Act Now: Tell House committee to oppose last minute divisive amendment attacking teachers
04/06/2015

 

Evidently, the House has not had enough divisive legislation this session.  Now, in one bill it is targeting your pocketbook and your association.

 

SB 566 (Sens. Mishler and Kenley), was supposed to:

• Change state testing to cost less and provide more information to teachers.
• Ensure that teacher evaluations remain locally-developed.
• Provide remuneration for a wide array of relevant master’s degrees.
• Continue the school performance awards.

However, the bill is scheduled to be gutted Tuesday morning in the House Education Committee and replaced with more union-bashing and state oversight.

 

Under Amendment 13 to SB 566 (to be heard Tuesday morning):

• The idea of finding a new, cheaper statewide test that would tell teachers more is relegated to a summer study committee.
• Regarding teacher performance bonuses, the current law and authorization for the bonuses expire July 1. This amendment removes Sens. Mishler and Kenley’s new authorization altogether.
• The suggested master’s degree supplements is limited to teachers who teach dual credit courses.
• The Attorney General would begin collecting personal data on educators in order to mail a “bill of rights” each year at taxpayer expense, rather than keeping them online at no cost. This also is just another state agency keeping personal data on individuals.
• SB 538 is inserted in SB 566—the divisive bill that creates a new top-down, politically-charged route to challenging the existing exclusive representative in a local school district. Also it creates a legal mess with regard to rights of the exclusive representative regarding other entities.
• Multiple new provisions concerning more state oversight of the collective bargaining process. Forget that the legislature just passed a 200-page education deregulation bill to give school districts more local control. When it comes to collective bargaining and teacher issues, the goal seems to be more regulation.

Contact the members of the House Education Committee and say:

• You have had enough of divisive, political posturing.
• Stop trying to hurt working people.
• The disrespect demonstrated by proposals like these do nothing to improve student learning or the practice of teaching.
• It is this kind of attack on your profession and your professional association that is causing good, hard-working, dedicated professionals to exit the profession prematurely and, frankly, helping to cause fewer to ever want to become teachers. 
• You know this is being fueled by narrow special interests who have never had any intention of working cooperatively with those of us who help children from the front lines.
• Urge them to convey to their leadership in the House that there has been enough of this brand of legislating.
• Tell them to oppose amendment 13 to SB 566.