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State Senator Maida Coleman (D-St. Louis City) today voted against the reappointment of Peter Herschend of Branson to the State Board of Education. Coleman spoke against the nomination for more than 40 minutes in committee Wednesday and for nearly an hour on the Senate floor today before he was eventually confirmed by the Republican-controlled senate.
She released this statement afterwards:
“In the committee hearing yesterday, Mr. Herschend told me I should be embarrassed of my school district,” Sen. Coleman said.
“I think Mr. Herschend should be embarrassed that he has decided to play politics with the children of my district. He should be embarrassed that he callously disenfranchised the citizens of my district by turning control of the St. Louis School District over to the state.”
In March 2007, the St. Louis Public Schools lost their accreditation when the State Board of Education voted 5-1 to rescind the accreditation after concluding that the district had met only four of the state's 14 academic performance measures. Peter Herschend was serving as President of the State Board of Education when the decision to strip the school district of local control was made.
At the time the state board voted to classify the St. Louis Public Schools as unaccredited, several other school districts possessed 2006 Annual Performance Review ratings that were equal to or below the scores assigned to the St. Louis City School District.
“It makes me wonder why Mr. Herschend has taken no action to reclassify other low-performing school districts,” Sen. Coleman said. “There seems to be no apprehension by Mr. Herschend or the Board that they are disenfranchising the voters of a predominantly black city. We are still forced to pay taxes, so we have taxation without representation.”
Additionally, Sen. Coleman expressed reservations about any person serving such a lengthy term on a state board or commission. Peter Herschend has served on the State Board of Education for 16 years, and with his confirmation by the Senate today, will serve another eight years on the board.
“Is it a good idea to allow anyone to sit on what is arguably the most important board in state government for 24 years?” Sen. Coleman asked her colleagues on the Senate floor today.
“If someone were to serve the maximum amount of time in the General Assembly, they could only serve 16 years. If the citizens of Missouri think it’s a good idea to limit the terms of their elected representatives, surely the length of service of an unelected official should be limited as well, especially one who wields so much influence over our children’s education.”
Members of the Missouri Senate affirmed the reappointment of Herschend to the State Board of Education today on a voice vote.
St. Louis Public Schools has scheduled four community forums next week to hear public comments regarding the preliminary recommendations for school reconfigurations and consolidations. Here are the dates and times:
Monday, February 11 at 6 p.m. Lexington Elementary, 5030 Lexington Ave.
Tuesday, February 12 at 6 p.m. Wyman Elementary, 1547 S. Theresa Ave.
Wednesday, February 13 at 6 p.m. Walbridge Elementary, 5000 Davison Ave.
Thursday, February 14 at 6 p.m. Blow Middle, 516 Loughborough Ave.
As part of the preliminary plan, the district is considering the closing of several schools. They are:
Mitchell (students move to Hamilton)
Gundlach (students move to Ford, Lexington and Laclede)
Wilkinson ECC (move program to Roe)
Shenandoah (students move to Wyman)
Simmons (students move to Hickey, Cote Brilliante and Farragut)
Lyons (students move to Blow)
Mark Twain (students move to Walbridge)
Meramec (students move to Monroe and Froebel)
The proposal also includes reopening Carver School as a pre-kindergarten to fifth-grade school.
Public comments may also be submitted online at www.slps.org, by calling (314) 331-6100, or by writing to: Operations Division, St. Louis Public Schools, 801 N. 11th St., St. Louis, MO 63101.
Peter Downs, President of the St. Louis Board of Education, today expressed disappointment that Cole County Circuit Court Judge Richard Callahan upheld the State's takeover of St. Louis Public Schools.
"We were all aware that Judge Callahan had a record of ruling against education for children in Missouri, but it was still hard not to hope that this time would be different," Downs said. "So, although this ruling was expected, it is still disappointing. This was never about us as board members, this was about fighting for better schools for city children."
Noting that most of the members of the present board were elected on promises to stop the demolition of public education that began in 2003, Downs said the state board of education took control of the district to continue the process of demolition.
"The reports from the state board of education, and the comments of top Republicans like Rod Jetton, made very clear that their chief goals for St. Louis were to close schools and cut spending for they wanted cheaper education, not better education. The state-appointed board's proposed school closings show that they are following that mandate," he said.
"In the coming weeks, we have to decide what are our best strategies for blocking continued cuts and fighting for quality education," he added.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which includes individuals and the St. Louis Board of Education, have 30 days in which to decide if they want to appeal the decision. Downs said he expects the school board will decide at its meeting on February 12 whether it will join an appeal of Callahan's decision. That meeting will be at Carr Lane Middle School, 1004 N. Jefferson Ave.
For the second time, State Senator Jeff Smith has decided not to support Gov. Matt Blunt's appointment to the state board of education.
“As I noted when his appointment was first announced, Derio Gambaro has been a dedicated public servant for a decade, from his tenure in the state House to his work on the Election Board. He continued this work as a diligent and thorough member of the State Board of Education.
“However, given the specificity with which I outlined my opposition to the governor's earlier appointee from the 4th District, I was disappointed that the administration chose the same path. These appointees have vocally supported school vouchers and the consideration of religious theories of human origin in public school settings. While I continue to support public school choice, I fear that the aforementioned positions may breach the separation of church and state, and I cannot sponsor nominees who advocate them.
“I thank Mr. Gambaro for his service in the interim, and hope to have the opportunity to work with the governor's office to help find a suitable replacement.”
Gambaro, a former state representative, was one of Smith's opponents when he was elected in 2005 in a five-person race. Smith also opposed Blunt's previous appointment to the Board of Education,Donayle Whitmore-Smith
Because Gambaro lives in Smith's district, according to senate custom, Smith's support is needed for Gambaro's appointment to be confirmed by the senate.
Gambaro has served on the Board of Education since June 2007. His nomination was briefly withdrawn in August to avoid a senate vote.
The appointed Special Administrative Board running St. Louis Public Schools will hold a special board meeting Thursday at 2:00 P.M. at the offices of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C., Attorneys at Law, 500 N. Broadway, Suite 2000.
The SAB will immediately go into executive session. The agenda is as follows:
Concerned parents (and interested reporters) may have a tough time keeping up with the boards of St. Louis Public Schools Tuesday. Both boards — the elected one and the appointed one — will be meeting Tuesday for four sessions.
First, the real estate committee of the Special Administrative Board (SAB) will meet at 3:00 p.m. at the Administration Building, 801 N. 11th Street, in the Foundation Room.
The SAB will meet again at 6:00 p.m., also at 801, for a regular meeting. That meeting will be immediately followed by a closed executive session to discuss legal, real estate and personnel matters.
The elected school board, which was stripped of most of its powers last year by the Missouri Board of Education, will be meeting at 7:00 p.m. at Carr Lane VPA Middle School, 1004 N. Jefferson Ave.
On June 15, the State Board of Education snatched control of St. Louis Public Schools out of the hands of the elected school board and handed it over to a three-person board headed by a Chesterfield real estate developer appointed by the governor.
In March, students staged a five-day sit-in protest of Mayor Francis Slay's office opposing the pending takeover of St. Louis Public Schools, which Slay supported.
The Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools will hold a Special Board Meeting on Friday at the Administrative Building, 801 N. 11th Street, Room 108. The Special Board Meeting will begin at 2:00 p.m. and is open to the public. The agenda is as follows:
The opponents of the takeover of St. Louis Public Schools are having another fundraising concert tomorrow to raise money to fund their legal fight.
The benefit concert for the "Save Our Children’s Education Fund" will be on Saturday from 2:00 to 6:00 PM at the Atomic Cowboy, 4140 Manchester Rd, in "The Grove" neighborhood.
Musical talent slated to jam the afternoon away include: The Black Notes with The Raw Earth Experience, The Ivory Coast Drummers, and DJs Toby and Britton.
Tickets are $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.
The mayor's education liaison's PR event with a group of St. Louis Public Schools students Friday got a little too real when a parent asked why recently air conditioned schools were closed and sold off by the past school board supported by Mayor Francis Slay.
Robyn Wahby told parent Yolanda Nelson that the mayor's office had nothing to do with that decision, that it was entirely the decision of the school district, a separate government entity.
Despite Wahby's assertion to a parent, the mayor's office — through Wahby — was indeed very much involved in decisions made by the school boards of 2003 through 2006, including big ones like:
the decision to hire a $425 per hour New York-based corporate "turn-around" firm to run the district for a year;
the decision to close 16 schools (mostly in north St. Louis); and
the decision to outsource the district's food service and maintenance.
Last week at a press conference in city hall, parents angry at the results of Mayor Francis Slay's years of involvement with the city's public schools joined with organizers of the effort to remove him from office.
The group is angry about Slay's new plan to rapidly expand the number of charter schools in the city. Charter schools are funded by St. Louis Public Schools, which is mandated to pay the schools based on their number of students.
"There has been approximately $60 million diverted from the St. Louis Public Schools," said State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed. "If we want to fix the St. Louis Public Schools we can not continue to take from the St. Louis Public Schools."
Board member Richard Gaines assured parents and the public that top dollar will be sought for these buildings and that the properties would not be given away or sold for fractions of their value as previous school boards have done.
VIDEO: City Schools to Examine Bringing Food Services Back In-House
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Friday, November 16, 2007 at 8:10 AM
At its regular meeting last night, the Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools voted to contract with the Council of Great City Schools to determine the exact cost of bring the district's food services back in-house.
