Teacher evaluation proposal fails resoundingly during election

Amendment 3, a proposal to base teacher evaluations on student performance data and limit future teacher contracts to three years, was overwhelmingly rejected in Tuesday's general election.

With 2,760 of 3,329 precincts reporting, 926,753 people, or nearly 77 percent, voted against the proposal and 277,763, or 23 percent, voted for it.

In Cape Girardeau County, 13,694 people, or 79.70 percent, voted against Amendment 3 and 3,487 people, or 20.30 percent, voted for it.

Scott County voters also defeated the proposal 78 percent to 22 percent.

The proposed Missouri Constitution amendment was opposed by education groups and a variety of other organizations, including a local not-for-profit, No On 3. The proposal's sponsor, Teach Great, stopped campaigning for it in September.

Jackson schools superintendent Ron Anderson said the measure did not belong in the state constitution and voters feel the same way, "so I think that's a good thing."

There was still apprehension from some whether the amendment would pass, but efforts across the state to inform people of what it was about apparently did a good job to prevent that.

Mike Sherman, communications director for Protect Our Local Schools -- a coalition of teachers, parents, principals, superintendents, education retirees and school boards -- said it's not often such a high percentage of voters agree on anything. He said it sounds like voters knew the amendment would have a negative effect on the public school system and rejected it resoundingly.

"I don't think the results could have been more clear," Sherman said.

With 2,760 of 3,329 precincts reporting:

• Amendment 2, which would allow allegations of past criminal acts to be used against those facing sex-related charges involving victims younger than 18, was passing statewide Tuesday night with 857,093 people, or 72 percent, voting for it and 326,596 people, or 27 percent, against.
• Amendment 6, which would create a six-day early voting period for general elections, failed with 836,574 people, or 71 percent, voting against it. Meanwhile, 335,261, or 28.6 percent, voted for it, according to incomplete results from the Secretary of State's office.
• Amendment 10 would allow lawmakers to override a governor's decision to freeze or slow spending on items in the state budget. Incomplete results Tuesday showed it was passing 667,992, or 57.3 percent, to 496,738, or 42.6 percent.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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