By Antonio D. French
Filed Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 8:34 AM
KWMU reports that at its monthly meeting last night, the St. Louis School Board voted to award controversial radio host Lizz Brown a $25,000, no-bid contract. Labels: Schools
From Adam Allington's report:
The board authorized a contract with a company called "Penetrating Urban Market Politics". The organization is controlled by Brown, a local activist and radio host who organized a five-day student sit-in at the mayor's office last March.
Brown is contracted to assist with a public service campaign about the negative impact of charter schools.
Board member Veronica O'Brien accused acting chairman Bill Purdy, who proposed the contract, of offering kick-backs.
Purdy, Peter Downs, Donna Jones, and David Jackson voted for the contract. O'Brien, Flint Fowler, and Katherine Wessling voted against.
54 Comments:
A no-bid contract to a crony?? Where have we heard those accustations before?
I guess what goes around comes around.
Any chance this will take the self-righteousness out of Purdy & Company's sails? I kind of doubt it. It's OK to grease-up your own friends it seems.
Ho-hum. Same old, same old.
5/30/2007 9:46 AM
I hope city voters will pause and recognize this moment for what it is. The true reason for all the fuss against the school board for the past 4 years has just been revealed. Before reform efforts began at SLPS, Lizz Brown had a $5,000 contract. Roberti canceled it in that first round of frenzied cost cutting. Ms. Brown and her friends did everything they could to get fellow-haters into office and then got her money back.
It's nice that they gave her $5,000 for each of those years she didn't get paid. It's a nice touch and we all know that SLPS doesn't have any money problems.
(cross posted at ACC)
5/30/2007 9:56 AM
Charlie Chan would respond to elf44, "Velly interesting; velly interesting, indeed!"
Does this come up to the amount of money and no other appliants for the job Anthony Bonner was handed?
And what about V.O.'s attempt to put crony D. Glenn in charge of security?
As someone else has said, "same old, same old" from the most vocal critic of all.
5/30/2007 10:01 AM
I think the Post-Dispatch had the story first. It is the lead story on the metro section.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/61EFB94B819C3AC8862572EB0018E50F?OpenDocument
5/30/2007 10:04 AM
Charter Schools are supposed to inspire competition.
I thought the competition would take place in the classroom, not over the airwaves. Ah, well, I guess molding public opinion is as important as molding young minds. . .to some.
5/30/2007 10:07 AM
Even though Slay is pro charter schools,I bet he is pissed that he wasn't able to get this gravy contract for some of his cronies!
5/30/2007 10:27 AM
Missing in the Post-Dispatch story and report of the Board meeting was a certain board member's rudeness and crudeness to everyone else.
And then she wonders why she gets no respect! She will have an impossible job of ever getting elected to another post again. Guess she'll have to settle for conniving to be appointed from now on (by conniving, a former bar-hopping buddy of her's said she connives to get things on people in order to make them do what she wants). Guess that's why some have smelled a strong odor of alcohol.
5/30/2007 10:58 AM
No-bid contracts are never in the public interest, no matter who gets them.
5/30/2007 11:41 AM
Kudos to pubdef for publishing this, even though it's a black eye to clients and/or supportees of pubdef.
5/30/2007 12:18 PM
I am truly, truly, truly, sincerely, sincerely, honestly, embarrassedly sorry to even mention something regarding that taboo subject from last August---the murder of Tim Bacon.
But how much did the board spend, for how many months for extra security for O'Brien when she told the board that she thought she could be next?
Did they take bids, or just hire cronies?
5/30/2007 12:40 PM
The board is going to get clobbered on public relations on this.
Meanwhile, their holinesses on the state board will proceed with the Texas inspired charter school they will build for themselves for slps, but worry not---there will be no no-bid nonsense going on there. Not even for that Wentzville woman whose business is school construction. "Building for God".
This 5000 dollars will disappear by June 16th---and there will be much celebration----and a further weakening of charter school accountability.
