Dr. Sidney Bondurant has written to provide relevant background to “The supremacy of Mississippi.” Dr. Bondurant writes:
I read your Power Line post on Mississippi’s Literacy Based Promotion Act and the progress made in reading and math in our elementary schools. This act was passed during the administration of Governor Phil Bryant. I was Governor Bryant’s legislative liaison at this time. Laurie Todd-Smith, Ph.D., was the governor’s education policy advisor and we were the two primary “lobbyists” for the governor at the state legislature. Laurie is now working in the Trump Administration and I am retired. Governor Bryant now heads up a business development firm and I serve as a consultant to that firm.
It was not an easy sell. But most of the opposition came from the Democrats and not the Republicans. The public school lobby (district school superintendents, “The Parents Campaign,” the teachers’ union, and the mainstream media) fought against us vigorously. Black Democrats were the most vigorous. One told me that he automatically suspected that any proposal affecting public schools from white Republicans had some nefarious purpose. Charges of RACISM! were shouted on the House floor. I was told by one of those against the bill that I was trying to hold back black third grade kids to punish them. When I tried to explain that the retention part of the bill was to provide intensive help to those kids so that they had a better shot at success he would not believe me.
On final passage in the 122-member House there were 16 NO votes, all Black Democrats except for one white Democrat and two white Republicans. There were several Black Democrats who did vote for it here).
I told Governor Bryant when he signed the bill that I thought that act would be the most significant of his administration. The improvement in the education of Mississippi’s citizens will lead to economic benefits for the state and its citizens that will bring about the most positive changes since the Civil War.
Thank you for bringing attention about this subject to your readers.
Yours truly,
Sidney Bondurant, M.D.
I am pleased to add Dr. Bondurant’s account of the background on the statutory origin of the Mississippi miracle. Readers can access background on Dr. Bondurant himself here.
