The Mississippi Board of Education is expected to vote today on how many school districts across the state should receive A grades and how many deserve F grades under the new Mississippi rating system.

On Tuesday, the state Commission on School Accreditation voted for more A-rated schools and fewer F-rated schools than the state Department of Education had wanted. This comes after state officials discarded earlier this year a task force recommendation and proposed tougher grading standards.

It puts the state board in a tough spot as it deals with several issues that could be impacted by their decision, in particular if districts receiving an F-rating are taken over by the state and where charter schools are allowed to locate without local permission. Students in C-rated districts could also be allowed to leave their district for a charter school elsewhere.

Today’s vote could send the proposal out for public comment and a final vote likely coming next month.

Whatever the state board decides today, one thing is certain. Our schools are behind and the time is now to take action  to reverse the trend of failing school districts and failing students.