TEACHERS FLAY STATE FUNDING

The message is loud and clear: Teachers are angry.

They are angry about state funding for schools and about court-ordered desegregation costs.

At the annual Southeast District Missouri State Teachers Association meeting Friday, teachers said in interviews with a Southeast Missourian reporter that they plan increased activism on political and legal levels.

"I think teachers are finally disgusted and fed up with the things happening in our state," said Jo Ann Hahs, Oak Ridge teacher and first vice president of the Southeast District.

Doris Ford, Cape Girardeau teacher and MSTA state second vice president, said: "We are tired of taking the blame, of being the whipping boys for all that's wrong with education. Until society decides where its priorities are, we are limited in what we can do in the classroom."

The newly-elected MSTA Southeast District president, Larry McCann, who teaches at Doniphan, said events over the past few years have mobilized teachers.

"Teachers are becoming more and more political and more vocal about what is going on," he said. "The Missouri legislature this session and every session will be held responsible. We are going to scrutinize their voting records."

Teachers are angry with what one educator called the "over-eager egotistical" judicial system and angry with legislators who they say lack initiative on education issues.

Educators pointed to last week's Missouri Supreme Court ruling, which let stand $75 million in state cuts to education, as an example.

Addressing the teachers, Bill Lewis, MSTA state president from Neosho, said, "The Missouri Supreme Court delivered a devastating financial blow to schools, and I feel the Supreme Court certainly made a mistake."

Lewis called for action from state legislators to increase funding and to address federal court-ordered desegregation in Kansas City and St. Louis schools.

"The leaders of our state can no longer hide behind court orders," he said. "Now more than ever we need strong leadership from the legislature."

Lewis said teachers are tired of hearing from legislative leaders that "There's nothing we can do about it" and "It's out of our hands."

"At the very least," he said. "leaders can speak out and protest this outrage.

"They must approach Judge Clark about this issue. How can one man, who claims to represent justice, destroy education across the state while protecting one pet district?" he asked.

U.S. District Judge Russell Clark oversees desegregation efforts in Kansas City. He ordered the state to pay $71 million for construction-related costs in the Kansas City schools, which prompted the governor to divert $35 million from other public schools to Kansas City.

Ford said, "We in outstate are paying the price for something that has not even improved education in Kansas City."

McCann added: "They have not even met the goals of desegregating the schools. Yet Kansas City schools have money to purchase a farm and to send students to fencing camps in Europe.

McCann said: "The Supreme Court said it's okay for the governor to take money out of the state budget to remedy desegregation problems in one school district, and, if all the other school districts suffer, too bad."

Ford said, "We need leadership at the state level and the federal level to deal with this issue and other issues."

It's not just the court ruling that has teachers upset.

McCann said, "I think the greatest disappointment to Missouri educators is the total abdication of leadership by Gov. John Ashcroft.

"He points to high test scores by Missouri students, but he does nothing to make sure teachers have the resources they need."

Lewis said, "It is time our education governor did something for education something before he leaves office."

McCann said: "Our state legislators, within a month, set up a highway bill. Not that it's bad to have a highway bill, but a year earlier the legislators said if education is to get more money, the people will have to vote. Now they say highway funds, we can do that ourselves. Something is totally out of balance.

"The constitution is clear: The state's first obligation is paying its debt; the second obligation is to public schools. All other things come after that."