By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, July 13 at 5:05 AM
The Post reports this morning that Mayor Francis Slay and board member Robert Archibald think four of the seven members of the St. Louis School Board may be ready to fire Superintendent Creg Williams.
Reporter Steve Giegerich must have read The Watch or our sister site, PUBDEF.net, earlier this week when we reported that board member Ron Jackson had been in contact with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regarding the tensions between the board and Williams.
Without a mention of our story, Giegerich wrote, "Jackson's concern over what he called 'board dysfunction' led him recently to contact [DESE] about a potential state takeover of the school district, Missouri's largest."
The Post stopped short of also re-reporting our sources' claims that Slay also contacted DESE about taking over SLPS. But that part of our story is what prompted board president Veronica O'Brien to blast Slay in an email to the mayor and copied to several other people.
"Your office needs to stop! Can you folks get over the fact that you lost both elections," wrote O'Brien. "Back off and run the city! Stop calling [DESE Commissioner] Kent King and trying to hurt the children. Do you know what you look like?"
O'Brien went on to tell Slay, "I never hear you talk about the children only Creg. If Creg is gone it is your fault. Grow up Mayor Slay -- run what you can -- the city and not the school district.
"Your people destroyed the district and if all they did came out it would destroy you. Please, please back off we have all had enough of you!!"
21 Comments:
I voted for Purdy, Obrien, Downs and Jones. I believe that they are about to fire Williams. I think that that would be a horrible mistake. The four of them are acting on the basis of their emotions. We need an end to the chaos. A tax increase will never get passed with all this fighting. The four of them are too focussed on payback.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:49:00 AM
Maybe they are privy to things that we don't know and have a solid basis for whatever actions they take.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:11:00 AM
I am sure this is exactly what Williams wants. What I am about to say is considered hearsay but after seeing the actions and reading the articles (which may or may not be true as well) many of the rumors I was hearing during the last school year are now coming true. For example, Williams leaving for Chicago during the summer, trying to get fired by not following proper procedure, or using school personnel or services for personal use. If Williams is fired he wins. Williams gets paid the full amount of money stated in his contract. This may also include some of the bonuses as well (that I would not be sure of). Next he escapes a district that is about to taken over by the state (we will definitely see after the next MSIP inspection in 2010). Being fired from this district actually more of a blessing than a black mark on ones resume. Not that long ago this district use to be the model of education for the nation. Now this district is the model of what not to do when solving educational problems. When I meet teachers from across the state and they find out that I teach in St. Louis there is a silence then I’m sorry or I’ll pray for you. When I say I teach in one of the magnet schools then there eyes lighten up and we start talking about what goes on in our classrooms. I am sure Williams would love to leave this district for one that actually thinks about the students instead of a bunch of people searching for personal titles and glory.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:57:00 AM
Board President O'Brien seems to be very politically saavy. Further, it appears that she has at least a good working relationship with the Superintendent. So, I doubt she would take rash action on the matter. If she were to join those that wish to release the Superintendent, I would imagine that it would be for good cause. What worries me is that if the Superintendent is fired, my understanding is that his contract has to be bought out. That is an expense we cannot afford.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 9:09:00 AM
As a concerned parent, I have the following questions:
1. When are the people who run this district going to start thinking about the students best interests?
2. What difference does is make if the security guard/driver for Dr Williams is contracted or directly employed by the district, isn't it still district funds that pay for his service?
3. Why does Dr Williams make various decisions before fully investigating & verifying information or FULLY develop plans to proceed with his recommendations?
4. Does anyone else feel that Dr Williams has focused on too many issues at one time ie- wants vs need, instead of having a list of priorities and staying focused on the students and their achievement?
5. When are the people in this district going to stop the in-fighting and work together to make this district what it can and should be? Why can't we all just get along for the good of the students-their futures are depending on us.