5/30/2007 12:51 PM
I would like to see the Board conduct Hearings on the impact of Charter Schools in St. Louis and allow those of us who have had the experience testify to the Management Companies aggressive and illegal control of the not-for profit boards as they continue to hi jack funds that educate our children.
This Community can learn from my own experience with Imagine Charter School Management Company(they own Ethel Hedgeman Lyl)and how my own attorney (Wayne Harvey)got on their payroll.
These Charter School Management Companys were not intended to own the non for profit entity forever and thats what they are doing now.
Ms. Brown will certainly pump up the volume in her quest against Charter Schools and those of us who engaged this process but its a poor conversation when only one side berates community people who enages while one side sits back and talks about people who try to make a difference.
The news regarding the Charter School Movement in St. Louis needs to be heard from those of us who are on the front line seeking solutions.
The last meeting of Charter School personnel and member of SLSB was with Cleveland Hammons.
The Missouri Attorney General has unresolved complaints against Imagine as well as the Federal Department of Education.
Remember also that Charter School Management Companies are all in Violation of State Statute (RSMo 162.203) and the boards that govern mandates sixteen hours of orientation and training for school board members within one year of thier election or appointment. State regulation (5 CSR 80-850.060) specifically identifies the content of those sixteen hours.
Infomation is power
5/30/2007 12:51 PM
"We are being eaten alive by advertisements and commercials for charter schools," Purdy said. "They're recruiting our kids and we're sitting there silently, doing nothing to promote the St. Louis Public Schools."
I am uneducated in the financial structure which allows money for the charter school ads. How does it work?
5/30/2007 1:03 PM
In a realistic approach to a budget set aside for advertisment, they should allocate $$$ in the annual budget; however the management company ditates how it's spent and unless the board is active in due dilligence the management company is in charge with the not for profit board receiving it's marching orders.
5/30/2007 1:21 PM
KJOE -
regarding your post that quotes Mr. Purdy saying "We are being eaten alive by advertisements and commercials for charter schools," Purdy said. "They're recruiting our kids and we're sitting there silently, doing nothing to promote the St. Louis Public Schools."
It seems that SLPS might do itself better by engaging a pr/marketing firm to communicate positive messages about SLPS, as opposed to spending my tax dollars to tear-down charter schools.
This entire exercise is a colosal waste of tax-payer money all designed to butress a failed institution, namely SLPS.
Our city needs to focus on helping kids, not maintaining an institution that no longer produces a product that people want. These schools have been failing our kids and those of us who pay taxes to support them for a long time.
I say let's look for alternatives to the SLPS model, let's look at models that might work.
Also, I am amazed at SLPS attack on the State BoE's approval of the CAN acedemy. This public charter school will be focused on kids that have already dropped-out of SLPS. Why would SLPS attack an entity that only focuses on kids that SLPS has already failed to serve - perhaps its not about the kids - perhaps it is about protecting the institution, its current job holders and its new PR consultant.
5/30/2007 1:22 PM
Anony above,
The SLPS is not failing my kids and I resent those who see some problems and act like the whole district is failing. Even Mayor Slay's website had to acknowledge the accolades Metro recently got in the rankings--the next highest ranking school in the area was about 100 down the list from Metro. If you destroy this district you destroy my choice of school for my kids (who do not go to Metro, by the way, it's not the only good school) and I will fight that as hard as I can. "These schools" are doing a great job with my kids and as a taxpayer I am thrilled with the bargain I'm getting. I think my friends spending private school tuition are crazy.
5/30/2007 1:38 PM
This merely confirms what people have stated all along, that Lizz Brown is a extortionist, and hypocrite. Isn't Brown, Purdy, Downs, and Jones the ones who criticized the previous administration of awarding no-bid contracts. It really eats away at any credibility that anyone of them has. Ms. Brown always says follow the money, and look at the path it has taken. Hopefully her listeners and followers in the Urban Progressive Institute will have the intelligence to see that she has used the so-called struggle for her own personal gain. It's a shame, but let it be advertised here at PubDef, that the Revolution is for sale
5/30/2007 1:47 PM
Is it too late to ask where the ipods are now bought with the Board credit card by the previous president?
