By Antonio D. French
Filed Friday, March 16, 2007 at 1:18 PM
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. Developing... Check back later for video...
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44 Comments:
Are there any students from Beaumont or are they mostly from Metro?
3/16/2007 1:13 PM
Truants loitering on four floors of City Hall and going in and out of the building waiting for someone to cell phone them to reassemble when Media show up qualifies more as a technology-driven ego trip than Sit-In civil disobedience. Take away the toys and there would be no story.
3/16/2007 1:44 PM
what a bunch of maroons
3/16/2007 2:04 PM
I guess once again St' Louis will be the laughing stock of the national media
3/16/2007 2:13 PM
I am not intimately familiar with the layout of city hall, but can 200 people fit into the hallway?
3/16/2007 2:31 PM
The mayor should think about what is important and should remember that some of these kids will be voting in the next election.
3/16/2007 3:05 PM
Anonymous said...
The mayor should think about what is important and should remember that some of these kids will be voting in the next election.
3/16/2007 3:05 PM
I would think he would be calculating what should I do to these kids to bring me the maximum number of votes from horrified, and easily manipulated numbers of people watching on tv, etc.
Their votes mean almost nothing by comparison.
He needs to be wary of any kids who might have been close enough to the Tim Bacon situation to have a clue as to what happened. Or maybe he would welcome their help in solving that unsolved mystery involving 12 bullets.
3/16/2007 3:20 PM
You can fit hundreds, if not thousands of people in the halls of City Hall. It's a grand building. Spaces in halls and corridors are larger than the interior rooms.
Will we be hearing from Lewis Reed on this issue? He got lots of airtime with Lizz Brown.
Given all the city pension fiascos and now kids protesting at City Hall, Shrewsbury is probably figuring he checked out at just the nick of time.
3/16/2007 3:38 PM
You have been thriving on the low voter turn out. I think that it is funny that you would bring this up as a strong suit for Slay.
How is the Tim Bacon tragedy in any way related to this story? You need to be fanning the flame to continue your mediocrity. Too much smoke has been known to put a fire out.
3/16/2007 3:41 PM
How, exactly, does this make St. Louis the laughing stock? And how are people standing up for their beliefs in peaceful demonstration suddenly deemed morons?
It doesn't take much courage to write anonymous comments on a blog, but it sure takes a lot of courage to take the chances they're taking.
Oh...and those "truants" had probably already been dismssed from school for the day considering what time they showed up.
3/16/2007 3:50 PM
As a teacher in the SLPSS--I am truly proud of these brave students. They may very well understand the responsibilities of a democracy better than the politicians on both sides of the aisle. Senator Danforth and Frankie Freeman should hang their heads in shame and take a lesson from these wonderful students! As for Slay and his fascist police thugs--I would tell them that the public is watching and NOTHING ADVERSE BETTER HAPPEN TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE OR THOUSANDS WILL DESCEND ON CITY HALL ARMED WITH RECALL PETITIONS. These students are to be commended for their bravery and committment to a democratic society.
Gadfly
3/16/2007 4:00 PM
What is they took away accreditation, moved forward on a state takeover, cleared out all the dead wood in the district, fired all the bloated administration and under-performing teachers, and started over?
And then what if the schools got better?
Slay would be a hero. And everyone who joined him.
3/16/2007 4:23 PM
How is the Tim Bacon tragedy in any way related to this story?
3/16/2007 3:41 PM
It might not be.
But if it is fair to criticize
these kids because they are not well-informed on the events and roles played by people in bringing them to this point, the Bacon mystery could be part the story.
2 of Slay's board members were replaced in the last election.
That fact is what started the takeover talk, and when the new members actually did something significant----removed floyd Irons from coaching and administrator duties, that led to a situation where Creg Williams was replaced---and that is when the takeover movement kicked into high gear.
When a family services report surfaced about the incident where Floyd Irons did or did not do whatever was in that report, plans were underway for legal action by Bacon. Then he was murdered. It might have been unrelated to his planned legal action, but the timing automatically leads to speculation as to who might have had a motive.
The action by the state board involving the denial of accreditation-----requiring Bourisaw to gather information back to 2002 while other schools are not tequired to do that----indicates that the people wanting this takeover are willing to go to extremes to get what they want------there is a ton of money riding on all this.
This is a very complex story, with multiple threads of unclear actions and motives. The murder of Bacon is one of them---and I do know that there are two media members who are finally asking questions about it.
3/16/2007 4:38 PM
I don't know what these students, or anyone, want Slay, Reed or the city to do...this is a state issue. The city has no control over the schools. These protesters should be at a state rep or senator's office, not city hall.
3/16/2007 5:14 PM
I think Veronica O'Brien and Mayor Slay should hold a press conference. That would get the attention of everyone.
