Missouri senators took up one of the bigger bills to be considered this session. This week, Senate Bill 727 was discussed, and ultimately, sent to the Missouri House of Representatives for consideration. This is a comprehensive education bill that could make major changes that will impact education in Missouri for years to come.
One of the provisions of the bill, address Missouri’s Career Ladder program. This program is organized to encourage teachers to remain as teachers by providing opportunities for increased responsibility and compensation. Currently, public school teachers become eligible after two years of public school teaching in Missouri. This bill would waive the two-year requirement for a teacher who has served in the Armed Services, or whose spouse has served, has teaching experience in another state and has transferred to our state.
Another is teacher pay. If SB 727 were to become law, a teacher’s base salary would rise based on experience, starting in the 2025-’26 school year. Good teachers are crucial, and this raise would go a long way to keeping them in our classrooms and finding the next generation of instructors for our future.
Our annual mid-session recess is underway. I am looking forward to spending time in the district and preparing for the final nine weeks of the 2024 regular legislative session.
I am honored to serve as your senator in the Missouri Senate. If, at any time, you have questions, concerns or ideas regarding state government, please feel free to contact me at 573-751-8793 or Sandy.Crawford@senate.mo.gov.
Facebook Comments