By Antonio D. French
Filed Monday, July 17 at 11:00 AM
The St. Louis Board of Education will hold a press conference today at 1 p.m. at the Clyde C. Miller Academy, 1000 North Grand Ave, to introduce interim Superintendent Dr. Diana Bourisaw.
From the press release: Prior to accepting the position of Interim Superintendent of the St. Louis Public Schools, Dr. Bourisaw served as Superintendent in the Fox C-6 School District and in the Sacramento City Unified School District in Sacramento, California. "I'm very pleased that Dr. Bourisaw has accepted the position of Interim Superintendent," said School Board President Veronica O'Brien. "She is committed to improving the academic achievement of the 35,000 students in this district."
22 Comments:
I must be anonymous in this blog for fear of repercussion. I hope the new "interim" super proves out to have more class than Slay and Jackson. I generally try to give everyone their space but they have both crossed the line with me. The nerve of a public official to use profanity on network TV. What is this telling our school age children. Where do we cross the line? The d word is acceptable but the f word is not or is the f word acceptable and the c word is not?
Jackson demeaning the new superintendent for being a white woman by insinuating we need someone of HIS race and gender is racist and bigoted in itself. What if a white, hispanic or other made such a remark about an african american? What would Jackson say then? Maybe we do need a white (or hispanic, bosnian, oriental, etc) superintendent to represent the true "minority" students. How about that Jackson you bigoted racist fool. Get your head out of the bottle and sober up
Monday, July 17, 2006 1:46:59 PM
Peter Downs failed his suppoters.
Monday, July 17, 2006 2:17:42 PM
Peter Downs has totally failed his supporters. Peter Downs is also more geared to the teachers union, he is backing the mediocrity of the teachers.
Monday, July 17, 2006 2:51:23 PM
No.....Williams, Slay and Jackson failed their supporters...and the children.
Monday, July 17, 2006 2:51:52 PM
Boy, anonymous 2&3, you guys really need to research better! You're greatly misinformed!
Monday, July 17, 2006 2:55:56 PM
It was not the new Board majority that failed anyone. Peter, Veroncia, Donna and Flint are committed to the STUDENTS of this City - they could care less about petty issues that distract and make only for good theatre.
Bloggers 2 and 3 - you are dead wrong.
Monday, July 17, 2006 3:28:11 PM
peter downs failed his supporters!!!!! Syke, ha ha just kidding.... Peter downs new name is "P. Diddy" the state needs to take over so we can fire some more people, Obrien has investment money tied up in the new interm super company, and she doesnt believe a man could do the job the school needs. thats why she brought in a woman
Monday, July 17, 2006 3:40:26 PM
I am not misinformed, I have a child in the system and I am greatly dissatisfied with education offered to him. I deal with the mediocre teachers, the lack of accountability is absolutely ridiculous. I will not back anyone that backs the teachers union.
Monday, July 17, 2006 4:09:34 PM
The INTERIM superintendant has her hands full BECAUSE of the incompetent decisionsmade by an arrogant and self serving superintndant with the "gift of gab". He impressed those who knew himonly through news sound bytes..but those of use who have worked in the district for years know first hand the negative effects of his inexperienced, if not intentially damaging leadership. Our new INTERIM superintendent has more creditials and experience in leading a school district than the last 5 combined. I sincerely hope that the citizens of STL will support her and help us get our district back on track. A state take over is not the answer! It is the mayor's new plan for putting the district BACK under HIS control..and we are reaping the disastrous results today of what he, Roberti and Creg have done.
Monday, July 17, 2006 4:23:46 PM
Please excuse the typos.
Monday, July 17, 2006 4:27:42 PM
To the people that want the state to come in and take over the District.
Does any one really want Matt Blunt likeness at the top of this site???
The republicans in Jeff city caused the lack of funding that has put our district in the budget mess in the first place.
The Republican lead state government kicked over 100K+ Missourian off the medicade health care plan because they think it is better to save money than lives!
What do you think the solution for a poorly performing school district is?
Lets break it down:
Poor people need health care – take health care away from them
Poor kids need education – take education away from them.
Then to top it off they make it a law to have a state ID to vote. But last year they made it nearly impossible for a person that doesn’t have ID to get ID.
Monday, July 17, 2006 5:31:15 PM
Stop blasting the teachers. They are the only ones in all this mess that are focused on the education of the students. Everyone who calls a SLPS teacher anything other than wonderful needs to spend a day in the life of a teacher in this district. If parents would get their acts together and really be parents to their children it would help. If you don't like the way a teacher is teaching get in that classroom and help. All who call teachers names should be in the classrooms helping educate our children not throwing names out from the sidelines. Maybe we could get somewhere in this district if ALL the name calling stopped and EVERYONE worked for the betterment of the children. If you think a state take over would make things better you are all wrong and best look at places where that has happened. It just causes more mess.
