What’s Up For Next Session?

1. “This is the most important election of your lifetime.” -someone insightful What’s Up For Next Session? Otto Fajen, MNEA Legislative Director

2. People we elect decide…

3. 2012 State Election Goals Re-Elect Governor Jay Nixon, our “goalie” Maintain ability to sustain his vetoes in the Missouri House Elect friends to the House who will oppose new Speaker Tim Jones’ anti-education agenda

4. 2012 State legislative year in review What passed What didn’t • Budget: formula funding remains: new formula shorted by $450 M. • Charter Schools: expansion to unaccredited and provisional districts; some accountability improvements • Tenure Repeal • Evaluation Tied to Test Scores • Paycheck Deception • Open Enrollment • Parent Trigger • State Intervention

5. Students First invaders Activity in Missouri • Started Missouri lobbying effort in 2012 • Pushed tenure repeal, evaluation by test score, charter school expansion • Contributed over $20,000 during session • Supporting legislators in primary and general elections • Legislative activity will continue in 2013

6. What’s at stake • Tenure and Teacher Evaluation Mandates. Though DESE has created a new model evaluation, Students First will be back with some version of HB 1526 in 2013. • Open Enrollment/Parent Trigger. Fueled by “Won’t Back Down” and Students First money, these issues will be back with renewed intensity in 2013. • Paycheck Deception. Will the legislature take away our option to pay dues by payroll deduction?

7. What’s at stake • Funding: the formula is $460 M underfunded, and that number will grow next year as revenues remain flat. • Unaccredited Districts: More districts affected under MSIP V, must DESE lapse them after two years? • Tax Credits reduce state revenues by over $600 M per year. Can we reform the viable ones and repeal the others? • Retirement: 25-and-Out and 2.55% factor for 31+ years expire at the end of the school year unless the legislature renews them this session.

8. Where do we stand? • Missouri is 46th in teacher salaries. • Missouri ranks 47th in state share for schools. • Missouri already has the lowest corp. income tax.

9. What does it take to win a vote? In the 2012 session, the State House had 106 Republicans and 57 Democrats. It takes 82 votes to pass a bill in the House. In 2012, the State Senate had 26 Republicans and 8 Democrats. It takes 18 votes to pass a bill in the Senate. MNEA lobbyists and work closely with members of both caucuses to move forward MNEA’s public education agenda.

10. Working with Key Senate Leaders In the Senate, key education leaders include Senators David Pearce (R) Kurt Schaefer (R), and Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D) Senators Bob Dixon (R) and Kevin Engler (R) also played prominent roles last session in defeating the tenure attacks. To get a majority and win a Senate vote, we need more Republican votes than there are Democratic votes (at least 10).

11. Working with Key House Leaders In the House, key education leaders include… To get a majority and win a House vote, we need a minimum of 25 Republican votes, and more on most issues, as some Democrats will vote with Rex and/or Students First on their agenda. 2013 will be tough with Tim Jones as Speaker • Reps. Mike Thomson (R) • Rick Stream (R) • Paul Fitzwater (R) • Mike Lair (R) • Sara Lampe (D) • Joe Aull (D) and • GeniseMontecillo (D).

12. MNEA Recommendations It is important to know that neither MNEA or RNEA is affiliated with one party. MNEA recommends candidates based on where those candidates stand on education issues, just like the RNEA. Local members screen legislative candidates based on current Missouri legislative issues. The MNEA Report Card also reflects bills and amendments, committee work and behind the scenes advocacy. We are talking state and local education issues

13. What it takes – Money! Our opponents have lots of money. Rex Sinquefield will spend millions in the 2012 elections. Students First is lobbying for their anti-education agenda, working with Rex and his friends. We have tools beyond dollars, but we also need money to communicate our message. Become a PAC contributor!

14. RNEA’s PAC goals RNEA started with only had 20 members on PAC Payroll deduction last year. We currently have 38. Our goal: 100 payroll deductions. That leaves us 62 more to find. $1 a paycheck is only $24 a year. RNEA started with only 4 PAC Check contributors last year. We currently have 180, 158 of which are reoccurring annually. Our goal: 400 PAC Check contributors. The numbers

15. What it takes – Your Time! Serve as an Education Advocate! Education Advocates support Association lobbying and electoral work in their district. We need at least one from each legislative district, both House and Senate. Your first task is to meet your state senator and representative. The goal is to continue that interaction year-round. You don’t need to be a legislative expert, simply share your experiences as an educator. Joint efforts with involved parents will help!

16. RNEA’s State Legislative Goals 1 education advocate for each voting district in the district. We have eight districts covered. Patti Fleer: Union/Washington Laura O’Grady: Chesterfield Suzanne Rainey: Fenton Cathy Worley: Chesterfield/Clarkson Valley/Ellisville/Wildwood John Johnson: Wildwood Jill Mueth: Fenton Our goal: an education advocate for the remaining five districts: Ballwin/Ellisville/Winchester area Ballwin/Manchester area Eureka Fenton Jefferson County If interested in serving, please contact Elisha Strecker at Eureka High School Education Advocates: be the face of the issue for these elected officials

17. RNEA’s MNEA action goals 26 MNEA RA representatives for 1,392, a voting block second in size only to SSD. We need more people to be the voice of RNEA at the MNEA Representative Assemblies. Special election coming up. Make a difference at the state level; get involved with the decisions of MNEA

18. BOE elections • Our endorsed candidates win. • In 2011, with three seats open, the difference between third and fourth place was 329 votes. • The candidate who came in fourth. Declined to go through the RNEA recommendation process. • He later wrote on his Twitter profile: “My life’s goal is to rid public education of union dominance.” • He didn’t resurface in 2012, but others have and will in other venues. • Two seats will be open in 2013: Janet Strate and Stephen Banton. • The two are the only BOE members who were serving on the BOE that hired Dr. Borchers, Nancy Dubois and Randy Smasal. • They have overseen the finances of this district for the last eight (Strate) and 14 years (Banton).

19. BOE elections • RNEA recommendation process • A committee of RNEA members interview and screen all candidates willing to participate. • Committee deliberates and then recommends. • RNEA can only recommend a maximum of the number of open seats. • RNEA campaign action • Join a campaign. • Phone banks. • Hanging literature and putting up signs. • Working the polls.

20. April 2013 BOE elections: you count! • Two BOE seats open. • You can make all the difference. Volunteer to… • Work on a campaign. • Make phone calls. • Hang signs. • Work the polls. • Attend BOE meetings. • Over 1,600 MNEA members live in the district. That is a large voting block. • Talk to your neighbors, family and friends.

21. Thank you!