6. Why does the mayor and one of the board members want to disband the BOE, when the PEOPLE of St Louis voted for them?
I am appalled at how this district (funny I typed destruct first...hmmm)is proceeding with the major task of trying to become fully accredited. I live in St Louis county, and chose to take my children out of the Lindbergh School District because I felt that the St Louis Magnet Schools were the best. I wanted to give my children, not only an intellectual education, but a social one also. I felt it was just as important for them to learn about different types of people, customs, cultures and backgrounds. I believe that is an education unto itself, to live and co-exist in this world and be tolerant of others and their differences. How am I to explain to them the reason why we can't come together and fix these problems? We are setting the worst example to our students by what we are doing. PLEASE someone do the right thing for the sake of the children.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:10:00 AM
Don't stop with Mr.Williams there are alot of KINGS and QUEENS that run 801 that think they are untouchable.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:55:00 AM
The theatrics are just absolutely ridiculous! I am the parent of a child attending a magnet school. Stop the drama, and think about the children!!!!!! I am so sorry I voted for Peter Downs. I have have been deeply upset over the lack of accountability in the school system, I am just as upset over the lack of accountability on the school board.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 1:42:00 PM
Brian Harris, where did you go to school?
We have to be sure not to send our kids there as they may come out with the same writing skills or poorer. Is English your first language?
Thursday, July 13, 2006 2:21:00 PM
For goodness sake! Peter Downs doesn't run the school board. He is simply a member. What exactly has he done? I don't know him, but I certainly would trust him and his judgement over anyone in administration. He has a child or children in the district from what I understand and by my guess is just as concerned as the rest of us. How far are you people going to take this and how long are you going keep up the infighting? When are you people going to shut the heck up and try to work together? Do any of you go to PTO Meetings at your local schools or to board meetings? I do. Do any of you blasters really get involved, or do you just point the finger at everyone else? Also, I agree with anon #7, you really need to use spell check or something if you want other people to take what you have to say seriously. Anon #4
Thursday, July 13, 2006 3:19:00 PM
As a parent with a child in the district I can verify that Mr. Downs HAS listened to parents and their concerns and is trying to act on them. I DO attend school and board meetings and agree with the above poster that parents need to become informed before speaking out.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 3:32:00 PM
There is accountability for the School Board--they are accountable to the voters. If the voters aren't happy then this group will be voted out just as the last group was. As a parent who voted for Downs and Jones, I will say I was disappointed when they wrote the letter to the Post about Williams--I felt that was not very classy or professional--but I do appreciate that they are helping force the issue of balancing the budget and working toward the pending fiscal crisis. The last Board would have approved Williams's budget without question, and the District would have been further in debt than it is.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 3:49:00 PM
If Peter Downs wants to use the media to communicate what is going on -bully for him. Not everyone reads these blogs on this website, not everyone has inside info. The media gets info out to many more people. The more people who know about the disservice this district is doing to our children, the better. Maybe among those people we can find someone who can help us get out of this awful situation we are in.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 4:02:00 PM
If anyone is using the media big time, it's the superintendent and the mayor's office. I believe in equal access. How about the rest of you, including you, Mr. Harris?
Thursday, July 13, 2006 4:34:00 PM
Very well rsponded, Brain Harris, thier is no hope fo SLPS (without Williams) and I am a product of SLPS k- 12 also. I graduatied from the "V" and it was a total mess when I was there. Lets stop failing our children and give them something to look up to... CITIZENS are running Williams away and he has, to me, great potential to restore academic success in our schools. Lets give our students something to look up to, and "make them realize their intellectual potential".
Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:08:00 PM
Spelling was an era on purpose to show you that SLPS failed me and is failing other kids as we speak.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:10:00 PM
Harry. You need to learn how to read a map. There are actually more private and charter schools within the St. Louis City limits than outside the city. Plus schools within a district do not get separate funding from state of federal government except through grants. Even then some district administrators will take the money and use it for something else. The person who wrote the grant will still have to conduct the program that the money was slated for. If the state or the federal government supplies money to a district it is up to the district to provide the necessary resources to operate the schools within the district. Let me make it simple for you. Metro, Vashon, Jefferson, all receive money from the St. Louis Public School District in order to operate. In theory each school should receive an amount of money that corresponds to the number of students enrolled in the school. However with schools like Metro where the students do well on MAP tests the district may shift more money to that school know that if they keep books, computer software, library resources up to date the school will continue to do well. But if you give more to one another school has to try to succeed with less.
