By Antonio D. French
Filed Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 8:49 AM
The following report is by Nick Clement of the St. Louis Schools Watch: Labels: Schools
St. Louis School Board President Veronica O'Brien again has found a way to divert attention from students and teachers to herself. In a bizarre performance before the Desegregation Monitoring Task Force, O'Brien called on the state to intervene in the school district to remove the superintendent.
Only two months ago, O'Brien engineered the removal of the word "interim" from Diana Bourisaw's title, making her "superintendent" instead of "interim superintendent." Now she is relentless in her attacks on the superintendent. The reason for the attacks lies in a disagreement over O'Brien's role.
In recent weeks, O'Brien has been telling anyone who will listen that administrators in St. Louis Public Schools do not respect her authority as president. She complains that administrators are holding meetings without inviting her and making decisions without running them by her first. In short, she is confirming the truth of board member Bill Purdy's claim that she is trying to micromanage the district.
Sources familiar with O'Brien say Bourisaw's reluctance to let O'Brien make up jobs and salaries precipitated split. The disagreement between the two came to a head over the hiring of Anthony Bonner.
Sources say O'Brien promised Bonner's family, with whom she is close, that she would give Bonner a job and pay him $125,000 a year. She ordered Bourisaw to hire Bonner as a "special assistant" and pay him $125,000. Bourisaw reportedly refused. She is said to have told O'Brien that Bonner could apply for whatever openings were advertised and if he was qualified, she would hire him at the advertised salary. He qualified for a job in the community information office and was hired at a salary of $72,000 a year.
Many people in the school district were outraged that someone with just a bachelor's degree could come off the street and waltz into a $72,000 a year gig to make more than many principals with doctorate degrees are making, but O'Brien was outraged that her order to pay him $125,000 was ignored. She reportedly ran around school board headquarters ordering one person after another to code Bonner in the payroll system for $125,000. Person after person refused, and her grudge against Bourisaw grew.
People who know O'Brien say she has become obsessed with getting rid of Bourisaw, to the point where nothing else in the school district matters to her. That obsession has led to the strange speech reported in the Post-Dispatch yesterday.
As upsetting as her speech is to supporters of St. Louis public schools, it at least indicates that she does not have the support of the majority of the board. She would not be calling on the state to remove the superintendent if she had the votes on the board to do it.
The school board meets tonight at 5:30 p.m. for a special presentation on Sodexho, then again at 7:00 p.m. for their regular monthly meeting. Click here for the agenda.
20 Comments:
Why is it all about her and the perceived lack of respect for her role and not about quality education for children?
11/21/2006 9:41 AM
No one would listern when parents were talking about O'Brien, now everyone see that if she don't get her way, she will do whatever is necessary to get rid of someone. What we need to do is get rid of Mrs. O'Brien. The school system has failed the students so many times and as long as she is president, it will continue to fail the students. She should not have replaced Craig Williams. She likes to hide behind the board members, when it is really her that wants to do things the way she does. Mr. Bonner should not be making $72,000.00 a year, he has never had to deal with students the way he will have to if he gets the job. Yes he was a grad of Vashon, but he has not had to deal with students like the one at Vashon. I'm not saying he won't be able to do it, but there is a bigger picture that he will need to look at. Why is it that O'Brien can offer her friends something, but can't do anything to help the children in the Public school system? Oh, I forgot her children are not in the public school system. She needs to go and go now, before she do anymore damage.
11/21/2006 10:42 AM
Whether the state should take control, I am not sure yet. The City could take control of the district as this has been done in other big Cities.
Some entity needs to enact control over the school board and the districts administration because the current system is dysfunctional and politicized.
Story about LA's school system takeover by the Mayor:
http://www.economist.com/background/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6859153
11/21/2006 10:51 AM
This is really a "Black Eye" for the St. Louis Public School System. I would like to see all the Board Members removed immediately, along with the Superintendent. If a State take over is the answer then so be it. The current Board has done nothing to help the students in the district. The longer the State waits the chaos will worsen.
