A bill prefiled today in the Missouri House:

HB 70

Allows teachers and school administrators to carry concealed firearms on school premises if they have a valid concealed carry endorsement

Sponsor: Kelley, Mike (127)

Co-Sponsor: Brattin, Rick (055) … et al.

Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2013

LR Number: 600L.01I

Last Action: 12/18/2012 – Prefiled (H)

[….]

Wait, aren’t public school teachers union thugs? And the republicans want to arm them in our schools?

Jobs, anyone?

From the White House:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 20, 2011

Statement from President Obama on the Senate Vote on Teacher and First Responder Jobs

For the second time in two weeks, every single Republican in the United States Senate has chosen to obstruct a bill that would create jobs and get our economy going again.  That’s unacceptable. We must do what’s right for the country and pass the common-sense proposals in the American Jobs Act.  Every Senate Republican voted to block a bill that would help middle class families and keep hundreds of thousands of firefighters on the job, police officers on the streets, and teachers in the classroom when our kids need them most.

Those Americans deserve an explanation as to why they don’t deserve those jobs – and every American deserves an explanation as to why Republicans refuse to step up to the plate and do what’s necessary to create jobs and grow the economy right now.

We must rebuild the economy the American way and restore security for the middle class, based on the values of balance and fairness. Independent economists have said the American Jobs Act could create up to two million jobs next year.  So the choice is clear.  Our fight isn’t over.  We will keep working with Congress to bring up the American Jobs Act piece by piece, and give Republicans another chance to put country before party and help us put the American people back to work.

###

The vote, just to discuss the bill:

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 112th Congress – 1st Session

Vote Summary

Question: On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 1723 )

Vote Number: 177 Vote Date: October 20, 2011, 09:55 PM

Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected

Measure Number: S. 1723

Measure Title: A bill to provide for teacher and first responder stabilization.

Vote Counts: YEAs 50

NAYs 50

Blunt (R-MO), Nay

McCaskill (D-MO), Yea

[emphasis added]

Is anyone surprised that Roy Blunt (r-lobbyists) turned out to be an obstructionist in the Senate and a protectionist for the privilege of the top one percent? Think about that the next time you’re waiting for police or fire personnel during an emergency.

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…

Back to School Sales Tax Holiday

Section 144.049, RSMo, establishes a sales tax holiday during a three-day period beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and ending at midnight on the Sunday following. Certain back-to-school purchases, such as clothing, school supplies, computers, and other items as defined by the statute, are exempt from sales tax for this time period only.

For Immediate Release

08/05/2010

Pelosi Statement on Senate Passage of Legislation to Deliver Funding to States and Create and Save American Jobs

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on Senate passage of a bill to deliver critical funding to states and local communities, and create and save 290,000 American jobs – including 140,000 teacher positions and 150,000 police officers, firefighters, nurses and private sector jobs throughout our economy. The Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 61 to 39.

“Today’s Senate vote illustrates two vastly different approaches for getting America out of the economic ditch Republicans left us during the Bush Administration. Democrats support the urgent resources needed for the education of our children, the health of our families, and the safety of our neighborhoods. Congressional Republicans demean educators and first responders as ‘special interests’ and prefer to see teachers, nurses, and police officers on the unemployment line instead of in our classrooms, in emergency rooms, or on the beat.

“This legislation is about creating and saving American jobs, and preventing a double-dip recession – averting massive teacher layoffs and keeping law enforcement officers from losing their jobs. It’s about educating the students in our public schools; assisting vulnerable Americans who can’t afford medical care; and keeping families safe in their communities. It is fiscally responsible and fully paid for. By voting against this bill, Republicans chose to protect corporations that ship jobs overseas rather than strengthening our schools and securing our neighborhoods.

“With today’s action, Senate Republicans’ tactics of delay, obstruction, and political posturing will no longer deny states and communities the aid they need to create jobs and provide vital services to the American people. We will bring House Members back next week to pass this urgent legislation and send it to the President?s desk without delay.”

Projected FY 2010 Education Jobs Fund Allocations

U.S. Department of Education preliminary analysis, 7/6/2010

Missouri

Projected Allocation: $189,727,725

Estimated Jobs Funded: 3,100

Just asking.

The U.S. House of Representatives will be back in session next week to act on HR 1586.

My husband and I have a bone to pick with the government.  We’re retired teachers and as such, we’re being denied social security benefits we earned. 

In Missouri–as in fifteen other states–teachers do not pay into social security.  They have their own pension system, the Public School Retirement System.  But many teachers work extra jobs to supplement their teaching income.  Many others (about 25 percent) went into teaching as a second career after paying into social security for years or moved here after teaching in a state where teachers contribute to social security. 

Such people get some social security benefits but far from what they earned.  The amount varies widely, anywhere from one sixth of what they earned to one third.  Denying them their benefits is just flat wrong. 

It burns my buns to know that the FICA tax is not levied on income over $102,000.  That has to be part of the reason it is deemed fiscally imprudent to pay social security benefits to teachers who’ve earned them.  People earning over $102,000 aren’t paying their share, even though they can afford to.

Nor are teachers who paid into social security the only ones getting short shrift.  Retired teachers whose spouses paid into social security do not get the same benefits as other people when their spouses die or are disabled.

A teacher in Illinois explains the injustice:

I am a retired teacher after 40 years of service. I am currently drawing a teacher’s retirement in Illinois. When I become 65 I will be unable to draw anything on my husband’s Social Security, even though he has been disabled for 20 years and I have been the sole support of the family.

On the other hand, his cousin, who has never worked a day in her life, draws Social Security on her husband’s benefits. Is this fair? Of course not!

The Missouri NEA, along with the NEA from the fourteen other affected states, has petitioned Congress for action on the two statutes that mandate these inequities, and bills are now in committee, one in the House and one in the Senate, to redress these problems.

Although support for them is stronger among the Democrats, it is bipartisan.  In the Missouri House delegation, Jo Ann Emerson and Roy Blunt have joined three of the four Democrats (Ike Skelton opposes it).  Bond–no surprise–opposes it.  McCaskill not only supports it, she’s a co-sponsor and says, “It is my hope that Congress will move quickly to pass this important legislation into law.”

As to whether there’s any realistic chance of both chambers passing the bills, I don’t know, but even if they did, this plea for fairness would fall on deaf ears at the White House, you can be sure.  Bush may not even be aware that such legislation is being considered.  But I think I can safely predict that the man who vetoed health care for poor kids and who worked to deconstruct social security won’t suddenly show his empathetic side.

Still, the issue is at least percolating in Congress.  Maybe 2009 will produce some results.  Meantime, people like Kathleen Hutchins are watching:

My recently retired husband had to take out an expensive life insurance policy because he knew if anything happened to him, because I am a teacher, I would lose SS benefits that he has paid into all his life. My own SS benefits will be nearly non-existent. We only ask for what we have worked hard for all these years.