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MSTA Action Member Brief - Feb. 17, 2026
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Episode transcript
This is MSTA Action Member Brief, a members-only preview of what we're watching and working on at the Capitol. This week in Jefferson City, lawmakers return with a lighter schedule in the Senate, but important conversations lay ahead on education policy. The State Senate's not in session on Monday in observation of the President's Day holiday, while the Missouri House was in session Monday afternoon and will continue its work as, uh, the week moves forward.
On Tuesday, attention turns to the Senate, Education Committee. The committee is scheduled to hear Senate' Bill eleven ninety-four and
Senate Bill sixteen fifty-three, two bills that are opposed by MSTA. Both measures would create an A to F designation system for every school and school district in the state, a policy that MSTA-adopted resolutions oppose. MSTA believes that reducing a school's performance to a single letter grade creates an oversimplified label. That label does not fully reflect the complexity of accountability or the wide range of factors that contribute to student success.
There's also concern that an A to F score could further confuse parents and communities, rather than provide meaningful insight into how schools are meeting students' needs. Many states across the country have moved away from letter grade systems in favor of more comprehensive accountability dashboards, similar to the model Missouri is currently utilizing and is continuing to develop with legislation that was passed just this last session and hasn't even been fully implemented. Then, on Wednesday, in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, lawmakers will continue discussions on key K-twelve issues, including House Bill twenty-nine thirteen and House
Bill thirty-two twenty-eight, bipartisan legislation to grant immunity to educators intervening in an incident involving violence in order to safeguard himself or herself or students. We believe that legislation supported by MSTA, House Bill twenty-three thirty-five, will be voted out of committee. This legislation, sponsored by Representative Ann Kelly, would limit the amount of annual training that would be required by educators each year and allow PD set decisions to be made locally.
We're tracking all these hearings and more, and any other movement on bills throughout the week, so be sure to read MSTA Action this Friday for a full recap.
On Tuesday, attention turns to the Senate, Education Committee. The committee is scheduled to hear Senate' Bill eleven ninety-four and
Senate Bill sixteen fifty-three, two bills that are opposed by MSTA. Both measures would create an A to F designation system for every school and school district in the state, a policy that MSTA-adopted resolutions oppose. MSTA believes that reducing a school's performance to a single letter grade creates an oversimplified label. That label does not fully reflect the complexity of accountability or the wide range of factors that contribute to student success.
There's also concern that an A to F score could further confuse parents and communities, rather than provide meaningful insight into how schools are meeting students' needs. Many states across the country have moved away from letter grade systems in favor of more comprehensive accountability dashboards, similar to the model Missouri is currently utilizing and is continuing to develop with legislation that was passed just this last session and hasn't even been fully implemented. Then, on Wednesday, in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, lawmakers will continue discussions on key K-twelve issues, including House Bill twenty-nine thirteen and House
Bill thirty-two twenty-eight, bipartisan legislation to grant immunity to educators intervening in an incident involving violence in order to safeguard himself or herself or students. We believe that legislation supported by MSTA, House Bill twenty-three thirty-five, will be voted out of committee. This legislation, sponsored by Representative Ann Kelly, would limit the amount of annual training that would be required by educators each year and allow PD set decisions to be made locally.
We're tracking all these hearings and more, and any other movement on bills throughout the week, so be sure to read MSTA Action this Friday for a full recap.
• 3 min
MSTA Action Member Brief - Feb. 17, 2026
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