BE OUR GUEST

Ollie Amick is the state representative for the 160th District, which includes north Scott County and most of Mississippi County.

I have been asked if I support Proposition B. Yes, I voted for this bill in the final days of the session. I do have reservations. While the bill did much for education, it did not do as much for elementary and secondary education as I felt it could or should. I also questioned whether the economic development features should be in it and whether the sales tax increase was necessary to fund it.

In these months since the session ended, I have listened and read the opponents and their diatribe. They are sincere people who certainly should be listened to. I will address some of their concerns as well as some I have.

The recent mass layoffs in the 160th District, combined with the stagnant economy, makes the retraining and development features seem more reasonable. The mechanism may be faulted, but the objective certainly cannot be.

True, there was not enough floor debate on the bill. However, quite similar bills and concerns were heard by me and members of the elementary and secondary education committee and the budget items and needs were discussed in the appropriations committee hearings.

Reluctantly, I accepted the 3/8th cent sales tax funding when business and the governor's office made this a prerequisite for their support. In the past, the polls showed a majority of voters felt that sales tax should be a part of any plan. Increased dependent allowances should offset costs for most young families. Some poor and some seniors will pay a small part of the cost. The house debated and passed, by a slim margin, a bill addressing the needs of the mentally ill, the disabled and disadvantaged. The price of this bill is upwards of $700 million. It barely passed the House and could muster little support with the Senate with business or the governor.

What do I like about the bill? Why am I supporting the bill? First, the money in each created fund is in trust. The money is allocated for specific items. The Coordinating Board for Higher Education would be charged with affecting mission reform and institutional change. Extension service, so important to this area, would be increased. Community colleges, student grants, research scholarships and incentives as well as $60 million initially for repair, renovation and maintenance of university buildings the first year and about $15 million each year, thereafter.

Equity in education would receive the most money from the trust for elementary and secondary education. The foundation formula will receive an additional $15 million for FY 1992 and three subsequent years. Equity would receive about 80 percent; reduced class size 8 percent; At Risk 4 percent; parents as teachers 3 percent; vocational education 4 percent; Excellence in Education 2 percent; and Parents as Partner just under 1 percent. If full funding was available for early childhood development and the parents as teacher programs, I believe education in Missouri would be making a giant step forward.

What I have not liked in the past months is the politicians at the federal and state level, placing the blame wholly on the teachers and the public schools. While they must share some of the blame, in visiting all the schools in my district, I found capable, dedicated, innovative and enthusiastic teachers of all ages doing their level best to motivate and teach young children.

The few complaints I heard were that extra duties cut too much into classroom time, classes were too large (especially in lower grades) and that they lacked work books (almost essential to measure progress in early years) and other supplies. Teachers need our praise. They need parents sending kids to school with well fed health bodies, inquisitive minds and the resolve to excel to their fullest potential. No teacher can meet all the challenges of the children of today. I have not met one in the classroom that I feel is not willing to try. Can we ask more?

Everything must be done to identify "At Risk" students in the early grades, if possible. This is a challenge. I like this emphasis in Proposition B. Education must be a partner with other services of government. Problems in the home, problems of the family, drug and alcohol abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy, peer pressure and on and on. These are problems that teachers and educators do not shun a responsibility to address but they must have the support of the parents, the community and local authorities. Our schools are doing a better than average job of educating. Total support will make us rate high in this area when we get our first "report card."

Over these past months, I have become informed about Proposition B. I would ask each and every voter to do the same. Every Missourian will be making a contribution to education and I believe they will be proud of themselves 10 years from now.