Missouri Farm Bureau
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Kevin Craig - "Liberty Under God"
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| Agricultural
Education |
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| Few courses
of study and related extracurricular activities do as much for
leadership training and personal development as vocational
agriculture. Therefore, we favor and urge continued emphasis on
agricultural education in Missouri. |
Education should not be a federal issue,
and the MoFB rightly calls
for the abolition of the federal Department of Education. But we
must go way beyond this. We must achieve the "separation
of school and state." |
| We support
"10 x 15: The Long-Range Goal for Agricultural Education"
to help create new programs in communities not yet served by
agricultural education and FFA and ensure the quality and high
performance of current programs providing personal, academic and
career education in agriculture. We support an increase in federal
funding to advance the initiative. |
The federal government (most
importantly, the judiciary) has completely altered the character of
American Education, and by so doing has altered the character of the
nation itself, including "the rural culture of America."
When voluntary prayer and Bible reading were taken out of public
schools in the early 1960's, one of the Supreme Court Justices
admitted that this was contrary to the intent of America's Founders:
- Religion was once deemed to be
a function of the public school system. The
Northwest Ordinance, which antedated the First
Amendment, provided in Article III that
- Religion, morality, and
knowledge
being necessary to good government and the happiness
of mankind,
schools and the means of education shall forever
be encouraged.
Engel
v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962) |
The most important function of schools should therefore be the
teaching of religion and morality. And this was in fact their
function for the first 340 years of American history (1620-1960).
Early Education and
Child Care
Higher Education
Education
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| We encourage
students to enter agricultural education with an emphasis on
classroom education. We also support financial aid and incentives
for students and agricultural education graduates that commit to
teaching in the area of agricultural education from rural to urban
areas of Missouri. |
| Currently,
many high school students can not meet college entrance requirements
and take agricultural education classes because college entrance
requirements generally allow very few electives outside the required
English, Math, Science and Social Studies courses. We believe all
public universities in Missouri should accept certain agricultural
education courses to fulfill entrance requirements such as allowing
three units of vocational agriculture to meet the requirement for
two units of science. |
| We believe
there is a need for advanced training of adult farm employees in
today's farming operations. We support the institution of
certificate programs through the University of Missouri, University
Extension, state colleges, community colleges and area vocational
schools that would meet the educational needs and provide the
technical training of farm employees. |
| We support
continued full funding by the state for adult agricultural
education. |
| We believe
that all state-funded educational institutions in Missouri should be
encouraged to offer an introductory agriculture course as a
component of general education requirements. |
| We support
the ALOT (Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow) program. |
| We believe
agriculture education programs offered in secondary educational
institutions should be twelve-month programs. All teachers within
these programs should be employed to teach on a twelve-month
contract. |
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| Universities
producing agriculture graduates aspiring to become teachers should
be provided a solid foundation knowledge and understanding of the
culture of rural America and production agriculture. |
The essential difference between
"the culture of rural America" and the culture of urban
America is "religion and morality." |
| Agriculture
in the Classroom |
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| We commend
the Agriculture in the Classroom program, which has developed
educational materials, including online programs, on agriculture for
use in the school systems and would encourage their acceptance in
the curricula of all schools. |
Parents who want their children to be
taught Agriculture should be allowed to choose schools that do so at
a competitive price. They would have this option if education was a
function of the Free Market, like shopping for groceries. |
| We
favor increasing the annual federal appropriations for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's "Agriculture in the Classroom"
program . |
This is in conflict with the MoFB's call
for the abolition of the
Federal Department of Education |
| Career and
Technical Education |
|
| We support
career and technical education and believe student organizations
such as FFA and FCCLA should remain an “intra-curricular”
element of programs. We oppose proposed changes that would undermine
the importance of student organizations as an integral part of
career and technical education. |
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| Credit
Transferability |
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| We support
the development of a standardized system for the equal transfer of
credits such as math, science, English, etc., within all accredited
universities, colleges and community colleges in Missouri. |
Most of what follows should not be
federal issues. |
| Driver
Education |
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| We believe
driver education should be made available to all Missouri high
school students. |
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| Economic
Education |
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| We favor
basic instruction in economic principles for teachers and students
in our public schools. |
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| Federal
Department of Education |
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| We
believe that decisions affecting education, including the
distribution of tax revenue, should be made at the state and local
level. Therefore, we support the dissolution of the Federal
Department of Education. |
When our current Congressman was elected
in 1996, the
Republican Party National Platform made the following promise:
As a first step in
reforming government, we support elimination of the Departments of
Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Education,
and Energy, and the elimination, defunding or privatization of
agencies which are obsolete, redundant, of limited value, or too
regional in focus. Examples of agencies we seek to defund or to
privatize are the National Endowment for the Arts, the National
Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting, and the Legal Services Corporation.
