By Retha Holland
From: MOsenate.gov
SB 727 affects home education choice, with increasing amendments and language that puts home education in danger and under the thumb of DESE. Just a few changes under the laws of “equal application” will put ALL home educators, whether or not they are in the State program, under DESE control.
Not to mention the increased unconstitutionality of this bill. See below:
· Article III, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution, because it has the effect of “divert[ing]” money from the treasury independent of the appropriation process.
· Article III, Section 38(a) of the Missouri Constitution, which states that “The general assembly shall have no power to grant public money or property, or lend or authorize the lending of public credit, to any private person, association or corporation…”
· Article III, Section 39(5) of the Missouri Constitution because it has the effect of “releas[ing] or extinguish[ing]... without consideration... the indebtedness, liability or obligation of... [a] corporation or individual”.
· Article III, Sections 21 and 23 because the purpose of the bill was changed through amendments, and the final title violates the clear title requirement.
The State Board of Education shall assist the State Treasurer with data collection, as well as collaboration with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), to make recommendations to the State Treasurer regarding the promulgation of rules concerning the program.
Those that have called IN FAVOR of this bill have not read it, many of which may be private schools. They are not aware of the increase in control and the “new currency” of data collecting on their students that is prominent in this bill, along with teacher choice restrictions for private schools. They do not realize how the behemoth thumb of DESE will be upon them.
This was supposed to be SIMPLE, where those that educated their children at home or chose a private school option, and pay property taxes for public school education would be allocated to the said choices. Primary involvement was at the county level. This bill started out as 12 pages and has now has evolved to a 167-page legal document with holes for control by simple changes.
How much does this ever-increasing overreach of DESE already cost out of the quarter of the budget allocated for education from the State? DESE, with an astounding 1,700 employees, will be the winners in the bill.
This was never supposed to be about the state increasing involvement, only the legal ability for a parent to “choose” their child’s education with their property taxes, instead of also continuing to pay for services they don’t use and/or fails to meet their expectations.
About 27 grassroots organizations have made their position well known on this bill to kill it in the Senate. We have seen many state representatives up for re-election flip their vote in favor of this bill.
Americans for Prosperity along with other organizations are pushing for this bill with big money behind them. So you have to ask the real question, “Who is behind the curtain” with their own agenda?
With this Christmas tree bill public schools, private schools and home educators ALL LOSE both freedom and money. The leftover pennies in the end are not worth all the trouble.
Paragraph below is just one of many expectations for those that wish to enroll in the program.
Page 92:
“5. The production by a parent of a daily log showing 102 that a home school has a course of instruction which 103 satisfies the requirements of this section or, in the case 104 of a pupil over the age of sixteen years who attended a 105 metropolitan school district the previous year, a written 106 statement that the pupil is attending home school in 107 compliance with this section shall be a defense to any 108 prosecution under this section and to any charge or action 109 for educational neglect brought pursuant to chapter 210.”
What also has been overlooked in this trap of a bill is all it takes are small language changes or amendments that can and will put home educators and private schools under DESE control, as well as ruling that home-educator parents’ homes may be considered “gun free zones,” infringing on Second Amendment rights.
