Legislation regarding SLPS

This email went out to the members of the General Assembly today. In my personal opinion the bill is being filed to late in session to gain any traction but it gives you an insight as to what other legislators think on the issue. Because the bill has not been filed there is no link for the specific language of the bill. I will add the link when then bill is filed.
Update: the bill must be filed by 3:00 on March 30th. When the bill is filed it will be listed at the following link: http://www.house.mo.gov/bills071/bills/hb1281.htm

Representative Stream will be filing legislation tomorrow to address the issues of the St. Louis Public School system. Here is a summary of the legislation:

St. Louis Neighborhood Schools Improvement Act

Representative Rick Stream – District 94 (Kirkwood/Des Peres)

This plan will begin the reform of the St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) that
is needed to bring a quality education to the children of the city and hope to their parents.

From the yearly DESE funding to SLPS and utilizing existing staff:

1. Earmark funds for literacy and numeracy programs, Kindergarten-Grade 3. Every student, K-3, will be placed in reading and math programs until he/she is proficient at grade level.

2. Earmark funds for Alternative Schools. These programs will be
modeled after the school that Kirkwood School District (KSD) participates in. This school will enroll students who are discipline problems and those that have trouble learning in a typical classroom.

3. Earmark funds for Principal training. Strong leaders as principals will
set a positive tone for each building. Principals hire and evaluate the teachers and interact with parents.

4. Establish a teacher Evaluation and assessment program, utilizing the
plan that the Kirkwood School District has.

5. Split the St. Louis Public School System into six (6) to eight (8) smaller and independent districts of approximately 5,000 students.

The new districts will be approximately equal in size and geographically tight (no gerrymandering). Each district will have one high school, two middle schools and four to five elementary schools.

Each district will elect its own School Board, which will in turn hire the Superintendent. The Superintendent will hire the administrative staff, including building principals. Principals will hire the teachers.

Funding for the new districts will be equally distributed from the existing tax base and will be based on the current Foundation formula.

If you would like to sign on this legislation please let us know.