By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 12:08 PM
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. More later... Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless Labels: Schools
22 Comments:
I'd like to thank my buddies for sticking the knife in my back
I'd like to thank my buddies for twisting the knife in my back
For the sick the knife in my back
3/22/2007 12:12 PM
As an SLPS teacher for decades, I feel like the state of Missouri has spit on me.
I have always given my all to this district and these children-- even when my own children were struggling in life, when my own children qualified for reduced lunches even though I was a SLPS teacher, when I was down, sick, worried, tired...I was there. I tied shoes, wiped noses, dried tears, heard stories that broke my heart over and over again. And I taught. I taught the children everything I was supposed to and more. I taught them everything of wisdom and grace I have gathered in life, just as if they were my own. I am heartbroken today.
3/23/2007 9:03 AM
In a city not to far away and a time not that long ago the St. Louis Public Schools was the national model for education. Perspective teachers were trying to knock down the doors in order to teach here. Then came the suburban flight – “Move to the county” became the battle cry. The personality of the city started to change. To get more people to move to the county realtors started advertising the city is not safe, buy a new home instead of spending thousands rehabbing.
Present day St. Louis. Teachers are knocking down the doors trying to get out of the district (including this one). Side note before continuing, teaching in the city isn’t that much different than teaching in a very rural setting. After years of corruption and the politicizing of education we now have a hammer swinger from a wealthy neighborhood that is now the education expert for urban education. Every teacher should be insulted after having to spending all that money to get trained to be a teacher. Then go on and spend more money to get a Master’s degree in order to upgrade your certification. Not to mention the conferences, seminars, and any other professional development you attend on annual basis. Feel that knife in you back that is Blunt, Slay, and now DESE, saying that you are a bad teacher because your student doesn’t give a damn about how they do on some sort of standardize test that is totally meaningless and insulting. Give the students that is important such as the SAT or ACT test and they can perform with the best of them.
3/23/2007 9:39 AM
I'm sure I'll end up regretting this post somehow, but here goes...
My senior year of college I took the LSAT in the fall. I had wanted to go to law school since third grade, so I took the prep course, did every practice test I could get my hands on, studied, and it paid off. I got a score that placed me in the top 5% nationwide.
Fast forward to spring, same year. I was at Truman State U., which at the time tested all graduating seniors on the GRE, as a way to gather data to show what a good school they were (and they were and are a fantastic school). I had no interest in this test, and even less interest in showing up at the Student Union at 8am on a Saturday morning to take it. I showed up, after being out the night before, filled in patterns in the dots, and was done with it. Came out around the 20th percentile.
Which score was indicative of my capabilities? You better all be saying it was the LSAT. But as far as the school data was concerned, I was a complete failure. What if all my teachers, who were for the most part wonderful and had done a good job teaching me, had their own performance and job evaluated on that GRE score I received after basically blowing the whole thing off? It was not indicative of their performance or dedication at all. That's the type of thing that SLPS teachers are being subjected to now, and it is not fair to them. Those doing the judging should be capable of finding a more direct way to evaluate our educators, who deserve better than the treatment they've been getting.
3/23/2007 2:45 PM
Still - no one ever answers my central question. Where will we get these "more qualified" teachers? We cannot even fill all of the positions that are open now, and when the baby boomers retire, there definitely won't be enough people willing to sacrifice and become a teacher to replace them. Long gone are the times when there were enough "Peace Corps" types who wanted only to make a difference, regardless of the return on their investment in a college education (and the student loans that now accompany most degrees). Now when students graduate college, it is expected that they will take the best job offer. For people who graduate in math, science, or technology fields - there isn't much likelihood that they will turn down a good job to be an inner city school teacher struggling to pay off their college loans for the first decade of their career.
We can complain all we want about the teachers we have, but until someone can tell me where we are going to get their replacements, isn't it a moot point?
3/23/2007 2:53 PM
I'm not sure how much this post will help, but I believe many, if not most, realize that what transpired in Jefferson City was a caving in to political and financial interests.
As I drove home, I remembered the concept: "Justice delayed is justice denied." After what happened to the Saint Louis Public Schools, I realized a new principle at work (although it has probably been applied to other situations in the past): "Injustice accelerated is injustice achieved."
For the SLPS, many demands (some totally new and unprecedented) were accelerated in order to bring about this decision.
Somehow, this truth needs to get out to the public so they can see the mean, raw, and dark side of politics and who the players are.
3/23/2007 8:12 PM
Did anyone hear Burisaw's shot at Blunt's appointee on ktvi---the interview is on their website.
When asked if she thought she would keep her job, she said since they appointed a non-educator as ceo....
3/23/2007 9:21 PM
After watching the video on KSDK tonight; it would seem that working for Sullivan would be a cakewalk.
Kjoe-
When was the last time that the School Board had a majority of people with an educational background? Sounds kind of disengenuous to say something like that after all of the unqualified members are replaced with different unqualified members.
I agree with worried teacher about the insult of an unqualified appointee. But, where are all of the qualified people? Is the machinery so gummed up with the greed and grandstanding that no one who is qualified can or wants to fix it?
3/23/2007 11:05 PM
Wow, that video clip of O'Brien on KSDK tonight was a real eye-opener! The arrogance of someone barging into ANYONE's office and demanding they drop everything immediately is amazing. I simply could not believe she walked over and hung up the phone while Dr. Bourisaw was speaking to Kennedy - what a spoiled brat! I think she has AWS (attractive woman syndrome). She really thinks that the world should revolve around her. How is what she did "putting the children first"?
3/23/2007 11:23 PM
ariel said:
> I taught the children everything
> I was supposed to and more.
