Despite no organized opposition, teachers aren’t holding their fire in campaign against Amendment 3.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – There is no longer an organized campaign in support of a measure that would change Missouri’s constitution to ban teacher tenure and institute performance-based teacher evaluations, but that is not stopping a PAC aligned with the state’s educators from urging people to vote ‘no.’

On Monday, Protect Our Local Schools – the PAC leading the fight against Amendment 3 – launched a statewide ad campaign featuring Rachel Neckermann, a teacher from the Fort Zumwalt School District in suburban St. Louis.

“Amendment 3 is a one size fits all approach that takes local control away from teachers and parents. Teachers will be forced to teach to the tests, and are prevented from treating children like individuals,” she says, while a young student appears to be shaking her head on screen. “We need to keep highly trained teachers in the classroom and ensure that students are learning the material and not just becoming good test takers.”

According to a source with knowledge of the ad buy, the group is spending some $850,000 to run the spot in all of Missouri’s media markets.

Anne Marie Moy, a former spokesperson for Teach Great – the group bankrolled by St. Louis billionaire Rex Sinquefield that pushed Amendment 3 to the ballot – said Monday the group was not lying when it said it was standing down.

“There has been no change in plans,” she said in an email. “Teach Great is no longer operational so there is really no one who can speak to this.”