BREAKING NEWS
Sources tell PubDef that the Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools has fired Superintendent Diana Bourisaw. We do not yet have details on when Bourisaw would be leaving the district or if a replacement has already been identified.
Developing…
UPDATED: Â This comes from St. Louis Public Schools:
The Special Administrative Board (SAB) of the St. Louis Public Schools announced today that it will conduct a search for superintendent of schools. The current superintendent, Diana Bourisaw, will continue in her current position during the search process and has been encouraged to apply.
“The SAB’s mandate is to improve our schools and the superintendent’s role will be critical to the district’s success.†said Rick Sullivan, chief executive officer of the St. Louis Public Schools.
“Our students deserve the best education possible, and it is our intent to confirm that we have the best person to lead them.â€
Bourisaw was appointed superintendent in July 2006 by the elected Board of Education immediately after the removal of then Superintendent Creg Williams. Bourisaw was not selected through a public search process.
“This search is not a reflection on Dr. Bourisaw’s performance. It is our responsibility to make sure the district is on the right track, and an independent superintendent search is part of that process. We hope Dr. Bourisaw applies,†Sullivan said.
Sullivan has asked SAB member Melanie Adams to lead a national search. Currently, there is no firm time table.“Parents, students, staff and interested members of the community will have the opportunity to be involved in our effort to find the best superintendent,†said Adams.
“We hope to have that person in place by Fall 2008.â€The three-member SAB took over governance of the St. Louis Public Schools in June 2007. Rick Sullivan was appointed by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, Melanie Adams was appointed by the City of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, and Richard Gaines was appointed by President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed.
Here’s video from today’s press conference:
PART 1
PART 2
Special thanks to Andrew Wimmer for the videos.
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February 12th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Yet another tragic edition to this never ending but deeply depressing soap opera that is the St. Louis Public Schools. I feel so sorry for the children that aren’t getting the leadership from the top down and consequently, will not be able to compete with other students when they go out into the real world. I am, however, hoping that with the firing of Bourisaw that they can get it together and find someone to lead that has the fortitude, the intellect, background, experience, and capability, to run the Board. I have been here since 2000 and I have yet to see someone of that caliber lead the schools, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t hope right? There are hundreds of thousands of urban schools across America and many have gotten it right. Why can’t we?
February 12th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Sullivan’s “right tracK” is to hire a crony, probably from St. Charles, who wouldn’t mind carrying out Missouri’s plan to dismantle the SLPS. Yes, the worse the SLPS gets the better Charter Schools look. Thanks to Jeff Smith, Slay is in control of them. But all of this isn’t nefarious, no, it is providing our children with “more options!”
February 12th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Now, more than ever, there needs to be a report on the charter schools—especially the one at 4300 goodfellow being run by the state board. David Hunn of the post dispatch is doing a series of reports—I do not inow the schedule.
Ms Bourisaw wrote a letter to the state before the takeover asking them not to bring in TexasCan—she favored the Bill and Melinda Gates approach.
She stuck to her principles regarding the charter school issues. It would make sense that they get rid of her. I hate to see her go.
Barack Obama has made some sort of endorsement of charter schools—that disappoints me, but it will not change my vote.
Odd that Obama is closer to Slay on this issue than the candidate he endorsed. Charters have always been a big deal to Slay.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Here’s a “report” if you will on the Can Academy–
On November 13, 2007, Ted Freeman, the father of a Can Academy student wrote a letter to the Post-Dispatch. As of today, the Post has neither published the letter nor taken the actions he requested.
Freeman said that he was writing, “On behalf of a group of frustrated parents…We are requesting an investigate(sic) and report finding of our acccusations.” His letter states that, “our children are being warehoused in order for Can Academy to receive money from the State of Missouri.” He reported that since school opened on September 4, seven teachers had resigned leaving the school without adequate teaching staff to provide instruction for their at risk children. “The school is now operating with mostly substitute teachers. The class load per teacher is overloaded from what was described as, the amount of students in a class per the application for the charter.”
