Every year education is one of the most critical issues that the legislature addresses. StudentsFirst is a bipartisan, grassroots movement of more than one million members nationwide working to transform America's schools so they work well for all kids. Our members are pushing for reforms that will elevate the teaching profession, improve teacher and principal quality, empower parents and improve the governance and financial strength of school districts.First they tell the candidate why education is important and that it is going to be one of the biggest issues they will address while in the legislature. To date, only funding for education has been a big issue in the legislature. It may BECOME a big issue as grass roots efforts begin to push back against Common Core Standards and intrusive federal control, but interestingly, neither of these issues appear in their survey.
They are only interested in candidate's (both local and national) views on education reform issues. But by offering this survey, are they not beginning the process of forming the candidate's view on education? Are there obvious "right" answers? You be the judge and then see if your favorite candidate starts using any of these talking points.
1.
Do you have a
background in education or education reform? Y/N
2.
Do you think that
significant K-12 education reform in Missouri is critical to ensure the state’s
students get the best education possible and to ensure their best chance at a
successful future? Y/N
3.
Do
you think significant K-12 education reform is critical to the future of
Missouri? Y/N
4.
Do you think that dramatic K-12 education reform
is critical for Missouri students to compete with students from around the
world? Y/N
5.
Please rank Education Reform in your
overall list of priorities in relation to other issues including: Public
Safety, Job Creation, Health Care, Public Health, Fiscal Integrity, Tax Reform,
Housing, Government Reform, etc.
6.
Please identify whether you support or oppose
the reforms included in the following list of education priorities. If you do
not support, please explain why in the space that follows. Support Oppose
a)
Allowing districts to make staffing and layoff
decisions based on teacher effectiveness and impact on students, rather than on
seniority alone (ending “last in, first out” policies).
b)
Implementing meaningful teacher evaluations that
are based at least half on student achievement and using a value-added growth
model.
c)
Implementing meaningful principal evaluations
that are based student achievement and in large part on the principal’s ability
to attract, retain and effectively manage and develop effective teachers.
d)
Establishing performance standards for all
school employees with true teacher input, but independently from the collective
bargaining process.
e)
Empowering parents with information about their
children’s schools and school districts so they can make informed decisions
about their children’s education.
f)
Enacting fiscal responsibility and
accountability measures to determine whether education funding is being used
wisely to advance student achievement.
g)
Allowing districts to undertake mutual consent
staffing determinations such that teachers and principals agree on placement
and forced placement is forbidden.
7.
Do you agree or disagree with the following
statement:
a)
"Parents in Missouri are not given access
to enough of the information they need to help them make important decisions
about their child's education."
8.
Do you support the
creation of genuine district open enrollment systems that give families more
options to attend high-quality public schools? Y/N
9.
Do you support the development of improved
school scorecards based on student data that will really help parents
understand what to look for in a school? Y/N
10. Would
you support new laws that compel districts to get the written consent of
parents before their children are placed in a class with an ineffective
teacher? Y/N
11. Do
you support a statewide data system to track teacher performance? Y/N
12. Do
you support the collection and publication of school district budget data
tracking central office, programmatic and curriculum spending against student
achievement? Y/N
13. Do
you support removing caps from individual budget categories so districts have
the ability to dedicate resources where they determine they are most needed? Y/N
Pretty much lays out what StudentsFirst is working on, doesn't it.
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