It is serendipitous that the Missouri Legislature has gone back to work this month, just in time for the kick-off of national School Choice Week (Jan. 22). One of the many challenges our lawmakers face is what to do regarding the St. Louis and Kansas City public school districts. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled in the Turner decision that students in unaccredited school districts have a right to enroll in a nearby accredited district. Unfortunately, the suburban districts have made it clear that they will not accept these students in any significant numbers. Thus, thousands of city students and their parents are in limbo while lawsuits are litigated.
Posted tagged ‘St. Louis Public Schools’
Private school choice and the Turner decision
January 27, 2012City firefighters sue to force county schools to accept their children
January 27, 2012Missouri’s Outstanding Schools Act says that when a school district loses accreditation, as St. Louis Public Schools have, district residents are entitled to transfer to nearby accredited schools. The home district is supposed to pay for tuition and transportation, and the receiving district is supposed to accept students without regard to how many want to transfer.
Guest commentary: A to-do list for legislators
January 20, 2012The problems in St. Louis and Kansas City are enormous, but don’t make the mistake of assuming the state’s education woes only are located in the big cities. In 2011, only 32 percent of Missouri eighth-graders scored proficient or above in math, and only 35 percent scored proficient or above in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation’s report card. We believe there is much room for improvement.
Missouri lawmakers talk about unaccredited schools
November 8, 2011Lawmakers are meeting with people around the state about what should happen in the state’s unaccredited school districts.
Friday Education Roundup
October 23, 2009Missouri School District Receives Academic Distinction Dexter’s school administration learned Tuesday that based upon preliminary information from the Annual Performance Report which measures 14 performance criteria by the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education, the district should be presented with the state’s top award of Academic Distinction in Performance. Dexter’s overall performance was mixed even [...]
