Bianca Moorman/ The Meridian StarLt. Gov.Tate Reeves speaks to members of the Rotary Club in Meridian on Wednesday.

Education was one of the topics Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves focused on during a speech at the Rotary Club in Meridian on Wednesday. 

Reeves said that for Mississippi to have a quality education system, there needs to be more investment in the classroom, instead of in adminstration.

One way to to do that, he said, is raising teacher pay, which he plans to champion in the 2019 legislative session. He said teachers are doing good work, and need to be rewarded for their success.  

Reeves said that since he took office in 2011, the state has passed some controversial legislation, including the third grade reading gate, which prevents third graders from moving on to fourth grade unless they pass a test. He said the gate has been effective. 

“It has made a difference in the lives of many students, “said Reeves.

He said that according to NATE, a national assessment, the state ranks 12th in the nation for eighth grade gains in reading, fourth in gains in fourth grade math and second in gains in fourth grade reading over the last ten years. 

Reeves added that since 2011, the graduation rate in Mississippi has risen from 70.5 percent to 82.5 percent. That means about 3,000 more students are graduating each year, he said.