2005

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…

Via The St. Louis Observer:26th Ward Committeeman Joe Palm plans to form a campaign committee tomorrow with intentions on running for Yaphett El-Amin's seat -- possibly against her husband. Developing...

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 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…

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…

[What you're missing. This story appeared in last week's print edition of PUB DEF Weekly. Subscribe today.]October 18, 2005 -- The editorial staff of The St. Louis Argus was furious with the paper’s publisher last…

Peter Downs, publisher of St. Louis Schools Watch and a parent of SLPS students, will be announcing his candidacy for a seat on the St. Louis School Board on Saturday, Dec. 10.Downs' supporters hope the…

There was no comeback in the cards for former alderman Tom Bauer. The not-too-long-ago recalled Bauer was unsuccessful in his attempt to get his old job back yesterday when more than half of the voters…

A new textbook committee began meeting October 17 to evaulate social studies textbooks for middle school. As of October 12, district administrators were still looking for parents to sit on the committee, but as one…

The New York Times is reporting that prosecutors in Texas have subpoenaed records of transactions between Tom DeLay's national political action committee and a political committee run by Roy Blunt (R-MO).The Times reports: The subpoena,…