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House endorses teacher tenure compromise

Jacob Fenston
/
KBIA

Legislation that would require teachers to work more years in a school district before earning tenure has received first-round approval in the Missouri Senate.

The bill sponsored by Republican Jane Cunningham of Chesterfield would double that time period from five to 10 years.  It would also do away with the practice of “last in, first out” when it comes to layoffs.

“What it does now is it changes it so they do it based not on seniority, like it is now, but based on effectiveness. However, once they have to hire back, they can only hire back from the group they let go…they can’t go to some rock-star new teacher that walks in the door.”

Cunningham’s bill originally sought to end teacher tenure, but she pulled it Wednesday in the face of strong opposition.  The chair of the Senate Education committee proposed doubling the tenure period as a compromise.  The bill now needs one more vote before moving to the Missouri House.

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.
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