MNEA-Missouri National Education Association

Brazen proposals funnel public dollars
to private and religious schools

While you’ve been busy in your classrooms, buses and work sites, Missouri NEA has been watching out for your interests. While you were getting ready to celebrate the December holidays, others were planning radical funding changes for schools and elimination of Missouri’s separation of church and state constitutional protections. Unlike the recent voucher proposals working their way through the legislature, these proposals hold no punches. These constitutional amendments are brash, brazen proposals to funnel public dollars to private and religious schools.

In mid-December, the Secretary of State approved the Funding Education initiative for signature gathering. In January, the Public Aid for Religious Purposes initiative got the same nod. The proponents of these initiatives and their allies are trying to get enough signatures to get these issues on the November 2006 ballot.

Both proposals are being pushed by Herman Kriesghauser, chairman, and Martin Duggan, president, of the Educational Freedom Foundation.

The Funding Education initiative:

Allows the use of public money for religious purposes and institutions.
Rejects the traditional concept of control of schools by elected local boards, and requires all schools to be funded by the state legislature through vouchers.
Prohibits local school district patrons from democratically deciding to tax themselves to improve local schools.
Removes accountability for the use of public funds by explicitly prohibiting the state from testing students in private and religious schools to determine if they are meeting the same standards of achievement demanded of public schools.
Reduces the amount of lottery and gaming revenues available for public schools ?by dividing them among public- and non-public- school students.

This initiative makes funding of all public and non-public K-12 schools the sole responsibility of the state legislature. The estimated state cost exceeds $3.5 billion annually.

Public Aid for Religious Purposes is the other initiative petition being circulated for signatures by this same group. The Public Aid for Religious Purposes initiative:

Repeals constitutional language stating, “That no money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect or denomination of religion, or in aid of any priest, preacher, minister or teacher thereof.”

Replaces it with, “That no preference shall be given to nor any discrimination made against any church, sect or creed of religion, or any form of religious faith or worship.”

These constitutional amendments are extreme and unnecessary. If enough valid signatures are collected, proponents of public education will be faced with a very costly battle to preserve the system of education that is the foundation of our democracy.

Get the word out to your friends and family. Refuse to sign the Funding Education and Public Aid for Religious Purposes initiatives.

by Greg Jung
MNEA president

Other Reflections

'Experience the power you have as a member of the NEA.'

'We speak for you.'

‘Students deserve more than a funny-money formula....’

‘Why are they stealing from Missouri kids?'

‘We on the front lines must take charge of making our schools safe for all children.’

‘MNEA is ready to fight this attack on teacher certification, but we cannot do it alone.’

‘Our recommendation process does exactly what it is designed to do.’

‘The best part of being an MNEA member is the power we have when we stand up for public education.’

‘Tell them their payment is well overdue.’