On Tuesday and Wednesday St. Louis Public Schools commenced a series of 10 community meetings at area schools. This commendable initiative signals that the district understands the need to encourage broad community input in developing strategies for dealing with years of poor test scores, high dropout rates and fighting in the schools. To his credit, Superintendent Creg Williams is providing leadership that recognizes the critical importance of focusing adult groups on the need to support child and youth development.
The absence of effective leadership in the superintendent’s office over the last two years has taken a great toll on the district. Critics of the current board majority are happy to brag “I told you so” about the difficulties encountered by the school board’s plans to bring much-needed reform. While there is merit to some of their claims, as evidenced by the very troubling decline in accreditation scores and escalating dropout rates, these critics fail to make a convincing argument based on a complete, objective review of the district’s strengths and weaknesses. They also fail to aknowledege that the status quo when reform efforts began was clearly unacceptable.
The problems the district faces are myriad and deep. These problems were compounded by an expensive corporate turnaround firm that understood cost cutting but made many judgments that were insufficient and inappropriate for an urban education context. Its contribution to the fiscal health of the district was invaluable, but often insensitive to the basics necessary to carry out an effective instructional program in a dysfunctional urban school district. Some of the cuts were necessary, but many were unwise. The mistakes in allocating scarce resources were made worse by the prolonged absence of an effective superintendent.
Now a new superintendent is in place and is providing promising leadership. Williams, unlike his immediate predecessor, is prudently reaching out to gather public opinion and, ultimately, its support. He has started a public conversation about proposed strategies for school reform. Concerned citizens and organizations have an opportunity to engage in a constructive dialogue with the district.
However, those whose agenda mandates micromanaging the district should be given short shrift. There are enough formidable barriers to improving student outcomes without excessive meddling. Only if this superintendent is unable to lead this district in the right direction – as shown by a lack of substantive, incremental improvement – should the prerogatives of the schools’ CEO be abrogated. The suggestion that a state takeover of the city schools would mean a better solution for the district’s students ignores the state’s woeful performance in the field of education at all levels. The community should engage in dialogue with Williams, but also give the man time to do his job.