Making the Grade on Education

Due to inclement weather, the Missouri Senate had an unexpected snow day on Monday—a day many schools and businesses, including the state, were already scheduled to be closed because of the Presidents Day holiday. The snow didn’t last long, however, and session resumed on Tuesday. Without a doubt, the theme of this week has been education.

On Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee heard two pieces of education legislation I filed relating to career and technical education and the A+ Schools Program. Senate Bill 172 requires the State Board of Education to establish minimum graduation requirements for a career and technical education (CTE) high school certificate. A CTE certificate must provide students with technical skills and core academic skills, as well as demonstrate that the student is ready for a career in a technical field.

I am grateful for the numerous witnesses who came to the committee hearing to testify on behalf of CTE. That showing, in conjunction with the CTE folks I had the pleasure of meeting with last week, has given us a strong foundation for the passage of SB 172, as well as the recognition for what I truly believe is one of the most important components of our education system.

As a graduate and former teacher of CTE, I know the value that a CTE education can offer high school students. A vibrant CTE program can keep a student in school and provide an incentive for the student to do well in his or her academic classes. Many outside the CTE community probably do not realize that CTE students have a 90 percent graduation rate compared to the national average of 75 percent. That type of success cannot be ignored; it must be encouraged.

In many ways, a student who receives a CTE certificate along with a diploma has more options than the student who has received a regular diploma. Having a CTE certificate ensures that the student has the basic skills to enter the workforce or a technical school right out of high school. However, since the since the student has received the same academic courses as other students, they can move on to a two- or four-year college or university.  

For the past two years, my involvement with innovation campuses has allowed me to see the great work that’s being done to coordinate schools, industry and institutions of higher education for Missouri’s students. Senate Bill 172 is simply another part of the equation for creating an environment where our local schools can continue to prepare our students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Senate Bill 224, relating to eligibility requirements of the A+ Schools Program, was also heard in committee this week. Under SB 224, a student must be a United States citizen or permanent resident in order to be eligible to receive reimbursements from the A+ Schools Program. Current program guidelines are unclear on how to handle students with unlawful citizenship status. This bill not only clarifies the guidelines for higher education officials, but also brings the A+ Program’s citizenship requirements up to the same compliance level as Missouri’s other two scholarship programs: Access Missouri and Bright Flight.

Senate Bill 224 is also in response to the President’s executive order on the DREAM Act. Due to this move, our Department of Higher Education felt that they didn’t have any choice but to give these scholarships to people who are here illegally. Making this change sends a clear message to the department that these scholarships are for those who follow the law.

Missouri already has a very successful A+ Program. So successful, in fact, that increased demand to take advantage of the program was a contributing factor in the recent budgetary shortfalls the program has experienced. The A+ Program is a tremendous program that was designed to improve our schools and provide a better education for the children of Missouri’s taxpayers. It’s important that these valuable resources are available for years to come.

Most of this week’s floor debate was spent discussing Senate Bill 1, the student transfer bill. Senate Bill 1 is a bill that tries to solve the crisis of unaccredited districts in the St. Louis and Kansas City area. That being said, it’s not a perfect bill. In last week’s column, I expressed my displeasure with an amendment that would allow the state to mandate how local districts dispose of their own buildings—buildings that are often paid for by local tax levies, bonds and local funds. In response, I offered an amendment on the Senate floor that would limit the jurisdiction of the “building disposal” amendment to metro St. Louis and Kansas City. I’m pleased to report the amendment was adopted.

Even with the snowy weather, I had the pleasure of meeting with a number of groups and visitors from the district, including: the Missouri Retired Teachers Association; the Missouri Nurses Association; Rob Walsh and Patricia Wehner with the Missouri Association of Nurse Anesthetists; the Missouri Pharmacy Association and Lisa Umfleet, a pharmacist from the district; and Steve Brophy, Mark Warren and Steve Hampton with Ameren Missouri. Finally, while I was sorry I did not get the chance to visit with them, I did see that the Alzheimer’s Association was at the Capitol on Wednesday for their annual Memory Day.

Sen. Romine’s Sponsored Legislation for 2015

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