The Missouri Retired Teachers Association and Public School Personnel (MRTA) presented a check representing $14,115,120 in community service hours donated in 2015 to Missouri’s citizens at its annual Unit President Summit in Jefferson City on March 15-16, 2016. At the time the check was printed, MRTA members reported volunteering 611,839 hours back to their communities during 2015. Washington D.C.’s Independent Sector places a value of $23.07 per hour for community volunteers. In addition to hours of service, members also reported donating 57,068 food items and cash donations exceeding $433,000 to food pantries and food banks within their communities.
Community Service plays an important role in the activities of MRTA’s 145 local units and its more than 25,000 members across the state of Missouri. As statewide community service projects, members participate in the Community Hunger Action Program and the Ronald McDonald Tab Top Collection Program. Members also donate their time working at soup kitchens, senior centers, visiting patients in hospitals and nursing home residents, mentoring students, at local churches and charity events.
MRTA, organized in 1960, is a grassroots not-for-profit corporation working exclusively for retired school personnel. MRTA members strive to uphold and improve the integrity, value, and mission of our public schools, so that all school personnel may live healthy, vital lives and be secure economically, socially, and professionally in retirement. MRTA works with government and its entities for beneficial legislation, and encourages its members to be involved in community affairs and to work for worthy educational causes. Its mission is, “To serve and not to be served.”
Showing posts with label teachers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teachers. Show all posts
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Initative Petition would Mandate Test Scores for Teacher Evals
(Missouri National Education Association) -- Friday, billionaire extremist Rex Sinquefield's attorney, Marc Ellinger, filed an initiative petition for a constitutional amendment to remove local control of teacher evaluation and mandate the use of state controlled standardized test scores in teacher evaluation. This marks the second time Sinquefield has launched this particular threat on teachers.
"Attacking teachers and public education is nothing new for Sinquefield, whose ongoing attacks are a clear manifestation of his hostility toward public schools," says Missouri NEA President Chris Guinther, a teacher on leave from the Francis Howell School District. "Just last year, he referred the public school system as a conspiracy of the Ku Klux Klan. Furthermore, Sinquefield is the force behind the Everything Tax, a scheme that gives millionaires a tax break while gutting education funding."
Sinquefield's plan ties test scores directly to teacher evaluation and does not recognize the other factors that affect student achievement and the real issues that influence teacher quality.
"Everyone should be held accountable for student success, but specifically attacking teachers distracts from the real problems facing our schools‹chronic underfunding, overcrowded classrooms and unfulfilled promises from the legislature," Guinther says. "Sinquefield's proposal views children as interchangeable parts in a one-size-fits-all system. Valuable instruction time will be wasted in meaningless standardized testing of every child, in every subject, for every class. Everyone agrees that every student deserves a highly skilled teacher. That's why Missouri NEA advocates for teaching standards and a strong teacher evaluation system. This proposal does nothing to guarantee accountability or improve teaching."
Aside from the expert opinions on why Sinquefield's tenure proposal is a bad idea for public education, the cost alone should be reason to dismiss it. Last year, the Missouri Association of School Administrators prepared an independent analysis that determined Sinquefield's plan could cost Missouri taxpayers more than $1 billion in the first two years.
"Attacking teachers and public education is nothing new for Sinquefield, whose ongoing attacks are a clear manifestation of his hostility toward public schools," says Missouri NEA President Chris Guinther, a teacher on leave from the Francis Howell School District. "Just last year, he referred the public school system as a conspiracy of the Ku Klux Klan. Furthermore, Sinquefield is the force behind the Everything Tax, a scheme that gives millionaires a tax break while gutting education funding."
Sinquefield's plan ties test scores directly to teacher evaluation and does not recognize the other factors that affect student achievement and the real issues that influence teacher quality.
