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In what is certainly the most disgusting use of the politics of personal destruction in state history, Missouri Democrats this week provided to the media STOLEN personal family photos of a member of Gov. Matt Blunt’s staff. The Missouri Republican Party immediately called for an investigation into how Democrats obtained the photos and who was responsible for these disgusting, politically motivated attacks on a female crime victim.
“Democrat Chairman John Temporiti as the head of his party should start his investigation with Senators Maida Coleman, Chuck Graham and Victor Callahan to ensure that everyone at the State Democrat Party who has knowledge of the perpetrators of this victimization come clean,” said Jared Craighead, executive director of the Missouri Republican Party. “Saying ‘we don’t know and we can’t find out who used these stolen photos for political gain’ won’t cut it! Democrats need to hold their own people accountable when deplorable tactics such as these are used. Winning at all costs should not be the standard in Missouri politics.”
The Missouri Republican Party today also called on the Missouri Democrat Party to apologize to the victim and her family for these despicable tactics and hold their people accountable for this reprehensible behavior by firing those responsible, cooperating with investigators, demanding resignations from elected officials involved in this exploitation and not stonewalling the family who has a right to know who did this. This story was irresponsibly reported by The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and hopefully Democrats will responsibly take immediate corrective action as outlined above.
After moving the regular monthly board meeting from Tuesday to Thursday, SLPS school board president Veronica O'Brien has now cancelled the meeting all together. Her statement:
"The Regular Monthly Board Meeting for the month of March was scheduled for Thursday, March 29, 2007; with an executive session at 5:30 p.m. and the open session at 7:00 p.m. This meeting was scheduled to conduct business as requested by the Superintendent.
This meeting has now been cancelled because at least four of the seven Board Members are unable to attend tonight’s meeting. A reschedule date is not available at this time. Please direct questions to the Board Members Office at 345-2304."
If you haven't already seen it, click here to watch KTVI's J.C. Corcoran's recent commentary on the controversial president who was first appointed to the board by Mayor Francis Slay.
As the mayor prepares to announce his latest selection to help lead the city's public schools, many people are keeping their fingers crossed in hopes that he makes a wiser choice this time.
Considerably smaller than SLPS (just 3,500 students and an annual budget only a fraction as large), T.F. District 215 is a multi-campus district, located in southeastern Cook County, Illinois, approximately 25 miles south of Chicago and one mile west of the Illinois-Indiana state border.
Click here to read more about Williams' appointment.
A group of Soulard neighborhood residents are planning to attend Mardi Gras Inc.'s annual Mardi Gras Forum tonight to voice their concerns and opposition to the annual celebration of beer and boobs.
The residents say they began organizing last year out of fear for their safety and that of their neighbors. They say they are outraged at the destruction of their private property that follows the event.
In a press release, the residents say they are "discouraged by the general disrespect of the neighborhood by Mardi Gras planners and attendees [and] decided it was time to join together and speak out against the event."
"Mardi Gras has increasingly become an overly promoted, dangerous and out-of-hand event that the current event promoter, Mardi Gras, Inc., cannot or is unwilling to adequately oversee," the group writes.
The Mardi Gras Forum is tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Boilermaker's Union Hall, 1547 S. Broadway.
Click here to see our photos from Mardi Gras 2006 (Warning: some NSFW).
What happens if the St. Louis Public Schools becomes unaccredited? Well, the administration has released the following Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.) sheet.
Is the St. Louis Public School District currently unaccredited?
No. The unaccredited status goes into effect June 15, 2007, as a result of recent action taken by the State Board of Education. However, the St. Louis Board of Education may appeal the designation within 30 days.
What happens now?
Missouri law gives the State Board of Education the authority to intervene in the governing of St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) by creating a “transitional school district.” The State Board did reinstitute the “transitional school district” in February. As a result of that State Board action, the District was to have a three-member advisory panel appointed by the mayor, the president of the Board of Aldermen, and our elected school board. If the District becomes unaccredited effective June 15, then the three-member board will become the governing body overseeing the school system. The member who would have been appointed by our elected school board would be replaced by someone selected by the governor.
What about the elected board?
The elected board will remain intact but will have no governing authority. School board elections will continue as required by law.
Who will serve on the governing committee?
According to state law, the Missouri governor, the mayor of St. Louis, and the president of the city’s Board of Aldermen must each select one person to sit on the governing board. Governor Matt Blunt has already appointed St. Louis businessman Rick Sullivan to lead the committee and serve as the school district’s chief executive officer (CEO). This appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. Other appointments do not need Senate confirmation.
How will the unaccredited status affect graduating seniors seeking admission into colleges?
This year’s seniors will graduate while the district is still provisionally accredited.
SLPS recently conducted a phone survey of approximately 20 primary universities and colleges to which St. Louis graduates apply. The answer provided by each of the schools surveyed was the same. All said that they would consider each applicant from SLPS just the same as from any other school district, even if the district became unaccredited this school year.
We have identified only two schools – one public university and one private college – where students may have to submit additional information, and possibly face increased rigor, if they graduated from an unaccredited high school. However, please note that six of our high schools are independently accredited (see below).
What about students who don’t graduate this year? What are their chances of getting admitted to college?
Most of the colleges surveyed said that they would continue to accept graduates from SLPS for admission in subsequent years. A few said that they would also consider the student’s school to be accredited if that school is recognized by the independent school accrediting organization known as the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI). Six high schools in SLPS are currently accredited by the NCA CASI. – Central, Cleveland, Metro, Roosevelt, Soldan and Sumner.
Will I need to get my GED?
No. Students who graduate from a St. Louis high school will not have to get a General Equivalency Diploma (GED). A diploma from the St. Louis Public Schools will still be accepted as students apply to colleges, universities and vocational schools, or as they pursue employment.
May SLPS students transfer to another school district?
Yes, if another district will accept them. According to state law, students in an unaccredited school district are eligible to transfer to an accredited district in the same or an adjoining county. Accredited districts, however, may choose to accept or not accept transfer students from an unaccredited district.