He complained that the principal was not qualified and that she had hired her husband, who was also unqualified to serve as an admninistrator. “The children are out of control at CAN ACADEMY; leave the school at will at any time with little supervision. Recently drugs and a gun clip were confiscated from students….If Charter school (sic) is our future for our children we are indeed in trouble.”
Despite the conditions described in the letter, both the Post-Dispatch and the mayor’s office have been promoting Can Academy as an ideal charter school. A student from the school spoke at last Saturday’s mayoral drop out summit.
A local educator who toured the school called DESE’s Director of Charter Schools, Jocelyn Strand, to complain that teachers and students had to share bathrooms and that the bathrooms were filthy. The building was not ready when school opened. She was stunned to discover that Strand was pleased with the facility housing the school. The educator also reported that Can Academy was not in compliance with special education requirements or what they stated they would do in their charter regarding special ed. As many as one third to one half of the students need IEPs and they only have one staff person assigned to work on them. She concluded that it was, “a horrible place”.
The school was intended to enroll 400 students. It currently has 300 on paper but daily attendance does not mirror that number. It runs closer to 200 or less. One of the teachers who resigned within two months of the school’s opening reported to The Watch that the administration was loathe to suspend or expel students because they had not met their enrollment goal. Teachers were told to be flexible and work with the students. As a result, she spent more time redirecting behavior than on instruction. She eventually left because students were throwing things at her including computer adapters.
Another teacher left because of being struck by a student. And one left because she was verbally sexually harrassed by students. Yet another left because of difficulties with the principal. The principal alienated teachers.
There were security guards but teachers had to leave their classrooms to call them. The guards were ineffective. Students used drugs at school during breaks and in the lunchroom. There were no metal detectors or wands. Students’ bags were not searched consistently. Students concerned about their own safety actually questioned why there were no metal detectors. The administration said they were coming but they had not arrived by November.
There was no school nurse and only 20% of the teachers were certificated at first. As teachers resigned the number decreased. The principal was surprised to learn that Missouri statutes requires 80% of charter school teachers to be certificated. She had thought only 20% were required and began to scramble to find more. Meanwhile her teachers began to leave. At least 3 other staff members resigned as well and one was fired to open a position for the principals’s husband. There were only about 8 teachers for the 300 students. There were class sizes of 20-25. Compare that to the alternative high school the SLPS opened this fall. Kottmeyer has a staff of 10 to service 60 students according to a recent Sylvester Brown column in the Post.
For the first seven weeks of school, discipline was not enforced. Then a behavior contract was implemented but it did not resolve all the behavior problems at the school. To be effective contracts have to be in place when school starts, according to the teacher.
The teacher who spoke with The Watch said there were good kids in the school who were there for the right reasons but the model being used by the school did not fit the students. More discipline, structure and order were needed. She emphatically repeated that it was “Wrong, wrong, wrong” to say that charters schools are better than the SLPS.
Repeated attempts to reach Jocelyn Strand were unsuccessful. DESE’s first attempt to sponsor a charter school appears to be an unmitigated disaster. That DESE, the Post and the mayor are promoting Can Academy as a legitimate alternative to the SLPS tells you how much they want to ensure that the children of St. Louis get a good education. That parents are being hoodwinked into thinking Can Academy is a good alternative for their children is truly tragic.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Is this latest move a search for options, an opportunity for expansion of the Charter Schools, a chance to support crony-ism, or is it nothing more than an attempt to destroy the St. Louis Public Schools?
One should well remember that this shredding of the SLPS began with William Roberti (with the support of the Mayor) and will continue until the “powers that are” and the “monied that dominate” have had thier fill.
