The parts of a multi-faceted education bill signed last week by Gov. Jay Nixon each have merit.
Our only reservation is the combined weight of additional requirements may add to the burden already encumbering local school districts.
The individual provisions include:
Creating a Quality Rating System for early childhood education providers serving children from birth through kindergarten. The rating system, required in every other state, would be developed by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in collaboration with other agencies.
Permitting non-public high schools, including Helias Catholic High School, to apply to the State Board of Education to be certified as an A+ School. Non-public high schools would be required to meet the same requirements that apply to public facilities.
Requiring school districts to develop a procedure to identify "at-risk" students at the ninth-grade level. This provision, supported by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, would require schools to provide resources designed to prepare at-risk students to be college or career ready upon graduation
Directing the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop guidelines to screen students for dyslexia.
Adding civics to testing requirements for high school graduation.
Some public school districts, including the Jefferson City Public Schools, already meet some of these requirements. But, although much of the mandate to develop guidelines is directed to state agencies, school districts not already in compliance will need to find the resources to do so.
Individually, we have no quarrel with any of the provisions in the new law.
But we also are acutely aware that the modern school day involves much more than education. State and local policies have focused on disruptions, distractions, discipline, bullying, suicide prevention, nutrition, as well as the addition of school resource officers, counselors, psychological examiners and behavior interventionists.
Amid this trend, we caution lawmakers to be aware of how the sum of new requirements for educators may affect their ability to perform job No. 1 - teaching students.