Jay Nixon Outlines Education Agenda

Nixon: "Every student in Missouri deserves a quality education and an opportunity to achieve his or her dreams."

Nixon pledges to veto any voucher bill that hits his desk

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In a speech tonight before educators and school administrators, Attorney General Jay Nixon outlined his plan to strengthen Missouri schools and to make sure that every child in the state gets the quality education he or she deserves.  As Governor, Jay Nixon will oppose legislation to divert resources from our public schools and will veto any voucher schemes that arrive on his desk.

"I believe all children in Missouri, no matter what town they're from or what their parents do for a living, deserve a first-class education. As a product of Missouri's public schools, I know that a good education is critical to achieving the American dream," Attorney General Nixon said.  "Whether a student plans to attend college or is preparing to enter the work force or military, it's our job to make sure he or she has the tools needed to succeed.  That means strengthening our public schools from the bottom up -- from expanding early childhood education to reinventing the senior year of high school.  I respect the Missouri families who decide that private school is right for them, but public dollars should go towards strengthening our public schools. While Congressman Hulshof has put forward a voucher scheme, as Governor, I will veto any voucher bill that hits my desk.  We must strengthen our public schools, not weaken them by pulling money away."

In his speech, Attorney General Nixon focused largely on his plans to (1) expand early childhood education, (2) reinvent the senior year of high school and to (3) veto any voucher legislation that reaches his desk.

1. Expanding early childhood education: Jay Nixon recognizes the importance of investing in early childhood education programs and of ensuring that parents have the tools to get their children off to a good start in school. He will provide funding incentives to encourage early childhood programs to participate and ensure the highest standards to prepare the next generation of Missouri children to succeed.  Jay will implement a model quality-improvement and rating program for early childhood education that will promote achievement through accountability. 
   
   
2. Reinventing the senior year of high school: Jay Nixon realizes that to prepare tomorrow's workers, a student's senior year in high school has to be about more than prom and graduation parties.  Instead, students should be focused on what comes next.  High schools should be helping them do so.  College-bound students should be able to earn a full semester's worth of college credit during their senior year, potentially cutting their college costs and time by a full 12.5 percent, and preparing for the rigors of college academics.  Students who want to enter the workforce immediately after college should start preparing to do so through valuable co-ops or internships and be eligible to receive credit toward a technical-training program for this experience.  Helping students see beyond their senior year will motivate them to complete their high school diplomas and create more prepared college students and workers.
   
   
3. Strict opposition to vouchers: Jay Nixon strongly opposes private school vouchers under any guise. He does not think public tax dollars should be siphoned off to pay for a private education.  Parents may choose to send their children to private schools, but taxpayers shouldn't be forced to subsidize that choice. Instead, Missouri should strengthen its public schools and make sure every child has access to a quality public education. As Governor, Jay Nixon will veto any proposals that contain vouchers or private school tax credits.

From kindergarten to law school, Attorney General Nixon is a product of Missouri's public schools, as is his wife, Georganne.   Mrs. Nixon's father, Hubert Wheeler, was Missouri's Education Commissioner from 1945 to 1971. Both of Jay and Georganne's sons attend Missouri public schools.

In addition to the three items outlined above, Attorney General Nixon elaborated on the following education plans in his speech today:

Early Childhood Education and Intervention

• Assisting school districts in starting and expanding early childhood education programs.
  
• Implementing a model quality rating program to hold early childhood programs accountable.
  
• Supporting and expanding "Parents as Teachers" in the challenged communities that need additional parental involvement most.

Strengthening K-12 Education

• Fully funding public education, and working with the districts that have been adversely impacted by recent formula changes to see if common-sense adjustments can be made to accommodate funding disparities.
  
• Developing a consistent measure to determine the state's drop-out rate, and then reduce the drop-out rate.
  
• Reinventing the senior year so that college-bound students can earn at least a semester's worth of college credits through AP courses. And students who plan to enter the workforce directly should be allowed to earn credit toward a technical training program.
  
• Strongly opposing vouches schemes, or backdoor vouchers under the guise of tuition tax credits, because public dollars should not be siphoned off to pay for private schools.  As Governor, Nixon will veto any voucher bill that the legislature sends to his desk.

Strengthening Our Challenged School Districts in Urban and Rural Regions

• Providing tax deductions for individuals who make donations to non-profits that are committed to improving public schools, and private-public partnerships to help schools in challenged districts.
  
• Reestablishing local control, because local community support is critical to rebuilding the trust needed to make progress for our kids.
  
• Reducing class sizes.
  
• Using MOHELA to provide financial incentives, such as loan forgiveness or bonus pay, to recruit talented teachers and administrators to challenged school districts.

Supporting our Public School Teachers and Recruiting the Next Generation of Great Teachers

• Increasing teacher recruitment and reinstating MOHELA-based loan-forgiveness programs for teachers.
  
• Working with the State Board of Education to reduce the amount of paperwork created by failed mandates from Washington, such as No Child Left Behind.
  
• Missouri currently ranks 43rd in the nation in teacher salaries. Jay will work to bring teacher salaries closer to the national average.

Creating a Safe Learning Environment

• Reinstating the option of alternative schools to provide individualized attention for students who would otherwise be disrupting the classroom.
  
• Accelerating background checks on school administrators and school staff.
  
• Allowing principals to have access to juvenile criminal history records.