HCS SS#2 SCS SB 161 -- ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

SPONSOR:  Shields (Muschany)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Special Committee on
Student Achievement by a vote of 6 to 1.

This substitute changes the laws regarding elementary and
secondary education.  In its main provisions, the substitute:

(1)  Establishes a rating system based on a program developed by
the University of Missouri's Center for Family Policy and
Research for early childhood facilities and before- and
after-school programs sponsored by school districts.  A grant
fund with two subaccounts is created for licensed providers and
organizations that assist providers in improving quality;

(2)  Changes the laws on school emergency procedures to
anticipate a public health emergency such as a pandemic;

(3)  Authorizes the mayor of the City of St. Louis to sponsor
charter schools in the city;

(4)  Requires mentoring standards to be established for beginning
teachers by June 30, 2008, and establishes benchmarks for quality
mentoring programs;

(5)  Makes school districts responsible for the cost of certain
postsecondary remedial courses;

(6)  Authorizes students in provisionally accredited or
unaccredited districts to enroll in neighboring districts under
certain circumstances and establishes procedures for handling
issues such as state aid, assessment, and athletics;

(7)  Requires school districts to get written parental permission
for student participation in extracurricular activities;

(8)  Codifies procedures for handling the educational needs of
children who are placed in residential care facilities by the
state but do not require special education services.  The
substitute specifies how needs will be handled at different types
of facilities and requires facilities and districts to cooperate
on a general plan;

(9)  Allows school buses to transport students whose ridership
does not qualify for state aid and for certain other purposes;

(10)  Establishes a new initial license category for teacher
applicants who have completed the American Board of Certification
for Teacher Excellence Program;

(11)  Adds participating in strikes to the reasons for which a
teacher's contract may be cancelled; and

(12)  Requires the reporting and posting of administrator
compensation information and certain performance benchmarks such
as the Superintendent Targeted Achievement Record (STAR) Program
by school districts and the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of Unknown
but Greater than $542,350 in FY 2008, Unknown but Greater than
$973,200 in FY 2009, and Unknown but Greater than $973,200 in
FY 2010.  Estimated Cost on Other State Funds of Unknown but
Greater than $100,000 in FY 2008, FY 2009, and FY 2010.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that while accreditation
organizations exist for child care facilities and some facilities
are required to be licensed, the quality rating system developed
by the University of Missouri's Center for Family Policy and
Research is more rigorous.  Facilities do not have to achieve a
particular level, but once they are assessed for a rating, they
have a clear picture of how to improve their quality level.

Testifying for the bill were Senator Shields; Missouri Child Care
Resource and Referral; Meighan Peifer; Citizens for Missouri's
Children; Missouri State Teachers Association; Missouri National
Education Association; Todd Belvin, KinderCare; Carrie Shapton,
Partnership for America/Mid-America Regional Council; and Terri
Foulkes, Center for Family Policy and Research.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that it gives the
illusion of making better facilities available to low-income
parents, when it actually will have the reverse effect.  It will
cover only a small portion of facilities, and the facilities that
get high ratings will be able to charge prices beyond the means
of low-income parents.

Testifying against the bill were Johnnie Brown, ABC Child Care;
and Karen Werner, Missouri Association of Child Care Providers.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill say caution is required in
revising emergency license actions to make sure that facilities
get due process but do not continue in business when they present
a danger to children.

Testifying on the bill was Department of Health and Senior
Services.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated July 25, 2007 at 11:21 am