February 12th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I give up on this all. I now believe it is time to provide vouchers to parochial and private schools so all student in St. Louis have an opportunity for a quality educations. With exception of the magnet schools, the St. Louis Public Schools are over and done. The Special Administrative Board needs to just start writing checks before every parent within St. Louis sets there sites elsewhere.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Isn’t Melanie Adams the person in charge of Teach for America here in St. Louis? Doesn’t she have a conflict of interest? This SAB needs to be investigated by the IRS. I’ve heard rumors that they want to steal the teacher’s pension fund. I know that public employee pensions are protected by state and federal law. Slay found that out when he raided the firefighter’s pension; he had to return the money or he faced jail time. Let’s look at this for Sullivan and Ms. Melanie Adams. Who the hell are they to control our schools? Blunt did this and he is one sick fascist. Maybe if the teachers ran the schools and got some discipline and back up–things would improve. THis isn’t SULLIVAN’s piggy bank, and it isn’t for some incompetent, arrogant young woman to decide. THE GOVERNOR, MAYOR AND THE LEGISLATURE HAD NO RIGHT TO UNSEAT A PUBLICLY ELECTED BOARD. THEY STOLE OUR RIGHT TO VOTE, AND NOW THEY WANT TO STEAL THE MONEY, MAKE EVERYTHING A CHARTER SCHOOL WITH MORE TEACH FOR AMERICA INCOMPETENTS, (MY KIDS HATED THEM), AND STEAL ANY PUBLIC EDICATION FROM OUR KIDS. I MAY BE POOR ,BUT I STILL WILL USE MY RIGHTS. JAY NIXON WANTS TO BE GOVERNOR, BUT IT’S HIS BUDDIES SLAY, THE DEMOCRATS THAT WANT TO STEAL OUR SCHOOLS. I SAY TELL JAY NIXON, IF THIS GOES THROUGH–WE’LL VOTE FOR ANYONE EXCEPT HIM.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
The information below was copied from the “Arch City Chronicles” and pasted for all to see. Indeed, there is more than a conflice of interest(s).
ACC News
June 13, 2007
Slay’s Pick for the Transitional Board
According to MayorSlay.com, Melanie Adams is the Mayor’s appointment to the Transitional Board.
Adams, though relatively young, has a long resume which includes a stint as executive director of Teach for America in St. Louis. I served with her on the steering committee of Metropolis St. Louis in the late 90s. She’s a city resident who has succeeded in every organization of which she’s been a part.
Posted by: Dave at 10:36 pm | Category: Education
February 13th, 2008 at 8:24 am
so now what
February 13th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
February 13th, 2008 at 8:24 am
“so now what”
I wait.
I wait for Antonio, or David Hunn, or Steve Gingrich, or Kristen Hinman to visit 4300 goodfellow and tell us that lbuxx was exaggerating, or what he reported was largely true.
Then I wait for Doctor Bourisaw to tell the morons on the state board–”I told you so”.
I wait for the democrats to make an issue of the membership on the state board for this year’s election—they have an excellent year and an excellent leader to help change the makeup of the legislature.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
And I wait for you, kjoe, to get off your ass and do your own investigation.
I wait for you to stop demanding that every reporter — including us unpaid reporters — owes you some kind of action.
Have YOU ever visited 4300 Goodfellow? When you do, be sure to take a video camera with you. I’ll be happy to post the results of your investigation.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Kjoe-
not my report, I was just pasting a letter that a parent from that school had written… I have no first hand knowledge of that school.
Just wanted to clarify.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Antonio—I live in Festus. If the state department of education had come into festus or crystal city and set up the first charter school sponsored by the state board, I could give you a report about it. I talked to my senator about what is going on in St. Louis, and what the implications are with a state board out of control and not being accountable. I sent him the article by Maida Coleman and told him I thought she had some really good insights. I did not realize that there is no difference between me, and people who are renowned for their reporting, as you deservedly are, and the people who are paid by the pd and the rft.
I stand by my assertion that the operation of a charter school by the people who took over the slps is inherently newsworthy.