Board member Richard Gaines, who has long questioned the wisdom of the 2003-2004 school board and former superintendent Bill Roberti's decision to outsource food services, said that traditionally food service has always been a source of profit for the district. The other, more important issue, he said, is nutrition.
"The other issue for us must always be nutrition," said Gaines.
At its regular meeting last night, the Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools announced the creation of a new Comprehensive Planning Committee, which will begin to look at long-term planning options for the troubled school district. The committee will be headed by board member Richard Gaines.
Of the more than 32,000 students that attend St. Louis Public Schools, only slightly more than 4,000 of them are white. Despite whites making up only 14% of the district population, two out of every five seats in some of the city's best schools — top-performing magnet schools — are reserved for white children. And because so few of their parents are choosing to send their kids to SLPS, many of those seats go unfilled, despite the fact that waiting lists of black students wanting to attend these good schools grow longer every year.
Yesterday, at a public meeting of parties in the Liddell v. The Board of Education case (the historic desegregation case which led to 15 years of court-ordered busing between city and suburban districts), teachers union president Mary Armstrong asked the parties if they would consider releasing those empty seats to black students whose families are desperate for better educational opportunities.
Armstrong said many of those families choose charter schools because they are turned away from SLPS magnets, costing the district millions of dollars every year.
In this exclusive video Armstrong mentions Mayor Francis Slay's plan to aggressively expand the number of charter schools in the city, which will put further economic strain on the district. And attorney William L. Taylor, the lead lawyer in the desegregation case, asks Armstrong her position on pay-for-performance plans for teachers.
State Rep. Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield) will be holding a press conference Wednesday to announce a schedule of investigative hearings and legislation to address the AP findings and Missouri's disproportionately high ranking.
A victim will be sharing her personal story of sexual abuse by a teacher who is still teaching in Missouri. PTA representatives will be on hand to alert parents and teachers of the importance of parent involvement and learning the "red flags" for spotting sexual abuse.
The press conference is tomorrow, Nov. 14, at 10:30 AM in the House Lounge of the state capitol.
SLPS Student Accuses Teacher of "Inappropriate Behavior"
By Gabe Bullard
Filed
Thursday, November 08, 2007 at 4:39 PM
A Gateway Elementary student has accused a teacher of misconduct. Details have not yet been released, but the teacher has been suspended.
From Superintendent Diana Bourisaw:
A student in the St. Louis Public Schools has accused a district employee of inappropriate behavior. Because this is a sensitive matter involving a student and teacher at an elementary school, there are few details that I can share at this time.
The student attends Gateway Elementary, where the employee works. Based on information we currently have, no one witnessed the alleged incident. Still, in accordance with district policy, the teacher was suspended with pay, pending completion of a state investigation. The district was informed of the allegations at the end of the school day on Tuesday, November 6. The employee’s suspension went into effect immediately. That individual has not been present at the school since the allegations were made.
The school district has no indication that the employee was involved in inappropriate behavior. Based on information we have at this time, no one witnessed the alleged behavior. The veteran teacher, up to now, had a spotless record.
Letters have been sent home with students, informing parents of this situation. Counselors will be made available to students, should they need them.
As a school district, we are troubled by any report that an employee engaged in inappropriate behavior. For this reason, the district will fully cooperate with authorities.
Protecting the welfare of all students and proving a safe, secure learning environment is our first priority.
The following letter was sent to parents:
Dear Parents:
In an effort to provide accurate information to the school community, I want to inform you of a sensitive situation. Within a few hours, you may see news reports involving a staff member at Gateway Elementary. As a principal, I value my responsibility to share information with our parents. For this reason, I am providing the following details – hopefully before you learn about them elsewhere.
One of our students has accused a teacher of inappropriate behavior. Because this is a sensitive matter involving an employee of the district, there are few details that I can share with you at this time. I can say that based on information that I have at this point, no one witnessed the alleged behavior.
In accordance with district policy, the teacher has been suspended with pay, pending the outcome of a state investigation. The individual has not been present at the school since the allegations were made.
The school district had no indication that the employee was involved in inappropriate behavior. The employee is a veteran teacher, who, up until now, has had a spotless record.
We understand the concerns and questions you or your child may have about this report and subsequent developments, should they surface. As a school district, we are deeply troubled by any report that a teacher may have engaged in inappropriate behavior. Therefore, the school district will cooperate with authorities. Counselors will be available for the students, should they need them. Parents with concerns are invited to contact me.
In the meantime, please be assured that protecting the welfare of all students and providing a safe, secure learning environment is our first priority.
School officials attending a conference this weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks may get a political message on their drive to the Tan-Tar-A resort.
A group called Americans for Prosperity - Missouri has bought a billboard attacking the nearly 300 school boards, including St. Louis Public Schools' and its Special Administrative Board, for supporting a lawsuit against the state seeking more money for public education.
Carl Bearden, the former state representative who left the House to accept the state director position with the group, says many of the state's school districts are guilty of a "misguided effort" to funnel tax revenue to lawyers in an unsuccessful effort to force the state to increase state aid to public schools.
Bearden said that if the school districts prevail in court, "the state would either have to raise taxes by $1 billion, cut services by that amount or a combination of both."
The billboards direct people to a website which outlines the group's position on the school funding lawsuit.
Americans for Prosperity calls themselves "the nation's premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual's right to economic freedom and opportunity." According to campaign finance reports, AFP spent $25,000 last year opposing the proposed tabacco tax increase.
On Tuesday, the man appointed by the governor to turn-around the city schools met with the SLPS Parent Assembly for the first time.
SLPS CEO Rick Sullivan immediately opened the floor for questions, most of which were about the Special Administrative Board's plan to improve the schools. Sullivan, a suburban homebuilder, said the SAB's plan will soon be ready and available in its full form for parent review.
Other questions focused on legal actions, school conditions and parent apathy. The meeting ran nearly 45 minutes past its scheduled closing time of 8:00 PM.
In related news... Sullivan, who still has not been confirmed by the senate, will testify Wednesday morning in Jefferson City before the Joint Committee on Education on his first 100 days as CEO of the district.
Andrew Wimmer, a parent of two students at McKinley Middle and Metro High magnet schools, spoke during the public comments section of Tuesday's meeting of the Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools. As he's done at previous meetings, Wimmer challenged District CEO Rick Sullivan on the legality of his appointment by Governor Matt Blunt.
Special Administrative Board CEO Rick Sullivan will be the speaker at the SLPS Parent Assembly Meeting on Tuesday, October 23 at Metro High School at 4015 McPherson Avenue. The meeting starts at 6:30 PM and is open to the public.
According to Parent Assembly President Dorris Walker-McGahee,Sullivan was supposed to be at the last two meetings but he couldn't attend because of a packed schedule.
VIDEO: Bill Monroe Faces Hurdles with New High School Proposal
By Gabe Bullard
Filed
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 9:59 PM
At yesterday's meeting of the Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools, community educator Bill Monroe grew frustrated after he was cut off by District CEO Rick Sullivan after Monroe used his alloted speaking time attempting to explain his proposal for a new vocational high school.
The Board had canceled a scheduled meeting with Monroe last week, saying existing city schools currently offer, or will eventually offer, equivalent training. But Monroe, the founder of the defunct Thurgood Marshall Academy, says this is not the case and he thinks the board has not thoroughly read his proposal.
This week is the School Nutrition Association's National School Lunch Week. To celebrate, Aramark - who provides lunches to St. Louis Public Schools - is encouraging students to participate in the week's theme, "Vote for School Lunch."
By visiting the website voteforschoollunch.org students can vote for cartoon representations of their favorite school lunches. The website is also intended to educate students about healthy lunches.
In an article on health information blog groupvita.com, President of Aramark Education David Maple says the week is a time for Aramark to celebrate its commitment to healthy lunches.
The article also says that Aramark has developed new, healthier recipes. For St. Louis, this includes grilled chicken salad; baked chips; yogurt parfaits; 100 calorie snacks; chicken
quesadilla; teriyaki chicken with steamed rice; taco salad with rice and black beans.
Blunt Reaffirms Support for Sullivan, Commitment to Public Education
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Tuesday, October 09, 2007 at 12:36 PM
At a press conference in downtown St. Louis today, Governor Matt Blunt restated what has been a regular campaign theme in his reelection bid: education is his number one priority.
In that spirit, Blunt congratulated SLPS CEO Rick Sullivan on his progress as head of the city's public schools and said he is confident that he and his State Board of Education appointee, Derio Gambaro, will be confirmed by the state senate in 2008.
The rumor mill is abuzz about what Governor Matt Blunt is about to say in his press conference on St. Louis Public Schools. Reporters, SLPS officials, and even members of the governor's own staff seem to be in the dark.
Will it be just another "progress report" or will the governor make an announcement on CEO Rick Sulivan's status?
Governor Matt Blunt today re-appointed Republican Peter Herschend to the Missouri Board of Education. The Branson native is co-founder of Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, owner of Silver Dollar City theme park, and already serves previously served as president of the Board of Education.
As the bus drivers strike enters its second day, many parents are again forced to find a way to get their kids to schools. According to school officials, 1-out-of-4 kids didn't come to school yesterday.
Student attendance averaged 75% on Monday, says St. Louis Public Schools officials. Fifteen thousand students, about half of the district's total enrollment, ride the bus each day.
Officials recommend that parents, if they can, wait with their children at the bus stop in the morning. Parents may also take their children to school, consider carpooling, or ask a neighborhood church or community organization for assistance.
Families who cannot find alternative means may call the following number for transportation assistance: (314) 367-6074. Let the representative know the location of the student. A bus will be sent as soon as possible.
