VIDEO: Board Puts Bourisaw on the Spot
Members of the elected school board dropped a stack of homework on Superintendent Diana Bourisaw’s desk last night.
The Board added to next week’s agenda requests for 20 different reports and information requests from Bourisaw and her staff. But all the other requests really could have been rolled up into the one from former Board President Veronica O’Brien: a letter from Bourisaw saying who she thinks she works for — the elected board that hired her or the newly appointed board that is in charge of the district now?
Requests from the board members present:
From Veronica O’Brien: a letter stating who Bourisaw thinks she works for and a request for what exactly “academic leave” is and is the superintendent paid while she is on it.
From Donna Jones: an update on the RFP for the district’s food service contract, a report on the supplies the district currently has, and the status of a proposed back-to-school fair.
From Kate Wessling: a report on how the administration plans to handle excessive heat in un-airconditioned classrooms.
From Bill Purdy:
- the identities of the 30 employees who were laid off last week, the rationale for doing so, and any plans for new layoffs;
- detailed report on the employee early retirement plan;
- update on repairs to Metro High;
- status on air conditioning projects;
- status on text books and supply orders;
- status of food service contract;
- enrollment projects for next years and the number of empty seats in magnet schools;
- report on previously approved property sales;
- report on teacher staffing;
- review of superintendent’s evaluation for previous year;
- what (if any) plans for “split” classes next year;
- what is the status of the new gifted high school at McKinley;
- and reports from the district employees who traveled to Harvard for a seminar on urban education on what they learned
Bourisaw was not at last night’s meeting. She, along with several district employees and CEO Rick Sullivan, are attending a seminar at Harvard University on urban education. According to a district spokesperson, she is expected to be back in the office on Monday.
(Video shot by Intern Gabe Bullard)
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30 Comments
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 10:03 am
What is best for slps, especially the students?
Bourisaw’s greatest accomplishment has been some semblance of stability.This has been more or less accomplished in the face of incredible pressure from a narrowly divided board, a nervous faculty, a student population of widely divergant abilities and needs, a bitter, vindictive asshole of a mayor, an opportunistic republican governor and a state board politicized beyond anything missouri has ever seen.
The press has been spotty and inconsistent, both in reporting fully and accurately, and, in the case of the PD, staying close to the principles it claims to stand for.
The judge of Cole County seems reluctant to just do his damned job, and clear things up so life can go on.
Sullivan has a hard decision to make—-does he try to hang on to a reasonably effective superintendent, who, like himself, does not suffer fools gladly—or does he add to the instability and find someone more in line with the agenda of those elected officials—an agenda about which the slps voters seem to have serious doubts—who appointed him.
kjoe
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 10:04 am
The super should say she only now answers to the SAB.
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 10:18 am
The Superintendent works for the District, and like it or not, legally the District is now run by the SAB. For the elected Board to claim that her contract is with them and not with the District is the sort of weasly hair-splitting I had once hoped the newly-elected Board would be above.
Let Bourisaw do her job and serve whoever is currently the legal authority in the District. Now it’s the SAB, maybe tomorrow it will be the elected Board again. In either case, it’s not her job to pick sides.
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 2:55 pm
kojoe from all your past postings it is clear you are pro Bourisaw and maybe even a friend. it is also clear you know nothing about the issues.
Bourisaw stable and effective because you played the union like Kent King told her to do and now she has dumped them. Unions use to be smart.
Sullivan keeping her says the elected board was right so maybe Sullivan and Slay should go away and give the district back to Peter.
Kojoe you are the reason why people get bad information.
Your questions even show you know nothing but just want to talk.
You call the mayor an asshole. Do you want bourisaw to make him mad?
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 3:02 pm
Who signs her paycheck? That generally tells you who you work for. I believe that would mean the SAB.
Maybe, just maybe, the old board is heaping more work on her to claim she isn’t doing her job and will try to fire her. I hope not, but I wouldn’t rule it out.
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 3:11 pm
someone said it is not Bourisaw’s job to pick sides. where have you been. this is the lady that picked sides and told the elected board she was with them. she even testified for them in court. she has always picked sides the sides where they pay and agree with her.
the reality of it all is the district will not be stable until she is gone. there is going to be a lot of fighting if she stays. at some point black people are going to get mad at how quick white people fired Creg and are saving a superintendent that failed everywhere she went. No one in the country would hire her but St. Louis.
