{"id":470,"date":"2023-10-04T15:10:32","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T15:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progressmo.com\/?p=470"},"modified":"2023-10-04T15:10:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T15:10:32","slug":"missouri-falling-behind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/2023\/10\/04\/missouri-falling-behind\/","title":{"rendered":"Missouri Is Falling Behind &#8211; Will the State Act?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/missouri_falling_behind-1024x577.png\" alt=\"Missouri is falling behind text over a fall background of Ha Ha Tonka State Park\" class=\"wp-image-471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/missouri_falling_behind-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/missouri_falling_behind-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/missouri_falling_behind-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/missouri_falling_behind-1536x865.png 1536w, https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/missouri_falling_behind.png 1640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>Ha Ha Tonka State Park<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Missouri is falling behind other states, and the legislature isn\u2019t doing anything about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the year comes to an end, national organizations are putting out reports of the best \u2013 and the worst \u2013 states on particular issues. Unfortunately, these reports don\u2019t give Missouri a lot of bragging rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The state ranked in the bottom 10 on the following issues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Child\u2019s Rights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kfvs12.com\/2023\/09\/20\/missouri-receives-f-grade-meeting-childs-rights-standards-report-finds\/\">Missouri was one of four states this year to receive an F on child\u2019s rights and show no signs of improvement.<\/a> The report, conducted by Human Rights Watch, examined Missouri\u2019s policies on corporal punishment in schools, child marriage, child labor and juvenile prison sentencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Early Childhood Education<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kansascity.com\/news\/state\/missouri\/article277849238.html\">Missouri is the fourth worst state in the country<\/a> on access, quality, resources and economic support for early childhood education. Missouri was also the fourth worst on early childhood education quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Teacher Pay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mnea.org\/TEACHERPAY2023\">The 2021-2022 NEA Rankings and Estimates report put Missouri teachers last in the nation for starting teacher pay.<\/a>&nbsp; And in case teachers are looking forward to salary improvements with tenure, that same <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mnea.org\/TEACHERPAY2023\">report put Missouri teachers at 47th for average teacher pay.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">School Funding \u2013 On Every Level<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/themissouritimes.com\/missouri-ranked-no-49-in-state-k-12-funding-in-2020\/\">Missouri is 49 in the country for state funding of public schools.<\/a> By relying primarily on local sources for public school funding, the Missouri state government is <a href=\"https:\/\/soeonline.american.edu\/blog\/inequality-in-public-school-funding\/\">creating inequality between districts<\/a> in high-income areas and districts in low-income areas. And Missouri ranked <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politifact.com\/factchecks\/2019\/apr\/10\/clif-smart\/missouri-ranks-toward-bottom-higher-education-fund\/\">46 in the country for state investment in higher education<\/a> \u2013 down from 45 in the previous three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Freedom To Learn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stltoday.com\/news\/local\/education\/missouri-no-1-for-school-censorship-measures-report-says\/article_bba04662-4129-11ee-becb-335099610ea2.html\">Missouri took the \u201cNumber One\u201d spot this year for school censorship \u2013 putting it at 50 in the nation for freedom to learn.<\/a> The Missouri Legislature introduced 31 educational intimidation bills this year, after successfully banning more than 300 books during the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Health Care<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news-leader.com\/story\/news\/local\/ozarks\/2019\/06\/12\/missouri-health-care-system-eighth-worst-united-states-study\/1420155001\/\">Missouri\u2019s health care system is the 8th worst in the country<\/a>, based on accessibility, affordability, prevention, treatment, avoidable hospital use and costs and healthy lives. Missouri\u2019s worst indicators \u2013 adults receiving dental care (45) and preventable hospitalizations (40).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Traffic And Infrastructure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Missouri was ranked as the state with the <a href=\"https:\/\/fox4kc.com\/news\/these-are-the-worst-u-s-states-to-drive-in-report-says\/\">worst traffic and infrastructure and number 6 on worst states to drive in<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where are our elected officials?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s clear Missouri is falling behind other states \u2013 so what are our elected officials doing about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While school kids flounder, teachers make pennies and families struggle to stay healthy, Missouri\u2019s radical politicians are focused on all the wrong things: <a href=\"https:\/\/progressmo.com\/missouri-tops-for-censorship\/\">censoring books<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/progressmo.com\/missouri-attacks-trans-kids\/\">attacking vulnerable kids<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/progressmo.com\/missouri-lawyers-andrew-bailey-resign\/\">majority rule<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/progressmo.com\/josh-hawley-thinks-cheaper-prescription-drugs-are-terrible\/\">campaigning against cheaper prescription drugs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our elected officials should work for us and focus on the issues that matter most: fully funded schools, accessible health care and reliable infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Demand change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Share our posts on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ProgressMissouri\/posts\/pfbid0258qWvG91BwHQEx1mK4ddPzQ6UUPTCigFUSeL2opERFW9pkEj8wET24DcJfDkqApcl\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cx-25k6uNa8\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/t\/ZT8MWgbyf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TikTok<\/a> to show your support! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Missouri is falling behind other states, and the legislature isn\u2019t doing anything about it. As the year comes to an end, national organizations are putting out reports of the best \u2013 and the worst \u2013 states on particular issues. Unfortunately, these reports don\u2019t give Missouri a lot of bragging rights. The state ranked in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[14,48,63],"class_list":["post-470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-fall","tag-missouri","tag-rankings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallant-mclaren.18-188-198-158.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}