3/16/2007 7:21 PM
Lewis Reed better stay away from these fools. Leave this to Bourisaw and Coleman.
3/16/2007 7:24 PM
We know there will be a state takeover when you got Percy telling the kids and Bourisaw how to protest.
3/16/2007 7:28 PM
To anon at1:13 pm. I'm not being mean or anything but it doesn't matter what school they are coming from its a district wide sit-in.
3/16/2007 7:29 PM
Anonymous/Gadfly,
If you are a teacher, YOU are a perfect example of why the state must clean house. Using words incorrectly, insulting the Mayor, and calling the Police fascists and thugs... There is no way in the world I would allow someone like you to teach my children.
The only thing adverse in this situation is the impact teachers like you have on students' education in this great city.
3/16/2007 7:34 PM
Everybody can choose to join Slay which I suspect they wont. For all of the supporters of this sit-in, my name is Devin Jackson and I'm a student in the SLPS and I'm down here at City Hall, and me and all of my fellow students would like to say thank-you.
3/16/2007 7:35 PM
To-Anon 7:21 pm. What would Veronica O'Brien and Slay have to do in a STUDENT led SIT-In? Think about that for a second.
3/16/2007 7:39 PM
Anonymous said...
Everybody can choose to join Slay which I suspect they wont. For all of the supporters of this sit-in, my name is Devin Jackson and I'm a student in the SLPS and I'm down here at City Hall, and me and all of my fellow students would like to say thank-you.
3/16/2007 7:35 PM
Your heart is in the right place----but Charles Brennan will be talking about you for thirty minutes Monday morning, because you typed "me" instead of "I".
I am exaggerating.
The media likes to grade you on minor language errors before they talk about the actual issues.
I when it's a subject---me when it's an object.
3/16/2007 7:42 PM
The teachers in this district are great and they show alot of support. This is spring break come on. They humans and they are entitled to their opinion. We know what to think and say and if you don't want "these" teachers teaching your kids then you have that option because this is PUBLIC education.
3/16/2007 7:44 PM
Well I've ben hur for a lil minute and my gramma however I use it only reflects on my lack of sleep. I mean it's not like I'm typing this on a computer in the comfort of my home but I am sitting here typing on a laptop. So you be the judge because me dont care what the media says. God and everybody here that I'm sitting with knows that. It's spring break anyway and report cards go out the following week after and I will be getting an A in literature. LOL_Spell and check that.
3/16/2007 7:50 PM
Is it true Liz Brown and the board members were about to jump from a window in Slays office. Keep them longer maybe they will jump and Bourisaw and Coleman will follow. After the takeover let the air out of Coleman.
3/17/2007 12:23 AM
To the students at City Hall...What can I bring you? I am an SLPS teacher who is coming tomorrow to support you.
3/17/2007 12:50 AM
I do not think I should have written the post i did correcting Devin Jackson. It came across wrong.
I wrote to Charles Brennan and read him the riot act---he went on and on for ten minutes because a kid said "the mayor didn't give no eye contact", saying the kid should be in an english class.
I pointed out that David Letterman has a nightly feature where he makes fun of President Bush, but they just laugh at what he said which is always a clumsy use of the language and go on to something else. I talked about Senator Prior using the word snuck when he was talking about they snuck something into the patriot act.
My point is, that it is very easy to find slip ups in the use of the language, and they give the media a handy tool to not really talk about the issue---just find a little mistake and try and discredit the speaker without looking at the genuine point being made.
I am not in favor of incorrect grammar---but with all the coverage of everybody all the time---it is easy to take these cheap shots.
3/17/2007 1:14 AM
to the oxymoron who suggests the protest is not of substance because of technology, media has always been used in every struggle
during the civil rights movement it was the leaks to the press that assured video coverage to expose the mistreatment of protesters
if we had not seen the police kicking Rodney King's butt at 5,6, & 10, it would've gone unchecked
the technology of the time happens to be better than just the television news cameras
wake up, this is their struggle, to be fought for their future, in their time
3/17/2007 9:22 AM
"snuck"...What a great word.
3/17/2007 11:38 AM
Uhhhhh, oxymoron doesn't mean the same thing as moron. You must be a graduate of SLPS.
3/17/2007 4:58 PM
To Jim (the teacher) you could bring anything you like. Contact us at 3149560736 Kaylan Holloway or Devin Jackson at devdamvp@yahoo.com
Thanks for your support
3/17/2007 9:25 PM
thanks mr.heger for your support i didnt realize that you wrote this at 12 today but thanks and were hanging in there
3/17/2007 9:28 PM
All da dumb azz non supporter to thoses innocent kids (redneck hunkies) need to realize
this is 2007 Education is free i guess especially for your parents who works for bush as latenight hoes . stop[ talking about those kids
3/17/2007 9:33 PM
So anon 3/16 at 4:23 says if the state takes over and makes thing better, Slay gets to be a hero. Then anon 3/16 5:14 says Slay gets a free pass on this one since it's a state issue and he has nothing to do with it. Get your act together, anonymous Slay supporters--it's one or the other, you can't cut that one both ways.
