Action Recap
Senate Gives Initial Approval to Omnibus Education Bill
This week, the Senate brought up a new version of SB4, 42, and 89 (Koenig). This would ban certain curriculum, create a massive database controlled by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education of local district curriculum and professional development activities, create a “Parents' Bill of Rights,” and change calculations made in the foundation formula. After a short debate, the bill was given initial approval. The Senate will take one more vote before the bill is sent to the House. In an early draft of the bill, there was an amendment offered that would have eliminated the ability of schools to operate under a four-day school week. This amendment was not included in the version of SB4 that was given initial approval, although that issue could still be brought up during the legislative session.
The bill establishes the “Parents’ Bill of Rights Act of 2023,” which gives parents the right to inspect materials provided to their child within two days of a request, including curricula, books, source materials, and other instructional materials. The bill further outlines the rights of parents including other information pertaining to their children. SB4 requires districts to notify parents of all reported incidents directly pertaining to their student’s safety that result in any violation of the school’s safety policy. The school must notify parents of any felony charges filed against a teacher or employee of the school, regardless of whether the alleged offense took place on or off school premises, any misdemeanor charges filed against a teacher or employee of the school that directly pertain to their student’s safety, regardless of whether the offense took place on or off school premises.
Public, charter and virtual schools are required under SB4 to approve and adopt all curriculum at least two months prior to implementation. The legislation would create a massive central database within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Missouri Education Transparency and Accountability Portal would include every school's curriculum, textbooks, source materials, and syllabi. The portal would also include the cost associated with speakers and guests used by a school in their professional development activities.
Any school that knowingly violates supplying information to the Missouri Education Transparency and Accountability Portal will be subject to a penalty of up to $25,000, unless the school proves to the satisfaction of the Department that it is no longer in violation of such provisions.
In a newly added section of the bill, there would be a change made to one of the foundation formula calculations. The bill would change the weighting of students who receive free and reduced-price lunch from 25% to 30% in the calculation of weighted average daily attendance. Students who are homeless would be weighted at 15% in the calculation of weighted average daily attendance.
SB4 includes language relating to school curriculum that includes prohibitions on what may be taught. No school or school employee can require teachers to teach, or a student or teacher to personally adopt, adhere to, or profess a position or viewpoint that individuals of any race, ethnicity, color, or national origin are inherently superior or inferior and that individuals, by virtue of their race, ethnicity, color, or national origin, bear collective guilt and are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by others. No school can require a student or employee to attend or participate in training, instruction, or therapy that a reasonable person believes would violate this section.
This bill states that this law may not be construed to prohibit constitutionally protected speech, access to research or study materials, or the discussion or assignment of materials for educational purposes. The bill may also not be construed to prevent teachers from discussing current events in a historical context or courses including, but not limited to, African American history, Native American history, women's history, Asian American History and Hispanic history. Every school must post on its website the names of all books required for students and provide parents access to the digital library catalogue for the school where the parent's student is enrolled.
If a parent learns that a teacher is in violation of this section, then the parent may file a complaint with DESE, which must send the complaint to the State Board of Education and notify the local school. Upon a determination by the State Board of Education that a violation is occurring, the school must place money into the student’s education savings voucher account each year until they graduate that can be used toward tuition at a private school.
SB4 also creates a patriotic and civics training program to prepare teachers to teach the principles of American civics and patriotism. If money is included in the state budget, each teacher that completes the training shall receive a one-time payment of three thousand dollars.
In addition to the legislation that would enable this massive program, the House Subcommittee on Appropriations-Education included $1.3 million in their draft of the state budget to enable the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop or purchase a database to collect the information required in the bill.
MSTA opposes SB4. This legislation will create a massive state database, requiring educators to use valuable time doing additional paperwork and defending their course materials instead of working on course preparation, tutoring, or engaging directly with student’s parents. With a common database of curriculum housed at DESE, this legislation could also lead to the approval or disapproval of curriculum from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that would demolish the ability of local districts to develop their own curriculum. The $1.3 million cost to create a statewide database would duplicate what many districts across the state already provide. The money to fund this program could more wisely be used to raise educator salaries and enhance recruitment and retention efforts.
There is still time to contact your Senator and ask them to oppose SB4. A final vote in the Senate will most likely take place next week, then it will then be sent to the House for consideration.
