Mo. bill would allow St. Louis teachers to be fired for "incompetency"

Intro:	St. Louis school teachers could be fire for incompetency under a measure bill filed in the Missouri Senate.
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Wrap: The bill adds incompetency to the list of reasons teachers in St. Louis can be fired. All of the state's other public school districts can already fire teachers based on incompetency.

St. Louis Schools director of performance management Jeff Spiegel says the measure would level the playing field for the district.

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Description: "It's a huge difference. And I ask myself why is the playing field different. Why is it not level?"

The bill would also allow St. Louis schools to fire teachers for incompetency or inefficiency 30 days after the teacher has been notified instead of the current time frame of one semester.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Matt Evans. Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro:	A bill heard by the Senate Education Committee Wednesday would allow the St. Louis school district to fire teachers for incompetency.
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Wrap: Other school districts across the state can already fire teachers based on incompetency. St. Louis Democratic Senator Jamilah Nasheed says the measure doesn't have anything to do with teacher tenure.

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Description: "This is not an attack on tenure. This is an attack on bad teachers."

The bill would also allow St. Louis to fire teachers based on incompetency or inefficiency 30 days after warned.

The Senate Education Committee could vote on the bill as early as next week.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Matt Evans. Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro:	Teachers in the St. Louis school district could be fired based on incompetency under a measure filed in the Missouri Senate.
RunTime:	0:41
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: Teachers across the state can already be fired for incompetency, but St. Louis schools are under a different law. The measure would also allow the district to fire teachers for incompetency of inefficiency 30 days after being warned.

St. Louis Senator Jamilah Nasheed says that will help the district move forward.

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Description: "We shouldn't have to wait a full semester to get rid of a bad teacher."

But the American Federation of Teachers local 420 union in St. Louis says the district should work with the teachers before letting them go.

The Senate Education Committee could vote on the bill as early as next week.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Matt Evans. Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro:	The Missouri Senate Education Committee heard a bill Tuesday that would allow the St. Louis school district to fire teachers for incompetency.
RunTime:	0:36
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: Under St. Louis Senator Jamilah Nasheed's bill, the St. Louis school district would be allowed to fire teachers for incompetency 30 days after being warned.

Ray Cummings with the American Federation of Teachers local 420 in St. Louis says his union doesn't support the legislation because he says it takes time to develop good teachers.

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Description: "We need to support the teachers that we have and help them get better. If they can't get better then we need to release them."

The Senate Education committee could vote in the bill as early as next week.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Matt Evans. Newsradio 1120 KMOX.