You just need 37,500 people to chip in. And then vote.

Previously: Campaign Finance: Wouldn’t it be easier to just write them a check directly? (April 14, 2014)

Do you think he took it as a suggestion?

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C121045 04/25/2014 TEACHGREAT.ORG Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 4/24/2014 $750,000.00

[emphasis added]

Nah, he couldn’t have, could he?

Meanwhile, celebrate astroturf!

For now it’s still only one vote.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: here’s $31,000.00, go beat up on public school teachers (February 26, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Bah, humbug! (December 25, 2013)

Campaign Finance: how astroturf (the fake grassroots) works (August 1, 2013)

Campaign Finance: teachers are evil, except when they save kids from a tornado or a crazed gunman (May 24, 2013)

Campaign Finance: using a lot of money to beat up on teachers (May 28, 2012)

But since tornadoes and crazed gunman are relatively rare, teachers are apparently evil the vast majority of the time.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C121045 05/24/2013 TEACHGREAT.ORG Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 5/23/2013 $100,000.00

[emphasis added]

According to the Amended Statement of Committee Organization [pdf] filed on April 2, 2013 Teachgreat.org, a PAC, is supporting a “Constitutional Amendment to Art, IX, Relating to Teachers and Certificated Staff”.

And what does “Teachgreat.org” want to do with all that Rex Sinquefield money? Make teachers at will [pdf] employees.

At approximately thirty-eight seconds into the video one person schools another who slept through class when they were supposed to learn critical thinking skills. Guess which one:

….Michelle Fields: In acting you, there is, there isn’t job security, right? There’s an incentive to work hard and be a better actor because you want to have a job. So why isn’t it like that for teachers?

Matt Damon: You think, do you think job job insecurity is what makes me work hard?

Michelle Fields: Well, you have an incentive to work harder. But, [crosstalk] if there’s job security.

Matt Damon: I, I want to be an actor. It’s not an incentive. That’s the thing. See, you take this MBA style thinking, right? It’s the problem with ed[ucation] policy right now. There’s this intrinsically paternalistic view of problems that are much more complex than that. It’s like saying a teacher is gonna get lazy when they have tenure. A teacher wants to teach. I mean, why else would you take a shitty salary and really long hours and, and, and do that job unless you really loved to do it?….

“…why else would you take a shitty salary and really long hours and, and, and do that job unless you really loved to do it?…”

One person doesn’t have a clue, do they?

Evidently, public school teachers are a threat to civilization as we know it.

HB 628 — Teacher Continuing Contract Act

Sponsor:  Dieckhaus

This bill changes the laws regarding teacher contracts and establishes the Teacher Continuing Contract Act which will apply to teachers in all school districts, including St. Louis City, beginning July 1, 2012.  In its main provisions, the bill:

(1)  Bases 50% of a teacher’s evaluation on teaching standards under the professional continuum developed by the State Board of Education within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education;

(2)  Eliminates the minimum teacher salary for holders of a master’s degree;

(3)  Specifies that the current Teacher Tenure Act and the St. Louis City Tenure Act will remain in effect until June 30, 2012;

(4)  Requires an annual evaluation of each school administrator and bases 50% of his or her score on the professional continuum for administrators developed by the state board and adds a component, also to be weighted at 50%, that evaluates an administrator on his or her instructional leadership by assessing the performance of the instructional personnel for whom he or she has supervisory capacity;

(5)  Specifies that a contract between a school district and a teacher will be known as a continuing contract and will continue in effect for up to two or more years, while probationary contracts last one year;

(6)  Establishes transition provisions for the interim placement of teachers on probationary contracts until salary schedules are developed based on student performance data and data is available;

(7)  Allows for novice and transfer probationary teachers’ contract lengths in specified situations;

(8)  Establishes contract lengths in accordance with scores on teacher evaluations in four tiers;

(9)  Allows elements other than years of service and highest degree held to be added to salary schedules including, but not limited to, additional certification areas, certification in high-need subjects, mentoring, and demonstrated ability to improve student performance;

(10)  Establishes a salary schedule effective July 1, 2013, based on performance, with teachers above the thirty-third to sixty-sixth percentile receiving a performance pay increment of no less than 10% over the base pay of the bottom 33% of teachers; the next 17% will receive a pay increment that is no less than 25% over the base of the third tier of teachers; and the top tier will receive an increment no less than 60% of the second tier;

(11)  Adds unsatisfactory performance to the list of reasons for which a permanent teacher may be terminated and requires teacher evaluations to be considered in determining professional competence; and

(12)  Requires teachers to be evaluated at least annually and twice in the final year of a continuing contract, places equal weight on student performance and achievement of teaching standards, and limits teaching standard scores in the top 33% to no more than 40% of a building’s teachers.

Several current provisions regarding teacher tenure will remain unchanged including, but not limited to:

(1)  Modifications of continuing contracts;

(2)  Leaves of absence, except that a leave of absence due to teacher reduction may be granted for two years rather than three years and seniority are removed from consideration when rehiring after a reduction in force;

(3)  Board member civil liability for charges against teachers; and

(4)  Prohibition on teacher participation in school board election campaigns.

[emphasis added]

The bill inadvertantly left out “let’s take’em all out back and beat the crap out of them.”

In addition to getting rid of teacher tenure (which, at present, makes school boards follow procedure and show cause for teacher dismissal) the bill says so many other interesting things.

“…Eliminates the minimum teacher salary for holders of a master’s degree…” Because we don’t want people teaching our kids to bother acquiring even more professional training.

“…Establishes contract lengths in accordance with scores on teacher evaluations in four tiers…” Because we don’t want the best teachers tackling the tough teaching assignments. From the bill:

…3. Each district shall rank-order its teachers by the totals of their performance-based evaluation scores and their student performance scores…

“…Board member civil liability for charges against teachers…” Because school boards always follow procedures and policies and never ever make decisions based on personalities, petty concerns, or their past traumatic experience on their junior high student council.

“…Prohibition on teacher participation in school board election campaigns…” Because indentured servants shouldn’t be able to speak out about elections.

Ah, this may explain some of the bill:

…Prior to his service in the legislature, Rep. Dieckhaus worked as an office manager for Custom Security Services, LLC. He also worked as an educator from 2002 too 2007. He taught World History and Psychology for three years at Hermann High School and American Government, American History and World Geography for one year at St. Clair High School…