Save Our ESA: Jalyn finds a home and an education
Written by Joanna Holbert “We overwhelmingly felt like somebody had to fight for these kids. Even though we didn’t know them and didn’t have an attachment to them, we felt like everyone needs someone in their corner.” A voice for the voiceless. John and Ashley Wells of D’Iberville embarked upon that mission when the couple…
Save Our ESA: These kids are going to grow up to be productive citizens because of the ESA
Written by Joanna Holbert “I’m a public school teacher and I got a $1,000 raise over 12 months this year. If the ESA program goes away, that $1,000 and so much more will be eaten up to provide my daughter an education that she can’t get right now in the public school.” A love of…
The Byrds: The System Is Not Working for Our Daughter
Written by Joanna Holbert “Being born with a disability should not mean you have to pay more for basic education.” That’s how Jennifer and Anthony Byrd of Seminary feel when it comes their daughter Leah’s education. Leah was diagnosed with autism, sensory processing disorder, speech-language issues, and epilepsy. Leah had her first seizure the day before…
Students Benefit from ESA Program
Written by Joanna Holbert Families of children with special needs know all too well the stresses of meeting the daily needs of their children. From medical and social needs to physical and emotional needs, the responsibilities can be overwhelming at times. For families who have received one of the state’s coveted Special Needs Education Scholarship Accounts,…
WAITLISTED UPDATE: Hopkins Family’s ESA Returned
Written by Joanna Holbert Christmas came a few weeks early for Missy and Will Hopkins as their son Alan was re-awarded a Special Needs Education Scholarship Account (ESA). The Hopkinses were left in limbo after a misreading of the law led to their dyslexic son’s scholarship being taken away. The release of the family’s #Waitlisted story…
The Malones: How Can We Choose?
Written by Joanna Holbert “How am I supposed to choose?” That’s the question Allyson Malone of Pontotoc asks with tears in her eyes as she and hundreds of other families sit on a Special Needs ESA wait list. Malone and her husband Chris have five children, two of whom are on the wait list. “It would mean…
The Joneses: Praying for an ESA
Written by Joanna Holbert After raising their three biological children, Steve and Sue felt called to take on a new challenge. While most couples their age are beginning an empty nest phase, the Joneses added four young children to their family. Over the years, they have fostered 15 children, all since their last biological child moved…
Pauline Rogers Standing in the Gap
Written by Joanna Holbert Broken is a series that highlights broken pieces of our criminal justice system, how they impact people, and how we can fix it. Pauline Rogers is on a mission to help the children of those incarcerated in Mississippi, and she’s enlisted a large army. As a field representative with Prison Fellowship, Pauline works…
The Berrys: Hitting Wall After Wall
Written by Joanna Holbert Will and Jodi Berry of Sumrall are not unlike other parents when it comes to their worries and hopes for their children. But the couple has an extra burden to bear regarding their younger son Nathan because of the struggles he has faced in school. “He has had to go through so…
School Choice Empower Parents Like Courtney Jones
Written by Joanna Holbert
The Farnhams: Our Daughter Deserves an Education Too
Written by Joanna Holbert Jamie and Matthew Farnham of Ocean Springs are determined to do what is right for their youngest daughter, Cambry. An educator working in an exceptional school for children who have severe and profound disabilities in Jackson County, Jamie left her job after recognizing the needs in her own daughter for a quality…
My Day Behind Bars
Written by Grant Callen Broken is a series that highlights broken pieces of our criminal justice system, how they impact people, and how we can fix it. I returned from prison last week. No, it wasn’t an extended stay, but it was a tour that lasted long enough to leave me with questions, concerns, and an…
The Ferrettis: ‘Time is Running Out’
Written by Joanna Holbert The clock is ticking, and with each passing day the Ferretti family of Cleveland gets closer to the Special Needs Education Scholarship Account (ESA) for their son slipping through their fingers. Blake and Leah Ferretti have three children with dyslexia, with their oldest son Thomas holding an ESA. The couple began to…