By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, December 28, 2006 at 10:00 AM
Continuing to hold State Senator-elect Jeff Smith as the elected official all black officials should strive to be like, the St. Louis American today labeled State Rep-elect Jamilah Nasheed the "un-Jeff" for requesting public hearings on the issue of state takeover of St. Louis Public Schools. Labels: Media_Watch, State_House
The still anonymous authors of the "Political Eye" said that Nasheed's suggestion "overlooks the fact that the Special Advisory Committee has been doing its business in public, as required by the Sunshine Law. Also, if the powers in play wanted the fate of the pubic schools decided by the folks who show up at school board meetings, then it would never have appointed this committee in the first place."
Of course the "Eye" fails to mention that Donald Suggs, publisher of the American and former campaign treasurer for the original 2003 slate of school board candidates backed by Mayor Francis Slay, was one of the members of that Special Advisory Committee.
And they also fail to mention that while most of the committee's meetings took place in public, those meetings never allowed time for public comment.
Nasheed's suggestion is a good one and, quite frankly, is the least the state should do before acting to disenfranchise 300,000 people.
14 Comments:
Jamilah - keep pushing!
12/28/2006 11:16 AM
Political Eye writers include:
Virvus Jones
Alvin Reid
Chris King
12/28/2006 12:46 PM
Jamilah's suggesting for more public discourse was a good one.
-Left Cream
12/28/2006 1:24 PM
I hate to be a pessimist, but what good would public hearings have?
People can make very good points, or yell and scream, and the decision making apparatus is still the same. Having people present when you are talking is one thing, having them listen is another.
12/28/2006 1:51 PM
Maybe Pub Def should challenge the St. Louis American to a benefit basketball game to be held at Vashon High School or if that is not enough space consider Harris Stowe State University, to raise money for the St. Louis Public Schools. Both newspapers could choose who their starting players would be as long as both publishers of each newspaper played at least (20) minutes of the game
This would allow both newspaper's personnel to vent their fustrations toward each other in a positive manner and help the St. Louis Public Schools at the same time.
The competing newspapers could ask for corporate sponsorship from their advertisers, and the general public would pay some money to see Dr. Suggs and Antonio French playing one on one basketball.
Just an idea!
12/28/2006 4:14 PM
The Committee got the best snapshot of public opinion possible -- a phone poll, which showed majority support for a takeover. Only those with their own agenda take the time to speak at, let alone actually attend, a public hearing.
12/28/2006 4:18 PM
In a district with up to 20% of its children without a permanent home, you think a phone poll is the best way to gauge parental opinion?
12/28/2006 4:37 PM
If parents are homeless, do you think that the first priority of parents will be to determine if the state should takeover public schools. They don't care who does it or how it is done. They just want their children to have an education for a brighter future.
As far as the American goes, I stopped supporting them several months ago so I have no respect for their brand of journalism.
As far as a public hearing goes. There should have been one long ago on the state of the schools etc. The milk is already spilled now. Everyone say no, don't takeover, yet NOT ONE has a plan to restore it. Perhaps Ms. Nasheed should be organizing a forum to develop a broad based community plan to restore the schools rather than fighting a useless fight just for the cause.
12/28/2006 5:11 PM
Only those with their own agenda take time to attend and speak at public hearings? Yes, those would be the people who care most and know most about the issue, not some guy who picked up the phone while getting ready to sit down to dinner at his childless table after a long day at the office working deals so that millionaires can develop property without paying the taxes Joe Schmoe would have to pay. Just for example.
12/28/2006 7:00 PM
Why criticize her for actually using the system the way she is supposed to? That's what legislators do. They have hearings. They ask questions and they get answers. Moreover, hearings give the public ownership of the problem. People need to feel connected, and hearings at least allow that chance. An investigative hearing will offer oversight and gives St. Louisans a chance to suggest remedy this huge problem.
12/28/2006 7:13 PM
If they really want a state takeover, why not correct the 60 years of decline the city has experienced and appoint board members to replace the aldermen. Shouldn’t the Chief of Police also be replaced with a three man board? .Crime rates are the highest in the nation this year, and St. Louis has been at the top of the list for decades.
Replace the Mayor with a 3 man board. This is especially true since the Mayor has school board members and former school board members that were “his”. Not to mention the sixty years of decline under the mayoral form of government and parallels the Board of Aldermen.
Fix the environment and create economic opportunity. Then the educational and social will follow along.
It is always going to be difficult to succeed in the schools until there is change in the world surrounding the schools.
fv
12/28/2006 7:21 PM
That's right-on Gmichaud! Paragraph two is right-on!
12/28/2006 7:54 PM
gmichaud said...
"Fix the environment and create economic opportunity. Then the educational and social will follow along.
It is always going to be difficult to succeed in the schools until there is change in the world surrounding the schools."
I'm wondering if this statement is backward. Maybe the educational system needs to be "fixed" first before the rest follows. Or maybe they all need to be fixed at the same time so one doesn't keep dragging the others down. It seems to be the "which came first the chicken or the egg" thing.
12/28/2006 10:22 PM
1. Alvin lives in Kirkwood
2. Virvus went to jail
What the hell does the American know?
Again, the media should be attacking the Mayor for his wonderful play in this charade.
12/28/2006 11:46 PM
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