Let's be fair in questioning actions.
5/30/2007 2:57 PM
Anonymous 5/30/2007 1:38 PM said...
"Anony above,
The SLPS is not failing my kids and I resent those who see some problems . . ."
That is part of the problem, parents such as yourself are only concerned with those who make it. What about those that don't? As indicated in an earlier post "the State BoE's .. CAN acedemy. This public charter school will be focused on kids that have already dropped-out of SLPS."
Why do supporters of SLPS continue to berate and criticize parents who are only trying to do what they believe is best for THIER children? Just like the anti-choice zealots who try to control a woman's repreductive rights. No matter if it's adoption, abortion or delivery y mid-wfe IT IS THE WOMAN'S CHOICE!!! Just as it is with how a parent educates their children.
I suppose you all believe that it's o.k. for Bush & Cheney to send other peoples children to war while theirstrot around the globe partying iwht their rich friends!!!
YOU MISGUIDED IDI . . .No need for me to go there. Just keep your hands off my children's future and I will keep mine of yours . .after all - SLPS is a "Choice" too.
5/30/2007 3:18 PM
Anonymous 3:18 p.m., what an irrational radical. You really can stretch just about anything, can't you?
5/30/2007 3:44 PM
Looks like Chip Clatto and Percy have been at it. Tony Sanders reported to the media that Clatto was caught trying to sell computers to members of the district but Bourisaw protected him. I think someone should ask O'Brien what happened to the IPODS.
5/30/2007 5:02 PM
Never fails talk about the district and all sorts of personal insults come from those who follow this issue.
5/30/2007 5:07 PM
Earlier posting talks about an appointee on the board. I wonder who they might be speaking about?
5/30/2007 6:02 PM
The best advertisement for a school district is a well educated population of students, high college placement after high school and beyond, and above average test scores. When SLPS can produce these core statistics, they won't have to worry about people going to charter schools. By virtue of it strong academic achievements, people will flood SLPS.
Lizz Brown has a very low listener population. If they wanted to impact the school population, they should have used real marketing strategies and utilized the radio stations with more listeners that are in the city. They could have even used their own cable station to produce full content shows.
If Lizz Brown was so in love with SLPS, why didn't she donate the time. She knows that there is a financial problem. Why take money from the children to line her own pockets. It just goes to show you, that when you listen to Lizz Brown, and you follow the money, it is clear why she says what she says.
5/30/2007 6:54 PM
The SLPS clearly needs an effective PR campaign to not only fight the effects of charter schools (no one should deny us the right to defend ourselves), but also to highlight the good things that are happening. Ms. Brown may or may not be the right person, we will see in 13 months. And, be honest, $25,000 for 13 months is not unheard of or unreasonable.
But the way they did it was dumb, dumb, dumb.
I'm disappointed.
5/30/2007 7:14 PM
Mr. Heger:
'noone should deny us the right to defend ourselves'......I guess you work for the district?
What I want to know is 'who is defending me, the taxpayer'. Taxes fund slps, taxes fund charter schools. So tax dollars get used to fund one tax-funded entity against another? That shows no respect at all for taxpayers.
As a taxpayer I just want somebody to start providing a high quality free education for the children of this city. A hedgerow school would be okay if the job got done.
But it's not getting done now. Purdy et all should be ashamed.
5/30/2007 9:21 PM
"But it's not getting done now. Purdy et all should be ashamed."
Why should Purdy be ashamed? All over the nation, urban education is experiencing the very same issues. Can you blame one man in St. Louis for that?
Get real! Blame begins with parents who don't raise their children to value education, who subject them to all kinds of dysfunctional behavior and consequences, and blame begins with City and State politicians who do nothing to heal the broken families and neighborhoods.
