SLAY SHARES WITH DEVLIN — The mayor and the man accused of kidnapping two boys have something (or someone) in common: Richard Callow. According to Jake Wagman, Mayor Francis Slay is allowing his number one P.R. man to moonlight as the media man for Michael Devlin. Either Francis thinks he’s so Teflon that even the stink of a kidnapper won’t stick or it’s becoming very obvious that he has no control over his aides. Makes you kind of wonder who’s running the show in Room 200.

FROM POPE TO BLUNT, BY WAY OF STL – We’re a little late in mentioning this, but for those that missed it, check out this link to a profile piece in the Columbia Missourian on the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Ed Martin.

Martin, the former chairman of the St. Louis City Election Board, said of his old job, “It was possibly as dysfunctional as any agency in the state when I came in… And I think by the time we were done, we oversaw maybe the best elections St. Louis has ever seen. I think the governor saw that and was impressed.”

The man that also once worked for Pope John Paul II ends with these words: “Pray for me.”

SHOW ME THE MONEY (We couldn’t resist) — The Show-Me Institute will release a new study this week on how to replace the much-maligned city earnings tax.

The new study is a follow-up to a March 2006 study which showed that large cities with earnings taxes experience lower growth. Total real income has fallen in St. Louis since the 1970’s. The groups says the new study describes how St. Louis can replace the earnings tax without affecting city services and spark an economic revival.

Prof. Joseph Haslag of the University of Missouri is the author of the study.

This week Superintendent Diana Bourisaw marked her first six months at the helm of the city’s public schools by listing some of her administration’s accomplishments.

“Thank you all for making my first six months at the St. Louis Public Schools so enjoyable. I am very proud of the work we have done in such a short period of time, including:

• Opening schools on time despite numerous obstacles.
• Developing an updated Comprehensive School Improvement Plan that will continue to move the St. Louis Public Schools towards full accreditation.
• Raising over $21 million in new grants for the 2006/2007 school year. In addition, the District is working to raise $20 million in scholarships for students in the class of 2010.
• Restructuring the central administrative office in a manner than improves communication while also reducing costs.
• Reaching out to community partners, parents, elected officials, teachers, and other stakeholders. The District also reintroduced the School & Home newspaper throughout the community.
• Establishing new attendance targets for schools which have boosted the attendance at all levels.
• Increasing the number of permanent, certified teachers in classrooms. This year the District has 50 long-term substitutes compared to approximately 200 in past years.
• Increasing accountability at all levels of the organization.
• Expanding the use of current technology. For example, our Human Resources Division will soon be completely paperless. Further, a new workforce management system approved by the Board of Education is expected to improve fiscal accountability and increase school security.

“These accomplishments would not have been possible without the hard work and cooperation of administrators, principals, teachers, board members, and parents,” said Bourisaw.

Congressman Lacy Clay’s office proudly announced today that the St. Louisan was unanimously chosen by his Democratic colleagues to chair the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, the Census and the National Archives.

The chairmanship, which is one of five selected by the majority members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has primary oversight responsibility for the 2010 Census, an enormous $12 billion national project that will determine political reapportionment and the distribution of billions of federal dollars.

“This is a historic moment, and I deeply appreciate the confidence and trust that my colleagues have invested in me,” said Clay in a press release.

“The census is one of the most powerful tools that the federal government has to help African-Americans and other minority communities. In 2000, the national census missed at least three million people - mostly the poor and minorities. But as the Chairman of the Census Subcommittee, I will use all the government’s resources to see that this never happens again. Phoenix-like we will rise up and ensure that every American is counted.”

Congressman Clay’s subcommittee will also have oversight responsibilities for the National Archives and Records Administration, which safeguards essential evidence and historical records from U.S. Presidents, the Congress and the federal courts. It also has responsibility for the management of sensitive and classified information through the Office of Information Security Oversight and for monitoring the enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act.

A video message posted on his website today suggests that the junior senator from Illinois will indeed be running for President.

The St. Louis Teachers Union is holding a press conference this evening to ask for the public’s support in urging the Missouri Board of Education to decline requests for a state takeover.

