Lawsuit filed against Sinquefield anti-teacher initiative

A lawsuit filed by a coalition that includes Missouri NEA and the Missouri State Teachers Association, is attempting to stop an initiative petition which would eliminate tenure for Missouri teachers and require that a large portion of their evaluations be based on student scores on standardized tests.

The petition is being financed, to the tune of of more than $3 million at this point, by retired billionaire Rex Sinquefield:

The two teachers groups said they oppose the measure not merely because of the way it is drafted, but because of the changes it would make to school policies.

"This amendment will result in more time spent testing and less time spent learning, actually short-changing the education students receive," DeeAnn Aull, a lobbyist for the Missouri NEA, said in a written statement.