Our sister think tank, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, recently released "A Stone's Throw." The film documents the frustrations of parents in Mississippi--a state notorious for its low educational achievement. According to the American Legislative Exchange Council, in 2007, the state ranked 50th in 8th grade reading and mathematics and 49th in the same 4th grade categories.
"A Stone's Throw" highlights parents' desire for school choice. Mississippi does not have a charter school law, unlike the more than 30 other states that currently allow such options. Ironically, Helena, Arkansas--just a stone's throw away--has a KIPP preparatory school, while Mississippi students are forced to choose from a menu with only one option: local failing schools.