Common Core Legislation in Missouri Moves Forward

From Missouri Coalition Against Common Core, May 6, 2013:

SB210 Passes Out of the Senate

Today SB210 was perfected in the Senate. Discussion centered around the public's need for more information on this very large change to our education system.  

Two amendments were added to the bill. One is a long standing amendment to change the timing and process of the decision for the state to take over a district which has lost its accreditation.

The second amendment sets up an interim committee to study the foundation formula. It was noted during the discussion that DESE has not followed the foundation formula in distributing $130 millions dollars to the district. (For context, DESE's budget is $3 billion and the districts contribute another $4 on top of that making the total the state spends on education, out of a $22 billion budget, $7 billion.) One impact of this misuse of the foundation formula is that the St. Louis Special School District has lost $3 million dollars annually. 

For the perfected language click here.  The bill now goes to the house for reading and a vote. 

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Here is the language from the bill focusing on the Common Core issue:

SS/SCS/SB 210 - This act requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to conduct at least one public hearing in each Missouri congressional district prior to the full implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The Department must provide each person who wishes to testify a reasonable amount of time to do so. The Department must publish a notice on its internet website at least two weeks prior to each of the public hearings and post the notice at the location of each public hearing. The Department must also notify each district of the public hearing. Districts must also notify parents, in a manner of their choosing, as described in the act.

At least two weeks prior to the first of the public hearings, the Department must perform a fiscal analysis of the projected cost to the state and school districts of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The Department must also prepare, at least two weeks prior to the first of the public hearings, a report identifying any data that will be collected as a result of the Common Core State Standards and any governmental or quasi-governmental entities or consortium that collects or receives any data. These reports must be published on the Department's website and must be provided to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Joint Committee on Education. 

All public hearings must be completed by December 31, 2013.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must provide a report to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Joint Committee on Education that summarizes the public testimony heard at each of the public hearings. (Section 161.855)

We currently have 1119 signatures on our petition to stop Common Core in Missouri.  Add your signature here.