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Home » MO Legislature » 2012 Bills » Teacher Tenure focus of ballot initiative, upcoming legislation
Teacher Tenure focus of ballot initiative, upcoming legislation
Published:
January 23, 2012
Teacher tenure reform is the focus of an initiative petition that was filed with the Secretary of State’s office on Tuesday, January 17. If approved by voters, the initiative would amend the state constitution to eliminate teacher tenure—in other words, any school district that receives public money could not make hiring and firing decisions based on seniority. After a ballot title is written, an estimated 150,000 signatures from 6 of Missouri’s 9 congressional districts will need to be collected before the issue is brought to voters.
CECM strongly supports efforts to end teacher tenure, including the ballot initiative. Excellent teachers are the key to the academic success of students, and ending teacher tenure would ensure that districts keep teachers based on how well they perform, not how long they’ve been on the job. This is one step to ensuring that an excellent teacher is in every classroom, as districts would be held more accountable for the performance of their instructional staff.
In addition to the initiative petition, legislation tackling teacher tenure is expected to be filed this week. Follow CECM on Twitter, @cecmissouri, for the latest.
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