JEFFERSON CITY — Yesterday (2-20), the Senate Committee on Education voted to include important provisions from a bill filed by Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, into Senate Bill 493, the lead school transfer bill which will be debated on the Senate floor as soon as next week. The provisions in Sen. Nasheed’s underlying bill, Senate Bill 616, which apply only to the St. Louis City and Kansas City school districts, help stem the problem of social promotion of students.
“We are failing our children when we turn a blind eye to kids who cannot read, but are promoted to the next grade”, said Sen. Nasheed, sponsor of the “Every Child Can Learn Act,” found in SB 616.
Most of the school transfer bills have focused on the legal technicalities of payments, attendance and busing. Bills filed by Senators Nasheed and Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, were both student-focused, trying to address the problems of children in struggling schools.
Senator Nasheed expressed her gratefulness for having help in the process, “I want to really point out the bipartisan work and compromise needed to help our schools succeed. The chair of the Senate Education Committee, Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, and Sen. Chappelle-Nadal both worked tirelessly behind the scenes to move these issues forward. I humbly offer them my thanks on behalf of all students.”
To follow these bills or any of Sen. Nasheed’s legislative actions, please visit her Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/nasheed. |
