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CALENDAR
By Antonio D. French
St. Louis Schools Watch is on the radio: Wednesdays at 7 a.m. on the Lizz Brown Show on WGNU 920 AM. Programs are archived at www.whiterosesociety.org
Wednesday, November 30, 5:30 p.m., Washington Montessori School gym, meeting on future of Montessori programs.
Future of Gifted Education, Magnet Schools in Doubt
By Antonio D. French
By Peter Downs
November 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 been fearing. Starting next year, there will be no more state funding for gifted education or English as a second language instruction.
Currently, state funding for gifted education and English as a second language is added on to the funding school districts get from the state foundation formula, and it is specifically marked for those uses. After this year it stops. Under the new school funding system recently signed into law by Gov. Blunt, school districts will get state funding only from the foundation formula. No longer will there be extra money for gifted education or English as a second language
The Missouri legislature's decision to narrow education funding for education programs mirrors recent trends in St. Louis Public Schools.
Superintendent Creg Williams has agreed to meet with Montessori parents on November 30, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the future of the Euclid and Washington Montessori schools. The fourth and fifth grades were taken off the Montessori method this year and reorganized along traditional classroom lines. Parents have expressed concern that that is a prelude to eliminating the Montessori magnet programs entirely and reconstituting the schools as traditional schools.
Meanwhile, at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, staff is concerned for the survival of the visual and performing arts program. Central is the school district's magnet high school for visual and performing arts. It lost two arts teachers this year, in ceramics and metalsmithing, and is slated to lose drawing and painting teachers next year.
Central Visual and Performing Arts High School is a school that district officials refuse to let succeed. Major school districts across the country have magnet visual and performing arts high schools designed to attract the most artistically talented students with the advanced instruction they need to further their skills. Not Central, however. District officials have refused to let the school set any meaningful entrance requirements in the arts. In St. Louis, admission to the fine arts high school is based not on artistic merit, but on the accident of having a white parent or the luck of the draw in the lottery. Artistic talent is irrelevant. This year, school district administrators allegedly have taken to packing the school with special education students. Knowledgeable sources say the percentage of special education students at Central in special education has risen to 27%.
Next year will see even more drastic cuts in the arts programming at Central. Superintendent Williams reportedly has instructed the budget office to allocate the fine arts budget equally among all the high schools, with the result that none of them can support a decent fine arts program. The new budget gives Central, and other high schools, eight dollars per student to spend on fine arts.
As previously reported in the Watch, Williams has overseen widespread cuts in arts programs across the district. The two performing arts elementary schools saw art programs, and teachers, cut this year, as did Kennard and McKinley.
The cuts at Kennard and McKinley Classical Junior Academies indicate that the target is broader than simply the fine arts schools. The Watch has learned that the budget for magnet programs has been cut to zero at several other magnet schools. Without extra funding from the state, could the gifted programs be next on the block?
In all of the above cases, one of the rationale's for the cuts is a twisted notion of "equity," in which it is assumed that magnet schools get more money than neighborhood schools. That does not track, however. In 2003-2004, the most spending per pupil in the elementary grades was at a neighborhood school, and the lowest spending per pupil was at a magnet school. According to the district's annual report in 2004, the latest year currently available, Henry School topped the list of most expensive elementary schools with and expenditure of $12,768 per pupil. Kennard Classical Junior Academy, a magnet school, came in as the cheapest school with an expenditure of $7,828 per student. Kennard, however, suffered program cuts this year in the name of "equity."
The list of spending at elementary schools is attached to the bottom of this letter. Magnet and elementary schools are scattered amongst each other up and down the list.
Schoemehl Resigns From School Board, Slay Appoints Buford
By Antonio D. French
By Peter Downs
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay yesterday unveiled his first major moves to retain control of the school board. He announced the resignation of Vincent Schoemehl from the board a mere four and a half months before he would face re-election. Slay appointed James Buford to fill the unexpired term, and announced that Buford and incumbent board president Darnetta Clinkscale had signed up for the two top spots on the ballot when filing for the school board election opens in three weeks.
Schoemehl had been the lightning rod for criticism of the school board these last three years as the school system deteriorated dramatically.
The switch immediately received mixed reviews. George Cotton, a prominent critic of the school board majority, characterized the move as an effort to salvage Clinkscale's reputation by getting Schoemehl out of the way before the election.
A group called St. Louis Parents for Kids announced that its members were emailing the mayor to complain that he should have appointed a parent of children in St. Louis Public Schools to the board.
Highlights of Tuesday's School Board Meeting
By Antonio D. French
by Peter Downs
November 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: St. Louis Public Schools' Superintendent Creg Williams announced that the long awaited In-School Suspension Program began this week, on Monday, November 7, at eight high schools, all the middle schools, and 19 elementary schools. Teachers may refer a student for in-school suspension, but principals make the decision.
The in-school suspension monitors are mostly teaching assistants, who got a couple of days training and a raise in salary to $21,000 a year.