Katie Webb Takes Oath as New Member of the PSRS/PEERS Board of Trustees
On Monday, Katie Webb joined the PSRS/PEERS Board of Trustees as an active member of PSRS. She fills an open Board seat created by the retirement of Dr. Melinda Moss in October 2022. Her term on the Board runs from February 6, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
Since 2009, Webb has served as a K-5 music teacher at Mark Twain Elementary in Hannibal, Missouri. She also served as an administrative intern at Veterans Elementary during the summer of 2022 where her responsibilities included preparing curriculum, creating referral forms and handling student discipline situations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master of Arts in elementary education from Truman State University, as well as an Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University.
Katie has been a member of MSTA since 2008 and has served in several leadership roles including building representative, vice president and president for the Hannibal Community Teacher Association; executive committee member, vice president and president for the Northeast Region Teachers Association; and as chair for MSTA’s statewide committee on education policy. She currently serves as the chair of the MSTA Articles, Bylaws & Rules committee. Webb serves as the lighthouse coordinator for the Leader in Me program at her school and is an active member of the Parent Teacher Organization. At this month’s board meeting, the retirement system gave briefings on investments, system operations, a legislative update, and presentation from the employer services department.
MSTA Actives Rapid Response Program for Open Enrollment Bills
An alert for the MSTA Rapid Response program was sent to members this week relating to HB253 (Pollitt), and SB5 (Koenig). MSTA opposes the open enrollment programs that are established in the bills.
HB253 (Pollitt) and SB5 (Koenig) will create open enrollment of public-school students throughout Missouri, allowing students to enroll in nonresident public schools. The legislation claims to create a “voluntary” system, yet it is only voluntary as to whether a district accepts students, and if a transfer student decides at any time to return to the resident district, the resident district is again responsible for the education of that student.
Open enrollment would negatively impact teachers across the state, leading to school consolidation, the closing of schools, and limiting the ability of students to receive an education in their local community. MSTA’s other concerns regarding the legislation include the financial implications and an anti-collaboration effect that would pit districts against each other. HB253 would allow districts to discriminate against special education students.
MSTA opposes HB253 (Pollitt) and SB5 (Koenig). MSTA Adopted Resolutions support each local school district developing a written policy for transfer and assignment of students within a district and to any other school district. MSTA opposes legislative actions involving the concept of inter-district choice and open enrollment.
If you haven’t contacted your legislators, it isn’t too late. You can still use the MSTA Rapid Response platform, or you may contact your state legislator via email or phone. It is still not known when these bills will come up for debate. For more information, and the ability to email your legislator quickly, visit https://p2a.co/whEUCp9.
If you would like to receive text messages when urgent alerts are sent from MSTA, you can sign up for future notifications by texting “MSTA” to 52886.
Senate Committee Hears Bill that Would Limit Teacher Speech
This week, the Senate Education Committee conducted a hearing on SB134 (Moon). This act establishes the “Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act,” which prohibits any school nurse, counselor, teacher, principal, or other personnel at a public or charter school from discussing gender identity or sexual orientation with a student unless such person is a licensed mental health provider with prior parental permission.
The bill as filed reads: 170.385. 1.) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act". 2.) No nurse, counselor, teacher, principal, contracted personnel, or other administrative official at a public or charter school shall discuss gender identity or sexual orientation with a minor student unless such nurse, counselor, teacher, principal, personnel, or official is a mental health care provider licensed under chapter 337 with prior permission from the student's parent or legal guardian. 3.) As used in this section, the following terms shall mean:
- "Gender identity", the preconceived notion of someone's psychological, behavioral, social, and cultural aspects of being a biological male or biological female. For the purposes of this section, a biological male shall be someone with the biological indicators of a male in the context of reproductive potential or capacity, such as the presence of a Y chromosome, naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and nonambiguous external genitalia present at birth. A biological female shall be someone with the biological indicators of a female in the context of reproductive potential or capacity, such as the absence of a Y chromosome, naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and nonambiguous internal and external genitalia present at birth;
- "Sexual orientation", one's actual or perceived emotional or physical attraction to, or romantic or physical relationships with, members of the same gender, members of a different gender, or members of any gender; or the lack of any emotional or physical attraction to, or romantic or physical relationships with, anyone.
MSTA opposes SB134 based on MSTA Adopted Resolutions. MSTA supports diversity and inclusion within the schools and community, the autonomy of the local school district to adopt curriculum, assessments, programs to meet educational goals, and local districts adopting a policy on gender expression and identity. There are many problems in this legislation. The bill is incredibly broad and vague; the plain language of the bill would prohibit basic curriculum and make it illegal to discuss any relationships with students under any circumstances.