"Everyone should be held accountable for student success, but specifically attacking teachers distracts from the real problems facing our schools‹chronic underfunding, overcrowded classrooms and unfulfilled promises from the legislature," Guinther says. "Sinquefield's proposal views children as interchangeable parts in a one-size-fits-all system. Valuable instruction time will be wasted in meaningless standardized testing of every child, in every subject, for every class. Everyone agrees that every student deserves a highly skilled teacher. That's why Missouri NEA advocates for teaching standards and a strong teacher evaluation system. This proposal does nothing to guarantee accountability or improve teaching."
Aside from the expert opinions on why Sinquefield's tenure proposal is a bad idea for public education, the cost alone should be reason to dismiss it. Last year, the Missouri Association of School Administrators prepared an independent analysis that determined Sinquefield's plan could cost Missouri taxpayers more than $1 billion in the first two years.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Brad Lager's Capitol Report - Quality Teachers Produce Quality Results
Over the final six weeks of the 2012 legislative session, we will be focusing a majority of our time on public policy that will help facilitate the greatest number of economic opportunities for the greatest number of Missourians. Although there are a number of important public policy changes necessary to help improve our state’s long-term economic outlook, few are more important than ensuring that we have a quality educational system producing a quality workforce.
Last week, we began debating the highly contentious issue of teacher tenure in our public schools. While the overwhelming majority of teachers do an outstanding job educating our students, there are situations in which a teacher is not getting the job done. When this situation occurs, there must be a process in place to help the teacher improve within a reasonable timeline. If the improvement process is not successful, then we owe it to the children of our state to have a mechanism in place for replacing that instructor with someone who can get the job done.
In the real world, extreme challenges with teacher tenure are rare. School administrators and veteran teachers can quickly identify those who are not cut out for the difficult job of classroom teaching, and normally, those individuals are removed before they reach a tenured position. In the unfortunate circumstance that a poor teacher was not removed before being protected by tenure, we cannot allow this to be a barrier to improving the educational opportunities for Missouri’s children.
If we keep doing what we have been doing, we are going to keep getting what we have been getting. Currently, we are not producing the dynamic workforce we will need in order to grow and thrive in an increasingly competitive global environment. As we move forward, everyone (parents, students, educators, etc) must understand their role in preparing students for a lifetime of learning and achievement. Although changing teacher tenure by itself will not fix the challenges facing our schools, it will help ensure that those teaching in our classrooms are doing the best possible job of preparing Missouri’s schoolchildren for a bright future.
As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is brad.lager@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 422, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Teacher Evaluation Bill by Brad Lager Comes Under Fire
A Republican legislator's plan for improving Missouri's teachers came under bipartisan attack Wednesday [Feb. 15] for being too vague and ineffective. The senator's bill would require each school district to create a system of evaluating teachers and its own standards for "instructional improvement."
Two senators from St. Louis County, Republican Jane Cunningham and Democrat Maria Chappelle-Nadal, said the legislation fails to establish a quantifiable standard for student performance. Cunningham said that without specifying what qualifies as "learning," a district could create lower standards than what the state requires.
Cunningham said the bill, sponsored by Rep. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, comes too late in an existing conversation. Chappelle-Nadal said schools in St. Louis County, where she serves on a school board, already have these practices.
Two senators from St. Louis County, Republican Jane Cunningham and Democrat Maria Chappelle-Nadal, said the legislation fails to establish a quantifiable standard for student performance. Cunningham said that without specifying what qualifies as "learning," a district could create lower standards than what the state requires.
Cunningham said the bill, sponsored by Rep. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, comes too late in an existing conversation. Chappelle-Nadal said schools in St. Louis County, where she serves on a school board, already have these practices.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Wisconsin Mess
Two problems with the way WI Governor Scott Walker is handling the whole mess in Wisconsin. The first is that he and the Senate Republicans arbitrarily imposed a solution without consulting the parties involved -- if spouses were to do that, then the divorce rate would be nearly 100%. The other is that he is asking political opponents like the teachers' unions to make sacrifices, but he is not asking political allies such as the business community to make similar sacrifices such as higher taxes.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Missouri lawmakers pledge education reform
Coinciding with National School Choice week, Missouri lawmakers announce their promise to reform Missouri's education system, which includes a change that would make it more difficult for teachers to get tenure.