SLPS would have to pay the tuition and transportation costs for any student who elects to transfer to an accredited district. SLPS may designate a single district to which students will be transported at its expense. Students who transfer to other districts would be responsible for their own transportation, but SLPS would still be obligated to pay their tuition. If a significant number of students transfer to other districts, the cost of tuition and transportation could be financially devastating for St. Louis schools.
How long will St. Louis Public Schools be "in transition"?
The transitional district is expected to be in place for six years.
Will students and families be affected in other ways?
State law requires that students not performing at grade level must attend summer school (with the exception of special education students).
Students reading at grade level or above, or at one grade level below, may be promoted to the next grade. However, the law states that students not meeting this requirement must be retained. For example, an 8th grader who cannot read at the level of at least a 7th grader will not be able to move on to high school with his or her peers. Again, there is an exception for special education students.
Will schools be affected?
Specific to schools, the statutory language that authorizes the transitional school board also provides the following powers and duties to the new board:
“(1) Creating an academic accountability plan, taking corrective action in underperforming schools, and seeking relief from state-mandated programs;
(2) Exploration of alternative forms of governance for the district;
(3) Authority to contract with nonprofit corporations to provide for the operation of schools;
(4) Oversight of facility planning, construction, improvement, repair, maintenance and rehabilitation;
(5) Authority to establish school site councils to facilitate site-based school management and to improve the responsiveness of the schools to the needs of the local geographic attendance region of the school;
(6) Authority to submit a proposal to district voters pursuant to section 162.666 regarding establishment of neighborhood schools.”
Comptroller Darlene Green today issued the following short statement on Ballpark Village:
"The comptroller's office met today with city officials regarding financing for Ballpark Village and is encouraging that minority participation requirements be met. I am calling for minority participants to be named in the project redevelopment agreement as it is being developed."
St. Louis University High School recently made news by adding to its number of students that have received perfect scores on the ACT. According to the Post-Dispatch, in the past three years, eight SLUH students have received perfect 36's on their college entrance exams.
While the all-boys high school remains one of the top in the state academically, it is also making gains in its reputation as one of the most expensive. The St. Louis Business Journal notes in its latest issue that SLUH is raising its tuition next year to an eye-popping $10,500 a year — that's over $40,000 for a high school education!
Gov. Matt Blunt has appointed Matthew Potter, Deputy Democratic Director for the St. Louis City Election Board, to the Board of Governors for Truman State University.
Potter, 33, holds a bachelor's degree in English from Truman State University and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His appointment is subject to Senate confirmation for a term ending on Jan. 1, 2013.
Comparing the actions of Attorney General Jay Nixon to a traffic cop that coerces money from a speeding motorist, Gov. Matt Blunt’s Chief of Staff Ed Martin today said he will testify Wednesday before the Public Service Commission (PSC) despite objections from Nixon. Martin plans to reveal information he received in private about the nearly $20,000 Nixon’s office sought and received from Ameren after Nixon became the criminal investigator in the Ameren Taum Sauk disaster case. “Anybody knows that law enforcement cannot take money or gifts from suspects or investigative targets,” Martin wrote in a letter to Nixon. “Everyone knows it is wrong for a police officer or deputy to take money at a traffic stop. Everyone knows a prosecutor must not seek money or gifts from a target or defendant.” Ameren is currently seeking a rate increase for their customers in hearings before the Public Service Commission. Last year, at the request of the Attorney General’s political office, Ameren funneled nearly $20,000 in campaign cash to Nixon through four Democrat Committees after he became the criminal prosecutor in the Taum Sauk disaster case. For more than a year, Nixon denied his involvement in the request for Ameren funds, but this month Ameren revealed that it was Nixon’s office that requested the money even though Nixon was conducting a criminal investigation into the utility company. Last week, Office of Administration Chief Counsel Rich AuBuchon asked the Attorney General’s Office to take all necessary actions to recognize Martin as a witness to provide testimony to the PSC. When the Attorney General’s office failed to comply with the request, the Administration worked directly with the PSC to allow Martin’s testimony. Martin said his testimony will show how Nixon’s actions are hurting Ameren ratepayers. “The Taum Sauk settlement and rebuild are worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” Martin wrote in a letter to Nixon. “The Ameren rate case could cost hundreds of millions more. Put simply, once you asked for and received Ameren’s money, you lost the ability to be trusted as Ameren’s legal adversary. An officer of the law who takes money at a traffic stop will lose the public’s good opinion. It only makes the matter worse if the officer refuses to account for himself. Therefore, I respectfully request that you recuse yourself from any and all dealings with Ameren. This includes the Taum Sauk case and the Ameren rate case.”
The Kennard Classical Junior Academy Parent Teacher Organization and The League Of Woman Voters are hosting a candidate forum for those running for two open seats on the school board.
The event is Saturday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m. at Kennard CJA Magnet Gifted School, 5031 Potomac (between Hereford and Brannon, two blocks east of the S. Kingshighway Business District). Free childcare is provided.
St. Louis is one of a handful of cities that will host a screening of the new documentary film, "American Blackout", which examines the alleged voting irregularities that occurred during the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004.
American Blackout chronicles the recurring patterns of voter disenfranchisement from Florida 2000 to Ohio 2004 while following the story of controversial Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.
Click here to RSVP for the screening on April 9th at Hartford Coffee Company. Seating is limited.
A couple of weeks ago, State Rep. Sam Page (who is rumored as a possible candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2008) talked to Pub Def about his bill (HB 802) to add the new vaccine for the human papilloma virus (HPV) to the list of required immunizations for Missouri's school-aged children.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year.
Approximately 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer. Research has shown that for most women (90 percent), cervical HPV infection becomes undetectable within two years. Although only a small proportion of women have persistent infection, persistent infection with "high-risk" types of HPV is the main risk factor for cervical cancer.
Watch this 7-minute video of yesterday's meeting of the State Board of Education.
