Who Controls Education? Missouri Education Watchdog is roadtripping to Jefferson City to ask the legislators.

Missouri Education Watchdog supporters are driving to Jefferson City on Wednesday, September 15. We'll be meeting at the Capitol at 9:00 AM and will deliver a "talking points" memo to the legislators prior to their veto session about the educational reform burning its way through our state.

We want to inform our legislators about the insidious control the Federal government is wielding in Missouri. Watch this excellent video from Kansas Watchdog, and the conversation by the State Board of Kansas members regarding Race to the Top and federal mandates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOQaTMvsyuY

Did you hear the phrases from these board members? They don't want to become enslaved to the Federal Government; they were concerned about common core standards; these issues were never brought to the voters; these mandates are not sustainable and once the money is spent, it is gone; they did not want to lost local control; parents should help control the student's education; the Federal Government supports 6.4% of the state's budget, yet it controls almost everything the State Board does; the State Board ought to be driving the education process and the State Board is the elected body to perform that duty.



The amount of state control the Missouri State Board of Education has turned over to the Federal government in the last few months is unprecedented. Our Commissioner proudly touts the "Vision for Missouri Public Education", a pseudonym for Race to the Top, which cedes control of state education to the Federal government. She already successfully supported the signing of the common core standards, one of the primary objectives of Race to the Top:

http://www.visionformopublicschools.org/

The state legislature currently has no control in appropriating the Federal funding given to the state for teacher bailouts and common core assessments. Do we even want to accept this money? There is serious concern that by accepting it, the state will incur even more unfunded debt. Additionally, the money is given for mandates from the Federal government, and decisions on education funding is determined by the Department of Education, NOT your elected state officials. And by the way, our State Board is appointed by the governor, and it apparently feels no reason to answer to citizen concerns as the Kansas State Board of Education deems necessary.



We will visit every senator and representative next Wednesday to alert them to the current state of affairs in Missouri education land. We will be urging them to override Governor Nixon's veto of the bill which stated all federal funding would be subject to the Legislature's appropriations process.



Why did Governor Nixon veto this bill? Why doesn't he want our legislators to have say in how the funds are to be spent? The lack of financial transparency and power grabbing by Governor Nixon, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Education is absolutely stunning.



Come join us. Make a difference. Drop me a line at stlgretchen-at-gmail-dOt-com. We'll give directions to our meeting place and we'll plan to see you next Wednesday.