By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri Senate passed a bill Wednesday night that would create a quick path for professionals to become teachers, despite an attempt to kill the bill by filibuster.
State Senator Joan Bray (D, St. Louis) launched a filibuster of the bill during mid-afternoon, over concerns that it would allow anyone to become a teacher in Missouri without proper education or training.
But a recess was called four hours later, during which an agreement was reached between Bray and the bill's sponsor.
"We ended up with a bill that I can't support, I don't like; I hope it doesn't become law, but it is far better than it was," Bray said.
And that was enough for Bray to end her filibuster. But she and four other Democrats voted "no" during the final Senate vote.
"It's an unfortunate trend across the country, to take the attitude that anyone can teach...anyone CANNOT teach...teaching is a profession, it is a profoundly difficult profession...it deserves much more respect than it gets," Bray said.
The bill would allow business people, engineers, and other such professionals to become teachers, after receiving approval from the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence.
State Senator Luann Ridgeway (R, Smithville) sponsored the legislation. She says it's needed to address Missouri's critical teacher shortage.
"We were able to work together to break down exactly where the differences were, and frankly, once you graft out what few differences we had, there were hardly any differences at all," Ridgeway said.
The bill now goes to the Missouri House.