YOUR LETTERS: Teachers, education need better funding

While I’m your State Auditor, I’m also now a homeschool teacher for my children.

Raising three boys is hectic, and that was before COVID-19 forced our schools to close. And now, like many of you, my husband Jon and I are taking on new roles at home educating our kids.

This isn’t easy work. And quite frankly, I would not be able to do it without the help of Will, Ben, and Joseph’s teachers.

With that being said, I want to emphasize something that is now even more clear for everyone: Missouri does not value our teachers enough.

Here are three HUGE problems we are facing:

• The minimum salary requirement for teachers in Missouri hasn’t changed since 2005 and many teachers cite low pay as the reason for leaving the field.

• Governor Parson has voted to change the K-12 education funding formula to reduce state support for schools.

• Dozens of Missouri school districts don’t even have enough funding to keep their teachers’ classrooms open more than four days a week during the standard school year.

If we’re going to give our kids the head start they need to succeed, we’ve got to put more money into our classrooms. If you agree, let to governor know. Telephone: (573) 751-3222; email: https://governor.mo.gov/contact-us.

As governor, I will fight for more funding towards education so that teachers can have the pay they deserve and students can have a fair shot at graduation.

NICOLE GALLOWAY
Missouri Auditor
Candidate for Missouri governor