By Antonio D. French
Filed Sunday, August 27 at 11:19 PM
Leaders of the St. Louis Public Schools will try to prove many of their critics wrong today by opening school on time and without major incident. To help send the message of a school district under control and on the right path, Interim Superintendent Diana Bourisaw will be shaking hands and working the media throughout the day.
After a weekend schedule that included Back-to-School rallies and speaking at several local churches, Bourisaw will welcome students back to SLPS at Carnahan High School at 7:00 this morning. From there, she'll make the rounds from Nottingham Community Access Job Training High School (8:00) to Meramec Elementary (9:20) to Northwest Middle (10:45) to Mark Twain Elementary (11:45) to Pruitt Middle (12:30) to Madison Elementary (1:15).
Bourisaw is scheduled to hold a press conference at the district's downtown headquarters at 4:00 p.m. to give a report to the public of how the first day of school went.
PUB DEF will be traveling around the district throughout the day. Please report any issues by calling our 24-Hour Tip Line at (314) 518-2364.
As always, you can also post news yourself in the comments section of this post.
23 Comments:
Wow! All 3 of my children got off to school this morning on time! Usually the buses are late or don't show up at all. At this time of the morning on the first day, instead of leaving this message, I'm getting ready to drive someone to school. One step in the right direction!
Monday, August 28, 2006 5:45:00 AM
I just dropped off my babies so I could look at how the school was - you know clean or fixed and everything. Even with the playground waiting place for the classes, I was let in to see without trouble and it was cleaner than all year last year too.
Monday, August 28, 2006 7:34:00 AM
A teacher told me that Schoemehl is no longer on retirement board. Is that true?
Monday, August 28, 2006 7:42:00 AM
Volunteered at Sumner HS this morning. School looked great. Floors gleamed, cafeteria was clean and ready, students arrived on time.
There was a sense of optimism and calm as the students filed in.
Monday, August 28, 2006 7:56:00 AM
ALL OF THE CLASSES HAVE NOT STARTED!
Why didn't the SLPS send out something this year letting parents know that not all of the classrooms are ready. My four year old niece will not start school until Sept. 5 this year. WHY? She started school last year on the first day. The only notice that was sent out was one letting us know that school started today, what she would need as far as school supplies, and who her teacher was. No call to let us know that she would have to wait another week. WHY...all that time Ms. Diana spent in the county churches yesterday, she should have been on the phone trying to call parents and let them know that would need to find daycare for some of their children because not all of the classroom are ready!!
Monday, August 28, 2006 8:11:00 AM
My niece's mother just got a call from the school and they told her that the letter about the start of school was a mistake...it should have read that her school doesn't start until Sept. 5. THANKS...but it came a little late
Monday, August 28, 2006 8:37:00 AM
In my apartment building, I live across the hall from 3 elementary school kids. They didn't go to school. Now, of course, as one of our anonymouses pointed out, they may have received a letter stating the kids don't start until the 5th. I kind of doubt it, though.
I'll say I'm cautiously optimistic. I'll be curious to know what the first day of school attendance will be.
Monday, August 28, 2006 10:01:00 AM
I wish that I would of been informed by the district that EC and ECSE students begin on September 5th and not today! The only way I found out was by talking to the school secretary on an unrelated issue. NOT one letter or phone call from the district stated this fact.
Monday, August 28, 2006 10:03:00 AM
At Wilkinson ECC this morning, a playground full of happy, diverse little faces gathered in a circle, sang the school song, blew bubbles to welcome the first day, and happily trooped in to class. Parents were all over the place, meeting each other and learning about the school and PTO. It was a wonderful beginning to the year for my 2nd grader and preschooler. I wish this was the sort of thing the news would show about SLPS. There are truly good things going on in this district if you look.
Monday, August 28, 2006 10:29:00 AM
I visited several schools this morning, while in one school I heard the principal tell the teachers over the P.A. not to record absences, only to mark those who were present. I am sure that Peter & Antonio will put positive spin on the first days attendance numbers. On another note I am happy to say that all of the schools were clean, brightly lit and ready to receive students.
Monday, August 28, 2006 10:59:00 AM
The anonymous who accused Dr. Bourisaw of being in county churches yesterday either didn't listen carefully to the news or didn't read the article carefully. She attended two north city churches and one Vietnamese church in Crestwood. The students at the Crestwood church probably attend an ESL program in the city schools, and she might have been invited by that church to speak.