Last night, the Special Administrative Board (SAB) of St. Louis Public Schools agreed on several motions to expand Rick Sullivan's powers as President and CEO.
Sullivan can now settle legal claims of $5,000 or less without SAB approval. Both Sullivan and Superintendent Diana Bourisaw can now sign board-approved contracts. And both Sullivan and Bourisaw can now sign off on property deals with the board's approval.
SAB member Richard Gaines insisted that all property deals should be done with the knowledge of the alderman of the ward the property is in, which the rest of the board agreed to before voting to approve the motion.
The Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools will meet tomorrow (Thursday) at 6:00 PM in the Administration Building, 801 North 11th Street. This is a public meeting. Here's the agenda:
1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Student Recognition 5. Public Comments 6. Approval of Minutes 7. Superintendent’s Report 8. Board Member Updates 9. Adjournment
After the public meeting, the SAB will hold a closed executive meeting. The agenda for this meeting includes legal, real estate and personnel matters. Here's that agenda:
1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Motion to go into Closed Session 4. Legal Matters 5. Real Estate Matters 6. Personnel Matters 7. Adjournment
Those awaiting the outcome of the trial to decide control of St. Louis Public Schools will have to hang on for another six days. According to SLPS spokesperson Deborah Sistrunk, Judge Richard Callahan has said he does not expect to make a ruling until at least next Tuesday.
Budget concerns were the main topic of the High School Athletics Administration/Management Subcommittee meeting last night. Due to budget cuts this year, each high school received $7,500 for athletics instead of the intended $10,000.
Athletics budgets have been lower than $7,500 in the past, but this $2,500 deficit could cause sports to be canceled and coaching staffs to be cut.
Two subcommittees of the Special Administrative Board will meet this week. First, the High School Athletics Administration/Management Subcommittee will meet today at 6:00 PM in room 108 of the Administrative Building at 801 N. 11th Street. The High School Athletics Finance Subcommittee will meet tomorrow at 6:00 PM in the same location.
Attorneys representing the elected St. Louis Board of Education, the appointed Special Administrative Board, and the state Board of Education will appear in a Cole County courtroom today for the start of the trial to decide who should be in control of the St. Louis schools.
The elected school board argues that the state Board of Education unfairly changed the rules by stripping the district of its accreditation more than a year before it was scheduled to be re-evaluated. The state board argues that SLPS' financial and academic situation, added with its persistent instability in its leadership, created a dire situation which forced them to act.
After several earlier rulings against them, the president of the school board said he doesn't expect the judge to rule in their favor.
"You have to remember this is a judge that ruled that the state constitution doesn't guarantee children a public education," president Peter Downs said at a forum last week referring to Judge Richard Callahan's ruling against 200 school districts across the state which challenged the state's method for funding public schools.
Regardless of the outcome of this trial, Downs said he expects appeals. "This to be ultimately decided by the state supreme court," he said.
The St. Louis Chapter of the Missouri Association for Social Welfare is hosting an education forum today featuring School Board President Peter Downs, Special Administrative Board member Richard Gaines, and PubDef.net editor Antonio French, who will serve as moderator.
The topic of discussion will be: "If the city public schools debate is about the children, then what about the children?"
What is best for the city school children as we move forward? What do the children need? And what can we do to help?
The event will be Friday, Sept. 21 (that's today) from 12:00—1:30 PM at the Heritage House, 2800 Olive Street (at intersection of Olive and Leffingwell). The event is of course free and all are welcome.
Last night at a special committee meeting, the four members of the elected St. Louis Board of Education who were present voted unanimously in favor of a resolution of support for Fire Chief Sherman George who is facing disciplinary action from Mayor Francis Slay.
Board members Peter Downs, David Jackson, Donna Jones and Bill Purdy passed the following resolution asking Slay to "refrain from micro-managing the fire department and allow Chief Sherman George to do his job without interference":
RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS IN SUPPORT OF FIRE CHIEF SHERMAN GEORGE
WHERE AS, St. Louis Board of Education recognizes and salutes the outstanding leadership and performance of Fire Chief Sherman George.
WHERE AS, Chief Sherman George and members of his staff have diligently worked in partnership with the St. Louis Board of Education in providing students the opportunity to shadow city firefighters.
WHERE AS, Chief Sherman George was instrumental in creating an educational partnership with the Fire Department and the St. Louis Public Schools for the benefit of city high school students.
WHERE AS, Chief Sherman George is highly recognized within his profession and was selected to help identify a new Fire Chief for the City of Atlanta Georgia.
WHERE AS, Chief Sherman George is active in the St. Louis Community and attends many civic functions.
WHERE AS, Chief Sherman George was appointed to the position of Fire Chief by former Mayor Clarence Harmon.
WHERE AS, Chief Sherman George and members of his department have faithfully participated in Career Day programs for city youth at the annual Career Day Fair held at the convention center.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS, AS FOLLOWS:
The Board of Education hereby salutes and commends Chief Sherman George for his professionalism, knowledge and leadership within the fire department.
The Board of Education hereby strongly urges that Mayor Frances [sic] Slay and members of his staff refrain from micro-managing the fire department and allow Chief Sherman George to do his job without interference.
THIS RESOLUTION shall be dated September 20, 2007 and shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
BARACK ME ALL NIGHT LONG - All the local Obama Girls will soon have a place to camp out at. We've learned that the Barack Obama for President campaign has come to Missouri. They are currently working out of a donated temporary office space — really a cubical — in a St. Louis business, but they are looking for more permanent digs. This comes just over four months before the Presidential Preference Primary Vote on Feburary 5, 2008.
IRONS BEHIND BARS? - If you were anywhere near a TV yesterday, you may have heard that former Vashon basketball coach Floyd Irons pleaded guilty to wire fraud and mail fraud Thursday. The charges are related to real estate purchases made in 2005 and 2006. Irons now faces 30 years in prison and one million dollars in fines. Sentencing is on November 29th. Swish!
ETHICS COMMISSION: 'NEVERMIND' - The Missouri Ethics Commission took back it's decision ordering candidates to either justify or give back campaign contributions over a retroactively imposed limit. The initial decision was made on September 11, but Republicans filed suit claiming the commission violated open meeting laws. The commission voted to withdraw that decision yesterday, and will take up the issue in their October 4 meeting.
The St. Louis Chapter of the Missouri Association for Social Welfare is hosting an education forum tomorrow featuring School Board President Peter Downs, Special Administrative Board member Richard Gaines, and PubDef.net editor Antonio French, who will serve as moderator.
The topic of discussion will be: "If the city public schools debate is about the children, then what about the children?"
What is best for the city school children as we move forward? What do the children need? And what can we do to help?
The event will be Friday, Sept. 21, from 12:00—1:30 PM at the Heritage House, 2800 Olive Street (at intersection of Olive and Leffingwell). The event is of course free and all are welcome.
The Special Administrative Board and the teachers union are joining forces for a special panel discussion this afternoon.
Here's the press release:
Low-performing schools – and how to turn them around – will be the topic of a St. Louis panel discussion on public education. The Special Administrative Board (SAB) of the St. Louis Public Schools will join St. Louis Teachers and School Related Personnel, Local 420, in sponsoring the event.
The meeting will take place Thursday, September 20, at 1 p.m., at the SLPS Administration Building, 801 N. 11th St., Room 108. The discussion, which is open to the public, will feature a panel made up of selected district stakeholders. These stakeholders will question representatives of two school districts that have demonstrated success in improving low-performing schools. Fielding the questions will be educators from the Chicago Public Schools and the ABC Unified School District of Los Angeles County. They will describe collaborative partnerships, best practices, and research-based models that led to academic success in their districts. Officials from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) will also be on hand.
The public engagement committee of the St. Louis Special Administrative Board, chaired by Richard Gaines, is spearheading the event. The SAB, AFT and Local 420 are actively involved in exploring educational reform models with a proven track record in school improvement.
Sodexho's contract with the St. Louis Public Schools will continue at least until June 2008, at which time contract negotiations will start again. That's according to a spokesmen for the district.
Sodexho, which provides custodial services to the schools, sent a letter to the district last week announcing they were leaving in November of this year.
"Their main issue was our shaky financial situation," said SLPS Media Spokesman Eric Little. "But it's been worked out through at least the end of this school year."
PubDef has obtained a copy of that Sodexho letter. See below.
Susan Turk, writing for the St. Louis Schools Watch, reports that the controversial facilities management company Sodexho USA has effectively quit.
In a letter dated September 4, 2007 Sodexho Vice President, Education Facilities Services Jerry Tuggle informs the superintendent that "Sodexho is terminating the Agreement, (Editor's note: meaning their contract) effective November 5, 2007." Two months notice and that's it.
They want all outstanding amounts paid immediately. They give the district the option of buying all Sodexho equipment and supplies used at district premises on or before the termination. date.
Why now? Have they finally gotten fed up with all the negative assessments of their services? Or are they angling for a renegotiated and more lucrative contract? Can the SLPS find another "provider" in less than 2 months? Can they bring custodial and maintenance services back in house in that amount of time? Stay tuned!
St. Louis Public School's Virtual Schools are underway and district officials say so far, so good for the Internet-based learning program.
At a press event this afternoon at the Downtown Academy (formerly Patrick Henry School), Superintendent Diana Bourisaw discussed the program, which started just this year for grades K-3 and 9-12, with more grades to follow next year.
Students in the program take most of their classes online. The students also go to learning centers throughout the week for additional education.
The program costs students and parents nothing. As for how much it costs the district, Bourisaw didn't have an exact price, but she said she believes it will "pay for itself."
