Top Issues
- Affinity Groups Nipher Middle School promotes race-based “Affinity Club” and “Safe Spaces” club
- Gender Ideology Emails reveal school district sought out advice from St. Louis Children’s Hospital transgender center regarding multiple fifth graders transitioning at the same time
- Surveys and Privacy Students given highly invasive survey on "adverse childhood experiences" in summer school classes
State Board of Education
Who's on your state board of education?
The Board consists of eight governor-appointed members, including one non-voting teacher, all of whom are confirmed by the Missouri state senate.
When's the next election/appointment?
All eight members are appointed by the governor.
When's the next curriculum update?
In Missouri, local districts and schools make their own decisions about curriculum, instructional strategies, materials, and textbooks. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education sets the Missouri Learning Standards, which ensure students learn basic skills, including problem-solving and critical thinking.
The Missouri
Department of Education
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is the administrative arm of the Missouri State Board of Education that works with school officials, legislators, government agencies, community leaders, and citizens to maintain a strong public education system. Through its statewide school-improvement initiatives and its regulatory functions, the department strives to ensure all citizens have access to high-quality public education. In addition to the commissioner of education, the department organization reflects functions under two divisions; Financial and Administrative Services and Learning Services. (from Wikipedia)
How did your district perform during the 2022-2023 school year? Check your district’s report card (2023 report cards available December 1, 2023).
The Missouri
Legislature
Find your state legislator here.
Similar to Congress, the Missouri General Assembly is divided into the House of Representatives and Senate. Your Senate Education Committee Members can be found here, and your House Education Committee Members can be found here.
These committees conduct hearings, review, and amend bills proposed by a member of their legislative chamber. They also review bills after they have been passed by the other chamber of legislature. Remember, both chambers must pass a bill before it goes to the governor’s desk for a signature or a veto.
Recent Education Laws
- Senate Bill 39 Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed Senate Bill 39 into law in 2023. This bill separates sports at the K-12 and collegiate level by sex—protecting women and girls from being forced to compete against biological males.
- Senate Bill 775 While lawmakers introduced dozens of education-related bills in Missouri last year, only one crossed the finish line: Senate Bill 775. The nearly 70-page text, signed into law in June 2022, prohibits public employees—including teachers, librarians, other school staffers, and contracted speakers who give presentations to students—from distributing explicit sexual material or pornographic material to minors. This has become an issue in the context of school libraries, where parents across the country have found books that include visual or written descriptions of sex acts.
School Boards
Several school districts in Missouri had school board elections in 2023. You can read more about Missouri’s 2023 school board elections on this Ballotpedia page. Ballotpedia tracks school board races in 475 school districts.