A few things you should know about the loss of accreditation for the St. Louis Public Schools:
1. The loss of accreditation will occur in June, meaning that current high school seniors will graduate under SLPS' current "provisionally accredited" status;
2. The loss of accreditation means that SLPS will have to pay for students to attend a St. Louis County district if the student's parent requests it;
3. No one knows what, if any, powers the elected school boards will have over the years;
4. No one knows what changes the new "transitional" school board will implement;
5. No one knows about the legal status of all the current contracts with SLPS, which are all between the vendors (or employees) and the St. Louis Board of Education;
6. Gov. Matt Blunt's pick to head the new "transitional" school board still has to be confirmed by the State Senate. Can we expect to see Sen. Maida Coleman lead a filibuster?
Is there anything else you can think of? Post it below.
As expected, St. Louis Public Schools has been stripped of its accreditation, and as PUB DEF exclusively reported this morning, Rick Sullivan, chairman of Chesterfield-based McBride and Son Homes, has been named CEO.
The district will retain its provisional accreditation status until June.
A group of SLPS students disrupted the meeting of the State Board of Education moments ago with chants of "no takeover!" The Board went into temporary recess while order was restored.
Capitol Police officers were attempting to restore order when they got into a confrontation with one student in particular. The young man darted from the room and was chased through the Harry S. Truman State Building before being caught and maced outside of the building.
An angry crowd gathered around and followed the officers as they handcuffed and dragged the boy into the lower levels of the building.
Check back later for video... Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
A source tells Pub Def that the State Board of Education will indeed vote today to strip St. Louis Public Schools of its accreditation and will select Gov. Matt Blunt's pick to head the newly established "transitional" board to lead the district.
According to the source, Blunt's pick is Rick Sullivan, chairman of Chesterfield-based McBride & Son Homes.
Other sources tell Pub Def to expect at least two different lawsuits to be filed within 24 hours of the state's action. Pub Def will be in Jefferson City today. Check back later for video...
The Missouri State Legislature right now is considering several bills on capital punishment. Some, like House Bill 258 and Senate Bill 354, seek to abolish the death penalty all together. Others, like HB 445 and SB 439, seek to put a moratorium on all executions so that the process can be examined.
Last week, the House Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety held a public hearing on HB 445, sponsored by State Rep. Bill Deeken (R-Cole County). The committee heard moving testimony detailing some of the injustices and inconsistencies that exist in the current system.
State Rep. Connie Johnson (D-St. Louis City) was the last to testify before the committee. She briefly described the circumstances around the trial of her cousin, Marlin Gray, who was executed on October 26, 2005. She said that cases have recently been ordered to be retried for reasons that also existed in Gray's case, but now it is too late.
"Before you execute somebody we need to make sure all the I's are dotted and all the T's are crossed," said Johnson. "Because once you pull that trigger you cannot bring that person back to life."
The legendary reporter who still today is considered one of the finest and most respected journalists in America, Bob Woodward, will be speaking at St. Louis University tonight.
SLU College Democrats, College Republicans, and the Great Issues Committee are sponsoring tonight's event, which begins at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Louis Room of the Busch Student Center (Grand Ave. at Laclede). The event is free to the public and will be followed by a book-signing and refreshments.
From Wikipedia: Robert "Bob" Woodward is assistant managing editor of The Washington Post. While an investigative reporter for that newspaper, Woodward, working with his co-employee Carl Bernstein helped uncover the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon's resignation. Woodward has written 12 best-selling non-fiction books and has twice contributed reporting to efforts that collectively earned the Post and its National Reporting staff a Pulitzer Prize.
The group of St. Louis Public Schools students that camped out in City Hall for five days last week are on their way to Jefferson City this morning for a meeting with the Commissioner of Education.
When the students meet with Commissioner Kent King they will be pleading with him not to strip the school district of its accreditation status in the middle of the school year. As the students told Pub Def last week, while they oppose a state takeover all together, they say it makes even less sense to do it before the end of the school year — especially because it remains unclear to students what effect the loss of accreditation will have on their post-graduation options.
The students will be staying overnight in Jefferson City in order to attend tomorrow's meeting of the State Board of Education. They will be joined by busloads of stakeholders, including teachers and parents, also opposing the takeover.
Local 420, the teachers' union, is organizing the bus trip, which will start at the union offices, 2710 Hampton Ave., at 6:00 a.m. The riders plan a rally before the meeting and to make known their opposition to a state takeover or transitional school board during the DESE meeting.
"DESE can not continue to ignore the will of the people of St. Louis," said union President Mary Armstrong.
UPDATE: From DESE...
Commissioner of Education D. Kent King will meet today with a delegation of about a dozen students from the St. Louis Public Schools. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss concerns about the potential impact on students if the St. Louis Public Schools are unaccredited by the State Board of Education. The meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. today in Room 470 of the Governor Office Building, 200 Madison Street, Jefferson City. The meeting is closed to news media, current members of the St. Louis Board of Education and other adults. The parties will be available to meet the news media at the conclusion of the meeting.
During our last trip to Jefferson City, State Rep. Rodney Hubbard talked to Pub Def about his latest education proposal, the "Missouri 4 For More Program". House Bill 259 creates the new program, which would allow parents of K-12 school children to receive four hours of paid leave per month to work with their children in their children's school. In exchange for giving the parents time off work, employers would receive a state tax credit.
Since a few weeks before Election Day, one or more people have been basically spamming the site with ignorant comments. So until further notice, no one will be allowed to post comments anonymously anymore.
If you don't already have one, you need to register for a Blogger or Google account (it's free) to post a comment on this site.
Pub Def regrets not covering State Rep. Talibdin El-Amin's admirable bike ride this weekend from St. Louis 143 miles to the State Capitol in Jefferson City. The City Hall sit-in kept us busy (can't wait for those interns).
El-Amin and his brother, Larry Bastain, Jr., made the three-day ride along the Katy Trail to bring attention to Kidney disease, a disease that almost took the life of their father six years ago. El-Amin saved his dad's life by donating one of his own kidneys.
"He added six years on my life by donating one of his kidneys," father Larry Bastain, Sr. told TV station KOMU. "For them to ride 140, 150 miles, for such a great cause, this is a day to be proud of."
Political consultant to both the Blue and Red teams Tim Person has taken his perspective to the airwaves. Person is now co-hosting "The Real Deal" radio show with Syl Wilson. Person says the show has a "current affairs format with a little bit (or more) of politics just to make things interesting."
