Education Archives - Missourinet

Kansas City Public Schools owes $192k for fake attendance records scheme

December 10, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

Kansas City Public Schools owes $192k for fake attendance records

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has figured out that Kansas City Public Schools owes $192,000 for lying about student attendance from 2013 to 2016. The department is working with the district to create a timeline to repay the funds.

According to DESE spokesperson Mallory McGowin, about $81,000 will go to Kansas City area charter schools and roughly $111,000 will go back to the state general revenue fund.

The Kansas City Star first reported last month that seven KCPS workers allegedly made up student attendance numbers to help the district gain accreditation. The district says prosecution could be involved against the workers suspected in the scheme. According to the Star, school officials plan to repay the money in another week or so.

The records were altered under former Superintendent Steve Green’s leadership, who has denied any knowledge of the actions.

First Lady invites Missourians to candlelight tours of Mansion on Saturday (AUDIO)

December 6, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s First Lady is inviting you to tour the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City on Saturday morning from 10 to noon.

The 30-foot white pine Christmas tree at the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City was lit on December 6, 2019 (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s Twitter page)

Governor Mike and First Lady Teresa Parson lit the Mansion Christmas tree Friday evening, in conjunction with the Living Windows event in downtown Jefferson City.

The First Lady tells Missourinet they only had five days to decorate the tree.

“There’s been a lot of help, a lot of workers there at the Mansion over this last week, and a lot of hours spent,” Mrs. Parson says. “We’ve been there many evenings late.”

The 30-foot white pine tree was donated by Mike and Ellen Hedgcoth of southern Missouri’s Salem.

There’s also a “Christmas Village” set up on the Mansion lawn, which includes a general store, Santa’s workshop and Santa’s candy cane lane house.

Several thousand people turned out for Living Windows, and hundreds more are expected to take the additional candlelight tours Saturday at the mansion. First Lady Parson, who’s championed Jobs for American Graduates (JAG) for at-risk high school students, says special ornaments will be on display inside the mansion.

“Each of the JAG schools across our state, classes, 82 of them, have presented and designed their own JAG ornament,” says the First Lady.

Student choirs from Weaubleau R-3, Versailles, Sacred Heart Sedalia and School of the Osage High Schools will be singing Christmas carols Saturday morning, on the Mansion lawn.

The tours, which go from 10 to noon, are free and open to the public.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and First Lady Teresa Parson, which was recorded on December 6, 2019 outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City:

Mid-Missouri Republican to chair House education committee (AUDIO)

December 5, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The new Missouri House education committee chairman is focused on educational choice, and says the committee’s aim is to ensure that every young person in Missouri has access to a quality education.

State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on February 20, 2019, as House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann looks on (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, has appointed State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, to chair the Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

Basye replaces former committee chairwoman Rebecca Roeber, R-Lee’s Summit, who died in July after suffering serious injuries in a head-on collision in March on Highway 50 in west-central Missouri’s Syracuse. Basye had served as Roeber’s vice-chair.

Chairman Basye tells Missourinet that parents should have as many options as possible for what they believe is best for their children.

“And whether that be the public school or a private school or a religious school or even a home school environment, I think the parents should have that opportunity to choose what might be best for their children,” Basye says.

While he supports educational reform and education choice options, Basye emphasizes that he will not attack public education. He attended St. Charles High School in eastern Missouri.

“I’m a product of public ed, my wife works for the Columbia public school (CPS) system, my grand kids are all public school children,” says Basye.

Missourinet also asked Chairman Basye about charter school legislation. He believes State Rep. Mike O’Donnell, R-Oakville, will file charter school legislation for 2020.

Charter school legislation was Roeber’s top priority. Current Missouri law limits charter schools to St. Louis, Kansas City and any unaccredited school districts.

They are state funded and operate independently of traditional public schools.

Basye’s sprawling district includes Boone, Cooper, Howard and Randolph counties. He’ll be serving his sixth year in the Missouri House.

State Rep. Dottie Bailey, R-Eureka, will serve as the committee vice chair in 2020, and State Rep. Judy Morgan, D-Kansas City, is the committee’s ranking Democrat.

The 2020 session begins on January 8.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and newly-appointed Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee Chairman Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, which was recorded on December 2, 2019 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City:

Sports betting and alleged illegal slots addressed in Missouri House committee report

December 3, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Legislation legalizing sports wagering has the backing of a bipartisan Missouri House gaming committee.

State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 17, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming held five hearings between late August and November, and completed its 15-page report on Monday. Committee Chairman State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, tells Missourinet it’s now being circulated for signatures.