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 3:37 pm
Oh that ole race card keeps comin up all the time, Lord. The light blacks hate the dark blacks. The dark blacks hate the light blacks. The browns fight for a place between both shades and most of these shades hate the whites. In the meantime the Asians, Hispanics, Africans, and Eastern Europeans come in and take advantage of the ignorant who continue to fight yesterday’s battles.
Get an Asian superintendent, because Asians know how to study, learn, and achieve. The gap isn’t between blacks and whites, the gap is between Asians and the rest of the dufuses who continue to mire themselves in dome other people’s old wounds!
What ignorance gets posted here. No wonder St. Louis has become the cow town it is. It will never be a city to reckon with under these circumstances, and Martin Luther King, Jr. can just turn over and over in his grave because some blacks haven’t learned to judge content of character rather than skin color.
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 3:54 pm
White people run St. Louis and that is final.
White people move in an area and get better police protection.
White people move in the neighborhood and propert values go up.
White people become the Mayor and all of a sudden the City of St. Louis is a better place.
White people commit a crime and murder their three children from St. Louis, but the black man that murders a pregnant white woman is plastered all over CNN news.
White people celebrate with alcohol and get drunk downtown, at Mardi Gras, Straussenfest, and any other venue, act a complete fool and don’t go to jail.
White people treat black people like cheap slaves in St. Louis and pay off black politicians, black organizations and black clergy.
White people run this MF and black people are not going to do anything about it, except march, cry, meet, beg, cut a deal, plan and plan, talk about affirmative action, quit, run, hide, make a speech, eat some chicken, eat some watermelon, buy some weave, sag their pants, go to church, buy another expensive car, buy some clothes, curse, play the music loud, be loud on the Metrolink, be loud at the Movie Theatre, be loud at the shopping mall, be loud on the street, and show back up to work tomorrow complaining about the white people.
WHITE PEOPLE RUN ST. LOUIS AND THAT’S THAT!
DIANA BOURISAW IS WHITE AND ALL YOU BLACK PEOPLE WENT TO JEFFERSON CITY SINGING HER PRAISES AND ATTACKING VERONICA O’BRIEN WHEN SHE SAID THAT DIANA BOURISAW WAS NOT WHO SHE THOUGHT, AND NOW THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WERE AGAINST VERONICA O’BRIEN ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT DIANA BOURISAW.
THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK IN TRUE FORM!
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 4:25 pm
Right on! Right on! She even got a young black man arrested for her. This sounds like a modern day version of Roots. Unreal where are the hundred black men now. We need a black superindent.
Asian where did that come from. They have enough sense to stay out of the city schools. Low test scores
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 4:33 pm
Of course someone says don’t mention race in St. Louis. If black people start talking about race then they might change things.
keep them stupid and feeling like fools if they speak up and say white people run there ass in this town. So white people call them dumb and use the fear factor if they speak up and say they want black power and rights for their children
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 6:40 pm
Read “The Known World” by African American Edward P. Jones about the black on black slavery in the South. Whew was it ever something!!!! Who hurts black people the most? Who murders one another; who rapes one another; who enjoys impregnating as many black girls as possible; who carjacks one another; who holds whom back with song lyrics and culture that calls intelligent blacks white?
No, these problems aren’t about color or race. They are about character or lack of character and both are color blind.
Anonymous
Wednesday, 11th July 2007 at 7:34 pm
It is true that I have been mostly pro-Bourisaw—that could well be a source of embarrassment to her.
Just opinions here—I think I have been banned from having any more letters appear in the PD.
Wrong as I might be—I welcome corrections, and I don’t hide. I try to pay attention to what everybody says. It is really hard to sort it all out.
Kjoe.
CWEGuy
Thursday, 12th July 2007 at 7:41 am
Interesting comments here. Kjoe is the only person with enough guts to put his/her name on it.
Antonio, I wish you would go reinstate the no anonymous blog policy…
Ariel
Thursday, 12th July 2007 at 8:30 am
It sounds like some people on this thread are trying to blow small issues out of all proportion, jumping on every issue looking to find problems that may not even exist. Some people will see a forest behind every tree. Sometimes there’s just a tree, though.
