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…

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:…

In the days before Christmas, some voters in the 60th District received phone calls from Jamilah Nasheed, candidate for state rep. In the recorded message, Nasheed wished a "happy holiday and a prosperous new year"…

October 24, 2005 -- The Washington Post reports that Phoenix-based New Times Media, the nation's largest publisher of alternative weekly newspapers (including the Riverfront Times), is buying the owner of the Village Voice and its…

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…

National opinion has finally turned on the Bush Administration. The Iraq War is now seen by most Americans as a failure and, perhaps more importantly, as unnecessary. The question is now being publicly debated whether…

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,…

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…

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…

I understand there is a controversy regarding Cleveland's Naval policy. Is that true? I want to go on record that after living through Larry Myers last year and the horrible condition he left the school,…