Save Our ESA: These kids are going to grow up to be productive citizens because of the ESA
“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 education is what…
The Byrds: The System Is Not Working for Our Daughter
“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 she was set…
Students Benefit from ESA Program
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, the weight of…
WAITLISTED UPDATE: Hopkins Family’s ESA Returned
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 in October moved…
The Malones: How Can We Choose?
“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 world to…
The Joneses: Praying for an ESA
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 out. “I felt…
Pauline Rogers Standing in the Gap
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 directly with families…
The Berrys: Hitting Wall After Wall
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 many hardships in…
The Farnhams: Our Daughter Deserves an Education Too
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 education to ensure…
My Day Behind Bars
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 aching heart. I…
The Ferrettis: ‘Time is Running Out’
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 realize something was…
Day by Day Waiting for Jerrad
Broken is a series that highlights broken pieces of our criminal justice system, how they impact people, and how we can fix it. Ava and Noel Ellsberry of Perkinston are anxiously awaiting the homecoming of their son Jerrad. But that day is still years away. Jerrad is serving an eight-year sentence for a nonviolent drug…