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…

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted Friday to pass a bill that aims to make it more difficult to recall city officials.Board Bill #310, sponsored by Aldermen Jennifer Florida and Ken Ortmann, proposes new…

State senate candidate Jeff Smith reported a contribution of $2,400 from Marcus and Amber Raichle on his Oct. 15 campaign finance report. The limit for contributions in a state senate race is $1,200. In an…

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…

PUB DEF Weekly is pleased to announce it is now hosting a blog for Peter Down's informative St. Louis Schools Watch.The URL is http://slswatch.pubdef.net and it will be updated often, so check it regularly.This continues…

A Letter to the Editor from Helen Louise HerndonToday's leading editorial in the Post-Dispatch, a scathing criticism of the school district, is somewhat overdue. All along, its editors and commentary page editor refused any articles…

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,…

October 26, 2005 -- Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay will be hosting a health care forum on Saturday, Oct 29. The forum, titled "Eliminating Health Disparities: Bridging The Health Divide", will be at 10 a.m. at…

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 24, 2005 -- Mayor Francis Slay will join 15th Ward Alderman Jennifer Florida for a Town Hall Meeting tonight, Monday, October 24.The meeting will be at the Carpenter Branch Library, on the corner of…