SLPS' virtual schools are made possible through a partnership with Virginia-based K12 Inc. Learn more on the district's website.
There is a bit of Constitutional confusion in Jefferson City today.
As readers of PubDef had expected for weeks (and readers of the Postjust found out today), Governor Matt Blunt withdrew the names of two of his controversial education appointees during last week's special session of the State Legislature. Both State Board of Education appointee Derio Gambaro and St. Louis Public Schools CEO Rick Sullivan were withdrawn from Senate confirmation because of lack of support from their home senators — a customary requirement for successful confirmation.
PubDef has reported than both men are expected to be resubmitted to the Senate soon and would remain in power until at least January, when the Senate reconvenes and again takes up gubernatorial appointments. However, the Governor's office believes it is not necessary to resubmit their names to the senate before next year.
According to a source close to the situation, the Governor believes that simply having the nominees on file with the Secretary of State's office is sufficient enough for the two men to continue to serve on a interim basis. The well-placed source says the Governor is considering not resubmitting the names to the senate until next year.
However, the Missouri Constitution clearly states, in the case of Gambaro, that appointments to the Board of Education must be made with the "advice and consent of the Senate." The law creating Sullivan's positions says the same thing. And apparently, the Senate's Republican leadership agrees.
State Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons (R-Kirkwood) told the Post-Dispatch the decision to pull the names was mutual to avoid a Senate vote. He also said he agrees with Blunt's staff that Sullivan and Gambaro still hold their posts for now. But Gibbons also said he believes the state constitution requires that the governor renew their interim appointments by September 19 if he wants them to stay on until the Senate reconvenes in January.
If these men serve for three months without being submitted to the Senate, it may put every action, vote and decision under close legal scrutiny. And in the case of Sullivan, who serves on a three-person board, if any important decisions are made by a vote of 2-1, a judge may later rule the vote was in fact 1-1 since Sullivan could not legally cast a vote — especially if he is ultimately not confirmed by the Senate.
In a press release sent out today, St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Diana Bourisaw says CEO Rick Sullivan is still running the district.
"Rick Sullivan’s appointment to the Special Administrative Board remains in effect," said Bourisaw. "Reports indicating that Governor Blunt withdrew Mr. Sullivan’s appointment are unfounded. The district will continue with business as usual."
Unfounded? Not really.
Below is a copy of the letter, signed by Governor Matt Blunt, withdrawing Sullivan's nomination.
Click images to enlarge
The question that now remains is whether the Special Administrative Board will have to re-elect Sullivan as President of the Board following Blunt's expected re-appointment of the Chesterfield real estate developer in the coming days.
Both Rick Sullivan and Derio Gambaro have indeed been withdrawn. This is a fact. Read the letter for yourself above.
Before the next meeting of the Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools (and after the Missouri Senate has adjourned again till January), Sullivan will most likely be re-appointed by Blunt through a letter sent to the Senate. This is the process.
In the meantime, Sullivan cannot legally vote, hire, fire, sign contracts, or anything else. No matter what PR people or the "Daily-Disappointment" says.
On Saturday, August 18, St. Louis Public Schools Special Administrative Board member Richard Gaines spoke to a group of 1st Ward residents about the challenges which lay ahead for the city school district.
Education reporter Steve Giegerich might have a future in public relations when his days at the Post-Dispatch are over.
Giegerich's stories about the state of St. Louis Public Schools helped shape public opinion in suburban St. Louis and across Missouri against the elected board and for the need for a state takeover.
He has even written stories that blatantly disregard the facts as they relate to critics of the takeover. To the Post's credit, after watching PubDef's video of the meeting in question, the editors did issue a correction following Giegerich's last completely false story against Special Administrative Board member Richard Gaines.
But now, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, the paper's editors can correct Giegerich's stories as soon as the facts are made clear to them and before they waste any ink.
Yesterday afternoon, Giegerich wrote a story for STLToday.com with the headline, "City Schools Open Without Glitches".
Even the most optimistic school administrator knows that there's not a school district in the world that has a glitch-free first day. As a matter of fact, as the press release below from the elected school board, illustrates, there were quite a few glitches.
By evening, Giegerich's story had changed. "City Schools Open With Glitches, Optimism," read the new headline and story.
From the school board:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 20, 2007
Media Contact: Donna Jones Phone: 314-568-0149
Unacceptable Problems Plague First Day of School in St. Louis
Transportation and classes without teachers top the list of reported problems
St. Louis - Thousands of St. Louis children starting school today encountered more than the usual number of problems.
"While many schools had an excellent start, there were problems with student transportation all across the district," said Donna Jones, chairwoman of the School Climate Committee of the St. Louis Board of Education. "Many, many schools, elementary, middle, and high, reported that there were buses that were very late in bringing students to school," she said. "Transportation problems were made worse because the district was very late in sending out route assignments to parents, and families did not get their notices until after the deadline for correcting any mistakes. That kind of performance is unacceptable," she added.
"Many schools also reported that they had oversized classes and teaching positions still unfilled," Jones said, including magnet schools, regular elementary schools, and high schools. "Beaumont reportedly did not have a foreign language teacher, even though foreign language is a state requirement, and Central was offering only Spanish," she added.
The schools opened under the direction of a state-appointed board that began operating on June 15, 2007.
William Purdy, former vice president of the elected board of education said, "There should be no reasons why our schools did not open smoothly on Monday, August 20. Superintendent Bourisaw and her staff came to the elected board for support back in May and June – and the board responded by approving all of the requests made in order to assure that our schools would open on time. The board approved 143 items in May and June to ensure that schools would open on time and that students would be provided for."
Board of education member Katherine Wessling expressed frustration that problems were so widespread on the first day of school in spite of all the planning into starting the school year that occurred last Spring before the arrival of the state-appointed board. "Every school I visited or contacted had transportation problems," she said. "I don't want to hear any more about special programs when we can't get the basics right," she added.
The St. Louis Board of Education has undisputed authority and responsibility to monitor the activities of the St. Louis Public School district. This statement is issued in performance of those monitoring duties.
Will Blunt Withdraw Sullivan? [Updated: Gambaro Too?]
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 8:57 AM
The term of St. Louis Public Schools' chief executive officer may be even shorter than many predicted.
Governor Matt Blunt's appointment to the Special Administrative Board of the city schools, Rick Sullivan, has yet to be confirmed by the State Senate, and is unlikely to be unless his senator, Joan Bray, sponsors him.
Blunt appointed Sullivan after the legislature ended its last session. As a recess appointment, Sullivan would normally not have to be confirmed until the senate came back in January.
But as the state legislature reconvenes this week, there is growing speculation that Blunt will withdraw Sullivan from the CEO post to avoid his senate rejection and reappoint him again after the special session.
UPDATE: According to Senate Minority Leader Maida Coleman, unlike a veto session, during a special session of the Legislature, the senate carries on with all its normal business, including confirmation of appointments.
The senate is scheduled to take up the confirmation of roughly 45 gubernatorial appointments during this short session. Unless they are withdrawn, that would include Sullivan and Board of Education appointee, Derio Gambaro — both of whom, at this point, do not have the support of their home senators.
The Governor's office has until the last 24 hours of session to withdraw their nominations. He then can renominate them 24 hours after the Legislature adjourns.
A study released today by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine names St. Louis Public Schools' lunches the worst in nutritional value out of America's 22 largest school districts.
The SLPS middle school and high school summer lunch menus feature nutritional sinkholes such as nachos and cheese pizza as entrées Monday through Friday. The elementary school menu has far less cheese, but offers two packages of graham crackers with every lunch this summer.
Several studies have shown a strong relationship between nutrition and learning in children.
Iodine deficiency during early years is associated with reduced cognition and achievement in school-age children. Poorly nourished children have more problems fighting infections. Therefore, they may be sick more often, miss more school, and fail to keep up with classmates.
Undernutrition results in:
decreased activity levels,
decreased social interactions,
decreased curiosity, and
decreased cognitive functioning
In these studies, school-age children who ate breakfast did better on performance tests than children with no breakfast.
In St. Louis schools, 81% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The Post-Dispatch'sPaul Hampel reports on the dilemma being faced by thousands of families in St. Louis City and the Riverview Gardens School District. The state says their districts are not providing a quality education, but then offers them no options and no other place to go.
An attorney might ask, just what are these parents paying taxes for? And why can their tax dollars only pay for an inferior public education, while their neighbors in nearby counties receive an at-least-"adequate" (as defined by the state) public education for the same, or even less, tax dollars?
From the Post:
Under Missouri law, students in unaccredited school districts such as Riverview Gardens and St. Louis can transfer to a better district in an adjoining county. And the districts they leave have to pay tuition at their new school.
The problem: Other districts don't have to admit them.
The McCoys, a family on a tight budget, can't afford private tuition. A transfer out of the district seemed like the only option for their daughters, Fernetta, 14, who wants to be an architect, and Remeika, 17, who aims to be a pediatrician.
Cleaning out the old digital closet, we ran across this nugget of irony.
In July 2006, when he was running for state senate, Derio Gambaro sent this mailer to St. Louis voters saying he was the "best person to stop Governor [Matt] Blunt's agenda."
As we all know, in June 2007 Governor Blunt appointed Gambaro to the State Board of Education...
On Friday, a judge ruled that the elected school board could not settle legal cases on its own. The judge also ruled that the elected board cannot keep its attorneys, Lashly and Baer, from sharing information with the new appointed school board.
The following is a letter sent from elected board president Peter Downs regarding the decision.