The show can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4—5:00 p.m. on WGNU 920AM.
Opponents of the America's war in Iraq staged a demonstration downtown yesterday to mark the 4th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of the Middle Eastern nation.
Hundreds of faux headstones stood in the park area at the corner of Market and Chestnut to symbolize the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Americans killed and wounded since the beginning of the conflict.
One blog commenter said that following the end of their own demonstration, several students who had been in City Hall walked over to join the anti-war rally.
The St. Louis Public Schools students who engaged in non-violent civil protest to bring attention to the issues on the minds of thousands of the city's young people ended their nearly one week long sit-in Sunday with a well organized media event in City Hall.
The students announced they will be taking their cause to Jefferson City this week. They are scheduled to meet with State Education Commissioner Kent King ahead of Thursday's meeting of the State Board of Education. The students plan to ask King about the effect the loss of accreditation will have on their college futures.
In a press release issued last week, contrary to what has been reported in the Post-Dispatch, DESE could not say with any certainty that lack of accreditation won't negatively affect students, saying they have no control over colleges' admission policies.
"As far as state education officials are concerned, students aspiring to attend college should not be negatively affected if their school district becomes unaccredited," said the statement. "However, because colleges and universities may set their own criteria for admissions and financial aid, it is possible that students could encounter obstacles in some cases."
Sunday's nearly one-hour event began with the presentation of the students' video diary...
Part 1 (9:50)
Part 2 (4:29)
The students then gave personal testimonies about why they participated in the protest...
Part 3 (14:47)
Superintendent Diana Bourisaw then spoke...
Part 4 (3:05)
And the students concluded the press conference with a Q&A session with reporters.
Part 5 (14:23)
When asked what they had learned during the past five days, one student said he learned that the media is biased.
"The media would come in with smiles on their faces and we would see one thing, but when the news would come on at night we would see a totally different story like we were in two different buildings," said Howard Hughes.
The St. Louis Public Schools students that five days ago entered City Hall seeking a meeting with Mayor Francis Slay today held a press conference at which they hinted that today may be the final day of their protest.
Check back later for video from today's event, which included remarks from Superintendent Diana Bourisaw and details about a meeting scheduled for this week between the students and state education officials in Jefferson City.
The group of St. Louis Public Schools students engaged in Day 5 of their sit-in demonstration at City Hall has sent out a press release announcing a press conference this afternoon.
Superintendent Diana Bourisaw is scheduled to join the students for the event which may, as we reported yesterday, announce an end to the City Hall sit-in and a re-targeting of the students' efforts from the now-vacationing city mayor to state education officials who are expected to meet Thursday to strip SLPS of its accreditation.
Press Release
Who: St. Louis Public Schools students and Dr. Diana Bourisaw
What: The students of St. Louis City Public Schools will hold a press conference.
Where: Downtown City Hall – Room 208 "The Kennedy Room"
When: March 18, 2007 promptly @ 2:30 p.m.
Topic: "Deconstructing the Myth: Why Our Scholarships and College Admission Are Still At Risk"
The following video was shot and edited by St. Louis Public Schools students who are entering the fifth day of an ongoing sit-in protest at City Hall.
This video shows most of the students' Thursday morning meeting with Mayor Francis Slay. It also shows some of the confusion and confrontation that followed the meeting.
Students remain in City Hall tonight waiting for another meeting with the mayor — a meeting that is unlikely to happen anytime soon because Mayor Francis Slay is out of town on vacation.
Students met briefly with the mayor Thursday, but left unsatisfied (Check back later for exclusive video from that meeting). A second meeting was attempted Friday after approximately 200 students and adults arrived at City Hall in support of the young protesters, but that meeting did not happen.
The mayor sent a letter to the students yesterday in which he says he spoke with the Commissioner of the State Department of Education to convey their concerns about the loss of accreditation.
In his letter, the mayor also referenced an incident we first reported in which a city marshal cursed at the group of students saying, "I don't give a care about you motherfuckers."
"I have instructed my staff to treat you with respect," wrote Slay. "It is my understanding that a city marshal has apologized for a confrontation with you. That is appropriate."
"It is my hope that you can see that people who disagree — even a lot — can still treat each other in a civil manner," said the mayor.
There is a rumor that the sit-in may soon relocate to Jefferson City, the site of next week's State Board of Education meeting at which St. Louis Public Schools is expected to be stripped of its accreditation.
However, several students tell Pub Def they are committed to staying in City Hall until the mayor comes back from vacation and meets with them again.
Well-wishers from all over the region have sent food, water and snacks for the kids. Several adults remained with the students tonight, including radio host Lizz Brown, School Board Member Donna Jones, Alderman Charles Q. Troupe, former Alderman Irene J. Smith, and April Harris, a former campaign staffer for Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury, who is technically currently the mayor of the city in Slay's absence.
Last report has about 30 students sleeping in City Hall tonight, some in the Mayor's office and others in hallways. At one point today, over 200 students and parents crowded the halls of City Hall.
School officials reported that numerous high school students staged protests at Soldan International Studies and Gateway Institute of Technology this morning. Administrators at each of those schools were able to get the majority of students back into their classrooms.
Students at Roosevelt High School also walked out of class in protest.
"I understand the desire of these students to have their voices heard," said Superintendent Diana Bourisaw. "We are working to provide them answers to their questions regarding the proposed unaccreditation of the St. Louis Public Schools. In the meantime, I want them to all return to their classrooms."
This morning, Dr. Bourisaw and Senator Maida Coleman met with seniors representing all SLPS high schools. Bourisaw shared with the students the results of the district’s research into how unaccreditation might impact college acceptance.
"So far our research has found only one private college and one public university where students may have difficulty in getting accepted if the district loses its accreditation," she said. "However, the majority of our students should not have any difficulty in being accepted to college."
Yesterday, Bourisaw met with the students currently holding a sit-in at City Hall and encouraged them to return to school. She offered to answer any questions they had and offered to follow-up on the college accreditation issue. This afternoon, answers to the students’ questions regarding college admission were delivered to them.
