By Anonymous
Filed Tuesday, February 21 at 9:42 PM
by Peter Downs
February 19, 2006 -- Confused, frustrated, feeling a little seasick from one quick reverse after another from the St. Louis Public Schools? The repeated backward and forward of press releases and retractions from school district headquarters after the release of the new "strategic plan" could have been avoided if the school board had simply followed the spirit of Missouri's Sunshine Law.
On February 14, the St. Louis school board quickly approved the strategic plan without discussion and, as it turned out, without school board members knowing what was in it.
During the prior five days, Superintendent Creg Williams and leading members of his staff had met with school board members in "small groups" in order to circumvent the Sunshine Law. Missouri law requires that any meeting of the majority of the school board, four or more members, has to be publicized at least 24 hours in advance, and it must be open to the public unless it is dealing with certain limited exceptions such as personnel matters, real estate, or a lawsuit. The strategic plan was none of those, so Williams and his staff met privately with school board members in groups of three or less.
School board members Bill Purdy and Veronica O'Brien, together with Jim Buford, were briefed on the plan on Monday, February 13. Purdy and O'Brien said their briefing was largely devoted to school changes, such as which elementary schools would become K-8, which middle schools would become junior high schools and which would become high schools, and how school assignment patterns would change.
School board members thought they knew what was in the plan, but Purdy and O'Brien had the wit to know that the public might have important insights to bring to the table. After school board members Bob Archibald and Ron Jackson hastily moved to approve the plan on Tuesday, Purdy moved to amend the motion to give the school board the right to amend the plan after hearing from the public. O'Brien seconded the amendment. Archibald opposed it until Williams said that he too thought it was a good idea. Archibald and Jackson then reluctantly accepted the idea of public input. It was a good thing they did.
News outlets, which had been given copies of the strategic plan by the districts public relations office, reported on Wednesday that the strategic plan included mandatory uniforms for all students and year-round school for 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. As the protests from parents and students began flowing in, Purdy and O'Brien denied that such measures were part of the plan they voted on. Soon, denials also emanated from district headquarters. The district's web site then carried a press release touting year-round schools for grades 7-9 and mandatory uniforms, and the public relations office issued a statement denying them. Williams denied them in a press conference, too. On Thursday, school board president Darnetta Clinkscale read a statement to the 8th Ward Democratic Organization stating that year-round school for grades 7-9 was part of the plan, but when questioned about it she then denied it.
Confusing, isn't it. It is a good thing the school board followed Purdy's and O'Brien's lead and reserved the right to revisit the plan.
The St. Louis Teachers and School-Related Personnel Union, AFT Local 420, meanwhile gave the strategic plan a tepid endorsement and also called for taking a look at if after parents and employees had a chance to understand it and comment on it.
In comments made to reporters at Williams' press conference on Wednesday, Local 420 vice president Byron Clemens said:
"We are cautiously optimistic regarding Dr. William's announcement. We want to see the details. I think that parents and employees will have many concerns and questions regarding year round school, single sex schools and uniforms and the other proposals. We think it is a good idea to bring back some of the programs we already had such as ACT prep, AP courses, dual credit college course and the 9th grade academies at Roosevelt, Gateway, and Vashon before Alavrez and Marsal cut back on many of those programs.
"We would like to recapture what this district was like before the cuts. . . The St. Louis Public Schools were lauded in 2001 for being one of the top 5 urban areas in ACT scores. Gateway was honored for being one of the top 10 New American High Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. We are pleased that Dr. Williams has listened to Local 420s suggestions and is reopening alternative schools that had been closed and reinstituting In-School-Suspension rooms. We are glad there was a friendly amendment to the plan at the Board of Education meeting inviting stakeholders like parents and employees to the table to work out the details and that we hope that it actually happens. . ."
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home