Public Education
Quality Education for All Children
Perhaps our greatest responsibility is to ensure that each and every child has access to a quality education regardless of geography, race or socioeconomic status. I have consistently voted to increase state funding for our public schools and have championed efforts to bring more accountability to our public school systems, as well as, offer alternatives to kids who are stuck in failing schools, through no fault of their own.
Mark's local Public Education
Myself, my parents, brother, two uncles, aunt, and several cousins are all products of the Francis Howell School District. Our local public schools are exceptional. All Missouri public schools should strive to emulate them.
Unfortunately, not all Missourians are so fortunate. Failing schools need to be held accountable and not just be given more of your tax dollars. More tax dollars will not make the problem better, it will only make the problem more expensive.
In my tenure as your state representative, I have learned that the liberals extremists that have a grip on education could be given a blank check, and that would not be enough.
Of the industrialized nations, the United States is number one in dollars spent on education, per capita, and consistently ranks close to the bottom in test scores.
Essentially, we are "hiring" public schools to produce a product, a well educated child that can eventually compete globally with other industrialized nations such as India and China. Take the field of engineering for example. The United States produces 70,000 engineers annually, while India produces 350,000 and China produces 600,000. This is simply not sustainable. In order to protect our long term economic and national security, we need to be the global leader in innovation and technology.
What can be done?
When the state government is spending your tax dollars, the government educators receiving those dollars must be responsible for the product they produce. When they can no longer meet the tax payers' standards, alternatives must be sought.
Here are two examples of common sense legislation that I supported, but ultimately failed to pass the House of Representatives this legislative session.
HB 1874 Alternative Teacher Certification.
This bill allows the State Board of Education to award a teaching certificate for banking and personal finance to certain individuals with a relevant bachelor's or higher degree who pass the designated exit examination. These teachers will be exempt from the Teacher Tenure Act.
Currently, there is a shortage of public teachers that are willing/qualified to teach personal finance courses at the high school level. With the sub-prime mortgage failures, high levels of personal credit card debt, and general mismanagement of personal finances today, it is critical that we have an abundant supply of individuals that are willing and able to teach personal money management.
This bill stipulates that people with advanced knowledge of personal finance can seek and be granted an Alternative Teacher Certification (ATC). For example, a retired banker or financial advisor could teach your children in a public school if they obtain and ATC. These classes teach checkbook balancing, responsible credit card use, and debt management. These are lifeskills everyone should learn.
HCS#2 HB 1886 Creates Special Needs Scholarship tax credits
Beginning January 1, 2008, this bill establishes Bryce's Law which authorizes a tax credit for an individual who donates to a scholarship-granting organization if the donation is not claimed on the taxpayer's federal income tax return. The tax credit may be taken against income tax, corporate franchise tax, insurance premium tax, financial institutions tax, and express company tax liability. The credit will be for 80% of the amount of the contribution but cannot exceed 50% of the taxpayer's state tax liability, up to $800,000 per year, and is non refundable but may be carried forward for four years or transferred or sold for between 75% and 100% of its par value.
This legislation will provide a tax credit for people making personal, charitable contributions to an organization that provides scholarships to autistic children when seeking alternatives to public education.
Parents seeking an alternative to public education could then apply for a scholarship and their child could attend a school that caters to their specific needs.
Our current funding formula pays school districts at a "per child, per day" rate. This legislation stipulates that the local public school would not lose funding for that child if they sought an alternative.
You got that right, the public school would not lose a dime of state funding, while at the same time an autistic child was not in attendance, thus freeing up a teacher's time to focus on other children.
These two pieces of common sense legislation were unfortunatley defeated. They were passionately opposed by groups such as the Missouri National Education Association. Obviously, they are trying to protect their association members, but at what cost? Ultimately, it's at the cost of your child.
Take a look at your latest property tax receipt. How much of your hard earned money went to fund our government schools? How much of that money is government waste due to the status quo?
My education priority is simple...make sure the products (your children) are priority one, not the producers.
More must be done! I hope that you will join me in these efforts!
Become a member of Team Parkinson and together, we can move Missouri forward.
