By Antonio D. French
Filed Friday, November 09, 2007 at 9:53 AM
When Mayor Francis Slay informed St. Louis Public Schools CEO Rick Sullivan of his plan to push for a rapid expansion of charter schools in the city in a meeting last week, according to a source close to the situation, Sullivan voiced his strong objection — to the surprise of the mayor. Labels: Education, Francis_Slay, Mayor, Recall
Sullivan, the governor-appointed leader of the district who is still in need of senate confirmation, testified just two weeks ago before the Joint Committee on Education that charter schools hurt St. Louis Public Schools financially.
"At some point you introduce so many alternatives that you reduce the revenue that it takes to run a successful school district," Sullivan was quoted as saying by the Post-Dispatch. Sullivan stopped short of asking legislators to address the issue.
But Slay is asking legislators to do something: give him the power to grant charters.
State Senator Jeff Smith sponsored legislation last session that would have given the mayor exactly that. It is very likely similar legislation will again be introduced next year.
In the meantime, Slay is wasting no time. His office is sending invitations to organizations across the country to come to St. Louis.
This is just the latest step the mayor has taken to reform public education in St. Louis. His earlier efforts have proven disastrous for the district:In 2003, Slay backed four candidates to run for school board. With his support, the new majority outsourced the management of the district to a New York-based corporate turn-around firm. For $425-an-hour and an expenses-paid $2,400-a-month suite at the Chase Park Plaza, Bill Roberti, a man with no educational experience at all and an often palpable disdain for poor people, was made superintendent of SLPS. Roberti and his firm left town after a tumultuous 13 months with more than $5 million in their pockets and the district still in financial crisis.
Read our earlier post "Who Killed St. Louis Public Schools?"
In 2004, Slay appointed Veronica O'Brien to the school board. Enough said.
In 2005, the district slipped further away from accreditation due to decreasing test scores and graduation rate. Slay's school board also blew through five superintendents between 2003 and 2005, leaving state officials concerned about stability in the district.
After seeing all four of his school board candidates elected in 2003, the mayor was only able to see one (Flint Fowler) of his three candidates elected in the next election. And in 2006, Slay saw voters reject his board majority in a huge upset election.
Within days of the April election, the mayor's office began secret communications with state education officials about doing away with the school board entirely.
56 Comments:
Charter schools are free for the kids. Unlike vouchers these do not take any money from the school district. Infact, these charter schools free up money and facilities so the district can focus more on idividual students. Doesn't sound like a bad plan to me. Sounds like I might have to stop saying so many bad things about Slay...we'll see.
11/09/2007 11:22 AM
Charter School Management Companies- and one in particular-Imagine-siphon more than one million unnecessary dollars from our children per school.
If you took the time to read Charter School Laws for the State of Missouri and inform yourself-You will see how the Management Company utilize the non-for profit as cash conduit for the or profit and actually have no say in the day to day operation of the school.
Do some reasearch.......
11/09/2007 12:28 PM
I do not remember seeing Sullivan quoted in the pd. Was it in today's front page article?
I have made several posts speculating about whether Slay has been disappointed with the governor's choice of Sullivan. So he was surprised by Sullivan's attitude regarding charter schools? I was surprised that he was surprised.
I noticed a picture labelled America can----labelled as a non profit organization from texas.I guess they changed their name from Texas Can, because of the sheer embarrassment.
I tried to find some information about---America Can---which is sponsored by Herschend's state board of education----there is a mountain, but not much to just grab and show quickly.
Take a look at "Dallas can" schools. Beginning teachers---50 percent of their staff, compared to 11 percent of the state average.
Average math class size---43--- state average 20. Science 48-22.
On and on.
The same state board of education which disenfranchised district voters hired is sponsoring these assholes. Maybe they don't practice the same educationally abusive stuff here in MO. This new charter school is on 4300 Goodfellow, serves 9-12, and this is their first year.
