By Antonio D. French
Filed Saturday, March 17, 2007 at 10:48 PM
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.
7 Comments:
How, exactly does a big city mayor with a city hall full of student protesters GO ON VACATION? I am incredulous! OK school stuff aside, this shows callous irresponsibility on a GRAND SCALE. No matter how people feel about the schools issue, this should stick in EVERYONE'S craw. Slay is the mayor of the city. You don't take a VACATION in the middle of a city crisis. Unless several hundred people gather at city hall regularly and camp out, this qualifies as a CRISIS. St. Louisans TAKE NOTE. WHAT CRISIS WILL THE MAYOR RUN OUT ON NEXT? REMEMBER THIS ON ELECTION DAY. OR BETTER YET, RECALL.
I for one have had enough of irresponsible people in positionas of responsibility taking VACATIONS instead of doing their jobs. I can't take a vacation when things get rough for me. Can you? I would NEVER run off on a vacation if my children were in trouble and needed me. Would you?
If he thought the children were being manipulated, that's even MORE reason to STAY and protect them. I'm appalled. This has convinced me that the children are right about one thing for sure: Mayor Slay DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ST. LOUIS CITY CHILDREN.
3/18/2007 10:27 PM
I concur! How do you take a vacation on the city at a time like this? Teachers cannot take a vacation at certain times of the year, how does the mayor get such priveleges?
We would not have this problem if Mayor Slay's brother was the Mayor of the City, because Mayor Slay would not run out on him!
This may be getting interesting after all. Even if the state does follow through on its' plan to completely take over, the student's should take their protest to the next level too. They should attempt to take a vacation from school when school is in session, not when they are on Spring Break. And I guarantee you the Mayor would have a whole lot of meetings and during roll call, he would be present.
3/18/2007 10:48 PM
Political Eye
Pay my legal bills
Wednesday, March 14, 2007 7:14 PM CDT
According to a source critical of the “stop the takeover faction,” SLPS board member William Purdy has been asking district employees to contribute to the legal fund established to dismantle the state’s legal right to intervene in the administration of the school district. This is asking district employees to support something - the opposition to state intervention - that a board majority has voted down.
3/18/2007 11:09 PM
Crisis, what crisis? A bunch of kids sitting around the lobby of the Mayor's office is not a city crisis. And I bet if the kids sat in the halls of the school building today all the teachers would stay on spring break!
3/19/2007 4:38 AM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
3/19/2007 8:15 PM
I repeat: Unless several hundred people gather at city hall regularly and camp out, this qualifies as a CRISIS.
I think the mayor's vacation shows very poor judgment. Downplaying is one thing. Ignoring is another. Vacationing is another still. It is an extremely strong display of lack of leadership. A large number of people in his city feel this is a dire situation. The state is preparing to dis-accredit his city's school district this week, affecting the lives of thousands of his citizens and their families. He will not be available for even a comment for the people of his city?
How is this OK?
3/19/2007 8:43 PM
RE 3/19 8:15 p.m.
Antonio, please remove these slanderous blogs from all threads. This man is an unpaid public servant with a family and children and NO ONE deserves this sort of anonymous bashing in this public forum. Not even Veronica.
3/20/2007 9:34 AM
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