Students First urges Missouri House to try anti-teacher bill again

The Missouri House of Representatives resoundingly defeated Rep. Kevin Elmer's anti-teacher bill, HB 631, 102-55, last Wednesday, but that is not slowing down the anti-public education drumbeat from Michelle Rhee's horribly misnamed Students First organization. She wants the Nixa Republican's bill, which would have eliminated teacher tenure and installed requirements for teacher evaluation that would have taken control of the process out of the hands of local school boards, to be brought back up today. The following release was issued Monday by the organization's state director, Lea Crusey:

Last week the Missouri State House of Representatives let the interests of adults trump the interests of students. Instead of ensuring our students have great teachers in the classrooms, our Representatives put politics before good public policy and voted down HB 631.

Tomorrow is the last day for legislators to revive this meaningful measure and we need your help to urge them to reconsider HB 631.

It is critical that you e-mail your State Representative today and tell them that you want them to revive HB 631. If we fail to act, it will be more difficult to ensure our children have the great teachers they deserve.

Teachers need effective evaluations to accurately measure their performance in the classroom and grow, as they continue to prepare Missouri children for the future.

We must hold these legislators accountable and demand they stand tall for our kids. If Missouri is serious about improving education and valuing our hardworking educators, they must act now.

Time is of the essence. Email your legislator now and tell them to reconsider HB 631and to put the interests of students and teachers first.

I have a feeling the wide majority of our legislators will stick to their guns and tell Ms. Crusey and her followers thanks, but no thanks, but it does not hurt to make sure to let our legislators who voted against HB 631 that we appreciated their vote.