JC/DC CRITICAL ACTION ALERT HB 1540

Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Tell Your Senator say NO to this omnibus bill!

(An omnibus bill is a bill that combines several bills that do not have to be related in an effort to get the maximum number of bills voted upon at the end of session. Often these bills are hundreds of pages long lending themselves to votes without full understanding of what is in each.)

HB 1540 is another last-minute omnibus bill that will hurt public education and is bad for students!

This bill expands Missouri’s 529 college savings plans allowing for tax-free contributions to be used for K-12 private school fees and costs. This diverts tax dollars from public education to private and parochial schools that lack oversight and accountability and can be run by out-of-state, for-profit companies and entities without any accountability for providing quality education. Missouri PTA strongly believes the intent of this bill is to create virtual charter schools without oversight and accountability that the public school system requires.

Tell your Senator to say NO to HB 1540 and to any other omnibus education bill that removes accountability, transparency, and accessibility to quality education for all children or that diverts funding from public education. This hurts Missouri children and public education!

ACTION NEEDED: PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL and urge your State Senator to oppose HB 1540!

Dear Senator _____,

HB 1540 is another last-minute combination education bill that would hurt public education and is bad for students like my child!

As a parent and a member of Missouri PTA, I’m concerned that this bill expands Missouri’s 529 college savings plans allowing for tax-free contributions to be used for K-12 private school fees and costs. This diverts tax dollars from public education to private and parochial schools that lack oversight and accountability and can be run by out-of-state, for-profit companies and entities without any accountability for providing quality education.

Please vote, “NO” to HB 1540 and to any other omnibus education bill that removes accountability, transparency, and accessibility to quality education for all children or that diverts funding from public education. This hurts Missouri children and public education!

Sincerely,

Your name and PTA

Not sure how to contact your state legislators? Click here and insert your street address or 9-digit zip code.

Kristina Wilmoth

Vice President & Director of Legislation and Advocacy

[email protected]

JC/DC CRITICAL ACTION ALERT: SB 528

Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Tell Your House Representative to vote NO to SB 528!

SB 528 transforms Missouri Course Access Program (MOCAP) into virtual charter schools.
These schools lack oversight and accountability and can be run by out-of-state, for-profit companies and entities without any accountability for providing quality education. Furthermore, they do not have to prohibit discrimination or ensure equal access to education for all children. Under SB 528, vendors would not be required to accept all students and could expel students that are “too difficult to educate”. Vendors also do not provide the same services that public education provides students including healthy lunches and mental health counseling, yet they will receive the same state aid.

Missouri PTA does not support SB 528. Missouri PTA is opposed to the lack of transparency, oversight, and lack of accountability in education for all children while diverting funding from the public education.

Tell your House Representative to say NO to SB 528 and to any other “combination education bill” that removes accountability, transparency, and accessibility to quality education for all children or that diverts funding for public education. This hurts Missouri children and public education!

ACTION NEEDED: PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL and urge your State Representative to oppose SB 528

Dear Representative,

SB 528 transforms Missouri Course Access Program (MOCAP) into virtual charter schools.
These schools lack oversight and accountability and can be run by out-of-state, for-profit companies and entities without any accountability for providing quality education. Furthermore, they do not have to prohibit discrimination or ensure equal access to education for all children. Under SB 528, vendors would not be required to accept all students and could expel students that are “too difficult to educate”. Vendors also do not provide the same services that public education provides students including healthy lunches and mental health counseling, yet they will receive the same state aid.

As a parent, I do not support SB 528. I am opposed to the lack of transparency, oversight, and lack of accountability in education for all children while diverting funding from the public education.

Please vote NO to SB 528 and to any other “combination education bill” that removes accountability, transparency, and accessibility to quality education for all children or that diverts funding for public education. This hurts Missouri children and public education!

Sincerely,

Your name and PTA

Not sure how to contact your state legislators? Click here and insert your street address or 9-digit zip code.