Monday, July 17, 2006 5:37:43 PM
If there are mediocre teachers then why can't there be mediocre parents? Have you ever sat in your child's classroom during a lesson and observe the teacher teaching a lesson? Stop all the finger pointing and anger. Does the community really know all the blunders created this past school year by Williams and the Central Office? Why do you think the members of the union took a no confidence vote involving the superintendent and district office? Why did the treasurer suddenly resign about a month before the end of the school year? Why were teachers only paid for 5 days instead of the 8 days that we worked on their last pay check because someone kept it a secret that we were overpaid each pay period because someone divided our yearly salary by 200 days instead of the 204 days in the school year. Teachers were told of this after the last day we worked. Why were the teachers informed at the end of the school year that their school was being reconstituted and they would have to bring a resume and interview for a teaching position instead of being informed at the beginning of the second semester in January? One teacher claimed he was interviewed by a CPA. What does a CPA know about interviewing people for a teaching position? Why is Peter Downs being attacked? Don't you know that rumors have been circulating all school year that Creg Williams was building a million dollar house in Chicago? Does this inspire confidence that Williams planned on being in St. Louis for all 4 years of his contract? Why are there rumors that Williams applied for superintendent positions in Boston and Baltimore?
People wake up! We are being used by the politicians for their own purposes. Slay and Blunt are pitting us against each other to divide and conquer. And we are falling right into their trap. Parents and educators need to unite and work together with the new superintendent and the new board.
Monday, July 17, 2006 9:05:06 PM
I stop buy and suprise my daughters teachers often and walk around the school, All I hear is teachers talking about what they are going to eat for lunch and gossip, the teachers suck, and if anyone has anything otherwise to say about it, just supprise your child at school and look around yourself.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 1:49:24 AM
Brian, where do you work? I would like to stop by and surprise you, so I can see how people are supposed to act at work during their breaks.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 10:36:34 AM
Brian, sure some teachers suck. Please don't lump them all in one like you do. Some Brians suck. For instance - YOU!!!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 10:38:22 AM
Brian, Surely you work at night, are off today, or on vacation. Perhaps you are on a break at work. I am sure your employer is not paying you to blog. Why don't you use all your extra energy that you usually use to blast people in a more constructive, helpful way. I'm sure your daughter's teachers could use a hand getting that lunch delivered on time for their long leisurely 30 minute lunch. How about this? Volunteer to read with kids.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 10:44:30 AM
Brian,
Why are you leaving your child in a setting where the teachers "suck" as you say? If I walked into my child's classroom when people were not on break and that was the what was being talked about my child would be out of that class. You "suck" as a parent to leave you child in a place you think "sucks". Stop your name calling a get in that room and help or keep your mouth shut. You have no room to talk badly about something you are not willing to work hard at making better. Your name calling makes nothing better. I would hate to be your kid knowing you leave me with people you think "suck".
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 12:33:46 PM
I agree 100% with the above blogger. If you can't be part of the solution then get out the way!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 12:53:30 PM
No! Brian is "off"everyday. I feel sorry for his children beacuse I would have pulled them out as well.
Did you know that children of adoptive parents have to go through background and security checks plus take parenting classes.
To bad we have parents like Brian who will do more damage to his children than the worst teacher they have ever will. The nuts do not fall far from the tree.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 6:56:25 PM
I do not agree that all teachers should be lumped together, but face it, we do have some teachers in the system that should have left a long time ago or been fired, and it is very hard to get rid of them.
Why would Brian leave his children in a situation that is not completely favorable? Could it possibly be that he, like many parents in the city, cannot afford private education, knows that charter schools are doing worst than the public schools they purport to challenge, and cannot afford to move? Could he be "stuck"?
Teachers that do not like the system, however, are not "stuck". They receive pay for their services. (Whether thay believe it is sufficient or not...) They can leave the system if they are not happy. And while they are in the system, they have a union that supports them, and publicly brings their grievances to light.
Lay off the parents, most are doing the best they can, and are right now feeling very frustrated by a system they feel subjected to without a choice. They also have the right to their opinions, however unarticulate or foolish you may think they are. Or better yet, if you do not agree with their response, perhaps you might try to "teach" them a better way, instead of allowing their response to become your "standard".
Wednesday, July 19, 2006 8:51:56 AM
I will get off Brian’s back and other parents when they get off of my back. I would like to spend my time teaching the subject I am suppose to teach instead of teaching social skills. But Nooooooo! Brian much rather complain that teachers are taking a break (if that was the case) instead of finding out what was really going on (this sounds like what Williams did shoot first then ask questions). I am going to complain about how parents like Brian haven’t taught his children to be polite, respect authority (used to referred to respecting their elders), the importance of being on time for school and class not on CPT time (schools do not run on CPT – you local church may run on CPT but not a school), and my favorite consequences for their actions. As far as being stuck, that is the choice of the individual. Everyone can choose where they wish to live. However be ready to pay more or less for your mortgage/rent depending on where you want to live. Not to mention there are programs and help for people to get them into a house or apartment. But you will have to do some work. But you do not want to work you want things handed to you. Many parents blame the teachers because they do not want to take responsibility for their child’s actions. My child wound up in prison because his/her teachers did not teach how to read, write, or do arithmetic. These are academic subjects that teachers are to teach. You the parents are suppose to be teaching the responsibilities (like being in class instead of running the halls). This can be a good district but because of parents like you not doing their part in educating their children someone has to step up. I am just as frustrated as you are for the opposite reason. As far as Brian Harris he needs to think, research, and learn about the world around him. His comments have been discredited to many times.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006 6:07:59 PM
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