OK. Tied shoes and heartbreaking stories listened to are certainly acts of charity and perhaps necessary prerequisites for education. But can the children (on average) write a better essay than the ungrammatical mess from "worried teacher" immediately below your note? Grown-ups don't get an "A" for effort.
t
3/24/2007 10:07 AM
"Kjoe-
When was the last time that the School Board had a majority of people with an educational background? Sounds kind of disengenuous to say something like that after all of the unqualified members are replaced with different unqualified members."
You make an excellent point.
I think we have entered uncharted waters here. This "ceo" position has a salary with it, Which Sullivan will decline to accept, but the implication is that the position has a different status than that of the 7 member board president. 3 is a lot different than 7.
Take for example, the issue of the Open Court reading series, which Bourisaw is taking a hard skeptical look at.
Does Sullivan say----I don't care what my corporate buddies are pushing, our educational experts know more than I do, and if they say this reading series is something affecting the learning process in a bad way, I am going to back them up on it.
Or does he tell her to wait, while we find the guy we really want for superintendent, someone who has a greater respect for corporate decision making.
There are probably dozens of better issues to illustrate what I am wondering---is this paid postion of ceo kind of a combination board president--superintendent?
Sometimes I think that is a concept veronica O'Brien would be comfortable with.
3/24/2007 3:43 PM
"The world is not enough" does not seem to say enough... For some.
From what I read, and yes it was the P-D, this guy is a special "coalition builder." You might not realize this, but to get glowing reviews from the Electricians and Carpenters Unions while being from the opposite side of the table, does say a lot.
3/24/2007 8:52 PM
If the purpose of public education is to promote democracy AND IT IS
KUDOS TO EVERY TEACHER WHO HAS TAUGHT IN THE SLPS
Students who score in the bottom 2 percentiles of the MAP test, performed in the top percentile (application and synthesis) during this ordeal!
I THINK THIS PROVES SLPS TEACHERS HAVE DONE THEIR JOBS!
The students applied their knowledge of the democratic process!
As for those who continue to bad mouth educators: KICK ROCKS!
3/25/2007 10:53 PM
Po Righteous Teacher, the MAP doesn't use percentiles. It's a criterion referenced test, not a norm refernced test. Percentiles are distributed acrose the standard curve, but the categories the DESE has developed for the MAP correlate with proficiency levels, not the standard curve.
3/25/2007 11:32 PM
We get percentiles and level placement data on tera nova
if I need to be more specific,
Level 1 and 2 students performed Level 3 and 4 when it came to application of life skills
or 5 and 6 according to Bloom
I am very aware of the MAP stuff as well as bench mark assessment data available online by the district which does give percentiles
at any rate, that does not negate my point
and the teachers deserve the credit
3/26/2007 8:21 AM
Well, off to work you must go then. I would hate to think that you are posting incendiary threats on a publicly owned computer while taking home a paycheck for teaching. 8:21 AM is cutting it awful close. I hope that the traffic is not bad today.
3/26/2007 9:16 AM
I don't make threats and I don't take home a paycheck for teaching
I do however avail myself of the information that is compiled especially since it includes test data of my 5 children, all students of SLPS
And I was their FIRST teacher!
3/26/2007 10:49 AM
Will you be happy if, God forbid, one of your children gets injured or killed during one of your (not very well veiled) threatened "hot time"s?
3/26/2007 12:10 PM
I never threatened a hot time! I predicted one. As a resident of St. Louis, Mizzery for more than 48 years, I have seen enough to know that human behavior during spring and summer in this town is easier to predict than the weather.
I was wondering what "threats" you were referring to; it was merely an observation based on past events in St. Louis.
Geeeesh! Again! SLPS teachers do the best they can under the worst of circumstances. I have always supported them and I still do!
3/26/2007 12:58 PM
Look. These kids are getting pushed and prodded by people who profess to have their best interests at heart. Who they should be able to trust. Whether it is vague and nebulous or down right wrong. The lack of and bad information has created a tinderbox. Do you really want to be the match that flames the tinderbox? Someone dies and all you can say is that you are sorry. (I would hope that you would be sorry)
And yes, I support the teachers as well. But, it is broken and status quo is no longer acceptable.
3/26/2007 2:00 PM
"And yes, I support the teachers as well. But, it is broken and status quo is no longer acceptable"
Thank goodness you did not read Sylvester Brown's column from the Sunday pd.
"The new rules drafted by the state to nullify the power of elected board members has returned control of the district to the political and powerful."
The staus quo was being successfully challenged by the voters of St. Louis.
The takeover preserves the power the status quo was losing in free elections.
3/26/2007 5:25 PM
Well, I disagree with both you and Sylvester Brown. The people of St. Louis are being horribly served by elected officials at most every capacity. The people (especially in a School Board election) are consigned to that fact. Hense, the low turn out. They, for some strange reason, are willing to pay several thousands of hard earned dollars to educate their children on top of the taxes that they pay. Just a part of being in the city. Holding the city down? Depressing property values? Status Quo?
You educational insiders are trying to play both sides of the coin. Past elections, all of the talk was of teachers not feeling safe in class and fights breaking out every couple of minutes. Now every thing is rosey and a new day dawns. Still the status quo is failure. For the largest part, I (and I repeat I) do not see how this system that is set up as it is can be fixed. If you do not think it is broken then you have reality problems. Now, all that I can hope for is that the nitwits like po, Lizz and Peter don't get someone killed. The students that were inflamed were the "shining stars." What happens when the rank and file get into the act? They will not be so easy to control.
Please tell me that you all have thought that through.
3/26/2007 10:16 PM
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