MSTA legislative director: MNEA not only one working on legislative fix for Facebook Bill

In a blog entry posted earlier today, Missouri State Teachers Association Legislative Director Mike Wood took issue with MNEA's criticism of the MSTA legal action against Jane Cunningham's Facebook Bill. MNEA claimed it was the only organization working with Mrs. Cunningham on a legislative fix:

"While MSTA is supporting teachers statewide with its lawsuit on Senate Bill 54, we are also working toward a legislative fix, despite what some critics have said. MSTA is working with all other education associations in Missouri to craft legislation that recognizes that appropriate use of social media can help students.

MSTA attorneys are reviewing proposed language. But coming to any agreement on language is a small step in getting the law changed. Unless MSTA is successful with the injunction, this law will take effect Aug. 28. A legislative fix could be months away. Unless Gov. Nixon amends his call for the special session, we may well be into 2012 with a vague law that is being interpreted many different ways by many different school districts. What are teachers and districts supposed to do until a fix can be passed by the legislature and signed into law by the governor? What if a fix is NOT passed by the legislature?

The reason for the lawsuit is to keep an obviously flawed law from taking effect, and to protect the constitutional rights of teachers.

As MSTA’s Legislative Director, I was like everyone else in the Capitol who worked on this bill. Everyone read the same language, but no one knew the unintended consequences this language would have on important and appropriate communications between students and teachers. MSTA reported on this language numerous times in the Action newsletter that is published weekly during the legislative session.

Everyone, including the sponsor of the bill, realizes that changes need to be made to this law. MSTA is not only seeking protection for teachers through court action, but is also working to properly change the law with the legislature."