"We want all of our students to be in school every day," Bourisaw reiterated.
Hundreds of students walked out of school today and headed to City Hall to join their peers who are engaged in the third day of a sit-in in the office of Mayor Francis Slay.
The students were not allowed to enter the mayor's office, which is now guarded by armed City Marshals as well as St. Louis Police officers. They have settled in and sat down in the hallway outside the office, where they plan to stay until Mayor Slay addresses their concerns.
We are told that city officials will make accomodations for the students to sleep tonight in the Kennedy Room in City Hall.
As students enter Day 3 of their sit-in protest in Mayor Francis Slay's office, time may be running out for the mayor to defuse the situation before it escalates.
After a brief and unsatisfying meeting with the mayor yesterday, students have committed to remaining in his office until he seriously addresses what they see as the most serious items on their list of 10 demands — and they may soon get reinforcements.
At three o'clock this afternoon, St. Louis Public Schools students begin their week-long Spring Break. The student protesters tell Pub Def that at that point, more SLPS students will be on the way.
City Hall may soon be the site of a 10-Day slumber party, with vacationing students joining their peers in the Mayor's office.
If that wasn't enough, the end of Spring Break comes just one week before the April 3rd school board election, adding even more political fuel to the protest.
Considering this situation will likely end in only one of two ways: the students leaving on their own, or the students being physically removed — the mayor may want to end this thing before 3 o'clock today.
Erica Simpson, a 16 year-old sophomore from Metro High School, said following the meeting with Mayor Francis Slay, the group was locked out of the lobby they had been waiting in. She said several members from the group screamed out of a window to a Fox 2 news crew that they were being held without their permission in the mayor's chambers.
Kaylan Halloway alleged that marshals cursed at the group of students, saying "I don't give a care about you little motherfuckers."
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education today issued the following statement to address concerns about possible negative consequences for college-bound students if SLPS becomes unaccredited.
State education officials believe that students who graduate from an unaccredited school district have valid diplomas.
The fact that a school district is unaccredited should not disqualify any student from admission to a higher education institution or from eligibility for financial aid, if the student is otherwise qualified.
Higher education institutions typically consider several sources of information about prospective students (transcripts, ACT/SAT score, recommendations, etc.). The accreditation status of the school district is unlikely to be a significant factor.
These issues are not addressed by state law. As far as state education officials are concerned, students aspiring to attend college should not be negatively affected if their school district becomes unaccredited.
However, because colleges and universities may set their own criteria for admissions and financial aid, it is possible that students could encounter obstacles in some cases.
Meanwhile, State Senator Jeff Smith tells Pub Def that he will make personal phone calls and send letters on behalf of students to any college admissions office director, chancellor, provost, or other administrator affiliated with an institution that has withdrawn a scholarship offer from an SLPS student.
"I will do so as soon as I am supplied with documentation that a scholarship offer has been threatened or revoked," wrote Smith in an email.
Students Not Satisfied with Brief Meeting with Slay, Sit-In Continues
By Antonio D. French
Mayor Francis Slay met for only 25 minutes with the two dozen students that have been waiting in his office for over 20 hours and the group said they left feeling disrespected and unsatisfied.
Check back later for video interviews with students, School Board member Donna Jones, and radio host and activist Lizz Brown.
While students were settling into their spots for an all-night protest in his office, Mayor Francis Slay was in Jefferson City testifying in favor of a bill that would grant him the power to open more charter schools in the City of St. Louis.
Freshman State Senator Jeff Smith, the sponsor of the controversial bill, spoke with Pub Def Tuesday about Senate Bill 564.
Using tactics out of the FBI stand-off handbook, city officials ordered the air conditioning to be turned off yesterday as St. Louis Public School students, some as young as 8 years-old, waited to speak to Mayor Francis Slay about the coming takeover of the school district.
After sitting in the heat for nearly three hours, 18 year-old Howard Hughes, a senior at Roosevelt High, walked over to the two large window unit air conditioners and turned them back on. City Marshal Ron Hill quickly checked the young man, telling him he wouldn't turn his mother's air conditioning on without permission.
Hill ordered a deputy to turn the air back off.
Later in the evening, after these conditions were first reported by Pub Def and other local media, the air conditioning was turned back on.
Students talked to Pub Def yesterday about their protest in the mayor's office and why they believe the people most affected by the decisions on SLPS are being ignored.
Post-Dispatch education reporter Steve Giegerich has become a lightning rod for controversy and has for months been accused of fanning the flames of the takeover of SLPS supported by Mayor Francis Slay.
At press conferences in the past, speakers have called out the Post-Dispatch — and Giegerich, in particular — for what has been seen as biased reporting.
Yesterday, during the first hour of the continuing student sit-in in the mayor's office, Giegerich's reporting again became the subject of discussion after the reporter attacked the credibility of the students and their supporters.
After more than 15 hours of waiting for a conversation with Mayor Francis Slay, the group of two dozen students were greeted this morning by the mayor's education liaison, Robyn Wahby, who brought bagels, but no mayor.
The students refused Wahby's offer and remain determined to speak to the mayor. Here is the list of demands that the students are waiting to present to Mayor Slay:
1. Do not take away our accreditation before the end of the school year
2. Contact Missouri Colleges and Universities and provide statement/proof from them that the lack of accreditation will not have any negative impact on our scholarships or admissions to college
3. Make no final decision before the April election
4. "Play By They Rules" - Give us provisional accreditation until 2008
5. Show us your educational plan that would be put into place if you take away our accreditation
6. Explain in writing why you are treating our district differently then other districts
7. Provide proof that you have talked to the students of the SLPS before you decided to support a State take over
8. Provide a forum for a student-based discussion on a State take over
9. Provide proof that you will keep your promises
10. No retaliation against us for our actions
Listen to live coverage of the ongoing student sit-in on 920AM till 10:00 a.m.
The 6 o'clock deadline has come and gone and City Marshals have allowed the students to remain.
School Board member Donna Jones, radio show host and activist Lizz Brown, Committeeman Jesse Todd, and activist Eric Vickers are among the adults accompanying the two dozen high school students.
