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Message from the President - March 2008
Fellow School Board Members:
It was great to see so many of you at our recent Legislative Forum in Jeff City. We heard from numerous legislators, but many tended to steer clear of legislation that we are opposed to. None of the voucher proponents mentioned their support of tuition tax credit legislation. It's imperative that we continue to pay attention and let our legislators know how we feel about legislation harmful to public schools. For my message this month I was asked to include my address to the legislators, board members and administrators who were in attendance for the forum luncheon. I hope you will find that it succinctly summarizes MSBA's views on a number of issues.
School board members and administrators. When it comes to support for public education in this state we have a lot to be thankful for. This room today contains a number of legislators who time and time again vote to support public education, to sponsor legislation that will help us educate our students, and also help to protect us from unnecessary or plainly bad legislation. If you are sitting at a table with a legislator who's been one of these supporters please be sure to thank them for their good work. And don't let this be the only time. Each time an important vote happens be sure to let them know that you appreciate their support as we educate over 900,000 kids in this state every year.
Last year I was sitting out in the audience of this event and I heard one of our legislative speakers say….and I'm paraphrasing here not quoting…..but the gist was, "when it comes to improving Missouri's schools we always hear what you are against and never what you are for." That statement frankly took me by surprise because MSBA has long promoted a number of things that we believe will help all of Missouri's public schools. But maybe we need to be more vocal and diligent in our efforts to promote what we are for. So I thought. What better way, with a room full of legislators to try to make that more clear. Here is some of what we are FOR.
We are FOR expanding early childhood education. Pre-school programs have the proven ability to improve achievement for those students who would normally come to our doors unprepared. When listening to the testimony on senate and house tuition tax credit bills a few days ago one of the things that struck me was how passionate the testimony from parents was on the effectiveness of early intervention programs for students with disabilities. We need to improve access to quality early child care programs in Missouri!
We are FOR comprehensive school health services, including mental health services for children, so that health issues, particularly for children living in poverty, do not keep our children from learning and succeeding.
We are FOR improving teacher pay. In order to recruit and retain high quality teachers they must be properly compensated.
We are FOR research, not rhetoric. And so we are FOR MANDATORY school board member training. Research from the Iowa Lighthouse study clearly shows that when school boards are focused on policy, governance, and student achievement, that their students do better.
We are FOR putting an emphasis on the teaching of math and science, but NOT at the expense of the arts and the humanities.
We are FOR accountability. We believe that teachers and administrators should have performance-based evaluations. But we do not want our schools to be judged solely on the merits of how students do on a single method of assessment.
We are FOR openness and transparency. If public money is to be diverted from the general revenues for tuition tax credits, then we want the recipients of that money to be held to the same standards as the public schools are, in terms of public scrutiny and student achievement.
We are FOR giving our graduates increased opportunities by continuing to support programs, such as A+ and Bright Flight, that encourage post-secondary education.
We are FOR public input and community involvement, NOT push polls and political action committees with money to throw around who are determined to cast everything the public schools do in a negative light.
To the honorable ladies and gentlemen of the legislature who are with us today, I tell you that we are FOR cooperation. Work with us and let us work with you to advance excellence for ALL of Missouri's schoolchildren. Work with us to improve poorly performing schools, not by siphoning off some students and leaving the others behind, but by helping us address the real problems that these schools face; whether it be poverty, violence, discipline, funding, a lack of high quality teachers, inadequate or crumbling facilities, or a lack of effective governance.
The Missouri School Boards' Association's main goal is to help all school boards succeed. If we make strides towards this goal then our vision of Missouri's schools being the best in the nation CAN become a reality. THAT is what we are for.
It was great to see so many of you at our recent Legislative Forum in Jeff City. We heard from numerous legislators, but many tended to steer clear of legislation that we are opposed to. None of the voucher proponents mentioned their support of tuition tax credit legislation. It's imperative that we continue to pay attention and let our legislators know how we feel about legislation harmful to public schools. For my message this month I was asked to include my address to the legislators, board members and administrators who were in attendance for the forum luncheon. I hope you will find that it succinctly summarizes MSBA's views on a number of issues.
