By Antonio D. French
Filed Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 9:57 PM
The president of the St. Louis City school board would neither confirm or deny tonight that a special meeting was being planned for Tuesday. Labels: Interviews, Schools
School board president Veronica O'Brien called PUB DEF to inquire about our sources for an earlier story about a meeting being planned for this week to discuss, and possibly vote on, the question of closing Cleveland High School.
"Where did you get your information?" she repeatedly asked. When we twice tried to confirm with her the meeting plans, she yelled "This is how this will work; you will listen to me." We then hung up the phone.
Shortly afterwards, O'Brien sent an email to two other board members, the board's attorney, and PUB DEF.
"I am asking your assistance in informing [Antonio French] that he is not privy to confidential information nor do I owe him any special privileges regarding the content of board communication," she wrote.
"It appears Mr. French is determine [sic] to find fault in my leadership and thus I wish him well," she said. "One thing for sure is that under my leadership you will always know where I am coming from."
If the school board does plan to have a meeting on Tuesday, state law requires that public notice be given sometime tomorrow. With the heat being received by the board president, and two to three board members possibly unable to make the meeting, it is likely that it may not happen on Tuesday.
8 Comments:
Sounds like someone is bit edgy? Veronica is going to need to learn to keep her cool.
5/21/2006 10:51 PM
And who do you think you are, anyway, demanding to know when a public body holds its meetings!?
The nerve. Really.
(Seriously, though: is the inevitable nutso dive that all SLPS board members take coverable by worker's comp? Seems to be an occupational hazard.)
5/22/2006 1:10 AM
This behavior is nothing new to Veroncia, when the heat is on, just look for crazier and crazier actions, and lots of e-mails in all caps.
5/22/2006 7:42 AM
Let me get this straight. The administration wants to plan a special meeting and wants to make sure it can get a quorum before announcing it. So you're getting all over them for something this small? Staying on the district's heels to make sure it doesn't do anything crooked is fine, but picking at stuff like this is only going to get us a more devisive board and who does that serve? Certainly not the children in this district who need an education.
5/22/2006 10:01 AM
Anony #2, I'm not "getting all over" anyone about trying to get a quorum. The story is that the Board might be planning to vote earlier than they said they would on the question of closing Cleveland High.
In trying to confirm that story, the new story became that the Board President demanded to know my other sources and then asked other Board members and the district's attorney not to cooperate with my efforts to find out about a public meeting.
5/22/2006 10:17 AM
Man, she's heading into Ron Jackson and Vince Schoemehl territory!
5/22/2006 10:36 AM
Which two school board members were included in the email?
My earlier suspicions:
http://stloracle.blogspot.com/2006/05/new-school-board-majority-being-tested.html
may unfortuately be panning out, and even sooner than I expected.
5/22/2006 1:28 PM
Where's the outrage???
Closing a school?
Secret meetings???
Why haven't all the schools that were closed been re-opened?
Why haven't the food service workers gotten their jobs back?
Why is Sodexho and Aramark still working for the district?
Why haven't heads rolled???
Why did Purdy, Downs, Jones, And O'Brian lie their way onto the school board???
5/24/2006 11:32 AM
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