3/17/2007 10:33 PM
This is anon 3/16 @ 5:14 speaking.
I am not a Slay supporter. In fact, I wish he would completely stay out of our schools, as it is a state issue. There will be no way he can look like a hero to me on this issue, but at the same time, he shouldn't be expected to do anything about it because it is a state issue.
The rich joke here is that Irene Smith and Lizz Brown lambaste the Mayor for his involvement during the School Board elections stating that he should stay out of them, but now that the state is poised to take some control of the district, the two now call on him for involvement. Make-up your minds ladies. Oh, but this isn't about the schools, or even the kids. This is about air-time for Irene Smith and Lizz Brown.
3/18/2007 11:08 AM
Anony, you need to remember that DESE began to consider stripping SLPS of its accreditation two years before its next scheduled review, because Mayor Slay asked them to.
Flashback to July 2006.
3/18/2007 11:32 AM
Antonio:"DESE began to consider stripping SLPS of its accreditation two years before its next scheduled review, because" . . of all the facts on how poorly the students are doing. Parents are pulling their children out for good reasons and DESE recogizes this.
If these students (who participated in the sit down protest) represent the top 1% of SLPS students, we're in a heck-of-a-lot of trouble as a society.
Besides, I thought that Whites & Asians outscored African-Americans on the standardized test. Why are they not represented in these efforts? Could it be because their parents realize that the system is not good system until everyone is doing well, not just a select few??
3/18/2007 10:34 PM
Antonio French, another "leader" with no children in the district.
Why don't you all have some children first, then lambast those of us who have children and want a change RIGHT NOW.
My children shouldn't have to wait for the change you all say is coming.
3/18/2007 10:37 PM
I have children in the SLPS, and they are doing fine because I don't allow anything else from them. I don't know what more changes you want--Dr. Bourisaw is doing a great job. If all the parents will do their job and make it clear to their kids they expect them to go to school, be respectful, and learn, then we have all we need to show the non-SLPS crowd that so loves to criticize us that we are just fine, thanks very much. Go take care of some real issues, like the health care crisis in this state, and quit messing with the SLPS. Dr. Bourisaw will take care of us just fine when you get out of the way.
3/18/2007 11:07 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 11:10 PM
Anon at 10:37 PM, my daughter is an SLPS alum. In addition she has now completed Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Mizzou. She had three job offers before she left school, and is entering her third year of her career earning more than I do. I could not be a prouder parent, and I make sure to let her teachers know that whenever I see them. I am just glad she finished before Slay's slate of four got involved in "fixing" the District. That is when things started to go downhill. Bourisaw is the first ray of hope since the gang of four entered the picture after their six figure campaign for unpaid positions.
3/18/2007 11:15 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
3/19/2007 12:20 AM
Anon 11:15
I was spaeaking of Lizz, Quincy, Antonio and Smith(Irene).
The surroget parents to all those failig children. All they have managed to teach these children is how to not be effective . .the takeover is still going to happen and if their credential don't add up they still will not be going to collge!
3/19/2007 1:33 PM
To CWE guy,
First of all--I did not use 'words incorrectly,' as you so claimed. Secondly, the basis of our constitutional republic is the right of the governed to voice dissent against political leaders. The Mayor is not royalty, (though I'm aware that many supporters would disagree); and if he retaliates against those voicing dissent--then he needs a refresher course in 'Constitution 101.' Once again, I am PROUD OF THOSE STUDENTS USING THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO GATHER AND VOICE DISSENT. MR. SLAY IS NOT A MONARCH, AND THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS IS NOT UNDER A DICTATOR--YET. THESE STUDENTS HAVE A VESTED INTEREST, AND A RIGHT TO DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FROM CITY HALL. AS FOR MY INSULTING SLAY; YOU'RE RIGHT. I DO CONSIDER HIM TO BE A NASTY, IGNORANT LITTLE CORPORATE FASCIST, INCAPABLE OF DECENCY TOWARDS THOSE HE CONSIDERS TO BE HIS 'UNDERLINGS.' THIS IS MY RIGHT AND I DON'T CARE WHAT CWE GUY 'THINKS.' AFTER ALL, THOUGHT REQUIRES AN OPEN MIND; SOMETHING IN DIRE SHORTAGE IN BIGOTED OL' ST. LOUIE.
GADFLY
5/03/2007 3:03 PM
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