The committee report views the legalization of sports betting as a “legitimate opportunity to increase state revenues” for education and other programs. By 2020, 18 states will have implemented sports wagering. The report concludes that Missouri would likely lose revenue if it doesn’t remain competitive with other states.

The report also says the state should focus on preserving and growing both the Missouri Lottery and casino gaming, in order to increase revenue for education.

The state has 13 licensed riverboat casinos.

Chairman Shaul describes the report as a status report, to the full House.

“We want to give the General Assembly a set of facts, a set of baseline of where we’re at, and what some problems are out there,” Shaul says.

The report says age restrictions are important and should be used to prevent minors from gambling. The report also says the bulk of sports wagering revenues should be directed to fund education.

Major League Baseball (MLB) representative Jeremy Kudon traveled to Jefferson City in November to testify before the committee. He testifies that Missourians are expected to wager $5.5 billion annually on sports, if it’s legalized. Kudon predicts that casino operators would make about $376 million a year from that, and that Missouri would receive $37 million annually in taxes.

The report also addresses alleged illegal slot machines, which dominated discussion for hours at most of the five hearings.

The report presents facts and recaps testimony about the slot machines, and does not make a formal recommendation. Chairman Shaul told Missourinet after the final hearing in November that the issue is a concern, adding that people want to play these machines.

“So what do we do going forward, how do we thread the needle of good legislation that, one, protects Missouri businesses, protects Missouri consumers and allows people to do what they want at the same time,” Shaul said in November.

The report describes the alleged illegal slot machines as “grey machines”, noting Missouri likely has more than 14,000 of them.

Alleged illegal slots can be found in locations like bars, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores. There is one pending criminal case in western Missouri’s Platte County, in the Kansas City area. The report says any judicial resolution “is unlikely prior to late 2021.”

Shaul has predicted at several hearings that the Platte County case will likely end up at the Missouri Supreme Court.

While there is no formal recommendation, the committee’s final report says “it may be desirable to act to regulate such machines immediately to resolve uncertainty and prevent further loss of revenue that could be used for educational purposes.” The report also says the problem of illegal gambling is not likely to resolve itself.

The report says the Missouri Lottery and the Missouri Gaming Commission have offered to provide assistance with regulation, enforcement and drafting of legislation to address the issue.

The report will go to House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, and the full House. Missouri lawmakers return to Jefferson City for the 2020 session on January 8.

NCAA’s sanctions against Mizzou athletics are blasted by Missouri lawmakers in both parties

November 28, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A Missouri lawmaker is working to draft a House resolution that will criticize the NCAA for its sanctions against Mizzou athletics.

State Rep. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, speaks on the Missouri House floor on April 11, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, a Mizzou graduate, is the ranking Democrat on the House Higher Education Committee. He tells Missourinet he’s working on the resolution’s language now.

Representative Razer is upset with the NCAA for upholding the sanctions against Mizzou’s football, baseball and softball teams, including a one-year postseason ban for the programs.

Razer spoke to our Kansas City television partner KMBC, the day the sanctions were upheld this week.

“What the NCAA is telling institutions with today’s ruling is cheat, and then when you get caught, lie about it and hide it,” Razer told KMBC on Tuesday.

Missouri lawmakers return to Jefferson City on January 8 for the 2020 legislative session. The resolution would put the House on record as opposing the NCAA’s decision. It would also provide Razer and lawmakers in both parties with an opportunity to address the issue on the House floor.

Missouri Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, also criticizes the NCAA, describing the organization as a “fraud.”

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) also blasts the NCAA, saying the sanctions are unfair and unwarranted. He says Mizzou “did the right thing by self-reporting the actions of the tutor and a small number of players.”

Parson: Missouri Highway Patrol’s surge on St. Louis interstates has led to 300 arrests

November 26, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The mayors of Missouri’s four largest cities and Governor Mike Parson outlined their top priorities for battling violent crime in Jefferson City on Monday.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson visits with
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and their four respective police chiefs on November 25, 2019 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s office)

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and their four respective police chiefs met with Governor Parson behind closed doors at the Statehouse.

The governor and mayors briefed the Capitol Press Corps after the meeting, inside the governor’s office.

Springfield Mayor McClure says their top three priorities are witness protection and relocation, mental health treatment and keeping guns out of the hands of those under 18. Krewson says protecting witnesses is key to solving more crimes and obtaining more convictions.

Governor Parson also says the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s “surge” on St. Louis interstates is taking criminals and guns off the streets. In response to a question from Missourinet, the governor says the Patrol has made about 300 arrests since the operation began a month ago.

“So the important thing to take out of that (300 arrests), we are getting people off the streets,” Parson says. “And that’s just counting what we (state troopers) did, that’s still not counting what the cities are doing everyday up there. But all of that helps.”

