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Lawsuit Filed Against Missouri Over Language Used In Teacher Tenure Ballot Initiative

(via Flickr/frankjuarez)

A group of educators is suing the state of Missouri overa proposed constitutional amendmentrequiring tenure for public school teachers be based on performance, not seniority.

In a press release issued Friday, the four plaintiffs in the suit say school districts would be allowed to fire or cut the pay of teachers and administrators without cause or due process, and that the ballot language should be rewritten to reflect that.  They also say the initiative will be more expensive than its backers have estimated, costing K-12 schools millions of dollars.  Kate Casas is with theChildren’s Education Council of Missouri, which supports the initiative.  She says the current teacher tenure system is broken, and that the ballot initiative will address that problem.

"It offers a research-based solution in making sure teachers are evaluated on objective, rather than subjective, information," Casas said.  "It allows school districts to make decisions based on that more objective information."

Casas says the ballot initiative will also do away with the "last in, first out" policy of laying off promising young teachers simply because they’re newer.

The proposed constitutional amendment is also backed by St. Louis billionaire Rex Sinquefield.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in Cole County Circuit Court.  Secretary of State Jason Kander (D) and State Auditor Tom Schweich (R) are named as co-respondents.   A hearing date has not yet been set.

Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter:  @MarshallGReport

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

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.
Marshall Griffin
St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He 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 an 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 Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.