>> Is it greater than or less than? In the continuing saga of the school district's financial crisis, Chief Financial Officer Harry Rich reported that the school district is getting less money from the state than his office had projected, because enrollment is less than the district had projected. Williams. however, has been telling everyone who will listen that the reason the school district did not have text books for every student in the first month of school was because 1,500 more students enrolled this year than the district had projected. School board member Veronica O'Brien caught the contradiction and asked Rich if he meant to say there were fewer students enrolled in the district this year than last year. No, he explained, there were fewer students enrolled than the district had projected. It looks like Williams and Rich cannot agree on the answer to a simple greater than or less than problem. Maybe Williams should send out an emergency request for sixth grade math teachers to go down to 801 and check papers.
>> O'Brien asked the board to support a proposal that would be made to the city's tax increment financing (TIF) commission to change the guidelines for TIF agreements with developers to require that half of the residential property taxes go to the schools, instead of letting developers keep it all. The board did not take any action on it this month.
>> What's old is new: Williams announced a "new" plan to raise ACT scores in the district and regain some points on the annual performance review. The district will urge students to take the test in their junior year as well as their senior year, it will integrate test-taking skills into the curriculum, and teachers and counselors will be trained to identify students with the potential to score at or above the national average. As anyone familiar with the school district knows, that is not a new plan. Charlene Jones' office oversaw the same plan, and more, when Cleveland Hammonds was superintendent, and he only left in June 2003.
ACT scores have become a big issue because the percent of students scoring at or above the national average has fallen more than 30% since Hammonds left, even though the total number of students taking the test also dropped. That cost St. Louis schools points on the state's annual performance review. The district's score on the annual performance review has plummeted from 64 to 39 in only two years. If the school district were up for accreditation it would be unaccredited.
School board member Bill Purdy stressed how serious the situation is, and pointed out that the district has to work on more than just ACT scores to gain accreditation when it is up for review in 2008.
>> The most contentious issue at the meeting was the election of a new school board representative on the school district's pension board. School board president Darnetta Clinkscale wanted to reappoint Paulette McKinney. Purdy wanted to nominate Veronica O'Brien. Darnetta insisted that the board vote McKinney's nomination up or down instead of having an election between the two. McKinney's nomination got only 3 "yes" votes out of six votes, however, since school board member Flint Fowler abstained. Purdy pointed out that under Roberts Rules of Order the motion to appoint McKinney failed, because it needed a majority of the board members present. Clinkscale ruled that McKinney was elected anyway.
>> We're trying to save you: In the public comment period at the start of the meeting, Mary Armstrong, president of the St. Louis Teachers and School-Related Personnel Union, explained to Williams that no one wanted him to fail, because failure would be too damaging to the 35,000 children in the school district, but they aren't going to stand aside and let him fail, either. They criticize or oppose certain plans that they know are wrong in order to prevent those failures.
Dear concerned citizens and friends of the Saint Louis Public Schools:
By Antonio D. French
A Letter to the Editor from Helen Louise Herndon
Today'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 pointing to some of the serious crimes in the name of reform committed against not only the school district but against the taxpayers who paid a hefty price. Following are a few what ifs.
What if the Post-Dispatch had been more open to some who criticized not for criticism's sake, but for the sake of the children, deserving staff, children, community, and taxpayers? Some of the worst mistakes could have been avoided along with the unnecessary turmoil.
What if the Post-Dispatch had practiced its platform, i.e., "...always oppose privileged classes and public plunderers, never lack sympathy for the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare...?" Perhaps the scandalous looting of the treasures of a school district and city's history would not have taken place nor prime property and buildings sold for a pittance. Perhaps recently air conditioned schools would not have been closed forcing children and staff into insufferably hot buildings and impeding the learning process.
What if the Post-Dispatch had not blindly considered a slate of four as "blue ribbon members" and recognized the Board members who truly cared for the children, the community, employees, and the district? Is it possible staff morale would not have plummeted? Is it possible children might have continued making progress as was already happening before Roberti took the helm?
What if the Post-Dispatch recognized that the Mayor failed to speak up when the spending of this Board and administration far surpassed any "spending as a drunken sailor" of any previous administration? Could more appropriate and targeted spending have taken place?
What if the Post-Dispatch would have spoken out against the exorbitant salaries handed out in a fiscal and financial crisis? Would the Board have returned to its senses and wisely appropriated monies for salaries? Would it have avoided wastefully paying three superintendents at the same time?
What if the Post-Dispatch had recognized the unfair labor issues for what they were and that undeserving employees lost either just salaries or their livelihoods? Is it possible content and satisfied workers would have given their best to redeem the school district?
These are just a few personal thoughts for what they are worth. The comments do not dismiss the fact that the district was definitely in trouble before all this took place or that unwise decisions had been made and a slow death was in process. These thoughts and comments only address the fact that too much happened that should have never taken place and that it was allowed to go too far.
Genuine reform is never accomplished on the basis of corporate greed, unjust and disrespectful treatment of human resources, theft or on the plundering of treasures that took years to establish.