11/21/2006 12:12 PM
Great picture of Veronica. Notice the maniacle sneer.
11/21/2006 12:12 PM
Didn't the school board have a member removed a couple of years ago becasue she was deemed mentally incompentant? Maybe this process should be looked into for Ms O'Brien. Also, if the state steps in, it should be the board that is removed first, then a process to see how the organization under the board needs reworking. I just don't see the state stepping in and leaving the current board in place.
11/21/2006 12:44 PM
Removing Bourisaw will worsen the chaos not keep it from worsening. She has been the first strong leader since Hammonds. The fact that she stood up to O'Brien rather than do something unethical is admirable. I wish that previous Superintendents had stood up to board members with requests for favors! For instance, a board member's child wanting to go to Metro, but not making the cut, so all students between the cut and the board member's child being admitted to accomodate that request.
11/21/2006 12:56 PM
Veronica is right. State intervention is needed. Especially to take control from her defunct board.
11/21/2006 2:28 PM
Now who is acting like Mayor Slay. If I can't do things my way let the state take over. Shame on you O'Brien. I thought this board was suppose to be about the kids.
11/21/2006 2:47 PM
"A full state takeover, she predicted, would have disastrous results for both the city schools and neighboring districts, which would have to absorb an expected overflow of students from a restructuring of the St. Louis schools."
So all she really is worried about is that the Clayton School District not get harmed. I still do not understand how I am paying for her kids to go there.
11/21/2006 4:09 PM
hey doug---thanks for pointing out what they did in LA.
I thought Baltimore had an interesting story---republican governor tries to take over Baltimore schools, Baltimore mayor fights against it, Baltimore mayor is elected new governor.
Does Slay want the political and financial responsibilities of running the slps? I think he likes it better as a punching bag.
11/21/2006 4:50 PM
also---I wonder if democracy is actually working. O'Brien was appointed by Slay---the two new members seem ok. Purdy is qualified and informed. The three opponents of Bourisaw might be looking at her differently now that she has stood up to O'Brien.
I think the board might be straightening itself out---and elections will be held soon.
11/21/2006 4:53 PM
Inspecteur Clouseau ici: Excusez-moi, mes amis, the Mayor run the SLPS? With all the corruption in City Hall, you want more in the school district?
S'il vous plaît, that would be disastrous for the district, an unbelievable burden on the teachers and staff, and sin against the children.
Ask some city employees just how bad the corruption is.
Mon avis (my opinion), mes amis.
11/21/2006 8:19 PM
Anonymous above Pink Panther, interesting point. The minority argues for an appointed board, and look how the only appointed board member right now is acting. Not a good argument for appointments!
11/21/2006 8:59 PM
Please remember that Veronic O'Brien was appointed and then elected! She may have two more years before her election comes up.
11/21/2006 9:34 PM
Have I fallen into the rabbit hole? I feel like I am hearing the Queen of Hearts in her garden screech yet once again..."Off with her head, off with her head." First it was Williams, now it is Bourisaw. Will the Queen (Veronica) never be satisfied? The trouble is, this is no fairy tale!
11/21/2006 9:52 PM
Veronica is in apparent need of psychiatric help. She aligns herself with powerful people, then when they refuse to go along with her delusions of granduer, she becomes vindictive and spiteful.
11/21/2006 10:50 PM
Let us pray for our children for this mess is a situation only a higher power can fix. Too many egos. Too much drama. Too little care. Enough is enough. Forgive them for they know not what they do.
11/21/2006 11:14 PM
If anyone only knew the true Veronica, in a true business sense, everyone would know that she is truly over her head. But no one wants to look into her "real" paying job and how poorly her "business" is run. How come no one looks into her true profession? Abysmal.
11/22/2006 11:21 PM
Star, you are exactly correct. If anyone knew the truth about her business operation it would explain so much about her activities on the school board. A joke of the highest degree. But, no one will look into that. Why?
11/26/2006 3:42 PM
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