By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, July 13, 2006 at 4:57 PM
Labels: Media_Watch, Schools
From the December 8, 2005 Post-Dispatch:
The St. Louis School Board and Superintendent Creg Williams didn't even give Floyd Irons a slap on the wrist for the financial irregularities at Vashon High School. Instead, they cleared Mr. Irons, apologized to him for the bad publicity and gave the erroneous impression that prosecutors had exonerated him.
It was a stunning example of the lack of public accountability.
...the School Board has left a mistaken impression that Mr. Irons has been exonerated by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce. Jeannette Graviss, Ms. Joyce's chief warrant officer, said in a telephone interview on Wednesday that "the bookkeeping was so sloppy that there would be no way to determine if there was criminal behavior.... It is an exaggeration to say that the review exonerated anyone," she added. "That is completely false."
...Mr. Irons is a great basketball coach with political clout. Getting to the bottom of the financial irregularities at Vashon would have taken a lot of gumption and willingness to take the heat from angry Irons supporters. This board and this superintendent have demonstrated they don't have it.
From today's Post-Dispatch:
...instead of dealing with these real and crucial issues, the St. Louis Board of Education spent this week plotting coups like the tin-horn governors of a banana republic. The board fired Floyd Irons, the most successful high school basketball coach in Missouri history, a man who was going to retire next year anyway, a man with a huge and loyal following than can now be expected to create more trouble for a district that hardly needs it.
...But the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's office said it found no reason to pursue criminal charges against Mr. Irons. Mr. Williams Tuesday reiterated his view that the case against Mr. Irons didn't merit his dismissal. "It's unfortunate that as superintendent I have to spend my time on issues that don't have anything to do with academic achievement," he said.
Creg Williams may be the St. Louis Public School's last, best hope to regain accreditation and avoid state takeover. If that happens, the teachers union, and its proxies on the school board, may come to regret their actions.
14 Comments:
The Post only cares about stirring trouble, not about making sense or solving problems. Why do you think we prefer to read PUB DEF?
7/13/2006 9:33 PM
I prefer to read both. PUB DEF enjoys stirring up trouble too, every newspaper enjoys trouble.
7/14/2006 1:16 AM
The road to state-takeover is paved with good intentions.
7/14/2006 8:25 AM
The difference between PubDef and the STLPD is:
1. PubDef provides up-to-the-minute news coverage
2. PubDef is the first on the scene
3. PubDef does not report car crashes in the suburbs
4. PubDef has a more local and state focus
5. Antonio French does not have an editor telling him what to do
6. Antonio French does this because he is passionate and committed to St. Louis, not to pay the mortgage
7. PubDef does not murder helpless trees
7/14/2006 8:35 AM
Definition of a fool:
Any person who gives a shred of credibility to anything written on the P-D editorial page.
7/14/2006 8:53 AM
If this new slate even wants control over staffing, why even have a superintendent? Is there nothing that this new majority won't micro-manage?
7/14/2006 9:27 AM
Ahhhh....the joys of "local control" with an elected School Board! Can't wait to see how this might improve the operation of the Police Department....
7/14/2006 10:11 AM
In addition to state control, another lesson SLPS could take from SLMPD is residency requirements. Police officers with less than seven years must live within the City. It wouldn't be bad if teachers with less than seven years would be similarly required to reside within the City.
7/14/2006 12:26 PM
I don't see why it is so surprising that the editorial board changed its focus. At that time the big thing was Floyd's accounting practices, or lack there of, but now there are bigger issues. I think that sometimes a change in focus is good. Maybe if we all looked at the bigger picture we might find some real change that could help the children. Also I had heard that the board had one employee that it hired, shouldn't the superintendant have some input into his departments if he is in charge of distict. I know that the board has the final say on personel decisions, but doesn't someone have to bring the personel decisions to the board?
7/14/2006 1:26 PM
Residency requirements for SLPS would be great. Where does Mary Armstrong live? We know that Byron Clemens lives in posh Clayton.
7/14/2006 2:58 PM
Here's more Doug,
PubDef rarely attributes information.
PubDef prints harmful rumors without confirming them.
PubDef then accuses the district of being secretive when no one should blame them for not wanting to give information to a blatant rumor-monger.
PubDef worships and never criticizes Bill Purdy.
PubDef has Doug Duckworth's nose firmly pressed against its posterior.
7/14/2006 3:00 PM
It seems to me that the worst thing Floyd Irons has done is to dedicate his entire educational career to Vashon High School and to the kids there. He has kept kids in school when no one else could. He kept violence down, he knew parents and grandparents by name, and could diffuse volitile situationsby meeting parents at the door and talking with them. The awful fights and violence did not start until Verona Bowers was installed as a so-called principal, and hid in the office all year, leaving what little discipline there was up to her subordinates. (Many of which were supposed to be teachers in a classroom, but were her "buddies" so pretty much did as they pleased.
7/14/2006 4:37 PM
I have read the article in today's Post regarding the firing of Irons. We have removed a man that made a difference to underprivelaged black youths. Now add the removal of Williams to the equation. Two black men that could relate to our underprivelaged black youth have left our system. Who actually believes that Bourisaw can relate to or even begin to motivate these children to achieve? I do not believe this is a black white issue,(I am of caucasion persuasion)however, these children need mentors, someone to look up to and someone to help them realize they can strive for a better life. They are not going to relate to me, Bourisaw or O'Brien. I have read that Williams and Irons were arrogant,those are personal attacks on their character. Arrogance goes hand in hand with drive and ambition. Irons has been successful and offered stability to these kids. Williams was not given a chance to do so.
7/16/2006 8:40 AM
As the poster who made the comment about the "joys of local control," don't you people recognize SARCASM??? The LAST THING SLPS could benefit from is a residency rule! It's already difficult enough to get good teachers, so why should we require they live in the City? I wouldn't even care if the School Board lived in the City if they could start making decisions in the best interests of the District and the kids.
The School Board has clearly outlived its usefulness. I would rather see parents have direct input with DESE than to see these arrogant clown continue their reign of terror.
7/17/2006 10:44 AM
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