Group abandons support of teacher-evaluation amendment

The group Teachgreat.org has decided not to continue advocating for an amendment to the state Constitution that would tie teacher evaluations to student performance.

However, Stephanie Fleming, deputy director of communications for the secretary of state's office, said Amendment 3 will remain on the Nov. 4 election ballot.

The proposal has drawn fire from groups such as Protect Our Local Schools -- a statewide coalition of parents, teachers, principals, superintendents and school boards -- and a local not-for-profit group called No On 3. The proposal also has prompted legal action.

Under Teachgreat's proposal, a "yes" vote from the statewide electorate would amend the Missouri Constitution to require teachers to be evaluated by a standards-based performance system, and each system would have to earn state approval to receive state and local funding.

Additionally, teachers would be dismissed, retained, demoted or promoted using student performance data as part of the process. Teachers would be required to enter into contracts of three or fewer years with public school districts, with exceptions. The amendment would prohibit teachers from organizing or collectively bargaining on the design and implementation of the evaluation system.

No On 3 has scheduled a meeting for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library, 711 N. Clark Ave.

"We're still going to have the meeting tomorrow because it's not over 'til it's over, right?" treasurer David Larson said Tuesday. "Until I go to the secretary of state's website and see that the amendment has been pulled off there, the group will move forward as if it is going to be on the ballot."

Mike Sherman, spokesman for Protect Our Local Schools, said he suspects Teachgreat officials realized the Amendment 3 was the wrong approach.

Like Larson, Sherman said his group will keep fighting against the amendment if it remains on the ballot.

A statement from Teachgreat says the organization decided that now is not the time to continue pursuing the proposal.

"While we still believe in this measure wholeheartedly and will continue to work to reward and protect good teachers, support struggling teachers and make it easier for schools to hire more great teachers, we will not be moving forward with Amendment 3 this year," spokeswoman Kate Casas said in a statement. "Over the next several months, we will be focusing on strengthening our grassroots base by talking directly to voters and by hosting a listening tour that will cover every corner of the state, eliciting feedback from Missourians from all political persuasions by facilitating inclusive discussions posing the basic question: What can we do to improve our state?"

Primary points of discussion are expected to include accountability and transparency, school choice and educator effectiveness.

"Missourians have settled for mediocrity for too long. Our hope is to challenge people from all over the state to figure out together how we can do better," Casas said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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