Republicans
had control of Congress from 1995 to 2006, and the White House from
2000-2008 -- all three branches from 2000-2006 -- yet the Department
of Education has not only not been abolished, but its budget is now
nearly triple what it was under Bill Clinton.
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| Foreign
Students |
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| We believe
Missouri students should be given priority for financial assistance
and admission over foreign students into tax supported institutions
of higher education. |
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| Higher
Education |
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| We believe
that fiscal efficiency is of the utmost importance at all Missouri
institutions of higher education. |
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| We believe
that financial aid packages should keep pace with annual increases
in both tuition and associated fees. |
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| We do not
believe any academic institution should compete with agricultural
producers for farmland unless: |
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| 1. it can be
proven that land already owned by the institution is not suitable; |
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| 2. efforts
were made to contract for the production with local farmers, and; |
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| 3. the
institution conducts public outreach to explain the reasons for its
actions. |
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| We believe a
greater emphasis should be placed on education in International
Marketing. |
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| We support
additional funding for research to develop new uses and markets for
Missouri agricultural products. |
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| We believe
persons desiring to bequeath land to an institution of higher
education should do so without stipulation to allow for the best use
of the resource. |
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| We do not
believe admission standards should include a foreign language
requirement. Certain vocational agriculture and human environmental
science courses should qualify as science units. |
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| We do not
believe that academic standards should be too reliant upon test
scores and class rank. Non-academic factors such as willingness to
work hard and strong leadership skills are often a better predicator
of success. |
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| We believe
the governing body of each institution of higher education in
Missouri should include an active agricultural producer. |
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| We believe a
greater emphasis should be placed on professors teaching rather than
non-teaching activities. |
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| We believe
that credits earned within a school or university should be
acceptable in every academic program at the school or university. |
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| We support
line item budgeting to provide administrators with greater control
of their finances. |
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| We believe a
strong system of public higher education is essential to our state
in order to provide Missouri residents affordable and meaningful
post high school educational opportunities. |
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| Higher
Standards of Education |
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| In keeping
with the principles of Farm Bureau philosophy, we support a strong
academic education for all Missouri students. We
strongly support the right and role of parental responsibility for
their children's attendance and performance in public schools.
We would also encourage increased parental accountability and
involvement in their children's evaluation, assessment and
curriculum through local boards of education. |
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| We recognize
that students should be expected to obtain proficiency in the basics
of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and history. To this end,
adequate public hearings and legislative approval should be required
before offering the academic standards and statewide assessment
system to the local school board for approval or rejection. |
When religion and morality are not taught
in schools, as America's Founding Fathers intended, each student is
in effect taught that he is his own god. He doesn't need to submit
to the authority of the teacher, because he is his own authority.
Without religion and morality, America's Founders believed, students
become unteachable. |
| We oppose
changes in Missouri high school graduation credit requirements that
restrict course options for students such as agriculture education
and other electives. |
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| We do not
believe it to be in the best interest of Missouri educators or
Missouri students to implement an exit exam for high school
graduation. We will not support any standards or assessment system
to be used for punitive actions against local school districts, such
as withholding of state school funds, consolidation of schools, or
the removal of local school boards. |
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| We oppose
Transformational Outcome Based Education as found in the 1993
Outstanding Schools Act. |
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| We
stand opposed to both its philosophy and implementation in
Missouri's schools, both secondary and higher educational
institutions. |
Parents should have the same choice in
education as they have in computers, cars, and groceries. The Free
Market would provide better education at a lower price. |
| We call upon
Missouri legislators to repeal the reform portion of the Outstanding
Schools Act. |
Most of the remaining issues are local
rather than federal.
