2005

St. Louis School Board member Bill Purdy called the program "a national scandal" and "a travesty" and refused to vote for it at the school board meeting on October 11. Fellow school board member Ron…

The Washington Post today reported that the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee dropped $500 million in proposed food stamp cuts, thanks in part to the protests of Jim Talent (R-MO) and Rick Santorum (R-PA). According to…

by Peter DownsNovember 9, 2005 -- The regular monthly meeting of the St. Louis Board of Education, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was moved to Tuesday on a day's notice. Here are the highlights:>> In-School Suspension:…

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

St. Louis Board of Education member Veronica O'Brien says she was denied access to district records per instructions from district lawyers.In an email to Board President Darnetta Clinkscale, which was forwarded to the media by…

[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…

Jane Bogetto, the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 8th special election for the 94th House District seat vacated by the death of Rep. Richard Byrd, will be speaking to the Washington University Young Democrats Monday,…

December 13, 2005 -- The St. Louis Board of Education tonight gave the go ahead to Superintendent Creg Williams' plan to revamp high schools and middle schools in St. Louis.Williams plans to create up to…

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…

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…