Pizza has arrived and although the room remains warm after marshals turned off the air conditioning, tempers have remained cool.
Head Marshal Ron Hill and three to five of his deputies are keeping a close, but so far polite, watch over the group.
No one from the mayor's office has spoken to the students yet. Ed Rhode, the mayor's spokesman, did invite reporter Charles Jaco into the mayor's chambers briefly before he and the rest of the mayor's staff left for the day.
Jaco was overheard saying that he was told the mayor was going to allow the kids to stay all night.
The air conditioning has been turned off and City Marshals are preparing to bring an end to the student sit-in currently in progress in the mayor's office.
We are told that officers will remove the students from City Hall in about 35 minutes.
A group of about two dozen SLPS students are engaged in a sit-in in the mayor's office.
The students are joined by parents, school board members, and activists opposing the takeover of St. Louis Public Schools approved by the State Board of Education and supported by Mayor Francis Slay.
Slay, who shortly after last year's school board election began lobbying for a takeover, is in the State Capitol today lobbying for several things, including Sen. Jeff Smith's bill to give him authority to open charter schools.
St. Louis Public Schools will hold another public forum tonight regarding the preliminary recommendations for additional school closings and reconfigurations.
Tonight's meeting will be at Carnahan High School of the Future, 4041 S. Broadway, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
State Senate Democrats have temporarily succeeded in putting off a vote on Governor Matt Blunt's controversial plan to shift hundreds of millions of dollars from MOHELA, the state's college loan program, to fund several construction projects around the state.
However, the Dems' victory will likely be short-lived as debate resumes Wednesday morning and Republicans, who control the Senate, will eventually get a chance to call the vote.
Earlier Tuesday, two very tired St. Louis senators spoke with Pub Def about the filibuster, which started Monday night, and why Senate Democrats feel so strongly about the changes.
Minority Floor Leader Maida Coleman spoke with us in her Capitol office.
We caught up with freshman Senator Jeff Smith outside the Senate chamber.
The Senate is currently discussing Consent Agenda items (those that are non-controversial and do not cost more than $100,000). They are expected to again pick up the MOHELA bill this evening. Democrats are expected to continue their filibuster.
Check back later for interviews with St. Louis senators Maida Coleman and Jeff Smith.
After a three-hour break for a quick shower and nap, Senators came back in session at 2 o'clock for hour number 20 of the Democrats' filibuster against Governor Blunt's controversial MOHELA plan.
Dems have a skeleton crew on the floor while leadership from both parties meet to negotiate a deal.
We're told that fundraisers have been cancelled for the night and both sides are ready for another night sleeping in chairs.
Pub Def will be reporting from the State Capitol today. Check back tonight for interviews with senators and representatives from St. Louis - and maybe the Governor.
The Senate has taken a break from their now 19 hour filibuster on Gov. Matt Blunt's MOHELA plan. They will resume at 2 o'clock.
State Rep. Talibdin El-Amin is preparing to introduce a bill aimed at crack cocaine. It would put a primary ingredient in the drug's production, baking soda, behind the counter, similar to what was done to the ingredients in Meth.
Naomi Silver of Milatino.com has produced a very interesting 20-minute video that outlines the debate surrounding the town of Valley Park, MO and its targeting of illegal immigrants. The video and features interviews with opponents like St. Louis lawyer Linda Martinez and supporters from Valley Park who list everything from public safety to disease as reasons to keep out undocumented immigrants.
Yesterday a St. Louis County Circuit Judge threw out Valley Park's laws against landlords renting to illegal immigrants and businesses from hiring them.
After nearly 12 years serving as the attorney for the Board of Aldermen, Patrick J. Conaghan received a warm farewell Friday as he headed to his new job in the Probate Courts.
Conaghan received a proclamation from Mayor Francis Slay and a resolution from the full Board of Aldermen, presented by Alderman Fred Wessels, before being sworn into his new position by Judge David Dowd.
Conaghan joked to the crowd filling the floor of the Aldermanic chambers that after a dozen years in City Hall he knew most of them were there for the food.
In an open letter to his old friend and publisher of the St. Louis American newspaper Dr. Donald Suggs, longtime activist Percy Green says the esteemed dentist should have remembered to "do no harm" before operating on St. Louis Public Schools.
"I have confronted the St. Louis Board of Education on issues as far back as 1969," said Green in the letter dated March 5. "So, that does not make me a 'Johnny-come-lately' on tackling issues pertaining to [public] education."
Green outlines Suggs' involvement with the 2003 takeover of the St. Louis School Board led by Mayor Francis Slay. Suggs served as advisor and campaign treasurer for candidates* Vince Schoemehl, Ron Jackson, Bob Archibald, and Darnetta Clinkscale. He also advocated in his newspaper their candidacies and their eventual decision to briefly privatize the management of the district and close several school buildings (located mostly in predominately black north St. Louis).
"Mayor Slay with Donald as a team member, lost two straight school board elections, year 2005 and 2006," wrote Green. "After the last election, 'like me and my shadow', Slay and Donald begin advocating a state take-over of the public school system."
Suggs was appointed to the five-member state committee (later known as the Danforth-Freeman Advisory Committee) which, as expected, recommended a takeover of the local school board.
According to Green, all five members of the Advisory Committee "were either friends or close associates. They all supported the Slay failed experimental school practices that lost many accreditation points over the past three years. This scheme was like putting the wolf in charge of the hen house to say the least."
"I am sure my old friend Donald had good intentions when he first engaged Mayor Slay about him teaming up with the Black [Leadership] Roundtable," wrote Green.
"Mayor Slay and Donald’s 'how-to' intentions of fixing the public schools became obvious after three years and the accreditation points slipped downwardly from 2 to 25 points from full accreditation.
"Purposely done or not, it happened. My old friend Donald has made it worse than what it was before he and Slay intervened."
When Gregory F.X. Daly is sworn in this morning as St. Louis' new Collector of Revenue, it will be the first time in nearly 60 years that someone has risen to that office by virtue of an election.
