An standing-ovation goes to those bravely crossing party lines to fight bi-partisanly for our children and their education. Democratic Senator Jeff Smith had been fighting (despite point-blank threats from his own party and the teacher unions) for merit pay and open enrollment in St. Louis schools. (Open enrollment means allowing students to move from one public school district to another.)
There are "some wonderful teachers trying to effect change," Smith said. "Unfortunately, I also met people who were just punching the clock toward retirement. The quality was uneven. The systems didn't work. It made me want to do something different."
For years, legislative efforts to reform public school districts in Missouri have stalled, despite the unfortunate trends in school statistics--specifically in urban areas. It is going to take more bold leaders, like Senator Smith, to make real progress.
"I don't think we can afford to be consumed by ideology," he says. "I think we need to find out what works and do it."
For more on the story,
check out this article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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