A public hearing was completed in the House last Wed., 2/1 on House Bill 1526, which, if passed, would bring sweeping changes to the current state statutes related to teacher tenure. For more information about the bill, click here. Representative Scott Dieckhaus (R-Washington), sponsor of the bill, asserted the bill’s significance in improving education in Missouri, professionalizing the teaching field, and updating outdated policies that govern teaching and administration, including current laws that honor teacher seniority over performance in regards to school personnel decisions.

George Parker, former middle school teacher and president of the Washington, D.C. teacher’s union, gave strong testimony in support of the bill. Parker argued that we can’t use seniority to determine our best teachers, and that the reforms to teacher evaluation that the bill mandates provide a necessary focus on the outcome of student learning, instead of just the teaching inputs which are the focus of current evaluations. Parker’s testimony can be viewed here.  St. Louis Public Schools special education teacher Amanda Henry echoed Parker’s support of the bill, emphasizing the bill’s strength in aligning teacher evaluations with student growth. Henry stated that this is especially important for special education teachers like herself.

HB 1526 is sitting in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. CECM will continue to track the movement of this important bill.

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