Stephanie Lovett-Bowman, Friday, April 08, 2011 | Filed under: Legislation
Despite the school funding focus this session, the Missouri General Assembly is making progress on other school-related issues.
The Missouri Senate unanimously approved the Amy Hestir Act (SB 54) yesterday, which would require school districts to inform the state within 24 hours when a teacher is accused of sexual misconduct involving a student. The bill, which has not yet been approved by the House, would also require districts that fire teachers in verified abuse cases to disclose the information to other school districts that might be considering hiring those teachers. The bill would further forbid teachers from communicating via the Internet with current or former students in ways that are not accessible to district administrators or parents.
Additionally, Missouri Senate committees have also recently approved several bills that would expand charter schools, as well as legislation that would provide vouchers to students in unaccredited school districts to allow them to attend nearby private, public, charter or virtual schools.