On Tuesday night, Governor Eric Greitens gave his first State of the State Address and talked about some important issues in education policy. During his speech, he declared his goal of improving our “education system that ranks near last in every measure that matters.”
To accomplish this, he expressed specific support for two policies on which Show-Me Institute writers have researched and published on extensively: course access and education savings accounts. These two policies have the potential to help thousands of students in Missouri.
Touching on course access, Gov. Greitens described a serious need of the high school students in our state:
Over half of Missouri school districts do not offer a single Advanced Placement class. Over 200 of our 520 school districts did not have a single student in physics. Over 100 did not have a single student enrolled in chemistry.
We need to expand course access programs, so that every child in Missouri can use technology to get the education they need.
We appreciate the Governor recognizing this problem and committing to expanding course access programs. Here are more resources for those interested in learning more about course access and its relation to rural school performance:
- 2017 Blueprint: Moving Missouri Forward with Course Access
- Course Access in Missouri: Diversity, Personalization, and Opportunity
- Rural School Reform
- Rural Schools Need Course Access
- Teacher Shortage Data from DESE Makes Great Case for Course Access Program
Regarding education savings accounts (ESAs), Governor Greitens stated:
We also need to make sure that every child in Missouri, especially those kids with special needs, get a fair shot at the American Dream. I will work with you to implement education savings accounts for children with special needs.
Again, we completely agree with the Governor that ESAs would help Missouri students, especially students with disabilities. Here is some of our work on ESAs:
- 2017 Blueprint: Moving Missouri Forward with ESAs
- ESAs Can Help Missouri Students with Dyslexia
- Malachi’s School Choice Story
- ESAs Found Constitutional in Nevada
- Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Would be a Boon to Missourians
It is encouraging to see that the Governor is an ally of school choice, and we look forward to seeing what he and the Missouri State Legislature accomplish.