Gee, why be so ugly about good deeds on the Lord's Day? I'm happy to see a superintendent reach out to another community other than the African Amerian community. After all, the St. Louis Public Schools serve a very, very diverse group of children. Asians deserve as much attention as African American and Caucasian children receive. They represent some of the best students because their homes, parents, and families encourage them to do their best--a real plus for any urban public school district.
Monday, August 28, 2006 10:59:00 AM
As one who worked in the schools and did attendance, the system is made to not record anything but who showed up at the beginning of school. The students who do not appear are not considered students of that school until they appear. This is according to State rules, not SLPS rules.
It helps to realize there are technicalities and state statutes that guide public schools. What will be counted is total attendance and enrollment at the end of the day. Ask any school secretary how this works. It is not a decision of the local school district. All state districts are guided by these rules.
Be slow to criticize. Ask first.
Monday, August 28, 2006 11:09:00 AM
Just a note about attendance on the first day. In the past, a student had to attend school first before being able to be counted absent. The district will probably compare today's attendance numbers with anticipated/projected enrollment. In the past, the enrollment count (state wide) was on the last Wednesday in September. The number of students enrolled as of and up to that date were used to determine school and district enrollment for the year.
Monday, August 28, 2006 11:09:00 AM
Brian--You have a tendency to get pretty vulgar. Like I tell my students in the SLPS, can't it be said without the rude/vulgar references? Or is this the only means you have to express yourself.
Monday, August 28, 2006 4:00:00 PM
Brian Harris said...
anony above my post, your an idoit, you didnt read the last post, helen already address what you just said. so sut the fxck up!
Bryan---you misspelled idiot, didn't needs an apostrophe, adress needs "ed" added, shut needs an h. That does not really matter---I make careless mistakes,too. It is just an internet forum.
The thing is----if you note the times of the posts, there are 38 seconds between them. Helen Louise probably posted her information while anonymous was still typing hers.
Your angry post is not without value----it shows feelings are running strong---not always for very rational reasons.
Monday, August 28, 2006 4:07:00 PM
I misspelled address, and I have no way of knowing the gender of anonymous.
But I think my math was correct.
Monday, August 28, 2006 4:10:00 PM
Where was Floyd irons today?
Monday, August 28, 2006 4:13:00 PM
Man Brian. That was definitely not one of your better posts. Are you having a bad day? You're sounding quite a bit like Mr. You Know Who. I don't think you want to be held in the same category as he, at least that's my opinion from most of your prior posts. I understand there are a lot of people who have problems with spelling, but the vulgarity. I don't recall you being that vulgar in the past. Please remember there are children who read our posts. Let's keep it clean and set a good example for their sake.
Monday, August 28, 2006 4:21:00 PM
Finally someone who smiles alot besides myself but be warned Diana certain people downtown like to make your life harder if you act like you like your job.
Monday, August 28, 2006 5:30:00 PM
It is only Headstart EC programs that don't start until 9/5. Magnet preschools began today.
Monday, August 28, 2006 8:35:00 PM
Thanks everyone for your comments and tips. Now on to Day Two.
Monday, August 28, 2006 9:54:00 PM
You are incorrect Anonymous #13. My daughter is in Early Childhood Special Education, NOT Headstart EC and she begins classes on September 5th. Maybe some of the magnet preschools began today but not EVERY EC classroom did. After the Wilkinson parent posted I called the Early Childhood office and the person I spoke with stated that none of the preschools started on August 28th. Does ANYONE have the correct information?? And why weren't parents informed about the EC start date?
Tuesday, August 29, 2006 5:37:00 AM
Regarding a State "Take Over" of the S.L.P.S.
"I am not being flip when I say that nobody knows how this would work if the state had to intervene in St.Louis. That's just the way it is. The law is wonderfully vague. For example, would existing contracts be valid or invalid? That uncertainty is very disconcerting for everybody."
_____________________________
Direct quote from Mr.Jim Morris representing the Commissioner of Missouri State Education, Dr.Kent King, as of September 1, 2006 regarding a State "Take Over" of the S.L.P.S.
Sunday, September 03, 2006 11:25:00 PM
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