Williams recalls controversial yearbook
By Daniel R. Brown
Of the St. Louis American
Last Sunday, Deneen Busby, host of Majic 104.9’s Sunday Morning Live, invited the public to have brunch with new St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Creg Williams. The live broadcast gave community members an open forum to address any concerns regarding the St. Louis Public Schools.
“I really wanted to do something special because of all the chaos that had surrounded the St. Louis Public Schools the last couple of years,” Busby told the American.
“Especially with the turnaround firm coming in, it seemed as though people were just disenchanted, so I wanted to give people an opportunity to meet and greet with the new superintendent.”
A major complaint about the district has been that too many decisions were made behind closed doors without sufficient public input. Williams, however, opened himself up to complete public scrutiny on Sunday.
“I think that traditionally the public has not has an opportunity to interface with the superintendent of schools,” Williams said.
“I hope that they have an opportunity to take away that I will have one focus and that focus will be to educate young people.”
Topics raised during Sunday’s discussion included student achievement, Williams’ relationship with members of the school board, his plans to move toward clustered neighborhood schools, continuing trouble at Vashon High School and the districts’ new curriculum.
Demetrious Johnson said he attended the forum because of his concern for the welfare of children and to address his concerns regarding Coach Floyd Irons of Vashon.
“When you look at the educational system, there is a lack of black men in that industry,” Johnson said.
“When you get a man like Coach Irons and his stature, and he has the respect and is a positive role model to these young, black men and women, you need to have him around.”
“There are some serious problems at the school, and it’s obvious that those problems have been long-standing, whether they were there before Floyd, during Floyd or after Floyd,” Williams replied
“Over the last five to seven years, the academic performance of the school has not been acceptable. We want to make sure that young people have a place where they can go to be educated and that education becomes a priority.”
Striking an upbeat note, Williams said, “The problems can be fixed. The Vashon that we know right now will not be the Vashon that we know next year.”
Williams made reference to the district’s recent troubles and expressed his intent to overcome them.
“There is a lot of hurt and a lot of division in the community. I see that. I hear it. I witness it,” Williams said.
“It shows me that there is a need for the school district to reunite the community.”
The day after the forum, Williams announced that the distrtict had recalled Central High School’s yearbook because it contained what he deemed to be inappropriate material.
The school district also sent letters to parents and began conducting formal investigations, holding parent meetings, updating extra-curricular activities and publication policies, and reimbursing students and parents for yearbook expenses.
Williams objected to students displaying what he characterized as gang signs and making references to subjects such as working as a stripper.
“We will not condone such messages and images,” Williams said in a statement.
“This sort of publication is harmful to students; we, as adults, must set an example.”