Local 420 is asking the board to consider three points before any action is taken:

1.) Allow the current administration and duly elected St. Louis Board of Education until 2008 to gain accreditation,

2.) Uphold voters’ right to elect board members and maintain local control of the school district,

3.) Hold a series of public hearings to gain insight from the stakeholders of St. Louis Public Schools.

The press conference will be at the headquarters of Local 420, 2710 Hampton Ave, at 5:00 p.m.

Due to the late notice, Pub Def won’t be able to attend the press conference. But if anyone else records it, feel free to give us a copy and we’ll post it.

Click here to view the agenda for Thursday’s meeting of the State Board of Education. Early on the very full agenda is a report on St. Louis Public Schools by DESE Commissioner Kent King.

And tomorrow, the local Board of Education will meet for a work session and an administrative board meeting. Of note is an addition to the agenda for next Tuesday’s regular meeting: an “update from the Mayor’s office” following the President’s Report.

The agenda was prepared by Board President Veronica O’Brien — without the input of the district adminstration, according to sources — and Ed Rhode, spokesman for Mayor Francis Slay, was not immediately aware of any such “update”.

Developing…

The Work Session will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Administrative Building, 801 N. 11th Ave., in Room 108 and is open to the public. The Administrative Board Meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Room 108 and is also open to the public. The agenda is as follows:

WORK SESSION AGENDA 5:30 P.M.

1. Call to Order

2. Roll Call

3. Finance Report (Revised GOB and Non-GOB Budgets)
Mr. Enos Moss, Treasurer/Interim CFO

4. Discussion

5. Kronos Report
Mr. Terry Laster, CIO

6. Discussion

7. Adjournment

ADMINISTRATIVE MEETING AGENDA 7:00 P.M.

1.0 Preliminary

1.1 Call To Order / Roll Call

1.2 Placement of Items on the January 16, 2007 Regular Board Meeting Agenda

a) Call to Order/Roll Call
b) Pledge of Allegiance
c) We Are Up To Good Things
d) Public Comments
e) Approval of Minutes
f) Superintendent’s Report
i) Presentation by Superintendent
ii) Finance Report
iii) Consent Agenda
g) Board Resolutions
i) Approval of election ballot and legal notice
ii) Resolution on Management and Oversite of the Office of the Board of Education
iii) Resolution to direct Superintendent to conduct a district-wide survey of all employees and parents to determine their feelings regarding either a full or partial State takeover of the St. Louis Public Schools
iv) Resolution regarding Internal and External Board Communications
h) President’s Report
i) Update from Mayor’s Office
i) New Business
j) Information Requests
k) Announcements

1.3 Adjournment

In her weekly e-newsletter, St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Diana Bourisaw announced this week that 76 of the district’s 96 schools have reached attendance goals she set shortly after assuming the post in July.

“Earlier this year, I established attendance rate targets for all schools, including 95% for elementary, 92% for middle/junior high, and 90% for high,” said Bourisaw.

“At the end of the first month of school, I highlighted those schools that met or exceeded those targets. I’m pleased to again share with you that nine more schools have been added to the list for the first half of the 2006-2007 school year.”

Bourisaw indicated that eight out of 17 high schools, 15 out of 18 middle schools, 51 out of 57 elementary schools, and 2 out of 4 alternative schools have reached those targets.

The St. Louis City school board is holding a special meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Foundation Room at the Administrative Building, 801 N. 11th Street. The Special Meeting will begin in open session and move into closed session to discuss personnel matters.

A special school board meeting is tonight at 5:00 p.m. in the Foundation Room at the Administrative Building, 801 N. 11th Street. Click here for the agenda.

And the Central Democratic Committees of both St. Louis City and St. Louis County are hosting their Second Annual Holiday Party tonight at the Electrical Workers Hall, 5800 Elizabeth, from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

I’m scheduled to be a guest on “Collateral Damage” tonight with hosts D.J. Wilson and Fred Hessel and Steve Patterson of Urban Review STL. The show starts at 7:00 and can be heard on KDHX 88.1 FM or online at www.kdhx.org.

Among the topics we’ll be discussing is the 6th Ward controversy over new ward organization members and missing by-laws and how it may relate to the campaign for Aldermanic President. Other likely topics will be the immediate future of the St. Louis Public Schools and recent changes on Cherokee Street. If you have suggestions for other topics for us to discuss use the comments section below.