I'm a taxpayer too, but that doesn't mean I can't see the societal problems and adults who choose to murder children before their born, abuse them after their born, of fail to care about them as they grow up.
Some of the comments made here come from some very ignorant or, excuse me, stupid people.
Taxpayer, blame the mayor, blame V. O. and A. H. Blame Robin Wahby, Jane Cunningham, or others who have done their best to destroy something that is already dealing with society's most serious woes.
5/30/2007 10:17 PM
Don't forget Purdy just hire Helen Louise Herndon to work in the board office. Did you see her on stage. I could not believe it. She is a ghost writer for him so I guess she is getting paid off also. How does Purdy pick which friends to pay off and what kind of superintendent and deptuy allows a board member to hire this many people. If you add up all the people he has hired through Bourisaw it would be close to over 300,000. Hammonds would have never allowed Purdy to run him like this. Will they all be fired? Will the others see him for the piece shit he is.
5/31/2007 12:11 AM
Sounds like Helen is writing a view of these postings for him right about now.
5/31/2007 12:30 AM
Anon at 9:21...
Yes, I'm a teacher for the SLPS. I can understand the frustration some parents may feel, but I don't think Mr. Purdy et al is to blame. I support most of the efforts of the "new board majority" but do not like the way they approved this latest deal. It makes them look just as bad as the former majority was. (Of course Roberti's $5 1/2 million is a bit more extreme then a $25,000 dollar contract.)
In a way all SLPS employees are defending you as a taxpayer. There are countless success stories every day in our schools despite (in many cases) extremely trying circumstances.
I am very proud to work for the SLPS and have never worked with any group of people who are more dedicated and under appreciated.
Most wasted money, in my opinion of course, is coming from our state taxes in state-funded programs that are ineffective but being forced upon us.
5/31/2007 6:31 AM
I received a telephone call regarding some postings on this blog recently and for the record: It was the Board administrative assistant who asked me if I could fill in for her in her absence.
There is a policy that retirees who took the early retirement program could come back or be called back for service. Some of those retirees have already been working all year under the approval of the previous Board president.
As for ghost writing, the only parties for whom I have ghost written are Veronica O'Brien and Amy Hilgemann. Dr. Hilgemann couldn't get an article published in the Suburban Journals and came to me to rewrite the article, which they then did publish. I also edited and rewrote something else for her.
Veronica came to me several times not just to edit or rewrite but to actually compose articles for her, and I have all of these on my computer.
Everything else I have written is under my own name, and everyone knows my views.
My temporary fill-in employment ends tomorrow. So is less than two weeks of work as a secretary and retiree anything to complain about compared to working a whole year or two?
There is a resignee/retiree in the budget or accounting office who has been working temporarily for several years.
By the way, my salary doesn't come anywhere near some of those the past president has been instrumental in hiring.
Ask the Board administrative assistant why she thought of me. It might be because I was considered a decent secretary for 23-1/2 years with excellent and outstanding reviews.
Dr. Brown's wife has told several people I am one of the most professional secretaries she is acquainted with. It takes years of experience to prove oneself.
I understand Ms. O'Brien's insurance assistant left her; someone asked me if I wanted to apply. I declined.
5/31/2007 7:29 AM
Whoa!!!
Today's P-D notes that SLPS Board member David Jackson would like to change his vote on the no-bid contract to Lizz Brown.
Kudos to him for finally and belatedly standing up to Purdy, Downs and Jones. However, it may be a case of too-little-too-late. I don't even know who on the board signs contracts these days. It used to be the President, but this dysfunctional Board doesn't have one (imagine that). I know they authorized secretary Flint Fowler to sign contracts in lieu of the President (when Veronica was sitting on so many of them), but I don't know if that's still in force.
One muddled mess after another with this group. It is good to see, however, Mr. Jackson coming to his senses and realizing the arrogance and stupidity of letting a no-bid contract to someone with such close ties to certain Board members. Kudos, again, to him. Hope his change of heart prevents this misappropriation of my tax dollars.