I need time to digest this shock that it is up to me to file a report about it, instead of relying on professional people with press credentials.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
lbuxx Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Kjoe-
not my report, I was just pasting a letter that a parent from that school had written… I have no first hand knowledge of that school.
Just wanted to clarify.
I apologize. I thought part of it was pasted, and part of it was your observations. I say thanks. It sounded like a mixture of some true things, and some exaggeration. It’s a start.
February 13th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Kjoe wrote: “I need time to digest this shock that it is up to me to file a report about it, instead of relying on professional people with press credentials.”
Joe, it is out of that shocking realization that PubDef was born. But I can’t do everything.
February 14th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
It would be a damn good story Antonio. kjoe doesn’t claim to be a journalist. (a dj I think…right kjoe?) The story needs covering.
I’m going to use your forum, Antonio, if you will let me.
I called “Donnybrook Your Turn” tonight and after 20 minutes of calling I got through. They wouldn’t let me mention Bourisaw’s ousting (for lack of a better description) on “Your Turn”. They disconnected me after I got through and told them what I wanted to talk about. (Martin Duggan is a big charter school advocate and they obviously have made a decision not to cover the schools anymore…even though it was voted the biggest story of 07 by many media outlets in St. Louis).
The girl said they wanted to stay “on topic”…how much “Kirkwood” can this city stand?
I know kjoe is asking for investigation of a different story, but both are connected to the steady decrease in coverage about the schools…call it story burn-out, I guess.
Did the end of “PubDef Schools Watch” begin/contibute to the decrease in coverage of the SLPS tragedy…crime…clusterf–k?
February 15th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I have received a couple of encouraging e-mails from people in a better position to raise the questions than I am.
The attitude of Donnybrook has been more and more structured the last couple of years—they do restrict what you are allowed to discuss. I had the same thing happen to me last year—regarding schools.
Also, I stopped by the nea office in festus and–I started to type what we talked about and realized I might be breaking a confidence—-suffice to say there might not be very wide awareness that the state department is sponsoring a charter school—
There is a coldness among people in other districts regarding the problems of st. louis, which melts a bit when they start considering the implications of what can happen with an out-of-control state board. Taking over a district with big problems is one thing—-building their own charter schools is something with much wider implications.
Perhaps the fact that I am urging Antonio to look into something which has more to do with the rest of the state than st. louis in particular is a reason why he needs to assign it a lower priority. As he said, he cannot do everything.
February 15th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Well, Well, Well!!!!!!!!!!! I guess what my grandma always said is true. “When at first you seek to deceive, what an awful web weave!”
As I watched the press release andd Diana Bourisaw’a “emotional” statements regarding her impending dismissal, I couldn’t help but think to myself “now she knows how the 36 people that she orchestrated illegal reduction force’s on June 29, 2007 at 4:45 pm felt.” Welcome to our world!!!
Better yet no she knows how Creg Williams and the other administrators felt when they were sacked and she sat back like a cheshire cat - smiling -once again, Welcome to Our World!
All that’s left to be said at this point Dr. Bourisaw is: “Pack your shit and GET OUT!!!” To all of teh lackies at 801 in those top administrative positions - assistant superintendents, executive directors etc. - pull out your resumes, dust them off and start looking for a new damn job.
Do like we did eight months ago - figure out how to take care of your families and financial responsibilities when you get SACKED!!!!
Ha! Ha!
February 15th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
This is a response to Ibuxx’s analysis of CAN! Please note that as Jocelyn Strand’s colleague, I choose to identify myself.
First, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, including Ms. Strand is well aware of CAN! Academy’s shortcomings. They are in the process of being addressed. Second, Ms. Strand, myself and other Department personnel have toured CAN! — some of us — on more than one occasion. Third, to state that attempts to reach Ms. Strand “were unsuccessful” is incredulous at best, disingenuous at worst. Everyone in the charter school community who really knows Jocelyn, knows that she is very accessible. Jocelyn readily gives out her direct line. All you have to do is call; if you don’t get her on your first attempt, try again.