Kristina Wilmoth

Vice President & Director of Legislation and Advocacy

[email protected]

JC/DC ACTION ALERT: April 28, 2020 Session Begins Again!

Dear Advocates for ALL children,

Missouri lawmakers were back in Jefferson City yesterday as they restarted the 2020 Legislative session! This session, like most of our lives, has been on “pause” as we all navigate the COVID-19 version of our lives. The first and utmost priority for Missouri lawmakers will be the budget for fiscal year 2020 that begins July 1st. The House budget plan released Saturday includes no cuts to the K-12 foundation formula but it does present a $17 million cut to student transportation.

Many bills in the House and Senate are “scheduled” to be heard as the legislation session resumes. It is not completely clear to us what may or may not be heard as this session continues. Your Missouri PTA Legislative Team wants to remind all fellow public education advocates of our priorities and watch list. It is still vital that we keep these bills visible as their underlying purposes concern public education.

The following House Bills are on the schedule or have recent activity:

The following Senate Bills are on the schedule or have recent activity:

Continue to watch your email for updates via JCDC Action Alerts and follow Missouri PTA on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with budget and legislative news. We will work to keep you informed!

In this together for ALL children,

Kristina Wilmoth

VP & Director of Legislation and Advocacy

Missouri PTA

JCDC Alert: SB581 Show Me a Brighter Future Scholarship Fund

Missouri PTA needs you to contact your Senator now and ask them to OPPOSE Vouchers!

Missouri PTA is opposed to SB 581!

Vouchers Bill SB 581 “Show Me a Brighter Future” Scholarship Fund is written to give school vouchers to low-income students to attend private schools. This bill pays for this scholarship by offering tax credits to people or corporations that make contributions to the scholarship fund. Missouri PTA and other public-school advocates are opposed to voucher programs because they divert funding from public education and lack oversight and accountability that public schools offer to all students.

Missouri PTA advocates are called to ensure your senators understand that you are paying attention and that these issues are important to you!

ACTION NEEDED: PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL and urge your State Senator to oppose SB 581 and all Voucher programs that lack oversight, accountability, and divert public education funding!

MOPTA Advocates are invited to utilize the letter below to guide your calls, emails, and social media contact with your lawmaker(s).

Dear Senator,

As a community, we prioritize the educational standards for all children. We have evaluation standards that must be met for public schools to remain accredited and we oppose efforts to divert funding from public education. Those standards continue to provide accountability for our schools, quality education for all children, and access to education no matter the ability or situation a child may experience. That standard is now at risk as this bill is called to the Senate Floor. As an advocate for ALL Missouri children, I am opposed to this bill as it works to remove that accountability for schools and the equity of access to a quality education for students.

SB 581 “Show Me a Brighter Future” Scholarship Fund gives school vouchers to students to attend private schools and pay for the scholarships by offering tax credits to people or corporations that make contributions to the scholarship fund. Missouri PTA and other public-school advocates are opposed to voucher programs as they divert funding from public education and lack oversight and accountability that public schools offer to all students. This bill would prevent children from accessing the quality education they receive in Missouri public schools. Scholarship programs are not good for students and parents, taxpayers, and Missouri’s public schools. This is a voucher bill in a bad disguise and I am opposed to both bills.

Please support our children and our public schools by OPPOSING SB 581!

Sincerely,

Your name and PTA

Not sure how to contact your state legislators? Click here and insert your street address or 9-digit zip code.

Kristina Wilmoth
Vice President & Director of Legislation and Advocacy
[email protected]

Social Media Toolkit

Example post:
URGENT! Scheduled for the Senate Floor THIS WEEK: SB 581 Contact your Senator NOW and ask them to OPPOSE! I support Public Schools and that’s why I’m opposed to SB 581!

MOPTA2020 #MOPTAAdvocates @MissouriPTA

Missouri Education Roundtable – Statement of Concern