention and policy intervention? We will break down the silos that often times divide these education groups and explore similarities so that we better understand our intentions and goals, and increase resources for the education system as a whole.