KC's next: Moral
Issues |
| Be it further
resolved that we favor an educational system that is driven by
academic standards that can be objectively tested. We further
believe that the education of our children can best be managed on a
local level. |
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| We believe
that A+ funds should be available for students who meet the
requirements and that students be allowed to use the amount of money
they receive at any community college or four-year institution. |
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| We oppose
reauthorization of the “No Child Left Behind” Act. |
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| Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act |
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| We support
provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to
allow students with disabilities to be disciplined in the same way
other students are disciplined provided that the student's behavior
is not related to his or her disability. |
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| Language |
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| We favor
English as the compulsory language in all schools. Bilingual
education shall be limited to a transitional role. |
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| Length of
School Year |
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| In order to
be competitive in an increasingly complex world, we favor improving
the quality of education within the time frame of the existing
school year. |
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| We oppose
extending the minimum school year beyond the current 174 days . |
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| Parents As
Teachers |
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| We favor full
funding by the state for the Parents as Teachers program. |
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| Pupil-Teacher
Ratio |
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| We favor the
State Department of Education encouraging local school boards to
lower their pupil-teacher ratio in the elementary grades by working
to increase funding in the school foundation program. We believe
each school district should have the authority to establish its own
ratio. |
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| School
Boards |
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| We favor
local control in the form of elected school boards for the
management of school districts. |
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| We believe
that convicted sex offenders should not serve on local school
boards. |
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| School
Employees |
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| We are
opposed to strikes by school employees. |
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| We favor
legislation that would penalize teachers or other school employees
who deliberately violate the law by striking after they have signed
their contracts. |
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| We believe
all certified staff, including vocational agriculture education
instructors, enrolled in the Public School Retirement System should
remain exempt from Social Security. |
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| School
Finance |
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| We support
the concept of a minimum tax levy base in order for local school
districts to receive state funds. We oppose any increase in the
current minimum tax levy. We believe any school foundation formula
should achieve an equitable distribution of funds for rural school
districts. We strongly support full funding of the foundation
formula for education. |
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| We continue
to believe decision-making should remain at the local level as much
as possible, that local school districts should be allowed more
creative school financing authority, that state management and local
administration expenses be kept to a minimum, and that teacher
salaries and educational materials receive high priority as
increased funding is made available. |
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| Due to the
financial cuts to schools, we believe that two rural school
districts in the same county with 300 students or less be allowed to
share a superintendent of schools. |
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| We believe
that student participation in a bonafide 4-H or FFA activity should
be an excused absence and the school should not be penalized in the
school funding formula as a result of their absence. |
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| We are
concerned that local governing bodies, particularly school boards,
refuse to roll back tax levies to comply with the state
constitution. |
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| We believe
that the state constitution has precedence over statutory laws and
that failure to comply with the constitution should be grounds for
removal from office. |
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| We believe
that state funds should be made available to rural school districts
for the construction of school buildings through such programs as
matching grants or low or no interest loans. |
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| We oppose tax
funded child care facilities in our public schools. |
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| We believe
the percentage of funding for programs within the Missouri
Department of Education should not be cut after a program is started
. |
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| Student
Loans |
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| We favor the
continuation of student loan and work programs. We believe, however,
there should be uniform enforcement of penalties for not repaying
the loans. |
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| Student
Records |
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| We believe
that when a student moves to a new school, all records, including
academic and discipline records, should be required to be
transferred to the new school. Furthermore, we believe any current
expulsions or suspensions should be honored by the receiving school.
However, records should not be released until all unpaid fees are
resolved. |
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| Summer
School |
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| We believe
summer school is a suitable alternative to retaining students who
are not ready to advance to the next grade level as long as they
master skills at the same level as students progressing to the same
grade level. |
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| We believe
summer school in Missouri public schools should be revised to put an
emphasis on the curriculum offered during the regular school year. |
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| Teacher
Tenure |
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| We recommend
that teacher tenure be re-examined at all levels and that some
better means be devised to remove incompetent instructors without
regard to their tenure. |
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| Testing
and Accountability |
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| We commend
the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for
implementation of the new testing and certification programs for new
teachers. We favor having present holders of lifetime teaching
certificates recertified every few years to be able to continue
teaching. |
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| We favor
establishing a basic knowledge test for teachers along the lines of
the tests administered to eighth grade students except on a much
higher level. We believe that establishing such a program would
improve the performance of teachers, create a more favorable public
opinion of our teachers and result in a better environment in our
schools. |
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| We believe
that college teachers, who are training teachers, should be required
to take a sabbatical leave every five years and go teach that
subject in a public school. |
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| New college
teachers who are training teachers need to have previous teaching
experience in public schools. |
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| University
of Missouri |
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| Missouri Farm
Bureau has a long history of supporting the University of Missouri,
particularly the teaching, research and Extension efforts in the
College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (CAFNR). We
believe strongly that a land-grant university is a public university
dedicated to meeting the educational and research needs of the state
with a strong emphasis on agriculture. We encourage University of
Missouri administrators to follow carefully the basic principles of
a land-grant university by providing ready access to students from
the public sector, ongoing funding of programs with public funds and
the continuation of a strong agricultural research and Extension
effort. |
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| We believe
CAFNR should emphasize the importance and mechanics of modern
production agriculture to all students in the college, especially
those who intend to pursue careers in the regulatory environment. |
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| We believe
that funding above base levels for Agricultural Experiment Stations
should be used at the discretion of their respective advisory
boards. |
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| We support
the Life Science Center and believe agriculture should be a key
component of the Center's mission and research programs. We support
increased university, state and federal funding for the Food and
Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI). |
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| We believe
Agricultural Research Stations play an important role in
agricultural research. We support additional funding for competitive
research grants, infrastructure and support staff. |
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| We support
funding the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station (MoAES) Fund
earmarked for agriculture research stations at $6 million annually. |
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