5/31/2007 8:22 AM
"The best advertisement for a school district is a well educated population of students, high college placement after high school and beyond, and above average test scores. When SLPS can produce these core statistics, they won't have to worry about people going to charter schools. By virtue of it strong academic achievements, people will flood SLPS."
Amen and I agree!
As taxpayers and parents , it is not about keeping the poor teachers employed. It is not about keeping pitting one public institution against the other. It is not about paying off people to make you look good. IT IS ABOUT CHILDREN GETTING A QUALITY EDUCATION!!!
How does paying Lizz Brown produce better educated children? How does teachers striking and lawsuits against DESE at the taxpayers expense produce better educated, productive citizens? How is taking the precious few dollars that the district has for these things going to produce higher scores? Every dollar spent should be able to answer that question clearly and concisely. If it doesn't, it is simply serving someones self interest at the expense of the children and those are the people to blame.
5/31/2007 8:35 AM
Helen I received a call stating you mentioned you had been a ghost writer for me. THAT IS A LIE. I asked for you to edit a piece and the work you did was awful. So point to a published piece that you wrote. I will point to the letters from you begging for a job. Since you work for the board now you are out of line and should fired. Please stop giving out confidential information to outsiders. Get a life and stop using religion to hide behind.
Thank you,
Veronica O'Brien
5/31/2007 8:39 AM
What has Dr. Bourisaw had to say about theis ill-advised vote?
It seems spiteful, because the takeover board is committed to this charter school nonsense and so is Mayor Slay.
Unless the board wins in the appeal or in court, there is no way that anything will be accomplished with this 25,000 dollars, and even if the takeover is blocked---it is hard for me to imagine anything effective coming from this.
5/31/2007 9:12 AM
What has Dr. Bourisaw had to say about theis ill-advised vote?
It seems spiteful, because the takeover board is committed to this charter school nonsense and so is Mayor Slay.
Unless the board wins in the appeal or in court, there is no way that anything will be accomplished with this 25,000 dollars, and even if the takeover is blocked---it is hard for me to imagine anything effective coming from this.
5/31/2007 9:13 AM
C'mon ladies...dang! I have talked to both Ms. Herndon and Ms. O'Brien...I respect the opinions of both ladies...why the hating V?
5/31/2007 8:04 PM
"Can't we all just get along," I appreciate your sentiment.
I received a telephone call early this morning and was told I was going "to burn in hell," plus a few other choice remarks. So if Mayor Slay was cursed by one board member, I've been eternally condemned by another. What a great city we live in!
Once again, my less-than-two weeks employment was at the request of the administrative assistant and no one else. Perhaps someone would like to investigate who all is retired and working, at what salary, and for how long.
It does save the district a hefty cost of fringe benefits, but I think mine is just a drop in the bucket.
Since I don't judge where anyone is going after this life, I wonder why I'm accused of hiding behind religion while another feels free to take God's prerogative when it comes to the eternal destiny of others? I'm just confused as to who is hiding behind religion?
By the way, the "heat" hasn't hit me just quite yet, and I have a hunch I will face a more gracious and just Judge in the end; so I won't worry about it too much.
Back to "Can't we all just get along," I'm trying by not even thinking of anyone else's future. Thank you for such a positive sentiment.
5/31/2007 9:19 PM
Bull Helen move on. We all had a fit when we in HR found out Purdy had hire you. You were nutts then and you still are. We hope we don't see you back in HR
6/01/2007 12:13 AM
Helen you are famous for starting fights in writing. Leave O'Brien alone. She just does not love you. Please Helen you should really use your writing skills to start your own blogg and you go fight we people there. Wow you must have really pissed O'Brien off. If I were you I would pack my bags as I have seen that O'Brien put people in there place. Stop while you are ahead. I went to high school with her. She really does bite. However everyone liked her at Northwest and she was a leader and a honor student. She is barking. The junkyard dog is coming run.