Legislative Forum
February 26, 2008
February 26, 2008
School board members and administrators. When it comes to support for public education in this state we have a lot to be thankful for. This room today contains a number of legislators who time and time again vote to support public education, to sponsor legislation that will help us educate our students, and also help to protect us from unnecessary or plainly bad legislation. If you are sitting at a table with a legislator who's been one of these supporters please be sure to thank them for their good work. And don't let this be the only time. Each time an important vote happens be sure to let them know that you appreciate their support as we educate over 900,000 kids in this state every year.
Last year I was sitting out in the audience of this event and I heard one of our legislative speakers say….and I'm paraphrasing here not quoting…..but the gist was, "when it comes to improving Missouri's schools we always hear what you are against and never what you are for." That statement frankly took me by surprise because MSBA has long promoted a number of things that we believe will help all of Missouri's public schools. But maybe we need to be more vocal and diligent in our efforts to promote what we are for. So I thought. What better way, with a room full of legislators to try to make that more clear. Here is some of what we are FOR.
We are FOR expanding early childhood education. Pre-school programs have the proven ability to improve achievement for those students who would normally come to our doors unprepared. When listening to the testimony on senate and house tuition tax credit bills a few days ago one of the things that struck me was how passionate the testimony from parents was on the effectiveness of early intervention programs for students with disabilities. We need to improve access to quality early child care programs in Missouri!
We are FOR comprehensive school health services, including mental health services for children, so that health issues, particularly for children living in poverty, do not keep our children from learning and succeeding.
We are FOR improving teacher pay. In order to recruit and retain high quality teachers they must be properly compensated.
We are FOR research, not rhetoric. And so we are FOR MANDATORY school board member training. Research from the Iowa Lighthouse study clearly shows that when school boards are focused on policy, governance, and student achievement, that their students do better.
We are FOR putting an emphasis on the teaching of math and science, but NOT at the expense of the arts and the humanities.
We are FOR accountability. We believe that teachers and administrators should have performance-based evaluations. But we do not want our schools to be judged solely on the merits of how students do on a single method of assessment.
We are FOR openness and transparency. If public money is to be diverted from the general revenues for tuition tax credits, then we want the recipients of that money to be held to the same standards as the public schools are, in terms of public scrutiny and student achievement.
We are FOR giving our graduates increased opportunities by continuing to support programs, such as A+ and Bright Flight, that encourage post-secondary education.
We are FOR public input and community involvement, NOT push polls and political action committees with money to throw around who are determined to cast everything the public schools do in a negative light.
To the honorable ladies and gentlemen of the legislature who are with us today, I tell you that we are FOR cooperation. Work with us and let us work with you to advance excellence for ALL of Missouri's schoolchildren. Work with us to improve poorly performing schools, not by siphoning off some students and leaving the others behind, but by helping us address the real problems that these schools face; whether it be poverty, violence, discipline, funding, a lack of high quality teachers, inadequate or crumbling facilities, or a lack of effective governance.
The Missouri School Boards' Association's main goal is to help all school boards succeed. If we make strides towards this goal then our vision of Missouri's schools being the best in the nation CAN become a reality. THAT is what we are for.
Posted: 2/28/2008
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—Posted: 7/10/2008 - Four school boards receive Education Leadership Team honor
—Posted: 6/10/2008 - Morris becomes new MSBA President
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—Posted: 2/28/2008 - Understanding Your 2007B Policy Update
—Posted: 2/28/2008 - Missouri Alert Network expanded to colleges, universities
—Posted: 2/19/2008 - Message from the President - February 2008
—Posted: 2/1/2008 - School board recognition week set for January 27 - February 2
—Posted: 1/1/2008 - School Board Candidate Filing Now Open
—Posted: 12/18/2007 - Congressman Skelton speaks to students during ESGN program
—Posted: 11/15/2007 - P-Card earns school districts rebates
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—Posted: 8/24/2007 - ERIP - The Solution for All-Hazards Planning
—Posted: 8/21/2007 - U.S. Supreme Court rules for schools in "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" Case
—Posted: 6/28/2007 - Missouri Supreme Court Grants School Employees Right to Collectively Bargain
—Posted: 5/29/2007 - General Assembly adjourns without passing harmful legislation
—Posted: 5/21/2007