Franklin County Democrats

Senate and House Committees do their dirty work moving bills forward to repeal tenure, moving education monies from public to private hands and discriminate in the workplace.

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Missouri NEA Legislative Update   
Week 10, No. 2, March 6, 2012
By Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director

SENATE COMMITTEE PASSES TENURE REPEAL BILL

The Senate General Laws Committee passed an SCS version of SB 806 (Jane Cunningham) on March 6. The Association strongly opposes the bill.  The bill eliminates the current tenure law for all teachers, and places all new hires on one-year contracts beginning in the 2013-14 school year.  The bill allows contracts of up to four years, at district discretion.  The bill eliminates seniority as a factor in decisions regarding reduction in force.  The bill also includes numerous mandates regarding teacher evaluation systems, such as requiring at least fifty percent of evaluations to be based on student test scores and prohibiting districts and employees from designing evaluation systems within collective bargaining negotiations.

continue reading…

In a difficult economy education is hurting along with other social services. Also, read about current activity regarding WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION AND WHISTLE-BLOWER LAW.

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Missouri NEA Legislative Update
Week 10, No. 1, March 5, 2012
By Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director

HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE FACES DIFFICULT CHOICES

The House Budget Committee met on March 5 to review the proposed HCS version of all of the state operating budget bills, including the K-12 (HB 2002) and higher education (HB 2003) budget bills.  The committee members will work on March 6 to draft and discuss amendments and reconvene on March 7 to offer and vote on those amendments.  The committee will seek to conclude executive action on the budget bills this week before leaving on spring break.  Lack of state revenues leaves the committee with no good choices as it seeks to fund K-12 and higher education without harming Missourians with cuts to other vital services.

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If you don’t know this man, meet him. He is out to use his money to maintain and increase the 1%’s oppression of the 99%.

Here is a post from Mark Jones, Political Director, MNEA.

Often a picture is worth a thousand words. Today a new website was launched to put Rex Sinquefield’s radical agenda in perspective.

Go to ” rexpositions.com ” and checkout the visuals, charts, and images that can help you explain to your friends, co-workers, and family members the danger of the Sinquefield agenda. Sometimes serious – sometimes satirical, but always useful.  Feel free to share the images via twitter or facebook and help spread the word about the danger of Sinquefield’s agenda.

Best,
Mark Jones, Political Director, MNEA

Ditto for today’s action, rather non-action, by the House Rules Committee on the controversial HCS/HB 1740 (Scott Dieckhaus).

Missouri NEA Legislative Update
Week 9, No. 3, February 29, 2012
By Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director

HOUSE OMNIBUS EDUCATION BILL REMAINS IN RULES COMMITTEE

The House Rules Committee failed to take up and consider HCS/HB 1740 (Scott Dieckhaus) at its meeting February 28.  The House Rules Committee is a gatekeeper committee that determines whether a bill approved by the committee of origin should be placed on the calendar.  The bill can not be taken up for floor action until taken up and approved by the Rules Committee.  No hearing on the bill is scheduled at this time.  Majority caucus members have been called into several lengthy caucus meetings this week where the bill has been discussed extensively, as support for the bill is a caucus position.

The Association strongly opposes the tenure repeal, charter school expansion, virtual school open enrollment and tax credit-style voucher portions of the bill. Legislative action is needed on several issues included in the bill, such as stabilizing formula aid next year, creating fair standards for student transfers from unaccredited districts and allowing prompt intervention by the State Board in support of unaccredited districts and their communities.  The Association opposes holding those positive steps hostage to a radical and unworkable agenda.

continue reading…

Missouri NEA Legislative Update
Week 9, No. 2, February 28, 2012
By Otto Fajen   
MNEA Legislative Director

HOUSE OMNIBUS EDUCATION BILL

The House Rules Committee failed to take up and consider HCS/HB 1740 (Scott Dieckhaus) at its meeting February 28.  The House Rules Committee is a gatekeeper committee that determines whether a bill approved by the committee of origin should be placed on the calendar.  The bill can not be taken up for floor action until taken up and approved by the Rules Committee.  No hearing on the bill is scheduled at this time.  Majority caucus members have been called into several lengthy caucus meetings this week where the bill has been discussed extensively, as support for the bill is a caucus position.

