Should Missouri Teachers Get Tenure?

A state senator from the area has pushed a measure to double the time it takes teachers to get tenure from five to 10 years.

Efforts have been underway to eliminate tenure for public school teachers in Missouri, but those have largely come up short in the state legislature. The Columbia Missourian reported Tuesday that the "debate came to halt when a divided (state senate) chamber approved an amendment to keep tenure in place while a special task force examines teacher pay and effectiveness." But the issue hasn't entirely died. On Thursday, Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, amended her original version of the bill; now, that version has gotten first-round approval in the state senate. It would double from five to 10 years the number of years a teacher must serve before earning tenure. MissouriNet reports that, according to Cunningham, "the tenure system …

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Earl Higgins

1:53 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012

Holy smokes Striek, good work there! I had always wondered in the back of my mind if this whole thing were a conjured-up wedge non-issue fabricated by the Tea Party. If that article on Brian Nieves' actions isn't the smoking gun, I don't know what is. Thanks, Nieves and Cunningham for wasting everyone's time on this non-problem.   more ›

Patch Political Potpourri

Redistricting Earthquake Shakes Up Plans

Incumbents scrambling to avoid primaries, at least in the St. Louis area.

For the most part, last week’s great redistricting earthquake threw a number of lawmakers into the same state legislative districts. But rather than spurring primary fights, at least some incumbents are making plans to move. Such was the case with Sen. Jane Cunningham, a Chesterfield Republican who was drawn into the same district with Sen. John Lamping (R-Ladue). But instead of a confrontation, Cunningham instead will run in the nearby 27th District, which features parts of western St. Louis County and northern Jefferson County. Similar situations happened across the state and region with House races. For instance, state Rep. Scott Sifton (D-Affton) announced he would run in the new 93rd District as opposed to facing Rep. Genise …

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Area Senator Forced to Run in New District

Sen. Jane Cunningham to face election among new constituents, in part, and some new areas that will include Eureka and Wildwood.

State Sen. Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield) said Friday she will run for re-election to state office in a newly drawn district that includes Eureka, Arnold and parts of neighboring Jefferson County. Cunningham's announcement comes just days after speculation that her Chesterfield residence was gerrymandered out of the voting district she currently represents, the 7th. Cunningham will seek a second term in the Missouri senate from the new 27th District. It includes many of the areas Cunningham already represented in past years—Chesterfield, Clarkson Valley, Ellisville—then adds Eureka, Wildwood, much of Northern Jefferson County, and Arnold. Cunningham, a Republican, described her record as "common sense conservative leadership," and …

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Dennis Broadbooks

6:41 am on Sunday, December 4, 2011

Thanks, Jean!   more ›

MO Governor Signs School "Facebook Law" Repeals

Governor Jay Nixon signs repeals to the Missouri school social networking law, but says even the revised version has flaws. The law no longer prohibits teachers and students from communicating through some social networking outlets.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed Senate Bill 1, which repeals a portion a state school social networking law passed, Senate Bill 54, by the General Assembly this spring. In August, Patch reported on the controversy and confusion surrounding Senate Bill 54, also known as the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act. It is sponsored by former Ladue school board member and Missouri State Senator Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield) and designed to protect students.  The Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) sued the state over ths social network portions of Senate Bill 54, claiming it was too vague. MSTA was awarded an injunction on Aug. 26, just two days before the new law was to take effect. Friday, that lawsuit and injunction are still in …

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Compromise at Core of New MO School Social Media Bill

An injunction stops a new Missouri social networking law from taking effect, the revised version, Senate Bill 1, is making its way through the legislature during this special session.

Last month Town and Country - Manchester Patch reported on the controversy and confusion surrounding Senate Bill 54, also known as the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act. It is sponsored by former Ladue school board member and Missouri State Senator Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, and designed to protect students. According to the law, a teacher cannot send an email, text message, or have any private interaction with a student, unless both school administrators and the student’s parents have access to the interaction. This also means students and teachers cannot be friends on Facebook. (Read Previous Story: Parkway Teacher Says New Facebook Law Goes Too Far) As previously reported by Patch, the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) is…

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Teaching Moment: Social Media Law Holds Lessons for Students, Teachers and Parents

As school gets underway in Creve Coeur and around the state, class is in session for a debate of the role of social media and email in education.

Missouri’s students are in new classrooms for a new academic year. Meanwhile, many of their teachers have a lot more than lesson plans and grades to consider.   Near the end of August, the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) sued the state over a new Missouri social network law that prevents students and teachers from having electronic conversations that cannot be accessed by school administrators and parents. As Town and Country-Manchester Patch reported, “this also means (students and teachers) cannot be friends on Facebook.” Talk about a real civics lesson in the virtual life. Adding Up the Arguments Many Missouri teachers say connecting with their pupils via Facebook and email is an important part of reaching today’s students …

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Holly Edgell

9:33 am on Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Thanks for weighing in, Brian!   more ›

Ladue Teacher Files Federal Suit Over New Missouri Social Media Law

A Creve Coeur State Representative who voted for the bill said Tuesday the legislation was "not a perfect bill."

Updated to reflect State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reaction. Christina Thomas, a seventh-grade communications arts teacher at Ladue Middle School, is the lead plaintiff in the second lawsuit filed in the last week over the social media provisions of a new Missouri state law. Read Previous Story: Teachers Group Files Suit Over Social Media Law Thomas, with backing of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is contesting provisions of the Senate Bill 54, the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act. The lawsuit names the district, all other Missouri school districts as well as Ladue's superintendent Marsha Chappelow and superintendents statewide along with the state board of education. It alleges that the law, which limits…

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Teacher's Group Files Suit Over Social Media Law

The law's author and sponsor, Creve Coeur area State Senator Jane Cunningham calls the suit "hypocritical".

Gov. Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster are defendants in the lawsuit. Town and Country-Manchester Patch originally reported otherwise. We are sorry for the error. The Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) filed suit against the state Friday to put the breaks on a portion of a law set to go into effect which critics say puts a cramp on how educators can use social media to communicate with students. Senate Bill 54, also known as the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, was sponsored by Missouri State Senator Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, who represents parts of Creve Coeur. A main thrust of the bill was to make the law more clear about a school district's responsibilities when dealing with teachers accused of sexual …

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'No Magic Bullet' Will Solve Concerns Over Student Transfers

Rep. Scott Dieckhaus, R-Washington and the chairman of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, said there's no easy fix to Turner v. Clayton.

It's not easy to talk about. St. Louis-area students in unaccredited school districts aren't getting the education they deserve. Does that mean they should be able to attend accredited school districts in St. Louis County? Should those districts have a say in how many students they accept? It's an issue five area legislators and about 50 attendees tried to tackle in Thursday’s town hall meeting in Chesterfield. At the center of the discussion is Jane Turner v. School District of Clayton. The Missouri Supreme Court's July opinion in the case was that school districts are mandated to accept any student from an unaccredited district and have no say in the matter.  In the St. Louis area, both the St. Louis Public School (SLPS) and Riverview …

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