The arrests announced by the governor also don’t include this month’s massive federal special operation called “Operation Triple Beam”, where 69 alleged St. Louis-area gang members were arrested. 16 of those arrests were for murder-related warrants.

Mayor Krewson tells Missourinet she “begged” the governor to send troopers to St. Louis, and praises his response.

“I drive on Highway 70 regularly and I always see one, two maybe three Highway Patrol officers out there, trying to make a difference on our highways,” says Krewson.

She says the operation has been successful, adding that some of the 300 arrests during the surge involve guns and drugs.

The governor also discussed the importance of education and workforce development during the meeting, along with battling poverty.

Parson also says he’s open to the idea of Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s (R) call for lawmakers to approve a statewide carjacking statute.

Schmitt told reporters last week that there have been 305 carjacking incidents in the St. Louis metro area this year. Schmitt notes there is currently no uniform charge for carjacking, adding that the new statute would bring clarity to charging and sentencing carjackings.

Former KC superintendent denies knowing about fake attendance records to get accreditation

November 21, 2019 By Missourinet Contributor

The Kansas City Public School District says seven workers made up student attendance numbers from 2013 to 2016 to gain accreditation. The state decides whether to accredit districts based upon attendance, graduate rates, career readiness and academic performance. After someone tipped off the state, the district launched an independent investigation. The results of the investigation were released on Wednesday.

Former KC superintendent denies knowing about fake attendance records to get accreditation

The superintendent at the time of the inaccuracies, Dr. Stephen Green, tells Missourinet television partner KMBC in Kansas City he’s disheartened to hear the actions happened under his watch.

“Had I known it, I would’ve taken action. Some could say I should have known it,” says Green. “But, I did not know it. I have to been straight, very honest. I did not know it.”

Green says the actions are not something he ordered or encouraged.

“Had I known about it and based on the leadership that I’ve shown there in Kansas City, I would have taken immediate and dramatic action to address and correct that action and also there would have been consequences for anyone involved in the impropriety, up to and including termination immediately if I had known that this kind of egregious behavior was going on,” he says.

Three of the seven workers allegedly involved no longer work for the district and the other four are on paid leave.

“If it involves cross-checking with people that you’ve hired to do a certain job and you tell them, there’s a point which you have to count on their overall integrity. You can’t follow them around 24/7,” says Green.

The district, which is not fully accredited and hurting for money, could also wind up owing the state money because districts are paid for every day that a student is in school. KMBC says the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education hopes to have a reimbursement figure by Thursday.

Statement from current KCPS Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell:

“Please know that these actions, conducted by a few in our school district, and who are no longer working for our schools, cannot and will not be tolerated or accepted. While these ramifications might adversely affect our attendance data in the short-term, I remain steadfast and determined to continue our positive course we began implementing when I arrived in 2016.

The findings within the report revealed an unhealthy culture within parts the of school district’s staff several years ago. We have since worked tirelessly to build a new culture within the district, one that is geared toward achieving excellence while providing a workplace that inspires and empowers all people. We want to remind our community, the people of Kansas City, that we are in the midst of bringing a new vision to life on behalf of the children of Kansas City. Great things are happening for our children, and we are determined to continue helping navigate their successful futures.”

Click here to hear the full interview with Dr. Stephen Green.

Missouri hopes to put out fire in popularity of e-cigarettes among youth

November 18, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

Gov. Mike Parson says Missouri has a problem with the number of young people smoking electronic cigarettes and the state is trying to get out in front of a problem that he says could explode. So far, Missouri has had 35 vaping-related lung illnesses and two deaths linked to vaping. During a press conference today at the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Parson says a multi-agency effort has formed to launch the Clear the Air campaign about the dangers of youth vaping.

Images courtesy of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

“I’m sitting here as a parent, with kids and with six grandparents, you’re always concerned about things like this. They’re in the school systems now. What is their version of vaping – is it cool? A lot of kids think that’s the way to do it. I think it’s so important for them to understand how harmful this could be too,” says Parson. “I think for us to reach out and make this a statewide project, I think, has a lot of validity to it.”

The campaign is in response to an executive order Parson signed last month to launch the effort.

When the Legislature begins the next session in January, Parson wants lawmakers to consider potential measures to address vaping in the Show-Me State. He’s not ready to commit to a ban on flavored vaping products that seem to be all the rage with youth.

Parson says it’s too early to consider any lawsuits against e-cigarette companies.

“I think, frankly, you’re going to have to have some hearings, you’re going to have people who are experts in that, that understand the research side of it. Then we’re going to have to make a decision,” says Parson. “Why we’re doing this at a fast pace is because I think we’re going to have to make a decision pretty quick. You know, you’ve got two people who have died from this.”