Daly's office sends the following history lesson:
In 1950, Del Bannister was elected as Collector of Revenue as a Democrat. Bannister left office and Midge Berra was appointed as Collector to fill Bannister’s unexpired term. Midge Berra died in office, and Jack Travers was then appointed to fill that unexpired term. Jack Travers left office to take a corporate position and was replaced by the final appointee Ron Leggett, who held the position for more than 30 years. While each of these esteemed officials won subsequent elections, Daly will be the first Collector in 57 years to obtain the position for the first time through an election.
Daly was elected to Collector of Revenue on November 7, 2006. State law requires the Collector to take office in March, rather than January when the other elected officials are sworn in. He will be sworn in by the Honorable Jack Garvey, Circuit Court Judge for the City of St. Louis. Mayor Francis Slay is scheduled to make remarks on behalf of the city, and other city officials are expected to attend.
The ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. today (March 12) in City Hall, Room 208 (The Kennedy Room).
The St. Louis Metropolitan Children's Agenda and Vision for Children at Risk will be hosting a School Board candidates forum on Saturday, March 24.
This forum is the eighth in a series of forums called "A Public Dialogue on Public Education". According to organizers, the purpose of this forum will be to provide an opportunity for school board candidates to outline their views on the critical issues facing the St. Louis Public Schools and to engage in a dialogue with voters and other members of the community concerned about the city's schools.
The session will be structured in three 30-minute segments: (1) each board candidate will be asked to outline his or her positions on issues facing the St. Louis schools in a presentation of about five minutes; (2) candidates will be asked to respond to a series of questions posed by a moderator; and (3) audience members will be allowed to ask questions of the school board candidates.
Admission is free, but registration is required. Please RSVP to blboston@visionforchildren.org. A light lunch will be served.
The forum will be at the Engineers' Club is in the Central West End on the north side of Lindell Boulevard between Boyle and Newstead Avenues.
Click here for a list of the candidates running in the April 3rd election.
In an effort to make Pub Def even better, we recently announced two new internships that will allow two important and exciting things:
1) Expansion of coverage. If you think it sometimes seems like we're in two places at once, wait until we actually are!
2) Pass on our tools and techniques to a new generation of citizen journalists. We can't do this forever and someone's going to have to take the baton.
Last week Pub Def received its first donation ever via that little "Make a Donation" button to the left. It was for $75 (15% of an intern's monthly stipend). A few days later we received another unsolicited donation. This one was for $25. Together, that $100 is going to pay for about a week of coverage from a Pub Def intern! So thank you very much.
Without sounding too much like NPR, let us just point out that the Kansas City Star has just launched a for-pay political blog (subscriptions are $395 a year). We want to keep Pub Def free, but we also want to keep Pub Def around. So if you value our content, think about making a donation every now and then. Even if it's just $5 (that's 1% of an intern's stipend!), it helps.
School Board candidates David Lee Jackson and Katherine Wessling, both parents of students in St. Louis Public Schools, joined yesterday with other community leaders in asking Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon to appoint an Independent Investigator to look into the methods being used to take over the local school district.
At a press conference on the steps of the Old Courthouse, representatives of the International Urban Institute urged Nixon to investigate the coming disenfranchisement of St. Louis voters and the special requirements being demanded by DESE in order for SLPS to retain its partial accreditation status. Click here to read the group's letter to Nixon.
On Election Day, Aldermanic President candidate Lewis Reed, License Collector Mike McMillan, State Rep. Rodney Hubbard, and Alderman-elect Marlene Davis made their way around the city on an old-fashion trolley, shaking hands from barbershops to gas stations and picking up last-minute votes.
Governor Matt Blunt recently appeared on Fox News to discuss the state's recent firing of a state contractor who was using illegal immigrants to work on state projects.
Like the voice of your grandpa telling you to put on a raincoat before you go out, KWMU Meteorologist Ben Abell has for years been a reliable source of helpful advice. But after April, the able weatherman will be moving on.
Last night, the 75 year-old Abell announced he will be retiring. According to the radio station, his weather reports have been a part of KWMU ever since the station went on the air, in 1972.
Abell's last forecast will be on April 27. Click here to read more.
State Senator Maida Coleman has introduced a bill that seeks to protect the rights of the original performers of the songs that have become a part of our American culture. Senate Bill 485 takes aim at so-called "cover" or "tribute" bands that advertise as if they are the actual bands themselves.
Mary Wilson, an original member of the legendary Supremes, was in Jefferson City yesterday lobbying on behalf of the bill. She told the AP that she feels that these impostor bands are robbing artists like her of their legacies — not to mention money.
The bill would make it unlawful for any person or band to advertise in the state using "false, deceptive, or misleading affiliation, connection, or association between the performing group and the recording group."
Exceptions include if:
The group actually owns the trademark
At least one member of the group was a member of the original group
The performance is clearly identified as a salute or tribute
Pub Def is now offering two 8-week internships for students interested in new media.
These internships offer students a chance to:
1) Witness and record public meetings of local and state government bodies;
2) Practice and improve their journalism, video production and blogging skills;
3) Learn the players in local politics;
4) And participate in (and even lead) online discussions of current events.
These internships come with a $500 monthly stipend and require approximately 10-15 hours per week of work.
About Pub Def:
PUB DEF is a non-partisan, independent political blog based in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. Our goal is to cast a critical eye on lawmakers, their policies, and those that have influence upon them, and to educate our readers about legislation and the political processes that affect our daily lives. Our reports have been featured on NBC's "Meet the Press", Fox News, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Kansas City Star, and numerous other mainstream and new media outlets. The St. Louis Business Journal recently named PubDef.net as one of the most influential players in local media. Our exclusive reports and innovative use of video has made PubDef.net one of the most read political blogs in the state.
Please send resume and references to editor@pubdef.net with the word "INTERNSHIP" in the subject line. UPDATE: We have received many excellent applications for these two positions. So much so that we think we can be bit picky. So here is what we're holding out for:
As we review these resumes, we are asking one question: "How can this person help make Pub Def better?"
