October | November - Missouri Optometric Association

October | November 2008
MSBA, MASA, and the
Children’s Vision Law
by Mark Curtis, O.D.
This past spring, I was elected to
our local school board. It has been
challenging, rewarding and eyeopening.
It has also offered me a
unique perspective about the new
Children’s Vision Law.
As a father of twin 5-year olds, I
can vouch that our kindergartners
are learning to read and write much
quicker than what you and I did at
that age. Also as an optometrist, I
understand the visual demand that
these young children face on a daily
basis. Now, as a school board member,
I see the connection between healthy
vision and standardized tests scores.
These scores ultimately determine the success, or failure, of a school district.
The Missouri School Board Association (MSBA) and the Missouri Association of
School Administrators (MASA) held their annual convention at Tan-Tar-a on the
weekend of October 23-26th. I did a presentation about the Children’s Vision Law
there. I was very lucky to have Dr. J.D. Roberts in the crowd. He is an optometrist
who serves on the school board in Monett, MO. His input into the presentation
was invaluable. The presentation covered basic vision disorders, history of the
law, details about the law (including the sunset provision, “opt out” option and
no penalties) and the difference between a screening and an eye examination.
I also covered the role of the Children’s Vision Commission. We answered many
questions, primarily about tracking results from the exams. I re-assured everyone
that the commission was working very hard to streamline the reporting process.
I also had the opportunity to discuss the law with several school districts in some
informal meetings. From these discussions, it became very clear that the range
of understanding about the law across Missouri is vast. Some schools have fully
implemented it and are already seeing the fruits of their labor. Other school
districts have gone as far as only giving out “opt out” letters to parents. The
majority of schools are somewhere in the middle. They know about the law, they
think it’s a good idea, but they don’t know how to implement it.
See, CVLaw, page 23
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