Small senate meeting looks at education budget cuts and reform
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Small senate meeting looks at education budget cuts and reform

Date: March 23, 2010
By: Allie Spillyards
State Capitol Bureau

Intro:  A small group discussion during an unprecedented Senate work day discussed how to reform education while cutting the budget.
RunTime:  0:41
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education urged Missouri Senators to consider consolidation of low attendance schools, especially in rural areas.

Senator David Pearce said consolidation should not necessarily mean school closings.

Actuality:  PEARCE1.WAV
Run Time:  00:08
Description: "Maybe there are some ways that we can share administration, share transportation, share extra-curricular activities."
 
The four Senators in the "Rebooting Government" meeting presented suggestions to examine department mergers, early childhood special education programs, higher education funding, and expansion of virtual schools to the Senate at the end of their work day.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Allie Spillyards.

Intro:  Missourians had their chance to voice concern on the public education system during "Reboot Missouri."
RunTime:  0:43
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The four Missouri Senators' meeting to talk about education was one of eight held in the Capitol Tuesday.

They sifted through over One-Hundred e-mails considering suggestions from consolidating small schools to expanding virtual schools.

Governor Nixon's Policy Director Jeff Harris spoke in support of merging the primary and secondary, and higher education departments.

Actuality:  HARRIS1.WAV
Run Time:  00:11
Description: "If you had a single department, perhaps you could have a better alignment and improve even more the alignment of those standards with what it takes to be college and career ready."
 
The bipartisan group of Senators presented a summary of the discussion and their suggestions to the Senate at the end of the work day.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Allie Spillyards.