Lee's Summit R-7 School District

Disability Advocates Sharply Critical Of Plan To Ease Testing - Disability Scoop Dr. McGehee and our school board would probably like this.  They blamed these kids for bringing their numbers down. However, their scores fell far short of the "Adequate Yearly Progress" goals set by the No Child Left Behind Act. (The same was true for students for whom English was a second language.) As a result, the entire district was given a failing grade. District Superintendent David McGehee made sure that parents knew which students were at fault. "The scores of students in these two subgroups are the sole reason our district was designated in this category,"  he wrote in an August 17, 2007, letter to district parents . As Congress looks to reauthorize the nation’s primary education law, advocates are blasting proposed changes they say would lead to lower expectations for students with disabilities. At a U.S. Senate hearing this week, lawmakers began the process o...

Extending a debt levy helps school districts issue bonds without tax increase, but it's a strategy derided by some (with poll) | MLive.com "Welcome to the never-ending school bond tax," an commenter on MLive.com wrote in response to a story about Gull Lake's plan for a bond vote. "School districts across the state are using this gimmick. First, they get a bond millage passed. Then, when the tax is scheduled to end, the school board puts another tax on the ballot, and says, 'Don't worry, your taxes aren't going up — they're just going to stay the same.' " "Hogwash," the commenter wrote. "It's a tax hike. Consider this scenario: You make the last payment on your mortgage, paying it off. Then the bank sends you a letter next month, saying it will continue to deduct your mortgage payment from your bank account, but don't worry, it's the same amount that you've been paying all along, so be happy!"

Be aware when voting on bond issues: That tax rate shown on the ballot isn't guaranteed at all | cleveland.com

Even with new board members we have the same old thing.  They are still all involved in different groups together.  Oh what a tangled web we weave. Three file for two seats on  LS R-7 Board of Education Three candidates have filed for two positions on the Lee's Summit R-7 School District Board of Education. Filing closed for R-7 Board of Education candidates on Jan. 20.             Candidates (listed in filing order) are Julie Doane, Adam Rutherford and William Lindsey. Current Board of Education members Ron Baker and Patti Buie did not file as candidates. Mrs. Buie has served on the Board of Education since 2000. Mr. Baker, who currently serves as the Board’s president, was elected in 2009. The Board of Education election will be held  April 7. William Lindsey For more information about the R-7 Board of Education, visit our  website . Board of Education members are elected to three-year terms during a...

Doe ex rel. Subia v. Kansas City, Missouri Sch. Dist.: Missouri Expands the Scope of Sexual Harassment Claims under the MHRA - Richard D. Worth Labor and Employment Law Blog on Lawyers.com Doe ex rel. Subia v. Kansas City, Missouri Sch. Dist.: Missouri Expands the Scope of Sexual Harassment Claims under the MHRA Thursday, April 19, 2012 by  Richard D. Worth Until a recent decision by the Missouri Court of Appeals, no Missouri case had addressed whether the Missouri Human Rights Act (“MHRA”) covers a claim against a public school district for sex discrimination based upon student-on-student sexual harassment.  The decision in  Doe ex rel. Subia v. Kansas City, Missouri Sch. Dist.  made clear that such a claim falls directly within the purview of the MHRA, Section 213.065. John Doe was a student at Swinney Elementary School, which is part of the Kansas City, Missouri School District (“School District”).  In October 2010, Doe filed a Petition against the School D...

Missouri Labor | Labor Link In the spirit of Dr. King’s commitment to equality, state human rights agencies, such as the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR), were created. Established in 1958, the MCHR’s goal is to foster mutual understanding and eliminate discrimination through education and outreach and the enforcement of the Missouri Human Rights Act. The MCHR investigates complaints of discrimination in housing, employment, and places of public accommodations because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, age (in employment only), and familial status (in housing only). If you believe you have been discriminated against due one of these protected categories, contact the MCHR at (877) 781-4236 or take this  assessment  to determine if the MHRA applies to your situation. The MLK Day of Service is “ A Day On, Not a Day Off ” and is the perfect time for Americans to actively work toward solutions to social problems and move our nation clo...

Analysis: Superintendent pay increasing faster than teacher pay - Joplin Globe: Local News In July 2015, Dr. David McGehee will earn $306,735 (salary this year $282,831, next year $294,463).  He will be overseeing about 17,500 or so students.  That is about .031% of the students Dr. Deasy oversees.  He can also buy back 15 unused vacation days at his daily compensation at perhaps as high as (guesstimate $282,831 divided by 231 days worked)  $1,221 per day. Teachers in Lee's Summit R-7 Schools earn annual salaries based on years on the job as well as educational achievement. The salary schedule accounts for graduate degrees by providing higher starting salaries and greater potential salaries. The following table details the salary schedule for the 2013-2014 school year: [6] Salary structure Degree level Minimum salary ($) Maximum salary ($) B.A. 35,500 50,660 B.A. + 15 37,000 52,800 MA 38,500 70,137 MA + 15 40,000 72,870 MA + 30 41,500 75,602 MA + 45 43,00...

In Practice, IDEA Remedies May Not Be Available To All - Disability Scoop Family income appears to be a major factor influencing whether parents will seek mediation or due process in special education disputes with their child’s school district. A nationwide survey of over 500 parents with children on the autism spectrum finds that families earning more than $100,000 a year are significantly more likely to pursue litigation compared to those with incomes that are half that level. The findings  published  recently in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders may point to fundamental inequities in the special education process, researchers said. “That’s a huge problem, to see that parents who come from low-income backgrounds have less access to these safeguards,” said Meghan Burke of the University of Illinois who conducted the research. “Due process and mediation are definitely last resorts for parents and schools to resolve their differences, but you want it to be an...

Lawmaker tries, again, to outlaw spanking in public schools A lawmaker who wants to outlaw corporal punishment in Missouri public schools isn't giving up. Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, has once again filed legislation that would put an end to spanking or paddling as a way of disciplining public school students. It would also require districts to adopt updated discipline policies that adhere to the change. "Times are changing and, as a state, we need to change with them. Thirty, forty years ago, corporal punishment was culturally accepted. Many viewed it as a deterrent," said Keaveny, in a news release. "But, modern studies, and first-person accounts from administrators and teachers alike, have debunked that belief. It's not an effective form of discipline." Missouri is one of 19 states that still allows corporal punishment, according to the U.S. Department of Education, but there is no indication that its use in discipline is widespread. Springfield, a...

PRESS RELEASE: Sen. Keaveny Files Legislation to End Corporal Punishment in Missouri Public Schools - The Missouri Times JEFFERSON CITY—This week, Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, filed  Senate Bill 241 , which would prohibit the use of corporal punishment in all public Missouri schools. If signed into law, the legislation would end the use of spanking or paddling by educators as a form of punishment. Currently, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requires each school district’s written discipline policy to include a portion dedicated to corporal punishment. The local school board is responsible for determining if and how it will be used, and whether a parent will be notified or can opt for an alternate type of discipline. Senator Keaveny noted that corporal punishment is a fairly archaic form of discipline that most states have already done away with. Missouri is one of only 19 that still allow it; of those, Missouri ranked ninth on a list of states wh...