Missouri Senators Considers Way for St. Louis Students to Attend Accredited Schools

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12/ 1/2010: Radio Story - A bill for the Missouri Board of Education to establish criteria whether to accept or reject non-resident students from unaccredited districts was filed by Senator David Pearce Wednesday morning.

2/23/2011: Newspaper Story - A House committee heard testimony about charter school expansion

Intro:	A Missouri Senate Committee addressed the issue of suburban schools turning away transfer students from the St. Louis inner city.
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Wrap: Missouri Senators were urged to allow the expansion of charter schools outside of St. Louis.

The bill's supporters say it's necessary because although there's a Supreme Court decision saying county schools have to accept city transfers, they're not taking them.

St. Louis County Republican Senator Jane Cunningham says St. Louis city students are at a major disadvantage.

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Description: "When you go to college they look at what kind of school you came from and what kind of district you came from. Your future employers to the same thing. And we are handicapping those kids right now. One major answer to that is they get an accredited education."

Opponents to Cunningham's bill say the state should not expand charter schools because they say are not effective to begin with.

From the state Capitol, I'm Elizabeth Hagedorn.

Intro:	A represenative from a teacher's union told a Missouri Senate Committee increasing the number of charter schools was a poor of taxpayer money.
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Wrap: St. Louis County Republican Senator Jane Cunningham's bill would allow for the expansion of charter schools outside St. Louis.

She says more charter schools would give St. Louis city students more schooling options.

But Bryon Clemons of the American Federation of Teachers says adding schools isn't a good use of taxpayer money.

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Description: "Expanding charter schools and expanding who can authorize and sponsor charter schools without responsibility for checks and balances. These are taxpayer dollars we are talking about."

Other opponents of the bill say the state should not add charter schools because they are not effective to begin with.

From the state Capitol, I'm Elizabeth Hagedorn.

Intro:	Charter schools were offered to a Senate Committee as an alternative to unaccredited St. Louis city schools.
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Wrap:

Zero.

That's the number of St. Louis transfer students Republican Senator Jane Cunningham says St. Louis county schools have accepted.

The Senate General Laws Committee heard but didn't vote on Cunningham's bill to expand the number of charter schools outside St. Louis city.

Cunningham says this would help St. Louis public school students trapped in a failing system.

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Description: We've been working on this seventeen years. And if we think this is going to turn around in the next few months or the next year, you're dreaming.

She says more charter schools would give St. Louis city students somewhere to go.

Opponents say the bill doesn't provide proper oversight for the charter schools.

From the state Capitol, I'm Elizabeth Hagedorn.