These are the skills we have in mind as we look for the ideal candidate:
A top-notch reporter
and/or
Adobe Flash design experience
and/or
Video production experience
Now please keep in mind, potential applicants, that there are probably other skills that we can greatly use to make Pub Def even better. If you have them, tell us about them and how they can be used to keep Pub Def on the cutting edge.
Thanks to all who have already applied. We are looking to make a final decision before May 1, 2007. If you have any questions or would like to present yourself in person, email editor@pubdef.net.
For some time I have wondered privately to my closest friends if I am not wasting my time with Pub Def. By spending so much of my life writing about, learning about, and working in St. Louis City politics, am I just planting my seed in infertile ground?
As just about anyone who's grown up here knows, St. Louis is not exactly known as the land of opportunity for young people. In fact, just the opposite. After high school those that can often do exit the Gateway City for greener pastures in Chicago, Atlanta, New York, or anywhere else.
Hard work, it has seemed for so long, is not enough in a town with so few opportunities for young — and especially young, black — people.
Which is why Tuesday night was so gratifying for me. It felt as though a glass ceiling had been finally broken and that new possibilities had filled the air.
As a close witness to the tireless efforts of both Lewis Reed and Kacie Starr Triplett, I felt like finally the same rules applied regardless of race or youth. Finally, if you outwork your opponent... if you run a better campaign... if you pay attention to the fundamentals of political organizing... you can win any election in a mixed-race district — even if you are black.
THE RACE AVOIDERS
There are those that have argued that race should not even be discussed in these two contests. Most notably, fellow blogger and friend Steve Patterson and I debated this very topic the night before the election on KDHX. Steve said that the fact that Lewis Reed would (and now has) become the first African-American elected to position of Aldermanic President was irrelevant and should not be a part of the discussion of this campaign.
I cannot disagree more.
Beyond the opportunity to have someone in the President's chair with a much wider vision of the office, and beyond the possibilities for finally getting true parity in spending in northside and southside neighborhoods, the feeling of inspiration so desperately needed in neighborhoods across this city that have double-digit unemployment rates, no jobs within miles, high crime, and a general feeling among the residents of being ignored in decisions affecting their lives and that of their children — for this large population, seeing a black man do what has never been done before does matter.
And doing what it took to get that black man elected, I believe, will have far-reaching effects.
A GRAND COALITION
What I mean by that is that for the first time in a long time, black politicos put their differences aside for the greater good. State Representative Rodney Hubbard and Alderwoman April Ford-Griffin put their 5th Ward squabbles away and worked together brilliantly. Alderman Jeffrey Boyd and former Alderman Kenny Jones, who were fighting each other in the 22nd Ward all the way up to Election Day, put their differences aside in the Reed campaign office. Radio show host and activist Lizz Brown and former Alderwoman Irene Smith were able to put aside old redistricting beefs to work with southside aldermen Stephen Gregali and Jennifer Florida. There were countless examples of this kind of political maturity which so many have pleaded for for years — and because of it, we won.
These factions may go back to fighting tomorrow — and that is okay, that's politics — but when a job had to be done, they put personalities to the side to get it done. As the motto of the Congressional Black Caucus preaches: "No permanent friends and no permanent enemies, just permanent interests." Amen.
For me, this campaign was not about Board President Jim Shrewsbury. I have always had a good relationship with him and members of his staff and I hope that in time wounds will heal and we can work together in the future.
This was not personal. This was about power. To get power, you must take power. And African-Americans and true progressives deserve more power in city government.
The coalition of pro-black, pro-development, and true progressives proved that big things are possible when the small stuff is left at the door.
The night before the election, I thoroughly believed that Reed and Triplett both outworked their opponents and deserved to win. But having seen too many efforts go unrewarded in the past, I told several colleagues that what the next day was really going to show is what kind of city do we live in.
St. Louis did not let me down. I am proud of my city and the people in it. Tuesday's election has filled me with new hope about the future of our city and a new energy to help where I can to make it even better.
The 21st Ward delivered more votes for Lewis Reed than any other ward in north St. Louis that did not have a contested aldermanic race. With nothing else on the ballot, the 21st Ward delivered 773 votes for Reed.
The ward's current committeeman, Arthur "Chink" Washington, and its alderman, Bennice Jones King, broke with nearly every other northside elected official and endorsed incumbent Jim Shrewsbury.
The only other ward in the city that delivered more votes for Reed and did not have a contested aldermanic race was the 28th Ward with 781 votes, just 8 more than the 21st.
March 6, 2007 – 150th Anniversary Dred Scott Decision
30-DAY JOB SHUTDOWN NOTICE
TO: MR. DAN LEE, CHAIRMAN & CEO PINNACLE ENTERTAINMENT
This is to advise that, thirty (30) days from today all construction work on the downtown St. Louis Pinnacle Casino Project will, through civil disobedience protest action, be shut down for the following reasons:
1. Pinnacle has failed to comply with the City’s requirement of 25% minority and 5% female inclusion on this project;
2. Pinnacle has continuously and contumaciously refused to take steps to achieve compliance with the City’s goals, as illustrated by the project currently having only 17% minority participation, though over 40% completed;
3. Pinnacle has failed to act in good faith to address the lack of minority inclusion on the project by engaging in dilatory and deceptive practices;
4. Pinnacle has failed to achieve minority inclusion comparable to that achieved on other projects in the St. Louis metropolitan area, such as the new Cardinal’s Stadium and the Casino Queen projects, evidencing Pinnacle’s lack of commitment to minority inclusion.
“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that wasn’t true. I was not tired physically, nor more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day…No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” Rosa Parks
For more information, contact the Spokesperson for the Minority Inclusion Alliance, Eric E. Vickers
Cc: Mayor Francis Slay, Missouri Gaming Commission, Media
The following is a statement from Comptroller Darlene Green on the March 2007 primary:
"Congratulations to Lewis on this historic victory. I look forward to working with him on E & A and at the Board of Aldermen to continue moving the entire city forward. I'd like to thank Jim Shrewsbury for all his years of service to the city. I wish he and his staff well. Also, congratulations to Kacie Starr Triplett and all of the victorious aldermen."