The Association strongly opposes the tenure repeal, charter school expansion, virtual school open enrollment and tax credit-style voucher portions of the bill. Legislative action is needed on several issues included in the bill, such as stabilizing formula aid next year, creating fair standards for student transfers from unaccredited districts and allowing prompt intervention by the State Board in support of unaccredited districts and their communities.  The Association opposes holding those positive steps hostage to a radical and unworkable agenda.

continue reading…

Here’s the latest update on the dangerous move by both houses now against the provisions that provide a good education for our students. (and one small glimmer of light in a house higher education committee calling for student representation on the University of Missouri Board of Curators).

Missouri NEA Legislative Update
Week 9, No. 1, February 27, 2012
By Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director

SENATE COMMITTEE TO HEAR TENURE REPEAL BILL

The Senate General Laws Committee will hear SB 806 (Jane Cunningham) on February 28. The Association strongly opposes the bill.  The bill eliminates the current tenure law for all teachers, and places all new hires on one-year contracts beginning in the 2013-14 school year.  The bill allows contracts of up to four years, at district discretion.  The bill eliminates seniority as a factor in decisions regarding reduction in force.  The bill also includes numerous mandates regarding teacher evaluation systems, such as requiring at least fifty percent of evaluations to be based on student test scores and prohibiting districts and employees from designing evaluation systems within collective bargaining negotiations.

continue reading…

The vote is due this coming Tuesday. It’s very easy to email your representative using the form found at:

http://www.capwiz.com/nea/mo/issues/alert/?alertid=61033371&type=ST

It contains a brief summary and editable message box to send your personal opinion to your representative.

Missouri NEA Special Legislative Action Alert
February 24, 2012
By Otto Fajen  
MNEA Legislative Director

ACTION ALERT – HOUSE TO DEBATE OMNIBUS BILL PUTS REAL NEEDS AT RISK BY PUSHING AGENDA OF VOUCHERS, OPEN ENROLLMENT, TENURE REPEAL AND CHARTER EXPANSION

The House is expected to take up HCS/HB 1740 (Scott Dieckhaus on February 28.  The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee approved an HCS version of HB 1740 on February 22 in a contentious executive session.
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• On Monday, they wanted to fund religious institutions (i.e., private corporations)
• On Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, they wanted to fund more private corporations, Virtual Charter Schools AND wanted to tamper with and make more political Missouri’s Non-Partisan Court Plan
• On Wednesday, Curtman offers HCR41 to oppose Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from Missouri

NEA Legislative Update  
Week 7, No. 2, February 14, 2012
By Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director

SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES OMNIBUS BILL RE UNACCREDITED DISTRICTS

The Senate General Laws Committee approved SCS/SB 451 (Jane Cunningham) on February 14.  The original bill pertained only to additional authority regarding shared educational services, but the SCS incorporates the provisions of SB 706 (Jane Cunningham) relating to unaccredited districts.

SCS/SB 451 includes numerous provisions regarding unaccredited districts, including a tax-credit style voucher for students of unaccredited districts to attend private schools and authority for other districts or district cooperatives to operate charter schools in unaccredited districts.
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HERE IT IS – OUR LEGISLATORS TRYING TO BREAK DOWN SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

(see 2nd item in Legislative Update for 2/13/12)

Missouri NEA Legislative Update Week 7, No. 1, February 13, 2012
By Otto Fajen MNEA Legislative Director

SCHOOL LEVY ELECTION DATES

The Senate Financial & Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee heard SB 569 (Will Kraus) on February 13. The bill eliminates both the February and June election dates for public elections.  The Association opposes the bill.  School districts rely on local tax funding to build and operate schools.  School districts should have the option to hold elections at the February and June dates.  Any bond elections on such dates must have strong community support to reach the two-thirds majority required for passage.

PUBLIC FUNDS TO RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

The Senate General Laws Committee will hear SJR 47 (Scott Rupp) on February 14.  The SJR would remove the existing constitutional provision to keep public funds from being given to religious institutions.  The General Assembly is responsible for establishing and maintaining free public schools, not private or religious schools.  Association believes that public funds should support public schools and opposes the joint resolution.

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Another Important Voting Day in 2 Months – APRIL 3

Please support Education in Franklin County by supporting and campaigning for approval of
“Proposition I” – a proposal to expand and improve facilities in the School District of Washington. The plan includes construction of new facilities and renovation of existing buildings to provide the educational environment that our students deserve. The proposal is on the April 3 ballot.
Websites to help you:

http://citizensforgreatschools.org/cfgs/

http://www.facebook.com/SDofWashington

http://www.sdow-mo.schoolloop.com

if you click on the Quick Links bar, Prop I, you will get information about the proposition:

http://www.sdow-mo.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1325750068276

THANKS FOR CONSIDERING THIS REQUEST TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR OUR CHILDREN.