2005

November 9, 2005 -- St. Louis Schools Watch has a redesigned blog. Stories from the newsletter published by Peter Downs, parent and former school board candidate, can now be seen online at www.SLSWatch.PUBDEF.net

Future of Gifted Education, Magnet Schools in DoubtBy Peter DownsNovember 22, 2005 –– Last Friday, David Welch, director of gifted education programs for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, gave representatives from metropolitan…

December 15, 2005 -- Congressman William Lacy Clay (D-MO) joined his collegue Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) to introduce legislation to abolish the federal death penalty yesterday.Kucinich's bill, The Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2005, is…

[The following editorial, published in last week's print edition of PUB DEF Weekly, was the focus of some discussion on 'Collateral Damage' on KDHX Monday night. In the interest of public discourse, we are making…

By Peter DownsNovember 22, 2005 –– Last Friday, David Welch, director of gifted education programs for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, gave representatives from metropolitan area school districts the news they had…

October 24, 2005 -- Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay today urged Missouri Governor Matt Blunt to halt the execution of Marlin Gray, which is scheduled to be carried out on Wednesday.In his letter to the Governor,…

Percy Green, the legendary activist and Arch climber, has let it be known that new school board member Jim Buford will not be getting his vote next year. In a statement sent by e-mail, Green…

Ald. Jeffrey Boyd got a belated Christmas gift from the St. Louis Election Board today when Board Chairman Ed Martin, a Republican, announced that the recall petition submitted against Boyd fell short of the required…

A common rap against St. Louis Public School parents is that they don't get involved. Somebody forgot to tell the parents at Dewey International Studies Elementary School.On the weekends of October 8 and October 15,…

October 31, 2005 -- State Senators Rita Days and Pat Dougherty and State Reps. Yaphett El-Amin and Margaret Donnelly will be at the St. John's Heart Institute in Springfield on Wednesday for the next in…