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams says the rate of vaping has doubled in the last two years among high school students, especially with seniors. He says the campaign’s mission is two-fold.

“Our mission is to change that trajectory, as the governor said, both long term for teenagers and youth, who we think are particularly susceptible to the harms of vaping,” says Williams. “And also in the short term, those people who may be susceptible to Vitamin E, which the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) now thinks may be a primary ideologic agent for EVALI or e-cigarette vaping associated-lung injury. We think it’s incredibly dangerous to put Vitamin E in vaping products.”

Missouri K-12 Public Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven says the risks of youth vaping go beyond the lungs.

“The toxins and additive drugs children may be exposed to when vaping can cause damage to areas of their developing brains that specialize in attention, learning and mood – all of which are obviously key components to their academic and personal well-being,” says Vandeven.

As part of the campaign, fact sheets for teachers, parents, and medical providers are also in the works, along with posters for school facilities. Through communication with district administrators and a variety of other means, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will give Clear the Air materials to Missouri schools and families at no cost.

According to Missouri PTA President Susan Rupert, about 20% of Missouri students are addicted to vaping. Cessation and addiction treatment information will also be made available to schools.

Dottie Taylor, State Supervisor of the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, says her office’s enforcement operations show that 83% of Missouri retailers are checking IDs and refusing sales to those who are under age 18.

“That does still mean that we’ve got 17% are selling. We believe that continuing our enforcement efforts, along with merchant education and training, as well as continuing to focus on the dangers of vaping can move the percentage of retailers in compliance to 100%.”

The campaign has been released today on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat and on a website – stopthevapemissouri.org

Clear the Air materials can be viewed or downloaded from the DHSS website.

$28 million University of Missouri Plant Growth Research Center opens

November 18, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

The University of Missouri has opened a new $28 million state-of-the-art center housing research greenhouses and cutting-edge, controlled-environment plant growth chambers in Columbia. From droughts to floods to monsoons, the more than 9,000 square feet for controlled environment growth chambers enable researchers to simulate climate conditions from all over the world to study their impacts on crops. Scott Brown, with the University of Missouri, says the new site is a much-needed improvement.

Photos courtesy of the University of Missouri

“So a chance to have some new greenhouse space to make sure our plant science researchers can do the cutting-edge research that they need,” says Brown.

The site contains some of the tallest growth chambers in the world that can accommodate the full 12-foot growth height of corn. Brown thinks the research will involve all sorts of crops.

“I think it’s going to be across the board and in fact, we’re looking at a number of researchers bidding on the opportunity to have greenhouse space in this new facility,” says Brown. “So, we’ll see how it unfolds moving forward.”

The East Campus building has 24 greenhouse units.

Parson predicts executive order on apprenticeships will strengthen Missouri’s workforce (AUDIO)

November 12, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor traveled to Columbia on Tuesday afternoon to sign an executive order creating an Office of Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning, within the state Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

Governor Mike Parson speaks at the Apprenticeship Missouri Summit in Columbia on November 12, 2019, as Higher Education Commissioner Zora Mulligan listens (photo from Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth)

Governor Mike Parson (R) signed it during the Apprenticeship Missouri Summit, at the Drury Plaza East. The department hosted the summit.

“Through this office we will continue working to increase apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities,” Parson says. “We have some of the hardest-working, talented individuals in the nation right here in the state of Missouri.”

The governor says the state must ensure Missourians are getting the skills and training they need to fill high-demand jobs.

He says apprenticeships play a key role in developing a workforce that’s prepared to meet future demands. Parson told the audience that Missouri has reached 10,000 new registered apprenticeships.

“We recently reached the milestone of being second in the nation for new apprenticeships, second in the United States of America Missouri is,” he said to applause from the audience of about 100.

He also notes Missouri ranks second in the nation for completed apprenticeships.

Parson says the more training and education Missourians have, the more productive they can be. Governor Parson spoke to Missourinet after the ceremony, saying the executive order he’s signed will strengthen the state’s workforce.

“You really establish this apprenticeship program from here on out, is what you’re really doing. You’re making everybody know that this is truly something we’re putting a huge emphasis on in the Department of Higher Education that we want to get done,” says Parson.

He says Missouri must continue to take action on workforce development, noting only 28 percent of Missourians have degrees and that 72 percent do not. He praises the Legislature’s bipartisan passage of “Fast Track,” which allows Missourians to receive advanced training in high-demand areas.

State Rep. Kathy Swan, R-Cape Girardeau, sponsored Fast Track.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Governor Mike Parson, which was recorded at the Apprenticeship Missouri Summit in Columbia on November 12, 2019: