Help Us Keep a Pulse on Jeff City
We Need All Hands On Deck – Our Diligence is Critical!
It’s no secret that the last few legislative sessions have been absolutely brutal on the people of Missouri – especially our kids. Yes, we’ve had a few wins, but overall, the majority of the legislation that has made it over the finish line has caused far mare harm than good. Too many legislators are pandering to lobbyists while ignoring their constituents and they are getting away with it because they think we are not paying attention.
We refuse to allow another session be dominated by tone-deaf legislation. We need your help! Whether it be making phone calls, sending emails, showing up in person, or helping with reading legislation, every little bit counts. Subscribe to our list to get involved!
Join the Crew – Travel With Us to Jefferson City!
Phone calls and email absolutely make a difference, but NOTHING is more effective than showing up in person! One of our goals is to coordinate group visits to The Capitol. This way you never have to go alone and you may even have the option to carpool.
How frequent will these visits be? Well, that depends. We are in the early stages of getting organized, but we would like to make bi-weekly visits at minimum. If traveling to JC is something you are interested in – Join The Crew! Tell us what days work best. We’ll organize a group.
Help Us Track Legislation
You do not have to be a whiz at reading legislation. You do not even need to be at intermediate level. We’ve got you covered! We have compiled a list of current legislation and organized by category, with labels of support and opposition. Each bill listed has it’s own pointed action item with all of the links that you would need to take action.
Browse the legislation, submit testimony, and find upcoming hearings.
Urgent Action Items
It is IMPERATIVE that We The People are taking action. Each action item provides specific directions for each piece of legislation with language included to help guide you when reaching out to your legislators.
Contact Your Legislators. Check Back Weekly For Updates.
Keep a Pulse on MO Leg
We Need All Hands On Deck!
It’s no secret that the last few legislative sessions have been absolutely brutal on the people of Missouri – especially our kids. Yes, we’ve had a few wins, but overall, the majority of the legislation that has made it over the finish line has caused far mare harm than good. Too many legislators are pandering to lobbyists while ignoring their constituents and they are getting away with it because they think we are not paying attention.
We refuse to allow another session be dominated by tone-deaf legislation. We need your help! Whether it be making phone calls, sending emails, showing up in person, or tracking legislation, every little bit counts.
Join The Crew – Travel To Jeff City!
Phone calls and email absolutely make a difference, but NOTHING is more effective than showing up in person! One of our goals is to coordinate group visits to The Capitol. This way you never have to go alone and you may even have the option to carpool.
How frequent will these visits be? Well, that depends. We are in the early stages of getting organized, but we would like to make bi-weekly visits at minimum. If traveling to JC is something you are interested in – Join The Crew! Tell us what days work best. We’ll organize a group.
Help Us Track Legislation!
You do not have to be a whiz at reading legislation. You do not even need to be at intermediate level. We’ve got you covered! We have compiled a list of current legislation and organized by category, with labels of support and opposition. Each bill listed has it’s own pointed action item with all of the links that you would need to take action.
Browse the legislation, submit testimony, and find upcoming hearings.
Urgent Action Items
It is IMPERATIVE that We The People are taking action. Each action item provides specific directions for each piece of legislation with language included to help guide you when reaching out to your legislators.Contact your legislators. Check back for updates.
What does “funding students, not systems” REALLY mean?
What is an ESA?
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts AKA School Choice were established in Missouri by the passage of HB349 and SB86. ESA’s allows students to use tax dollars for private and homeschools via MOScholars scholarship accounts. The money is distributed by an an EAO (Educational Assistance Organization).
An EAO is a nonprofit organization that, after approval by the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office, can receive qualified contributions from individuals and businesses to establish MOScholars scholarship accounts for qualified Missouri students.
Rules Written After the Vote
Both bills were passed “Pelosi” style, with the rules being written by the state treasurer after passage. The treasure’s rules subjects homeschool students to:
Approved Curriculum
The list of approved curriculum is not only limiting, but much of it focuses on Social Emotional Learning. Social Emotional and Behavioral Therapies are both approved under ESA funds. The approved list of vendors offers no religious curriculum and little rigorous curriculum. Walmart Brand, Apple For Education, Amazon and ClassWallet vendors are what you will find on the approved vendor list.
ClassWallet
A digital back account for use with MOScholars school choice program. Student privacy laws are voluntary to ClassWallet, but not mandatory under the MOScholars (ESA) Program. What does this mean? The mandated testing and the databases therein are being sold. They are using the data to monetize our children!
Follow the money. It’s straight out of the Marxist Playbook.
What is an ESA?
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts AKA School Choice were established in Missouri by the passage of HB349 and SB86. ESA’s allows students to use tax dollars for private and homeschools via MOScholars scholarship accounts. The money is distributed by an an EAO (Educational Assistance Organization).
An EAO is a nonprofit organization that, after approval by the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office, can receive qualified contributions from individuals and businesses to establish MOScholars scholarship accounts for qualified Missouri students.
Rules Written After the Vote
Both bills were passed “Pelosi” style, with the rules being written by the state treasurer after passage. The treasure’s rules subjects homeschool students to:
Registration and approval to become a State Certified Homeschool
Everyone 18 and older residing in the home must pass a background check
Only PRE-APPROVED curriculum permitted
Lesson plans, schedules, recorded hours, example of work, etc must all be submitted at the whim of the Treasurer and/or the Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs)
Approved Curriculum
The list of approved curriculum is not only limiting, but much of it focuses on Social Emotional Learning. Social Emotional and Behavioral Therapies are both approved under ESA funds. The approved list of vendors offers no religious curriculum and little rigorous curriculum. Walmart Brand, Apple For Education, Amazon and ClassWallet vendors are what you will find on the approved vendor list.
ClassWallet
A digital back account for use with MOScholars school choice program. Student privacy laws are voluntary to ClassWallet, but not mandatory under the MOScholars (ESA) Program. What does this mean? The mandated testing and the databases therein are being sold. They are using the data to monetize our children!
Follow the money. It’s straight out of the Marxist Playbook.
What is Open Enrollment?
Open Enrollment is a public to public option that differs from school choice. It allows the enrollment of a nonresident student in public school districts, creating the illusion of competition.
Competition does not exist in a captured market
Consolidation
Open Enrollment will create consolidation of small and rural schools making other schools larger reducing the balance of power between teacher unions and local citizens.
DEI
Last session, Andrew Keonig (SB 5) and Brad Pollitt (HB 253) both introduced open enrollment legislation that implements DEI into public and charter schools. Both pieces of proposed legislation stated that a district will have to create a “model policy” created by the “department”, REGARDLESS if the district partakes in open enrollment.
The “department” is DESE who is the root of the problem. This legislation implements more shackles on public education with bureaucratic bloat for DESE to administer.
Teachers Union Stronghold
We heard a lot about Teacher Union influence on the reopening of schools during the COVID lockdowns. This was their opportunity to strike, inserting the push for open enrollment to increase centralized power of education in the United States.
Rural and small schools are the best defense against unions and special interests. Open Enrollment will force these small schools to close, and the unions will grow.
What is Open Enrollment?
Open Enrollment is a public to public option that differs from school choice. It allows the enrollment of a nonresident student in public school districts, creating the illusion of competition.
Competition does not exist in a captured market
Consolidation
Open Enrollment will create consolidation of small and rural schools making other schools larger reducing the balance of power between teacher unions and local citizens.
When buildings close, the local communities suffers economically
Enrollment surges create classroom shortages and transportation issues
Consolidated district loses local control, larger district gains power
The loss of enrollment leads to tighter budgets creating teacher shortages and limits the ability for the school district to operate.
DEI
Last session, Andrew Keonig (SB 5) and Brad Pollitt (HB 253) both introduced open enrollment legislation that implements DEI into public and charter schools. Both pieces of proposed legislation stated that a district will have to create a “model policy” created by the “department”, REGARDLESS if the district partakes in open enrollment.
The “department” is DESE who is the root of the problem. This legislation implements more shackles on public education with bureaucratic bloat for DESE to administer.
Teachers Union Stronghold
We heard a lot about Teacher Union influence on the reopening of schools during the COVID lockdowns. This was their opportunity to strike, inserting the push for open enrollment to increase centralized power of education in the United States.
Rural and small schools are the best defense against unions and special interests. Open Enrollment will force these small schools to close, and the unions will grow.
Who Governs MO ESA’s?
SB 86 establishes an unelected “Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Board.”
Who is on the Board?
The same bad actors that created the problems in public school are now governing this so called “school choice,” along with the state treasurer, whom wrote the rules after the bill’s passage. Does this really seem like “choice” to you? What reason would we have to believe that they are going to do any better governing the private and homeschool sector after seeing what damage they have done in the public schools?
Where will we run when our private schools and homeschools look like our public schools?
Who Governs MO ESA’s?
SB 86 establishes an unelected “Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Board.”
Who is on the Board?
The same bad actors that created the problems in public school are now governing this so called “school choice,” along with the state treasurer, whom wrote the rules after the bill’s passage. Does this really seem like “choice” to you? What reason would we have to believe that they are going to do any better governing the private and homeschool sector after seeing what damage they have done in the public schools?
Where will we run when our private schools and homeschools look like our public schools?
What are the Dangers to Homeschoolers?
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts AKA School Choice were established in Missouri by the passage of HB349 and SB86. ESA’s allows students to use tax dollars for private and homeschools via MOScholars scholarship accounts. The money is distributed by an an EAO (Educational Assistance Organization).
An EAO is a nonprofit organization that, after approval by the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office, can receive qualified contributions from individuals and businesses to establish MOScholars scholarship accounts for qualified Missouri students.
Rules Written After the Vote
Both bills were passed “Pelosi” style, with the rules being written by the state treasurer after passage. The treasure’s rules subjects homeschool students to:
Approved Curriculum
The list of approved curriculum is not only limiting, but much of it focuses on Social Emotional Learning. Social Emotional and Behavioral Therapies are both approved under ESA funds. The approved list of vendors offers no religious curriculum and little rigorous curriculum. Walmart Brand, Apple For Education, Amazon and ClassWallet vendors are what you will find on the approved vendor list.
ClassWallet
A digital back account for use with MOScholars school choice program. Student privacy laws are voluntary to ClassWallet, but not mandatory under the MOScholars (ESA) Program. What does this mean? The mandated testing and the databases therein are being sold. They are using the data to monetize our children!
Follow the money. It’s straight out of the Marxist Playbook.
What are the Dangers to Homeschoolers?
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts AKA School Choice were established in Missouri by the passage of HB349 and SB86. ESA’s allows students to use tax dollars for private and homeschools via MOScholars scholarship accounts. The money is distributed by an an EAO (Educational Assistance Organization).
An EAO is a nonprofit organization that, after approval by the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office, can receive qualified contributions from individuals and businesses to establish MOScholars scholarship accounts for qualified Missouri students.
Rules Written After the Vote
Both bills were passed “Pelosi” style, with the rules being written by the state treasurer after passage. The treasure’s rules subjects homeschool students to:
Registration and approval to become a State Certified Homeschool
Everyone 18 and older residing in the home must pass a background check
Only PRE-APPROVED curriculum permitted
Lesson plans, schedules, recorded hours, example of work, etc must all be submitted at the whim of the Treasurer and/or the Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs)
Approved Curriculum
The list of approved curriculum is not only limiting, but much of it focuses on Social Emotional Learning. Social Emotional and Behavioral Therapies are both approved under ESA funds. The approved list of vendors offers no religious curriculum and little rigorous curriculum. Walmart Brand, Apple For Education, Amazon and ClassWallet vendors are what you will find on the approved vendor list.
ClassWallet
A digital back account for use with MOScholars school choice program. Student privacy laws are voluntary to ClassWallet, but not mandatory under the MOScholars (ESA) Program. What does this mean? The mandated testing and the databases therein are being sold. They are using the data to monetize our children!
Follow the money. It’s straight out of the Marxist Playbook.