[Mo-facs] action alert from MoACTE

[Renee Meents]

Attention All FCS Teachers

Please read the action alert from MoACTE.  It refers to an amendment that is currently before the Mo Legislature that could very negatively impact education in the state of Missouri.  Below you will find the part of the amendment that affects career education.

 "the school improvement program or successor accreditation program shall neither require nor use a scoring rubric that requires a score for meeting standards regarding librarian staff, counselor staff, or any requirement regarding the offering of vocational education or the ceritification of vocational staff."   



ACTION ALERT!

 

YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED! 

 

 

One week remains in this legislative session - you must take action now and call your legislator to oppose Senate Amendment 5 that was adopted on an omnibus education bill, HB 265, in the Senate early Wednesday evening. 

 

Vocational Education programs could easily be dropped. The amendment could jeopardize career education programs and do away with certification. Without certification counselors and teachers cannot qualify for retirement benefits with the Public School Retirement System.  

 

READ ATTACHED AMENDMENT! 

 

Ask legislators to remove SA 5 to House Bill 265 OR vote "no" on the bill.

 

Talking points to use when contacting your legislators regarding SA 5 SB 265 - it is VERY IMPORTANT that you contact them today! Please let me know that you have contacted them and their reply to you. 

 

CALL THEM - we need to flood their offices with calls today! 

 

Below are the links to find out their phone numbers! 

 

Impact of removing standards related to counselor staff:

  a.. There will be a higher counselor/student ratio. 
  b.. There will be an effect on direct student services such as individual planning, responsive services, and support services. 
  c.. Research has shown when counselors spend time planning, implementing, delivering, and evaluating activities related to academic development, career development, and personal/social development; there are significant contributions to the students overall student success including achievement.  Students have higher 10th grade MAP mathematics scores, students have higher 11th grade communications arts scores, students were more likely to attend school, fewer students have discipline problems, and few students received out-of-school suspensions. 
  d.. Another research study showed that when middle school classroom teachers rated guidance programs were more fully implemented (meaning counselors spend more time on activities related to academic development, career development, and personal/social development), 7th grade students earned higher grades, school was more relevant, they had positive relations with teachers, they were more satisfied with their education, and they felt safer at school. 
 

Impact of removing any standards related to career and technical education:

  a.. Career and technical education should be available to all students.  
  b.. Programs should be rigorous and relevant, taught by staff skilled in the use of best instructional practices.  
  c.. Education, career preparation, skill development, and lifelong learning are connected to individual success. 
  d.. Missouri will continue to need a highly skilled workforce with strong academic, occupational, and technical abilities.  
  e.. The skill demands for work and postsecondary education are converging with common skills needed for success in postsecondary education and careers. 
  f.. Workforce development, economic development, and education are so closely inter-related and growing together more every day.  
  g.. Businesses will locate or expand where there is a strong labor pool.  Parents will live in areas where the best schools are, for their children.  And workers will seek out employers who understand and value the need for lifelong learning and continuous career development.  The relationship between workforce development, economic development, and education can manifest itself in the form of bringing similar, related, and complementary businesses together. 
 

Lastly, both guidance counselors and career and technical education teachers are to be certificated in order to be a member of the Public School Retirement System

Follow this link for the phone numbers of your members of the House of Representatives - http://www.house.mo.gov/default.aspx?info=/bills071/member/memmail.htm 

 

Follow this link for the phone numbers of your members of the Senate - 

http://www.senate.mo.gov/07info/senalpha.htm 
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