A bipartisan group of legislators announced their reforms Monday (Jan. 24), which included the changes to the tenure system, elimination of "social promotion" and expansion of charter schools.
"The teacher tenure system, I believe, is broken in the state of Missouri," said Rep. Scott Dieckhaus, R-Washington. "I think it is and has been a hindrance to educating children in the way they deserve to be educated
But one long-time educator in Missouri's House disagreed.
"There is a peace of mind that comes with the comfort of tenure that allows teachers to try new ideas," said Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield.
The bills are expected to be filed within the coming week.
A bipartisan group of legislators announced their reforms Monday (Jan. 24), which included the changes to the tenure system, elimination of "social promotion" and expansion of charter schools.
"The teacher tenure system, I believe, is broken in the state of Missouri," said Rep. Scott Dieckhaus, R-Washington. "I think it is and has been a hindrance to educating children in the way they deserve to be educated
But one long-time educator in Missouri's House disagreed.
"There is a peace of mind that comes with the comfort of tenure that allows teachers to try new ideas," said Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield.
The bills are expected to be filed within the coming week.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Opinion: The Positive Presence of Teachers and Teens
Opinions represent those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor of the Sheridan Express.
By Stephen Wallace, M.S. Ed.
While hurtling toward the homestretch of this academic year, we're already paying significant attention to the next. Perhaps that's no surprise in this most political of seasons when the state of our schools, and the teachers who teach in them, is plenty of fodder for debate. Such critical issues as class size, standardized testing, merit pay, and student behavior will compete for attention - as many of them do in a recent Time magazine cover story, "How to Make Great Teachers."
But, what makes a great teacher, anyway?
As with most questions involving subjective measurement, answers can be hard to come by. But one thing is certain: in our rush to build better teachers, bolster math and science scores, and improve American students' rank in the global community, we are well served to remember that great teachers transcend GPAs and SAT results - as evidenced by the Time story's author, Claudia Wallis, who credits two teachers with providing the inspiration that led to her writing career.
I can make exactly the same case about one of my teachers.
Great teachers possess an incredible capacity to inspire children and, thereby, to shape the future - perhaps in ways more significant than whoever becomes our next President.
While the presence of "formal" (or matched) mentors has already been shown to enhance school performance, improve relationships with parents and peers, reduce initiation of drug and alcohol use, and decrease incidents of youth violence, a Teens Today study conducted by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) has found similarly encouraging results for young people with informal (or natural) mentors, such as teachers, coaches, and counselors. According to more than 3,000 middle and high school students, these adults are some of the most important, influential people in their lives. And that influence shows up in some pretty formidable ways.
For example, 46 percent of teens with a mentor reported a high sense of self versus 25 percent of teens without a mentor. High sense-of-self teens feel more positive about their own identity, growing independence, and relationships with peers than do teens with a low sense of self. They are also more likely to avoid alcohol and drug use. Teens struggling with those developmental areas, on the other hand, are more likely to drink, to use drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine, and to cite boredom and depression as reasons to have sex. They also note a greater susceptibility to peer pressure when making choices about personal behavior.
Notably, more than half of teens (56 percent) say the absence of a mentor would negatively affect them. And, after all, they would know best.
So, what does a mentor look like? The characteristics young people ascribe to them include trustworthy, caring, understanding, respectful, helpful, dependable, fun, compassionate, and responsible. Being a good listener and offering good advice were also seen as key skills of successful mentors.
That sounds like a tall order but, on second thought, maybe not.
According to a fourteen-year-old ninth-grader, "Being a mentor to someone does not mean you have to always know the right answer, just that you are always there when they need someone to lean on."
She may be on to something. As Woody Allen said, "Ninety percent of life is just showing up."