Dear Friends,
This afternoon (Friday, August 3), Judge Callahan applied the brakes to the appointed board.
Rick Sullivan, president and chief executive officer of the appointed board had sought to remove the attorneys of the elected St. Louis Board of Education, Lashly & Baer, from all open cases involving the St. Louis Board of Education, which would also have severed the elected board from any involvement in defending those cases, and he had ordered Lashly & Baer to turnover all the confidential legal files on those cases.
The elected board responded to Sullivan that he was exceeding his authority. We pointed out that we had an obligation to the employees and former employees we were defending in those cases, and to ourselves. We said we would consider releasing case files if the appointed board committed to defending and indemnifying the defendants in those cases.
Sullivan's response was to go to Judge Callahan to get an order giving him what he wanted. He did not get it.
Judge Callahan ordered only that the Board of Education not settle any case without also getting the approval of the appointed board, and, consistent with that, he ordered that the Board of Education could not prevent Lashly & Baer from communicating about those cases with the appointed board.
In other words, Judge Callahan rejected Sullivan's claim to be the sole authority in all matters pertaining to St. Louis Public Schools. Callahan left the elected Board of Education in charge of defending the lawsuits against the St. Louis Board of Education, and left Lashly & Baer as the attorney representing the Board. He did give the appointed board veto power over any agreements the elected Board makes to settle any of the cases. In short, he seems to be saying that both boards have a role and they need to work together.
Meanwhile, the elected Board of Education is continuing to work on the long-term improvement of schools. Donna Jones held the first meeting of the School Climate Committee.
The School Climate Committee is concerned with the relationships between facilities and students, teachers, and administrators and how they affect learning. Put another way, the committee's charge is to see if we have created a climate in each school that gives students the opportunity and encouragement to learn.
The committee is concerned with both the physical environment of the building, grounds, and equipment, and the emotional relationships between students, teachers, and administrators. The totality of those constitutes the school climate.
We want to know if buildings are maintained, if they are inviting or depressing, and if they have the proper facilities to teach what is supposed to be taught.
We want to know if the schools have the right equipment and supplies.
We want to know if students can concentrate on learning or if they feel too anxious or fearful to concentrate because of bullying or weapons in the school.
We want to know if teachers respect students and encourage the effort of learning, or whether they dismiss them as unteachable and set low expectations.
We want to know if building administrators do the same thing, and if they encourage teachers to experiment with and supplement the approved curriculum and teaching materials to find ways to enliven teaching and spark the interests of their students.
We want to know of building administrators work respectfully and cooperatively with teachers, or whether they disrespect and bully them.
The charge of the committee is to find out some of our shortcomings and recommend way of assessing school climate (there actually are a bunch of tools for that on the market that they can evaluate) that highlights the weaknesses for each school in a way that will help staff devise strategies for improvement. The assessment could be repeated every couple of years to find out if the school climate is improving.
Anyone wanting to volunteer on the School Climate Committee should contact Donna Jones via the Board office at 345-2304.
Sincerely,
Peter Downs President St. Louis Board of Education
Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan will see some familiar faces in court again tomorrow. The St. Louis Board of Education and the Special Administrative Board (SAB) of St. Louis Public Schools will be heading back to Callahan's court as the SAB seeks to pry some of the last remaining power from elected board's hand.
According to a district source, the SAB is asking the court to order the elected board to turn over all files relating to legal cases in which the BOE is currently involved — all those, that is, except legal docs relating to the ongoing case against the SAB, of course.
Opponents of the takeover of St. Louis Public Schools will finally get their day in court. PubDef.net has learned that 9:30 a.m., September 25, is the time and date of the start of the hearing to determine what control city residents will have over their public schools.
State Representative Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-University City) has released a report, months in the making, on school district takeovers all over the country and how they often lead to vouchers, privatization, and little academic improvement.
St. Louis Public Schools CEO Rick Sullivan all but apologized to his two fellow Special Administrative Board members last night for failing to include them in the decision to fire, or RIF (Reduction in Force), 34 district employees earlier this month.
Board member Richard Gaines said he believes that under state law, the Board of Education — and so now the Special Administrative Board — must approve such firings first, which it did not.
The Special Administrative Board (SAB) of St. Louis Public Schools voted unanimously last night to affirm its support of two ongoing legal fights against the State of Missouri for more education dollars.
Board member Richard Gaines said it was Board of Education President Peter Downs who asked him to bring to the SAB's attention the importance of the district's lawsuit against the state for violating the terms of the Desegregation Agreement by failing to fully fund the educational funding formula for many years. According to St. Louis Public Schools, the state owes the district tens of millions of dollars, which has largely contributed to the district's current financial problems. Coincidentally, the district's financial problems was one of the reasons cited by the State Board of Education for taking over the district.
The second case involves more that 200 school districts across Missouri also suing the state for failing to fully fund the education funding formula.
Members of the Special Advisory Board of St. Louis Public Schools were vocal in their disagreement Thursday evening over a move to make the governor's appointee to the Board both chief executive officer of the district and president of the board.
Board member Richard Gaines said he thought it was improper for the person charged with implementing board policies to also lead the board which assesses those implementations.
He said he has requested the State Attorney General's office to give its opinion about what the law says CEO Rick Sullivan's role on the Board is. He asked the other members to table any decision until after that opinion was delivered Friday morning. But board member Melanie Adams refused to table her motion and by a 2-1 vote, the Board changed its bi-laws to make Sullivan its presiding member.
In a second 2-1 vote, the Board approved Adams' motion to make herself Vice-President and Gaines Secretary/Treasurer, which he declined.
UPDATE:Click here to watch the 30-minute version of this video.
UPDATE 2:Post-Dispatch reporter Steve Giegerich often gets his facts mixed up. So as a continuing public service, PubDef will correct his errors in covering future Board meetings before he damages the image of the Special Administrative Board and its members as bad as he did the elected board and some of its members.
In his story today about last night's meeting, Giegerich writes:
"[Richard Gaines] then proposed to dilute [Rick] Sullivan's power by stripping away the CEO title and electing him the president of the board. The motion was defeated 2-1, with board member Melanie Adams siding with Sullivan."
That is not true at all. Gaines made no motion to take any power away from Sullivan, nor did he even propose such a motion.
What Gaines did suggest, but still never made a motion on, was to delay electing officers until after the Attorney General has offered his opinion about what the law says. No motion made by Richard Gaines last night was voted down.
Giegerich's editors should watch the above video from yesterday's meeting and print a retraction in Saturday's edition.
Secondly, Giegerich also missed the point when he writes:
"Specifically, Gaines was upset that Sullivan, along with Superintendent Diana Bourisaw, had authorized the layoffs of 34 district employees last month."
No, what Gaines was upset about, and Rick Sullivan all but apologized for last night (see this video), was that the decision to fire those employees was never brought to and approved by the Special Administrative Board, as is required by law.
Sullivan told Gaines and Melanie Adams at last night's meeting to review his decision "as if it had not already been done," suggesting lawyers have informed him the firings were done improperly and will still have to be approved by the board at a future date.
UPDATE 3: On July 25, 2007, the Post-Dispatch ran the following correction:
"A report in Friday's Metro section on the St. Louis Public Schools Special Administrative Board incorrectly reflected actions by board member Richard Gaines. Gaines asked the board to consult with the attorney general to define the responsibilities of Chief Executive Officer Richard Sullivan. Board member Melanie Adams then made a motion for the panel to elect a board president."
It came as no surprise when board member David Jackson made his motion last night for the St. Louis Board of Education to "cease and desist" all of its operations until the pending lawsuit is resolved. He had made his intentions clear in an article published in Post-Dispatch the same day. And so as quickly as he made the motion, Board President Peter Downs ruled it out of order and his colleagues, one by one, from yells to whispers, told him why they felt the Board must continue its fight against the state takeover. But it was board member Donna Jones who spoke first and loudest...
The Special Administrative Board will meet again on Thursday. This will not only be the first time the Board has held a public meeting at the district administration building, but also the first time the public will have an opportunity to address all three members at the same time.
The Board Meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Immediately following the open session, an executive session will be held to discuss legal matters.
Here are the two agendas:
OPEN SESSION AGENDA
1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Student Recognition 5. Public Comments 6. Superintendent’s Report
Back to School
New Programs
Finance
Business Items
7. Board Member Updates 8. Adjournment
EXECUTIVE SESSION AGENDA
1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Motion to go into Closed Session 4. Legal Matters 5. Adjournment
The Post-Dispatchreports CEO Rick Sullivan has ordered Superintendent Diana Bourisaw not to attend tonight's meeting of the elected school board.
Last week, the elected board sent a laundry list of 20 items for the superintendent to prepare for them, many of them dealing with the district's preparation for the first day of school. Presumably, they will be forced to go without those answers at tonight's meeting.
The elected board will go into closed session at 6:00 this evening to discuss legal matters. It was at their previous closed session that members voted to take control of the district's bank accounts, a move that prompted a judge to issue a restraining order against the board.
The regular public meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Carr Lane VPA Middle School, 1004 N. Jefferson Ave. Click here to see the lengthy agenda.
The elected board may not be happy with receiving what it asked for by forcing the issue.
Sources say Judge Richard Callahan has ruled against the Board of Education and placed the finances of St. Louis Public Schools under the control of the Special Administrative Board. A formal written ruling is expected shortly.
The elected and appointed school boards of St. Louis Public Schools are set to clash today in a Jefferson City courtroom after Board President Peter Downs allegedly attempted to make himself the sole signer of district checks yesterday.