In the end, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch participated in a great disservice to public school education, public service, and to the children and citizens of the City of St. Louis. What if the Post-Dispatch had remained true to its platform? We may never know.
Williams' Plan to Address Violence
By Anonymous
by Susan Turk
November 5, 2005 -- In front of a standing room only crowd at a revival-meeting-cum-pep-rally at Vashon High School last Thursday, St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Creg Williams introduced his plan to respond to violent incidents and discipline problems in the schools.
Resembling another plan to combat violence in schools launched only 10 months ago, the Reclamation Project begun by George Cotton in conjunction with district officials and school principals, the new plan involves the creation of four teams:
1. A Response team to be headed by Executive Director of Community Education John Windom and Floyd Irons, which will be made up of 40-50 SLPS staff and community members who will be deployed to the schools to help defuse potential conflicts.
2. A Crisis Team headed by Chief of Staff Beverly LaCoste, which will consist of nurses, social workers, psychologists, clergy and others who will develop and implement a district-wide crisis response plan.
3. A Parent Patrol which will be headed by Executive Director for Safety and Security Charles McCrary, which will organize parents to serve as volunteer patrol members providing support to the schools during student arrival, lunch and dismissal. They will wear specially designed jackets to make them easily identifiable.
4. Parent Teacher Organizations. Headed by External Engagement Officer Charlene Jones, who Williams also identified as the head of his new "Parent University." This team will consist of parents and school staff who will work together to improve communications between students‚ homes and school at the individual schools.
The Reclamation Project involved parent security teams to help patrol schools; a community team to improve communication and cooperation between students' families, schools, and school neighbors; and mentors to work directly with individual students.
School district employees handed forms to everyone in attendance Thursday with the expectation that everyone would choose to participate on one team. Initial meetings were set for the following week: the Response Team was to meet Monday, November 7 at 6 p.m. at Vashon. The Parent Patrol would meet Wednesday, November 9 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Metro High School, and the Crisis Team would meet Monday, November 7 at 6 p.m. at 801 N. 11th Street on the 3rd floor.
Williams began the meeting with a 30 minute "State of Our Children" speech in which he cast himself as a victim who has been "beat on" for seven months and who therefore shared the pain of the community which has been beat on as well. He lashed out at unnamed "people who use our children for their own personal agendas," who "call our children animals, bad and uncontrollable." He asked for comments on his plan, but left little time for comment, and said there would be a subsequent meeting for more feedback that would impact and reform the plan.
"Our problems are real but we can fix them," Williams said. "We can't depend on the state to bail us out, we must take control."
Williams said that "all over the country high school students are acting out in rage." He gave several reasons for this behavior, among them are a lack of opportunities and "not being challenged, wanting attention, and wanting to be loved."
Williams also spoke about "areas that affect learning," such as poverty, asthma, obesity, drugs, and lead, but added: "you all were educated in these same buildings with the same lead, we need to stop this nonsense."
A third grade teacher, who attended the meeting, said after it ended: "It just seemed as if once again he was blowing off the seriousness of the issue and everybody applauds because he has a way of saying things that sounds like he's really doing something."
Regardless of all those problems, Williams said that first we have to look at education itself and stop pretending that everyone is reading. He added, however, that "You can't convince me that 20% of our students need special education."
Regarding the violence in St. Louis high schools, Williams said that last year there were 674 Type I infractions. These involve weapons and drugs. There were 1061 Type III infractions – "just fights." He said the 8 girls who were suspended from Vashon for the fight last week would be dealt. "If they need to go, they need to go," he said to applause. Williams said he wants to provide alternative placement for them, added that he doesn't want to get ahead of the Board of Education because he hasn't talked to them about it yet.
He did not mention his previous promise, still unfulfilled, to start up an in-school suspension program in most of schools.
Thursday, Williams said he plans to reorganize the work schedules of district administrators. "We can't support the schools all day everyday at 801," he said. He said he plans for non-teaching district staff to start their day helping students arrive at the schools and then come to work and later to return to the schools to assist with dismissal. He said he also intends to redeploy security officers, and he intends to talk to the teachers' union about non-performing teachers, who may need to be replaced.
He said he wants all the men who work in his office to be on call for incidents in the schools. He said he will expect them to respond to an incident within 10 minutes of getting a call.
A half hour was provided for public comment. Most of the comments were laudatory but there were many more people who wanted to comment than there was time provided to hear them. The microphones were turned off promptly and the meeting declared over at 7:45 p.m.
Community Meeting at Vashon High tonight
By Antonio D. French
 November 3, 2005 -- Superintendent Creg E. Williams has called a meeting at Vashon High School TONIGHT at 6:30 p.m. to discuss recent events within the St. Louis Public Schools.
"There have been a number of events that I am displeased with recently in our district concerning student behavior," said Williams. "I need to address these events before they get out of control. I am inviting community leaders, politicians, parents, teachers, and, most importantly, students to attend this meeting; it is time for the community to help restore pride and dignity back into our schools."
SLPS has also come up with an "education covenant" for parents and other members of the community to pledge to help turn around the city schools. View it here.
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