6/01/2007 12:24 AM
Run Helen they say Amy will be right behind her. Why start this Helen? Go back to the Arch City. We don't need it over here. Why are you go after people? What would the lord say.
6/01/2007 12:45 AM
Come on you guys that was pretty funny when O'Brien asked the question about the hidden 25k Lizz Brown contract. Purdy looked at her tried make it seem like she was crazy. You know how he does all his enemies too bad this doesn't work anymore. O'Brien yelled "might it be Lizz Brown" the crowd began gasping and the 6 other board members had a dead stare. Bourisaw and Purdy turned pink. Purdy's hair stood on his head and he looked like a buckeyed deer. What a way to remember O'Brien hold her ground against the six other board members. I caught the vendor comments she made also. I suspect she has something up her sleeve. You go girl you sure know how to spring it own them.
6/01/2007 12:57 AM
Helen you need to read the "Secret" maybe this will help you doing these difficult times.
May god bless you my saint.
6/01/2007 1:06 AM
Where is Purdy? Some where ducking for cover.
6/01/2007 1:08 AM
Hey H.R., are you speaking about the department that loses so many important documents, hires incompetent friends and relatives and treats school staff as peons? What principal doesn't complain they can't get what they need from H.R.?
You're the guys responsible for the mess we're in. And isn't there a city politician's mother working in there too?
Some of us are getting together to write Rick Sullivan to ask him to fire all of H.R. and bring in staff from the county school districts who show they know how to hire competent people.
You're a laugh to the rest of the school district. Thanks for adding your two cents so someone could remind you how inadequate you are.
By the way, whose relative was hired last?
6/01/2007 11:30 AM
Interesting anon 12:57 am--OB held her own against 6 other Board members? I believe two others of them voted the same way she did. Or did you not know that? Hmm. What else don't you know but are happy to talk about? I need some more laughs.
6/01/2007 2:45 PM
Veronica O'Brien, you aren't fooling anyone with your numerous posts applauding yourself with an anonymous screenname!To even the most casual observer you are obviously severely mentally ill and delusional!
6/01/2007 8:05 PM
OK, Church Lady, enough with the superior dance already. We're fully aware that you and the people who believe in your exact version of religion are right and the rest of us are all wrong. But those of us who don't believe in hell are more amused than concerned by the crazy cursing that gets spread around. Dana Carvey may be passe, but apparently his characters live on all over the country. I could swear (oops!) he knew you personally. Isn't that special?
6/01/2007 9:03 PM
Star Jones, whether you are a man or a woman, you got it right about V.O.: "To even the most casual observer you are obviously severely mentally ill and delusional!" You might even add intoxicated. Some think she begins drinking early in the a.m. and finishes up in the wee hours of the a.m.
Does she ever go to sleep next to her you know who? But you really have to sympathize with her son and daughter.
6/01/2007 9:32 PM
Anon at 12:57...
I laughed at your "analysis" of the meeting because it fit perfectly with another respected colleague of mine who basically described the situation in the same way. This colleague said that V was out of line with weird facial expressions but ended up not looking so bad because of the L. Brown fiaso.
Wish i had seen it.
Funny. Sad, but funny.
6/01/2007 9:44 PM
Yeah tell all those people to stop writing about themselves on this blog.
6/01/2007 11:37 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
6/01/2007 11:43 PM
No woner the Feds are looking at Bourisaw. They just got them a dputy supt. in KC.
6/01/2007 11:52 PM
Whoooooops!!
Now it seems that David Jackson has changed his mind back is going to support the $25K no-bid contract to Liz Brown. According to the P-D today, Purdy convinced him that Liz Brown's campaign to trash charter schools would be done in a "positive" way.
I realize Mr. Jackson is new to the SLPS Board, but I have to assume he wasn't born yesterday. Yet one has to wonder if he's really that stupid, or if he's been called into the woodshed and read the riot act by Purdy and the other Local 420 supporters who got him elected in the first place. I'd bet it was the woodshed.
Ho hum..........
6/06/2007 11:25 AM
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