In her essay "The Power of Presence," which appears in This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women (Henry Holt and Co.), psychologist Debbie Hall writes, "Presence is a noun, not a verb; it is a state of being, not doing. States of being are not highly valued in a culture which places a high priority on doing. Yet, true presence or 'being with' another person carries with it a silent power - to bear witness to a passage, to help carry an emotional burden or to begin a healing process."
Pretty heady stuff - but well worth the effort, not only because of the direct impact of mentors on youth, but also because of the multiplier effect: Mentored teens may be predisposed to mentor others - transferring the positive value of presence to the life of others younger than oneself.
Such is the case with Stephen Winkler, SADD's incoming 2008-2009 Student of the Year, who participates in a program sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. As "Bigs," he and his friends meet weekly with their "Littles" to talk and have fun - building a bridge between natural and planned mentoring. Stephen says of the younger boys, "They never miss a Tuesday." Given the gain, it's no wonder.
And thus is the power of great teachers who teach not just to the test, but to the student, forging strong bonds of mentorship and, in the process, transforming young lives . perhaps more of them than they know.
Stephen Wallace, national chairman and chief executive officer of SADD, Inc. (Students Against Destructive Decisions), has broad experience as a school psychologist and adolescent counselor. For more information about SADD, visit sadd.org. For more information about Stephen, visit stephengraywallace.com.
By Stephen Wallace, M.S. Ed.
While hurtling toward the homestretch of this academic year, we're already paying significant attention to the next. Perhaps that's no surprise in this most political of seasons when the state of our schools, and the teachers who teach in them, is plenty of fodder for debate. Such critical issues as class size, standardized testing, merit pay, and student behavior will compete for attention - as many of them do in a recent Time magazine cover story, "How to Make Great Teachers."
But, what makes a great teacher, anyway?
As with most questions involving subjective measurement, answers can be hard to come by. But one thing is certain: in our rush to build better teachers, bolster math and science scores, and improve American students' rank in the global community, we are well served to remember that great teachers transcend GPAs and SAT results - as evidenced by the Time story's author, Claudia Wallis, who credits two teachers with providing the inspiration that led to her writing career.
I can make exactly the same case about one of my teachers.
Great teachers possess an incredible capacity to inspire children and, thereby, to shape the future - perhaps in ways more significant than whoever becomes our next President.
While the presence of "formal" (or matched) mentors has already been shown to enhance school performance, improve relationships with parents and peers, reduce initiation of drug and alcohol use, and decrease incidents of youth violence, a Teens Today study conducted by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) has found similarly encouraging results for young people with informal (or natural) mentors, such as teachers, coaches, and counselors. According to more than 3,000 middle and high school students, these adults are some of the most important, influential people in their lives. And that influence shows up in some pretty formidable ways.
For example, 46 percent of teens with a mentor reported a high sense of self versus 25 percent of teens without a mentor. High sense-of-self teens feel more positive about their own identity, growing independence, and relationships with peers than do teens with a low sense of self. They are also more likely to avoid alcohol and drug use. Teens struggling with those developmental areas, on the other hand, are more likely to drink, to use drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine, and to cite boredom and depression as reasons to have sex. They also note a greater susceptibility to peer pressure when making choices about personal behavior.
Notably, more than half of teens (56 percent) say the absence of a mentor would negatively affect them. And, after all, they would know best.
So, what does a mentor look like? The characteristics young people ascribe to them include trustworthy, caring, understanding, respectful, helpful, dependable, fun, compassionate, and responsible. Being a good listener and offering good advice were also seen as key skills of successful mentors.
That sounds like a tall order but, on second thought, maybe not.
According to a fourteen-year-old ninth-grader, "Being a mentor to someone does not mean you have to always know the right answer, just that you are always there when they need someone to lean on."
She may be on to something. As Woody Allen said, "Ninety percent of life is just showing up."