Downs apparently went into U.S. Bank yesterday with a resolution from the St. Louis Board of Education authorizing him to remove the district's chief financial officer as a signer. The bank, apparently aware of the ongoing power struggle, said they would only do so with a court order.
Upon hearing about Downs' action, attorneys for the Special Administrative Board filed for a temporary restraining order. That hearing is scheduled be heard this afternoon by Judge Richard Callahan, the same judge that denied the elected board's request to stop the state takeover.
It is unclear when the elected board approved such a resolution, which should have been done in open session, or who voted in favor.
Developing...
UPDATE @ 4:40 p.m. — The elected board may not be happy with receiving what it asked for by forcing the issue. Judge Callahan has ruled against the Board of Education and placed the finances of St. Louis Public Schools under the control of the Special Administrative Board.
UPDATE 2 @ 4:47 p.m. — Board President Peter Downs tells PubDef.net that he personally did not go to the bank. Rather, the Board's attorney forwarded a letter to U.S. Bank requesting them to make Downs' the sole signer, which the bank refused to do without a court order.
UPDATE 3 @ 5:00 p.m. — The elected board approved this action in closed session before Tuesday's public meeting. The vote was unanimous among the six members present (Flynt Flowler was not).
The conclusion of a report earlier this week by Channel 2's Charles Jaco raises an interesting question: Will the loss of the city school's accreditation lead to another wave of parents moving out of the city?
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 David Jackson: an executive summary on district's procedures for dealing with staff abuse of students.
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.
State Representative Jamilah Nasheed is encouraging the elected and the appointed school boards to work together for the sake of improving student performance.
In a June 9th letter to the governor-appointed CEO of St. Louis Public Schools, Rick Sullivan, Nasheed wrote:
Dear Mr. Sullivan,
It is no secret that I opposed the state takeover of the St. Louis Public Schools as being against the best interests of district students and taxpayers. Now that the takeover is a reality, at least until pending litigation is resolved, it is vital for the newly appointed Special Administrative Board and the elected St. Louis Board of Education to cooperate, rather than compete, in the governance of the SLPS.
In the month since the takeover took effect, the appointed board has been dismissive of any sort of working relationship with the elected board. For its part, the elected board has resisted the authority of the appointed board. This impasse serves the interests of no one involved, least of all St. Louis students.
I firmly believe that all parties only want what is best for our young people. Therefore, I propose the two boards hold a joint town hall meeting so the boards’ members and the public can work to establish a common ground from which to pursue the difficult work of improving the quality of education provided by the SLPS. With the start of the 2007-2008 school year just two months away, this effort at conciliation should take place sooner rather than later.
I appreciate your consideration of this matter. If I can be of assistance in arranging a town hall meeting and fostering better communication between the two boards, please do not hesitate to contact me.
The St. Louis Public Schools Special Administrative Board will hold a Special Board Meeting tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Administration Building, Foundation Room, 801 N. 11th Street. The meeting will begin with a motion to go into closed session to discuss legal and personnel matters.
This comes a week after the district announced 34 layoffs, or "Reduction in Force" notices, which Superintendent Diana Bourisaw said were authorized by the elected board last month. However, Board President Peter Downs denied that. There has been no comment so far from the district's governor-appointed CEO, Rick Sullivan.
Here is the agenda as posted on the SLPS website:
EXECUTIVE SESSION AGENDA
1. Call To Order 2. Roll Call 3. Motion to go into Closed Session 4. Legal Matters 5. Personnel Matters 6. Adjournment
A new law signed Friday by Governor Matt Blunt encourages abstinence-only education in Missouri's public schools and bars some experts from teaching classes on sex or STDs. House Bill 1055 adds to the existing law, which states all sex education courses must present students with "the latest medically factual information regarding both the possible side effects and health benefits of all forms of contraception, including the success and failure rates for the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases..."
The new law adds: "...or shall present students with information on contraceptives and pregnancy in a manner consistent with the provisions of the federal abstinence education law".
In addition, the new law restricts agents of abortion providers (read: Planned Parenthood) from offering, sponsoring, or furnishing in any manner any course materials or instruction relating to human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases.
No longer in control of the district's purse strings, three elected school board members are calling on supporters to make financial contributions to help with the cost of the legal challenge to St. Louis' Public Schools unaccreditation.
School Board President Peter Downs, board members Bill Purdy and Donna Jones have established the Save Our Children's Education nonprofit corporation. "Our purpose is to raise money to fund legal efforts to defend our school district," wrote Purdy.
"Toward that end we have retained the Jefferson City law firm of Brydon, Swearengen & England to represent us. The law firm of Lashly Baer is also part of our legal team. We have set a goal of raising $40,000."
In addition to direct donations, the group is sponsoring a fundraiser concert next week.
The Black Notes, a jazz quintet from the Metro High School, and local group The U-Turns will perform at The Atomic Cowboy, 4140 Manchester, on Thursday, July 19, from 7 - 10:00 p.m. Cost is $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.
Direct donations can be mailed to:
SAVE OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION P.O. BOX 21642, ST. LOUIS, MO. 63109-0642
Our friends over at "The Real Deal" radio show tell us that former St. Louis Public School Board President Veronica O'Brien will be on the show today at 4:15 p.m.
The show airs on WGNU 920AM and you can listen online at www.wgnu.net.
Downs: SAB Shouldn't Change Policies Until Situation is Resolved in Court
By Antonio D. French
The following statement comes from Peter Downs, president of the St. Louis Board of Education:
The Board of Education of the City of St. Louis is strongly opposed to the unlawful and flawed attempt to take control of St. Louis Public Schools away from the voters and their elected board of education. With broad backing from citizens of St. Louis, the Board is challenging this scheme in the courts and is committed to seeing that challenge to a successful conclusion.
The vagueness of the law involved is enormous. The effort to take control from the elected representatives of the people of St. Louis and abruptly give it to an appointed board with no plan for improved student achievement is wrong and misguided. Even if the law is found lawful, the division of responsibilities of the two entities will detract, not enhance, the gains this elected Board has achieved and will make the operation of the SLPS unworkable.
Nevertheless, people in St. Louis are looking for some relief from the confusion spawned by the State's takeover attempt.
What We Fight For
The elected Board is committed to building schools that not only teach how to read and compute, but also teach students how to think critically within various disciplines of knowledge; schools that prepare students to become active, involved, and just participants in our democracy; help students imagine and achieve new options for their places in society; and enable them to lead rich and rewarding personal lives.
This contrasts with the objectives of a prior Board, which led the call for a state takeover. The prior board, which was tied to Mayor Francis Slay and a small group that called itself the Black Leadership Roundtable (BLR), had a constipated vision of education that allowed room for only reading and math and blocked access to many educational opportunities and future choices for St. Louis children. In pursuing their narrow objectives, the prior Board actually drove down the performance of schools in St. Louis.
When it became clear that the people of St. Louis rejected the prior Board's constricted view of education, the prior Board and their supporters began calling for a state takeover, a "transition board," to thwart the will of the voters and prevent the development of democratic and effective public education.
Make no mistake, although the State's current attempt to change policy makers is based upon the performance of SLPS under the prior, narrow-minded Board, the effort to reinstate that same failed group as the new policy makers signals that the State has two goals: to prevent the development of strong, democratic public education in St. Louis, and to beat down democracy in the city.
Children First
As the elected Board of Education of the City of St. Louis, we are committed to fight for the futures of the children of St. Louis and the right to vote. We are committed to seeing through our lawsuit against State actions that serve only to sabotage public education in St. Louis.
At the same time, we recognize that individuals on the appointed board may not agree completely with the State's aims or the narrow vision of a prior Board. We will try to convince them to support measures designed to advance public education in St. Louis. We are very concerned that the programs and initiatives we approved, that are designed to improve student achievement, will suffer while the legal battle over authority continues.
In an effort to provide stability while the legal uncertainty is fully litigated, the Board of Education is open to discuss an interim working arrangement with the TSD under certain principles which would include an agreement that the previous actions taken by the elected Board go forward.
We urge the TSD not to interfere or prohibit any previous decision by the elected Board until a final decision is made by the courts. While both the elected Board and the TSD can and should continue their planning, the elected Board asks the TSD to commit with it to make no future operating decisions without the consent of the other board until the court renders a decision. The superintendent, of course, should do her best to communicate fully with the members of both boards.
In a statement from Superintendent Diana Bourisaw today, St. Louis Public Schools announced that 34 district employees have received "Reduction in Force" notices.
"The budget approved by the St. Louis Board of Education, which passed last month, authorized a reduction in up to 60 administrative positions," said Bourisaw. "We hoped that all reductions would occur through attrition, especially with the early separation program that the district has offered. However, this did not happen in all cases."
According to Bourisaw, all but 12 of those employees have rights to other district positions. She stressed that the administration "worked diligently to identify positions that could be reduced in a manner that would not affect classroom instruction."
Bonner will apparently no longer be coaching the Vashon basketball team either. According to Bourisaw, any coaching vacancies will be filled by district teachers.
St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Diana Bourisaw recently announced the hiring of three principals to head the district’s new alternative schools. SLPS will launch a new K-12 initiative, designed specifically for disruptive students, at the start of the 2007-2008 school year.
Bonita Jamison has been named principal of Des Peres Elementary, 450 Des Peres Ave. Jamison previously served as a principal intern for the district, as well as a classroom teacher for SLPS and the Riverview Gardens School District.
Sean Nichols will be principal of Turner Middle School, 2615 N. Billups Ave. Before his new appointment, Nichols served as an SLPS assistant principal.