Finally, as to kjoe’s comment regarding an “out of control” state board and it’s charter school — charters have existed in Missouri since 1999. The state board has chosen to leave sponsorship to other entities until this year when it agreed to sponsor CAN! In other states, state boards of education, as well as school districts, are the primary sponsors of charter schools. The state board has largely left sponsorship to universities with colleges of education.
February 16th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Thank you for the response Kris.
What are the shortcomings of Can Academy? How are they being addressed?
Reading between the lines, I am making a connection between two things—the state board obviously thought slps had serious problems, and they chose, after nine years, to be a tangible part of the solution—by actually sponsoring a charter school. Perhaps there is no connection–just sort of a conincidence.
I would like to know what other state education boards sponsor charter schools—it would be good if you would tell me, but i will do what research I can—-to put it governor bluntly—-I want to know if those states are mostly republican, or randomly dispersed among blue and red states. Two of my political heroes are Obama and jerry Brown—-both have shown interest—much more than that in Brown’s case– in Charter schools, so I am attempting to be open-minded.
I am not open minded regarding the Can academies—I am curious as to just how they were selected—-despite, or maybe because of the opposition of Dr. Bourisaw.
February 17th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Jocelyn Strand is evidently a moral person. I cannot quite say having her in the position she is, is like having the fox guard the henhouse. Online, I discovered that she began and ended the immaculate conception school board meeting with prayers—she is religiously devoted to education, as vice president of this immaculate conception school board. There is not a lot about her on-line—she seems supportive of republican efforts to pass bills returning schools to the original concept of allowing some private colleges to qualify for public money.
I do not know if she has a conflict of interest—or whether charter schools are ever used as a bridge making it easier to get to voucherland.
February 18th, 2008 at 10:22 am
kjoe — check out http://mb2.ecs.org/reports/Report.aspx?id=81 The Education Commission of the States lists by state who can sponsor and approve charter schools. I can think of three states where the state department of education/department of public school instruction sponsors charters; they are Arizona, Colorado and North Carolina.
February 19th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Kris-
Thank you for your reply. I am glad to hear that the shortcomings are being worked on.
That report was not written by me, was only cut and pasted…The “report” if you will is a letter that was written by a parent at the school, which is stated in my OP.
I’ll try to be more clear next time.
Leslie
February 19th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I am still not sure where you found the letter—was it posted at something called the Watch?
February 19th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Kjoe-
Yes was copied from The Watch. Sorry guys should have mentioned that in the 1st place, probably would have cleared a lot of confusion.
Leslie
February 20th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Ibuxx–I just cannot nail down the source of this letter from Ted Freeman. Peter Downs used to have a st. louis schools “watch”, but it ceased to exist a couple years ago. I googled, I searched, but i cannot find the “watch” to which you refer.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:24 am
What is the problem with not calling off school with the ice? The SLPS is, once again, proving they care NOTHING for the safety of the children, parents, and employees. Embarassing.
February 21st, 2008 at 1:16 pm
The superintendent used to make that call. Now, the CEO does. I think Rick Sullivan is more concerned with money, than people. 4 hours of attendance = 1 full day of funding.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
The overall public is happy to see Diana Bourisaw leave. The state should have fired her when she got that child arrested last year.
Bye, Bye Bourisaw
March 5th, 2008 at 8:13 am
The public is glad to see Bourisaw go? Which public? Most of the people I’ve discussed this with see it as hypocrisy on the SAB’s behalf. And, I was at the hearings last year, she was actually trying to restrain people, it was the Jeff Shitty cops who were foaming at the mouth to arrest any one of us.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:56 am
They could not fire her until Joan Bray decided she could sponsor Sullivan. Now that they sneaked Sullivan past Joan Bray, their plans should become more transparent.
I do not fault them for being ruthless as much as I fault Joan bray and others in the legislature for being inattentive.