The House has strongly rejected a teacher evaluation bill that was a priority for the Majority Republican leadership.
Representative Kevin Elmer (R-Nixa) sponsored the proposal that would have created a teacher evaluation system.
“To say that the system is OK is offensive to me. To say that we’re doing all we can, I contend, is untrue. To say that we accept the status quo, I say ‘No.'”
The legislation would have tied teacher performance evaluations to student growth. More than 50 members of Elmer’s own party helped vote it down.
Representative Genise Montecillo (D-St. Louis) also voted against it. She says the state is already evaluating performance.
“We have a new evaluation system that we had through the waiver process and I was concerned that this would interfere with that.”
Representative Mike Lair (R-Chillicothe), who chairs the House Appropriations Committee on Education, spoke against the bill on the floor. He said it reflects a concept that is a wrong approach to education.
“I don’t want our education legislation to be put forth on a business model. If education was a business we wouldn’t keep half of the students we have. We need to educate them all. To do so, you can’t use a business model.”
Following more than an hour-and-a-half of debate that wrapped up at almost midnight, the House failed to perfect the bill 55-102.