Kacy Seals will take the reins of Kottmeyer High School, 1530 S. Grand Blvd. Seals previously worked as an SLPS assistant principal and principal intern.
"We have hired instructional leaders with a strong understanding of the needs of alternative students," said Bourisaw. "Our goal is to offer curriculum that encourages students at all levels to achieve academically and socially."
The district is implementing its new initiative with assistance from The Big Picture Company, an organization that specializes in developing individualized instruction for students. Enrollment at each school will be limited to 150 students.
Kristen Hinman of The Riverfront Times posted a story yesterday on their blog about Susan Turk's recent email about me and my involvement, as an advisor to Lewis Reed, with the selection of Richard K. Gaines, one of the members of the Special Advisory Board of St. Louis Public Schools.
"... for my money, for Antonio to be on a payroll collaborating with the installation of the Trans Board and then to go off and complain about it in print amounts to highly questionable behavior," wrote Turk.
As a frequent reader of PubDef.net (and the St. Louis American), Susan was well aware of my role as political director for President Reed. She also knows that I am strongly against the state takeover. Still, all she needed to hear was that Richard Gaines is a member of the Black Leadership Roundtable before she concluded that the fix was in and I had flipped sides.
"My ass," I told the RFT. "The thing that Susan is missing -- and really a lot of folks on that side are missing -- is they sometimes don't know when they've got a friend."
Too many takeover opponents have adopted the "with us or against us" position expressed by a Local 420 member at the last meeting of the SAB: "If you want to help the children, then resign," he told Gaines.
As if the Transitional School District is going to disappear because only the governor's and the mayor's selections were left to decide its direction.
President Reed, Richard Gaines and I all oppose the state takeover of St. Louis Public Schools. But none of us have the power to stop it at this point. This situation will ONLY be decided in the courts or in the state legislature.
In the meantime, President Reed has selected someone to serve on the board who clearly has the most experience with St. Louis Public Schools (as student, parent, school board member, school board president, and behind-the-scenes player), someone who will not tolerate any plan for a wholesale dismantling of the district (not that such a plan has been proposed), and someone who will demand that the board operates like a responsible public body.
What Susan and I have here, perhaps, is a difference of philosophy. Can someone do more good from the inside than outside?
But, really, that's not even the question we have here.
Foes of the takeover will continue to defend traditional public education from outside of the new state-controlled system and fight for our city to regain local control of our schools.
At the same time, we will have some voices inside the process fighting to make sure, at the very least, the situation does not get worse and that our city does not have a repeat of the Roberti period, when the powers that be ran the district like a private corporation intent on protecting its trade secrets.
Susan does have a friend in me — and in Richard Gaines and President Reed — even if she didn't realize it at first.
At the last SAB meeting, I captured Turk quizzing Gaines on a range of topics, including his role on the Roundtable, a group which, despite his membership (Percy Green, another vocal takeover critic, is also a member), he strongly disagreed with many of its decisions regarding SLPS.
I'm not sure, but I think by the end of the video, Susan learns that she and Gaines agree on most things.
One more thing: The RFT's story is called "French Bread". Come on, guys. You can be more clever than that.
Okay, two: Hinman also gives me a bit more credit than I deserve, I did not run Lewis Reed's aldermanic president campaign. I was just part of the team.
As expected, the State Board of Education voted today to classify the Riverview Gardens School District, a district in St. Louis County with about 8,000 students, as unaccredited.
It is the second time this year the board has taken action to strip a school district of accredited status. In March, the board voted to de-accredit the St. Louis Public Schools.
The board voted 7-0 to approve the recommendation of Commissioner of Education D. Kent King to de-accredit the school district.
“We have seen a precipitous decline in the academic performance of this school district. At the same time, there has been a dangerous decline in the district’s financial situation. We don’t know for sure if the school district will end this year in the black or in the red,” said Commissioner King.
On its most recent academic evaluation, the school district met only 3 of the 14 academic standards that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education uses to evaluate school districts for accreditation purposes.
The former superintendent of the Riverview Gardens district, Henry Williams, has recently been charged with crimes involving misuse of school district funds and other offenses. He has been suspended by the district.
The school district will have until June 30, 2009, to demonstrate sufficient academic progress to qualify for provisional accreditation status. If it does not make adequate progress in that time, it faces the prospect of state intervention and the dissolution of the local board of education.
One of the downsides for many of the roughly 120 people who attended last night's Special Administrative Board (SAB) meeting was that, because of the unique format (see our earlier post), if you weren't one of the lucky ones seated at a table Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Gaines, or Ms. Adams came to, you could very well have spent over an hour at the meeting and not heard one question or one answer.
Good thing you've got the Internet and PubDef.
From across the crowded room, thanks to a wireless microphone, we followed the conversation at one of those tables.
UPDATE: Some commenters have asked what Gaines meant when he said, in response to a question about what he'd do if he found that others were not including him in decision-making, "I get a very small salary for doing this and I don't mind giving that salary up." Gaines' salary is indeed "very small." Zero, in fact.
Gaines tells PubDef he was merely making a joke about his volunteerism. SAB members, like the elected board members, will not be paid for their efforts.
We got a little backlogged with editing today, so forgive the uncharacteristic tardiness.
Speaking of "uncharacteristic," last night's meeting of the Special Advisory Board of the Transitional School District of the City of St. Louis (try saying that three times fast), was different not only because of the free cookies and coffee, but because of the presence of something not seen in the St. Louis Public Schools in a very long time — PR savvy.
Many came to the meeting, billed as the public's first opportunity to address the new appointed board, not just to listen to the comments, but to watch a bloodbath.
Vocal opponents of the state takeover had waited for weeks to speak directly to the man from Chesterfield now in charge of their kids and their jobs. But like a smaller, faster fighter using political Judo to disable his larger opponents, District CEO Rick Sullivan and his team of (as yet unpaid) Vandiver Group PR consultants, divided and conquered.
Sullivan spread the crowd across the large meeting room in the lower level of the St. Louis Science Center, seating them at tables of seven. The parents, staff, and teachers union members were forced to deal with the SAB members one-on-one. No microphones. No clapping or applauding in agreement with angry speakers. No booing at laments about how the old system wasn't working.
Perhaps it was all smoke and mirrors, but it worked. What was supposed to be a three-hour battle among vocal opponents and supporters of the change in leadership turned into more of a town hall meeting, which winded down after only little more than an hour with people leaving, either satisfied (or pacified) or tired of waiting for one of the three to get to their table.
Strictly from a political strategy perspective... brilliant.
Sure, there were definitely complaints delivered forcefully and directly to the SAB members. The first thirty minutes were the hardest.
"Go back to where you came from," read one evaluation form handed to Sullivan.
"If you want to help the children, then resign," one Local 420 member told Richard Gaines.
But when the dust cleared and everyone had gone home, it was Sullivan and Gaines who were the last one's standing and the last to leave the building (the third member, Melanie Adams, had left earlier).
In fact, even Gaines, who had complained about the format at the start of the meeting, told one of the last parents still in the building, "I kind of liked this tonight. We got to really talk to people."
As PubDef was the first to report back in April, the State Board of Education is poised to strip the Riverview Gardens School District of its accreditation.
When the Board meets tomorrow in Jefferson City, DESE Commissioner Kent King will recommend that the school district be de-accredited.
If the state decides to strip the district because of academic performance, the Riverview Gardens school board and officials would have two full school years to get their house in order. If the action occurs this month or next, that means they have until 2009. If it doesn't occur until June or July, then they'll have until 2010 before the state takes further action.
However, if the State Board of Education takes away accreditation for financial reasons, state law allows for DESE to step in immediately.
Before the meeting, the Board's newest member, St. Louisan Derio Gambaro, will be sworn in.
Just a short observation: It is with great interest that we watch recent TV news reports questioning why no one — not the state, not the appointed board, not the elected board, and certainly not parents and taxpayers — seems sure about who is in control of what in St. Louis Public Schools.
It's almost like the folks who were pushing most strongly for the state takeover never actually read Section 1100 of Chapter 162 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, the law which authorizes the creation of this new Transitional School District.
Its lack of clarity, accountability, or an exit strategy is what most frightened many of us who opposed the takeover from the beginning.
As teachers tell students: it pays to read.
Check back later today for videos from last night's meeting of the Special Administrative Board.
UPDATE: This section of law is also pertinent. It outlines the powers and duties of the special administrative board. It includes that the elected school board "shall, at all times, retain auditing and public reporting powers."
Also, contrary to media reports, Rick Sullivan, Richard Gaines and Melanie Adams terms are for only three years, at which point they may be reappointed or replaced.
On Tuesday, both boards of the St. Louis Public Schools will meet. The elected board meets in the morning for a closed meeting on legal matters. The appointed board meets in the evening for public comments. Presumably, the superintendent will be at both.
Oh, so this is what stability looks like.
Perhaps it's true that we anarchists here in St. Louis wouldn't even know a stable school district if we saw it. Because from my way of thinking, I would have thought that an organization with two dueling board of directors would be more chaotic, not less.
From my contaminated city resident logic, I would have thought a superintendent might find it more difficult to operate with two different bodies looking over her shoulder.
I would have voted that having a board appointed by politicians ADDS politics to the situation, not take it away. (Good thing I didn't get to vote.)
I would have thought it would have been a terrible idea to have a board made up of only three people, meaning no two of them can ever speak privately about education issues without violating the state Sunshine Law.
Starting off with a no-bid contract to an out of town law firm doesn't just finally allow non-St. Louis businesses to get a taste of our half-billion dollar honey pot. That's just the cynic in me.