The items requested from Dr. Bourisaw are in line with preparing for the new school year, which is fast approaching. More than likely, Dr. Bourisaw has already prepared these things. The only really contentious item came from Veronica O’Brien. Surprise.
As far as the poster blasting on white people, there are plenty of white people working very hard for the betterment of the black community. Don’t let the fact that some powerful whites are jerks “color” your heart about all of them. The same goes for whites who blast on blacks for social problems. Powerful and rich people tend to be jerks–no matter what color they are. “Power corrupts”. Poor people tend to have social issues–no matter what color they are. We need to deal with people as people.
A lot of perceptions that tend to bring up the “race card” are more about demographics than race. This country is somewhere around 70% white. Just by the numbers, there are more rich and powerful whites because there are more whites overall. This perception gets lost in the city, especially in areas that are predominantly black. Similarly, there are many more poor whites than poor blacks overall in this country. They suffer many of the same kinds of social problems that poor blacks do, but are generally scattered in rural areas and small communities rather than concentrated in urban centers, so they don’t make the media impact poor urban blacks do.
The perception of lack of power is not so much about race as about politics. There are a great many white people who are extremely opposed to those currently in power and the decisions they have made. Please don’t assume that Slay and Blunt and their sort represent the will of “white people”. They are in power because they were voted into office. They can lose power by being voted out. That takes numbers of votes. Any color will do.
It is in the interest of those in power to keep those who oppose them–of all colors–divided among themselves and feeling powerless against them. This is a lie. We have everything to gain from working together, and they have everything to lose.
Anonymous
Thursday, 12th July 2007 at 9:26 am
Ariel, great points and common sense. Some just get tired of whites being blamed for all of society’s ills by some blacks who do nothing to better any situation.
Anonymous
Thursday, 12th July 2007 at 10:07 am
People can only speak to the experiences that they have in life and be factual.
The fact is that the Chief of Police in the City of St. Louis is white.
The fact is that the Mayor of St. Louis is white.
The fact is that the Collector of Revenue is white.
The fact is that the Recorder of Deeds is white.
The fact is that the Circuit Attorney is white.
The fact is that both U. S. Senators from the State of Missouri are white.
The fact is that every Congressmen from the St. Louis region except one is white.
The fact is that the President of the United States has always been white.
The fact is that the few citywide elected officials that are black know that they better do what white people say or else.
Larry Williams-Treasurer, Michael McMillan-License Collector, Darlene Green-Comptroller, and Lewis Reed-President of the Board of Alderman had better do what white people say or they will not be in that position for another term.
Many black people would be doing much better in society if they were white people with the same knowledge skills and abilities that they have now.
Without the aid of any damn affirmative action or other degrading ass programs that allow white people to point at you and say you wouldn’t be in that position if it were not for affirmative action. Affirmative action is looked upon as a “social welfare or food stamps” for black people.
However, when white men were raping black women on slave plantations and forcing the black men to go to other plantations, there was no affirmative action or set asides involved.
If some white people that visit this website don’t like the opinions expressed on this website, don’t read it!
Opinions are like gluteus maximus holes, everyone has one!
Anonymous
Thursday, 12th July 2007 at 1:15 pm
And what about the African chieftans who begged the white European capitals to not abolish slavery because it would cut into their commerce?
There’s a whole lot of raping going on today and most of it is black women by black men?
There’s more, but what’s the use? I know blacks who wanted to work for whites because their fellow blacks were mean to them.
Talk about human nature rather than race. Let the Hutus and Tutsi’s clarify a few things for you.
Anonymous
Thursday, 12th July 2007 at 4:31 pm
Anon 11:07 am
Why don’t you sign your posts? I mean if you feel that strongly, I wouldn’t think you would have a problem signing your posts.
The SLPS saga first and foremost is not a race issue. It is and always was a $$ issue. It may affect one race more than others simply because of the demographics of STL.
lbuxx
Anonymous
Thursday, 12th July 2007 at 7:40 pm
This is silly. I would hope that Bourisaw would not respond to these questions as she does not work for them any longer. In fact, the judge basically said they have little chance of being successful in their lawsuit, so they need to accept the fact that they have a new role and accept it! They look foolish.
