Back to School rallies planned
By Alvin A. Reid of the American
Legendary civil rights attorney Frankie Freeman and Washington University chancellor emeritus Dr. William H. Danforth will co-chair a special committee charged with finding solutions “to the continuing turmoil in the St. Louis Public Schools,” state Education Commissioner Kent King announced last week.
St. Louis American Publisher Donald M. Suggs is one of the five people to serve on the committee along with Ned Lemkemeier and Michael Middleton, deputy chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia
Since the abrupt resignation of the school superintendent Creg Williams two weeks ago, King said there have been calls for various types of intervention in the school district.
“Under current law, we can consider various levels of intervention in the school district,” King said
“However, I would like to give the new administration and the school board some breathing room, so they can stabilize the district and prepare for the opening of school on August 28.”
Veronica O’Brien, president of the SLPS school board, declined to comment about the new committee to the American.
Danforth and Freeman also currently serve as co-chairs of the St. Louis Community Monitoring and Support Task Force. Lemkemeier is also a member of the task force.
The task force was created by the federal court to oversee implementation of the January 1999 settlement agreement in the St. Louis desegregation case.
“We cannot do this job by ourselves,” said Danforth.
“The St. Louis Public Schools, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Voluntary Inter-District Choice Corporation have been essential to the work of the task force. We hope that wonderful cooperation will extend to this new group.”
The newly appointed committee will gather information and make recommendations on the following topics:
— The district’s academic performance and steps the district must take to regain full accreditation.
— Reviewing issues related to the desegregation settlement agreement, governance of the district and the district’s accreditation status.
— Clarifying the financial condition of the school district.
— Clarifying the primary concerns of parents and community residents about the governance and operations of the district.
— Recommending potential changes in state law concerning the state’s involvement with the school district.
“Our task is not to assess the merits of the last or the present superintendent or review the actions of the present of past school board. It is rather to understand the longer term financial and educational matters,” Danforth explained.
The committee was announced as Diana Bourisaw, interim superintendent of the St. Louis Public Schools, added two educators to her team of advisors. They are:
— John Martin, Ed.D., who will be joining the St. Louis Public Schools on an interim basis as the deputy superintendent. Martin, a native of St. Louis, is the former superintendent of Grandview CSD #4 in Grandview, Mo. That district was twice honored for distinction and performance by the state of Missouri during his 9-year tenure as superintendent. He is an alumnus of Sumner High School.
— John Cary, a former school superintendent of the Mehlville School District who also has a background in public finance. He will work temporarily to make recommendations on improving the financial status of the district. He is donating his time to assist the St. Louis Public Schools.
“John Martin and John Cary both have a wealth of experience in Missouri education and will help immensely in moving the St. Louis Public Schools forward,” said Bourisaw.
Back to school rallies
One thing all parties involved with improving the SLPS district agrees upon is the importance of attendance on the first day of school, Monday, August 28.
A pair of Back to School rallies will be held in the final week before SLPS’ first day.
The first rally is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday August 19 at the Gateway Complex and a second is set for noon-5 p.m. Saturday August 26 at the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls’ Club and at the YMCA of Greater St. Louis.
According to Bourisaw, much of the preparation for the first day has been concluded. She said:
• Ninety-one percent of teachers at the reconstituted schools have been placed and know the classroom where they will teach next year.
• All principals have been selected for schools.
• The new operations department is working to ensure all facilities are ready on August 28.
• All textbooks have been ordered for the 2006-2007 school year.
• Professional development for teachers and principals is scheduled.
• Bus routes for the 2006-2007 school year have been scheduled. The district will be using yellow buses for all elementary, middle and high school students living 1 mile and more from their assigned school.
“We are working very hard to make sure everything is in place to welcome our students back to school,” said Bourisaw.
“When you have a district as large as this one, it’s important that you openly communicate with parents and students about the progress that is being made for the upcoming school year.”