Finally being in control of a St. Louis government, without actually having to live here, isn't a Republican's midnight fantasy. Again, that's just that northside paranoia talking.
"The state knows best. The state knows best. The state knows best." I'll just have to keep saying those words over and over to myself and hope I will be cured of my distrustful, backwards way of thinking.
UPDATE:Jake Wagman of the Post-Dispatchobserved on his blog today what we noted back in November of last year: St. Louis is now the only city in America than controls neither its police or its public schools.
"If Slay and O'Brien get their way," we wrote at the time, "it would put St. Louis City residents in the very unique position of being perhaps the only city population in America with no control over either its own police force or its own public schools."
Two well-known St. Louis Catholics are asking Attorney General and Democratic candidate for governor Jay Nixon to support Governor Matt Blunt's selection to the State Board of Education.
PubDef.net has obtained a copy of a letter dated this week sent to Nixon from Rev. Sal E. Polizzi of St. Roch Catholic Church and Rev. Vincent Bommarito of St. Ambrose Catholic Church. In it, the two ask Nixon to support the appointment of conservative Democrat Derio Gambaro to the Board of Education.
"As the leading Democrat in our state and the only announced Democratic candidate for governor of our state we are writing to ask you to contact Senator [Jeff] Smith and ask him to support Derio," they wrote.
"As you well know, the Italian neighborhood (The Hill) is still a very democratic area and the residents would appreciate Senator Smith's support for Derio's appointment."
Gambaro was one of Smith's opponents in a crowded primary contest last year to replace the term-limited State Sen. Pat Dougherty. Smith has voiced some concerns about Gambaro's appointment.
Click here to download the letter Click here to read Jeff Smith's statement on Gambaro Click here to watch video of Blunt's announcement
The new three-member appointed board now in charge of the St. Louis Public Schools will hold a "Meet The Board" meeting Tuesday, June 19, at the Science Center, 5050 Oakland Ave., from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
The new CEO of the district, Rick Sullivan, said he and his fellow board members are eager to hear the public's comments. All are welcome.
By a 2-1 vote, the new Transitional School Board hired law firm Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP to handle all of is legal matters for the next six months.
At its morning meeting in a meeting room of the St. Louis Science Center, District CEO Rick Sullivan, who negotiated the contract with Stinson before today's inaugural meeting, said it was necessary for the Board, especially in light of the ongoing legal conflicts with the city's elected school board (which is represented by the district's longtime legal counsel Lashly & Bauer), to retain its own legal counsel immediately.
Board member Richard Gaines was the only vote against the $300 an hour no-bid contract. He said that while he appreciates and agrees that the Board does need to retain its own counsel, he took issue with the contract not being open to a public bid and that the particular firm selected by Sullivan "may have some conflicts of interest" because they represented the State Board of Education in their case with the elected board.
UPDATE:However, according to DESE, Attorney General Jay Nixon's office is representing the State of Missouri (including the State Board of Education and DESE). Stinson Morrison is representing the special administrative board of the St. Louis Public Schools.
Melanie Adams seconded Sullivan's motion, which passed 2-1.
Both Sullivan and Gaines went out of their way to note that while they voted differently on this matter, both respected the other's position.
"This is democracy," said Sullivan. "Some votes may be 3-0, some may be 2-1."
Click here to download the Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan's ruling (via the Post), which denied St. Louis Public Schools a restraining order.
Some highlights:
"With absolutely no disrespect intended to the current superintendent and her staff, the Court does not find that the petitioners have carried their burden of proving their position on this issue to be superior. Lastly, on the basis of the evidence presented thus far, the Court finds that the [State Board of Education's] decision to declassify the District as unaccredited was not arbitrary or capricious, was supported by substantial and competent evidence, including a financial report on the District by Geraldine Ogle, the performance standards report by Becky Kemna, and the earlier report issued by the Special Advisory Committee. While the Court acknowledges that Petitioners' argument on the regulation issue may have some merit, the Court is unable to say at this time that petitioners are likely to prevail on the merits of their lawsuit.
"Accordingly, Petitioners' motion for a temporary restraing order is denied."
"The Board of Education hereby directs the Superintendent that effective immediately no attorney may be employed by the district or law firm contractually hired to represent the Board, the School District, its staff or employees, except the law firm of Lashly & Baer P.C."
Lashly & Baer is currently representing the elected school board in their fight against the state takeover.
The Transitional School Board will meet for the first time Friday morning in the May Hall of the St. Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Avenue, at 9:00 a.m.
Already on the agenda is the approval of a motion to retain an interim litigation attorney.
The full agenda is as follows:
Special Board Meeting Agenda
Roll Call
Pledge of Allegiance
CEO Richard Sullivan's Report.
Retention of Interim Litigation Counsel.
Superintendent Dr. Bourisaw's Report
Other Board Members' Reports
New Business
The SAB approves CEO Richard Sullivan's retention of interim litigation counsel on behalf of, and to represent in court, the SAB for the term of one hundred twenty (120) days beginning June 15, 2007.
Announcements
Adjournment
It is not clear what firm Sullivan has retained or how much it will cost taxpayers. What is certain is that this contract, if approved tomorrow, was not publicly bidded.
In less than an hour, a new appointed school board will be in charge of St. Louis Public Schools, its near half-billion dollar budget, its $3.3 billion in assets, and its 30,000 students.
But the old elected board still claims to be in charge of at least some areas.
The new "transitional" school board will begin to operate tomorrow, but not without a challenge, according to the St. Louis Schools Watch, a watchdog newsletter founded by now-School Board President Peter Downs.
Many school board powers, the Watch argues, were given to the elected board after August 28, 1998, the date the legislation enabling the transitional board went into effect, and are not covered by that legislation.
The Watch quotes longtime school district counsel Ken Brostron as saying tonight, this latest crisis "has only just begun."
"Ken Brostron of Lashly Baer has served as counsel of the SLPS for many years. He has served whoever sat on the board with loyalty, including the mayor's slate," writes parent reporter Susan Turk.
"I have never seen him buck whoever was in charge. He is apparently bucking them now."
As so now in the name of providing stability to the troubled school district, the state apparently has given it two governing bodies — one elected, one appointed — both claiming leadership over parts of the district.
In the middle of the power struggle will be Superintendent Diana Bourisaw, who tonight said that she understands that she will now work for the transitional board.
While not much else is clear, one thing definitely is: the St. Louis Public Schools are no more stable Friday than they were Thursday.
The following comes from St. Louis Public Schools:
St. Louis - The St. Louis School Board expressed “great disappointment” Thursday when a judge in Cole County Circuit Court declined to grant a temporary restraining order blocking state intervention. The ruling paves the way for splitting governance of the district between the elected school board and a transitional board on Friday (June 15), the same day the district loses its accreditation. On June 11, Commissioner of Education D. Kent King denied an appeal by the district. The appeal sought to have the State Board of Education reverse or reconsider its recent decision to strip SLPS of its accreditation. The court ruling on Thursday struck another blow to the St. Louis board. “We still believe that the action taken by the State Board and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is unconstitutional,” said Peter Downs, president of the elected St. Louis School Board. “The State Board clearly acted unfairly when it applied standards to St. Louis that are not applied to other Missouri districts in similar circumstances. This is a small setback, but we are going to continue to fight for better schools and local control.” Downs stated that the elected board will continue to act in the best interest of students. He asked that all parties support plans that the district administration has made for next year while they continue their fight in court. “We have programs and plans in place that result in academic success, and our success is documented,” Downs added. “Sadly, we have yet to see a definitive plan from the state that addresses the academic and social needs of our students.” The St. Louis Board president thanked the parents who supported the elected board’s legal efforts. The three-member transitional board will take over some governance functions on June 15. The appointed panel is made up of Rick Sullivan (nominated by Gov. Matt Blunt), who will serve as the district’s CEO; Melanie Adams (appointed by St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay); and Richard Gaines (an appointee of Lewis Reed, President of the Board of Aldermen for the City of St. Louis). The elected board will remain in place. Downs said he hopes that the transitional panel and the elected board can work together effectively.
Dr. Diana Bourisaw has issued the following statement regarding tonight's decision by Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan to deny SLPS' request for a restraining order.
"I am here for the children in the St. Louis Public School system. We owe our students stability. I will stay and continue to work regardless of the governance structure."
Rick Sullivan told Fox 2 News today that Bourisaw will remain superintendent.
ST. LOUIS — President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed today announced Richard K. Gaines as his selection to the three-member team charged with leading the Transitional School District of the City of St. Louis.
Gaines is a well-known local businessman and former president of the St. Louis Board of Education.
“I am pleased to be able to appoint someone to this board with as much knowledge and experience as Richard,” said President Reed.
“His years of experience with public education in this city will serve this body well. His understanding of the budgetary process will also help the Transitional Board move the district back onto solid financial ground.
“Richard graduated from Vashon High School, his children graduated from St. Louis Public Schools, and the citizens of this city elected him to serve on the school board. I am confident that Richard will represent the people and parents of our city and will do what is best for the children of St. Louis.”
Gaines is a lifelong resident of St. Louis and a graduate of Vashon High School (1965). He is married to Anne-Marie Clarke and has two daughters, both graduates of St. Louis Public Schools.
He was first elected to the School Board in 1983 and served as President from 1987-88.
Richard Gaines is President and CEO of Richard K. Gaines, Inc. and Vice-President of Daniel and Henry Company.
Mayor Francis Slay said today that if the St. Louis Board of Education refuses to recognize the Transitional Board's authority, even after the courts validate its existence, it would be breaking the law and suffer the consequences.