Anonymous
Friday, 13th July 2007 at 5:23 am
The racial intolerance shown in this thread shows why St. Louis has become a shell of what it used to be in the first half of the twentieth century. The hatred and intolerance shown on both sides shows why people don’t want to live there. Shame on all of you.
Anonymous
Friday, 13th July 2007 at 7:12 am
Well, other cities have gotten past the racial divide. The fact that certain blacks keep bringing up race and blaming whites for their ills when other blacks have succeeded and there are so many biracial friendships and marriages hinders St. Louis, clearly reveals where the problem exists.
Please note that it always begins with attacks on the “white man” that brings out responses to deflate such ridiculous charges.
Anonymous
Friday, 13th July 2007 at 7:14 am
It’s not racial intolerance. It’s race-bait weariness.
Someone has forgotten St. Louis has had two black mayors.
Anonymous
Friday, 13th July 2007 at 8:21 am
Their “new role,” if that’s what it is, requires them to continue oversight for the public. All of their requested items do that, and since the SAB seems to prefer not to do anything, as shown by their failure to conduct any business except hiring a lawyer, I for one, as a member of the voting public, am glad that the elected board is trying to get answers to questions we should all be concerned about. There is no reason Dr. Bourisaw shouldn’t answer them–answering questions from citizens has no relation to who her boss is.
Anonymous
Friday, 13th July 2007 at 8:28 am
This racial issue has become so boring. It’s called upon every time certain blacks don’t get their way. Their social ills are not the fault of the white man. Why is it you never speak of your responsibility in any of this? Tearing up neighborhoods, killing each other, car jacking etc. There are so many successful black people out there and they didn’t become successful by sitting on their behind blaming the white man or anyone else for that matter. Wake up and take responsibility for yourself.
Anonymous
Friday, 13th July 2007 at 9:41 am
Second last anonymous above (9:24 a.m.) is a racist and prefers the race-baiting. Such a person cannot reason with rationality. To say white people thought Harmon was too white is more silly than outrageous.
St. Louis can’t move forward with such mentalities.
Anonymous
Friday, 13th July 2007 at 2:46 pm
The previous anonymous stated “St. Louis can’t move forward with such mentalities.”
I don’t envision a future of St. Louis moving forward. Instead, I envision decades and decades of St. Louis arguing with the U.S. Census Bureau as to the amount of decline in the city.
jim heger
Friday, 13th July 2007 at 3:24 pm
Back to the thread…It should be very interesting at the next Elected Board Meeting to see who shows up and who doesn’t. Ms. O’Brien correctly stated that Dr. Bourisaw seems to have already made it clear who she works for (SAB). I guess they want it in writing…whatever.
Kjoe is right that the judge should rule quickly. There are too many people (including all the students) who are affected by this to be waiting so long for an answer. Make up your mind, already.
The SAB going to Harvard (gotta wonder how well people at Harvard can relate to the SLPS situation) looks bad because no one even knew they were going and there was no prior approval (unless the 3 members talked in private which would violate the Sunshine Laws).
Also, Mr. Purdy asked for an update on the Superintendent’s evaluation. He also pointed out that this was a responsibility of the Elected Board…that could be interesting.
And there is the little matter of who signs checks.
By the way…school starts for staff in 30 days…a whole bunch of kids are gonna show up in 37. Time flies, doesn’t it?
Antoian
Friday, 13th July 2007 at 3:42 pm
It probably would be better if the city from forest park parkway and points north just diassociated themselves with the city and became their own civilization where they can have their own mayor, school district, police department and all other public services. They can have the thugs be the cops, have the drop-outs be the teachers. Nobody up there likes order and Im tired of listining to them badger about what white people do to them, but nothing about what they can’t suceed in. Being interviewd by channel 2 and looking right into the camera and say “I don’t like to po-leece. Ya hurr me” they dont deserve a damn thing. Cut off all of their benefits of welfare, unemployment, food stamps and lets see who survies… it could be a new reality show.
Anonymous
Saturday, 14th July 2007 at 7:30 am
The last comment shows, however unintentionally, that race sure does matter in this city and that racism is indeed still alive (but not well).
Antonio, I think this thread can only get worse and more hateful if allowed to continue.
Anonymous
Saturday, 14th July 2007 at 3:23 pm
This thread also shows that the racism is strong on both sides. No wonder the city is stagnating.
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