In her essay "The Power of Presence," which appears in This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women (Henry Holt and Co.), psychologist Debbie Hall writes, "Presence is a noun, not a verb; it is a state of being, not doing. States of being are not highly valued in a culture which places a high priority on doing. Yet, true presence or 'being with' another person carries with it a silent power - to bear witness to a passage, to help carry an emotional burden or to begin a healing process."
Pretty heady stuff - but well worth the effort, not only because of the direct impact of mentors on youth, but also because of the multiplier effect: Mentored teens may be predisposed to mentor others - transferring the positive value of presence to the life of others younger than oneself.
Such is the case with Stephen Winkler, SADD's incoming 2008-2009 Student of the Year, who participates in a program sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. As "Bigs," he and his friends meet weekly with their "Littles" to talk and have fun - building a bridge between natural and planned mentoring. Stephen says of the younger boys, "They never miss a Tuesday." Given the gain, it's no wonder.
And thus is the power of great teachers who teach not just to the test, but to the student, forging strong bonds of mentorship and, in the process, transforming young lives . perhaps more of them than they know.
Stephen Wallace, national chairman and chief executive officer of SADD, Inc. (Students Against Destructive Decisions), has broad experience as a school psychologist and adolescent counselor. For more information about SADD, visit sadd.org. For more information about Stephen, visit stephengraywallace.com.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Capitol Report -- Senator Brad Lager
A Quality Education Begins with Quality Teachers
As a cornerstone of our educational system, teachers play a critical role in developing the minds of our future leaders. Their efforts cannot be duplicated by computers or textbooks, and their concern for Missouri’s school children cannot be delivered by a machine without a heart. Unfortunately, over the last decade, a compounding number of issues have led us to a place where we now have a shortage of high quality teachers. This shortage plagues our educational system and if not resolved will become a roadblock to delivering a quality education to Missouri’s school children.
As private sector opportunities have become more and more lucrative, it has become more difficult to attract college students into the education field. Of those who are willing to take on the modern day challenges of educating our students, they find great disparity in pay between the more affluent school districts and those forced to operate on much smaller budgets. This has left schools scrambling to find teachers while the existing faculty struggle to meet the needs of a changing educational environment and more diverse student populations. As the global economy continues to challenge our workforce needs, the demand for teachers who can help develop this workforce has exploded.
As a result of these growing challenges, the Senate has been debating a number of proposals aimed at addressing our teacher shortages. Be it through making the salaries for incoming teachers more competitive or encouraging experienced individuals to transition from businesses to teaching in the classroom, we are committed to attracting and retaining high quality teachers in Missouri.
The education of Missouri’s children has always been my number one priority, and I believe strongly that every child in Missouri has the right to a quality education. I also believe this will only be achieved if we have quality teachers who are committed to meeting the competitive needs of our global economy. I look forward to working with Missouri’s educators and helping provide the tools necessary to ensure that every Missouri child has the best educational opportunities possible.
As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is brad.lager@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 429, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
As private sector opportunities have become more and more lucrative, it has become more difficult to attract college students into the education field. Of those who are willing to take on the modern day challenges of educating our students, they find great disparity in pay between the more affluent school districts and those forced to operate on much smaller budgets. This has left schools scrambling to find teachers while the existing faculty struggle to meet the needs of a changing educational environment and more diverse student populations. As the global economy continues to challenge our workforce needs, the demand for teachers who can help develop this workforce has exploded.
As a result of these growing challenges, the Senate has been debating a number of proposals aimed at addressing our teacher shortages. Be it through making the salaries for incoming teachers more competitive or encouraging experienced individuals to transition from businesses to teaching in the classroom, we are committed to attracting and retaining high quality teachers in Missouri.
The education of Missouri’s children has always been my number one priority, and I believe strongly that every child in Missouri has the right to a quality education. I also believe this will only be achieved if we have quality teachers who are committed to meeting the competitive needs of our global economy. I look forward to working with Missouri’s educators and helping provide the tools necessary to ensure that every Missouri child has the best educational opportunities possible.
As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is brad.lager@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 429, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
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