Missouri set for debate on teacher tenure

Saint Louis, Mo. — Somewhat buried in the coverage of the August 5 primary was word that at least one controversial measure would make it on to the November ballot.

Proposition A was approved after some education groups challenged the measure in court, saying its ballot language did not meet approved non-partisan standards. But a court recently ruled with Teach Great, the organization backing the measure. Secretary of State Jason Kander confirmed Proposition A would be placed before voters in November.

The measure would end teacher tenure in Missouri and compel individual school districts to create their own evaluations for teachers, as well as craft their own teacher contracts.

Supporters say that teacher tenure keeps poor teachers in classrooms too long and that individual school boards don’t have enough decision-making power in hiring, firing and evaluating teachers. Detractors say the measure hamstrings teachers into focusing largely on standardized tests and open teachers up to unfair termination.

Teach Great is funded almost entirely by Republican mega-donor, philanthropist, and longtime advocate for education reform, Rex Sinquefield. Missouri’s education establishment has formed the “Protect Our Local Schools” campaign to fight back against the measure.

“Here’s a plan with more standardized tests and more funding tied to test scores,” said Mike Sherman, who is working as Communications Director for the Protect Our Local Schools campaign. “First of all, it’ll take hundreds of millions to implement all these new evaluations. And secondly, these tests treat each child the same way, and we know that’s simply not true. And finally, when you tell teachers that test scores determine whether or not they are going to keep their jobs, they’re going to spend even more time teaching to that test instead of attending to the individual student needs.”

While the education establishment hopes to paint the measure as an attempt to dismantle public education and teacher’s unions, Teach Great maintains that the proposition will give more power to school boards and ensure better teachers in classrooms.

Under the plan, school districts would have to conduct at least 50 percent of their evaluation based on student growth, while the local school boards may craft the rest. The evaluations, if approved by DESE, could even be crafted on the individual classroom level.

“Today, if you were to ask a school board member how much control they have over teacher evaluations or teacher contracts, they would likely tell you zero,” said Kate Casas, a vocal proponent of education reform in the state and spokesperson for Teach Great. “Our measure gives school boards the power to decide how to evaluate educators and how to contract them. And it still leaves the door open for collective bargaining to take place.”

Proposition A could shape up to be the biggest issue before Missouri voters in a November election, which features no statewide race at the top of the ticket. The Sinquefield machine — which has pushed for education reform bills in the past and lobbied vigorously through several organizations for tax cuts — can be expected to run a well-funded operation. Opponents within the education establishment are also prepared for an ugly fight, and likely won’t be shy about pouring money into a fight that could get national attention as one of the first serious efforts by a state to eliminate teacher tenure.