At the State Board of Education
The Missouri State Board of Education is made up of eight citizens appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Board sets standards for and approves courses and professional programs for teachers and school administrators in Missouri’s public and private higher education institutions. Under federal law, the Board serves as the state-level governing body for career and technical education programs provided by local school districts, community colleges, and four-year institutions.
To find out more about the State Board and to listen to live streams of the meetings, visit dese.mo.gov.
MNEA Vice Pres. Rebeka McIntosh (rebeka.mcintosh@mnea.org) and MNEA Teaching & Learning Director Samantha Hayes (samantha.hayes@mnea.org) attend the meetings of the State Board of Education. After each meeting, they write a report and may issue alerts to staff and members about upcoming policy changes that may negatively impact educators.
Through this process, MNEA and its members saved and expanded the weekly plan time requirement in 2020 for MSIP 6. With more than 5,400 public comments from educators and stakeholders, the Board reversed its decision to remove the requirement and expanded the MSIP 6 Effective Teaching and Learning Standard to read:
Adequate self-directed planning time, at least 250 minutes per week, is provided to certificated and licensed educators who provide instruction to students on a full-time basis (prorated as appropriate). Plan time is based on local context and is aligned to best practice guidelines.
The expanded language now includes counselors, librarians, and early childhood educators that previously were excluded. MSIP 6 expressly states “self-directed” planning time, so educators can use their professional judgment on the best use of their time each day. MSIP 6 standards go into effect in February 2022.