Next, developers do not care what a school system is like. Developers see gold in a heap of rubble, a dilapidated building, an empty lot, and an old warehouse. They may design it for particular audience but if that audience does not move in and someone does it really doesn’t matter to them. Developers are producing a product just like any other business in this case it is a house, apartment, loft, etc. They may try to use the local school district as a selling point but they are more concern in selling a place to live. Recently I drove by the old City Hospital, which was closed for years. It now has these luxury apartments (I cannot remember the starting price) but I do not think the developers were trying to attract families here. The Gaslight Square development was designed to attract families back into the city but empty nesters moved in instead. Many who lived there when they were growing up. I am sure the developers said sorry you cannot live here unless you have school age children.
This district does have more than its fair share of problems. Not to mention it has been steadily going down hill since about 1970. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch was the Peter Downs questioning every decision and why was the decision being made. Rarely did the Post write a good article about the district. After the Desegregation Lawsuit the Post was the first to report to the public the abuse of money and power. Now, that the District is on the doorstep of losing accreditation any and all problems are major news events. During the 1990’s the district was inching back to becoming a good district, not a blue ribbon district but a decent district. Then Slay, Roberti, and the Slay Board came in and sent everything backwards. Their main goal as I look back on it now was to do two things. The first was to get rid of the teacher’s union and the second divide the district into zones, which the district used to have many years ago. The points we had before Slay and his “educational team” was I believe around 70 something. After Slay and his team did what they did the points dropped to around 30 (I cannot remember the exact numbers but we stepped back even further – I know someone can help me state the exact numbers). I applaud Downs, Jones, O’Brien, and Purdy for starting to question spending. Not to mention thinking about long term effects instead of getting through the next school year.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:52:00 PM
Let's not all forget that there are two seats on the Board up for election next year. They happen to be the seats of Members Archibald and Jackson. So, if we want changes, here is the place to start.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:05:00 PM
Travis is right - those points weren't lost by educators making decisions, they were lost by non-educators running a district like it produced widgets instead of students.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 9:04:00 PM
Mr. Harris, you are too easy to discredit. When I moved into my house having children was the furthest thing from my mind. I also use to vote down every tax increase that came along as well. I use to think that if the schools couldn’t do what they needed to do with the money they had why should I give them anymore. Then I got educated about education. I also have children in a school district that went from being a decent district when we first moved in twenty years ago to become a blue ribbon district today. I now vote for every tax increase because I know in order for this district to stay a blue ribbon district they have to stay up to date with textbooks, computer, and other resources. As far as developers go or I should say real estate agents will sell a house to anyone who is willing to buy it. I also know that in several areas of the city houses that go on sale are sold in a relatively short time. I know of several houses that were sold or placed under contract the day they were listed. Since you work in real estate you should know this. Also depending upon what part of the city you live in the agents do not promote the SLPS but they say your house is close to Bishop DuBourg or over here is St. Something Parish elementary school. And if you are speaking for the developers in the St. Louis city why did one developer run off a high school baseball team who were practicing on a field that SLPS use to own but well away from a development that used to be a school? If you say developers’ care then why wouldn’t they let them play on the field? Plus, the school is being developed into loft apartments. I wonder whom these developers are trying to attract. After all it is a good city block away from an elementary and high school.
Friday, July 14, 2006 8:58:00 AM
With the prices these new units, lofts etc are going for-the people moving into these units can afford to send their children anywhere ie-private schools. Many of the children of affluent people who live in the city, that went to Mckinley for middle school, chose not to send their children to Public High School, even though Metro is a great school. They chose to send their kids to private/religious based High Schools. So in the end, I'm sure the developers know this also. They are not necessarily worried about the school district and it's performance.
Friday, July 14, 2006 9:19:00 AM
Many current city residents cannot afford new homes and private tuition. As a parent, my child's education and well-being come before a new home. Fortunately, I am able to pay tuition and have my child attend a parochial school. If this were not possible, I would have sold my house and rented in a district where a quality education exists. I love living in the city and hope that the SLPS can find a way to provide an appropriate education for all students. This will never be easy but all stakeholders must find a way to work towards this goal together.
Saturday, July 15, 2006 8:05:00 AM
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