Any reports on how they are operating?
Bourisaw needs to weigh in.
11/09/2007 12:31 PM
Joe, here's a link to that Post article:
11/09/2007 1:19 PM
Thanks for the link.
Bill Haas's comments were interesting.
I hope Bourisaw makes some progress in getting the Open Court textbook series replaced.
It has been nice to have a superintendent who lasted 18 months already----too bad Slay is going to start running things again, and will probably fire up the revolving door.
Hard to say who will go first---Sullivan or Bourisaw. Getting rid of two white people---would that look good on Slay's resume?
11/09/2007 2:13 PM
The public schools cut a check to charter schools based on the charter schools' attendance, anony 1. They absolutely take money away from public schools. The charter schools just tell the local district how many kids they have (there is no auditing procedure to ensure they are telling the truth) and then the local district has to give them the money based on that. You are completely wrong.
11/09/2007 2:15 PM
Given the incompetance of the Mayor's Office, this can only hurt the poor students that go to the charter schools.
11/09/2007 2:18 PM
Sullivan is right--charter schools do take public funds that would normally be sent to the local school district. Yet, in some school districts, the introduction of charter schools has prompted public school administrators to review how they are organizing local schools and to use charter school legislation to open new schools. Ultimately, the problems at some schools are so pervasive that an overall change is required--and that should mean a new school, with a new educational philosophy and a new leadership to use it. SLPS has made some incremental steps in this direction--opening smaller high schools, 9th grade academies, and a new montessori program. There is no reason that they could open some new public schools as charter schools as a part of their reform strategy.
11/09/2007 2:39 PM
Here's what Slay said in his blog today:
St. Louis offers so much for families – parks, cultural institutions, neighborhoods with their own unique architecture and culture, short commutes to work – pretty much everything except enough quality public schools. Sure, there are really good private and parochial schools that charge a tuition, but all City residents, regardless of financial circumstances, deserve access to good schools. There are good public schools in St. Louis, but there are just not enough of them.
One way I think we can get good schools to come to St. Louis is to ask them. In other cities across America, teachers and parents have opened charter schools — free, public schools that operate outside the district’s bureaucracy. My office has designed an application and review process that will help me determine which quality schools to support.
How many will that be? We’ll see. My focus is on quality – measurable results. Maybe we can see two or three new schools in the next year or so. Maybe more, maybe fewer. But every new, quality public school we see open in our City is one more than we had yesterday.
11/09/2007 3:28 PM
The charter schools take away money AND students from SLPS. So, while SLPS has less money, they also have less responsibility. Charters make out better in the deal because they can get better than average students.
Slay and Sullivan have two different goals that they are trying to accomplish. Slay is trying to increase tax base. He needs a richer citizen than the average St. Louisan to do that. Richer people have more choices.
They have more options in a lot of things, like municipalities where they live.
Slay is trying to get them to choose the city as their home. While some can afford private schools, other want a quality free public school for their kids.
These wealthier parents need a reason to believe that their kids can get a quality free education in the city. I wouldn't blame them if they thought they couldn't get one, outside of the 250 student metro, in St. Louis in quite a while.
While vouchers would really fit Slay's plan really well, charters help accomplish the goal of making the city palatable to more people due to the choice they have of opting out of the SLPS proper for a charter.
Call it racist, classist or whatever, but Slay is right to see the forces in play.
11/09/2007 3:34 PM
So, Col. Ketchup, do you want to leave the rest of the children who are not upper and middle class to just sink or swim on their own?
Public Schools were one of the best things to ever happen to the U.S.A. Charter schools, on the other hand, have a very good chance of destroying everything that the founding fathers stood for.
11/09/2007 4:01 PM
It seems sort of a leap to equate a difference in governance of two public schools -- school district or charter -- with a Constitutional crisis.
If it is free, open to all, and get good educational results, why does it matter where a public school sends its paperwork?
11/09/2007 4:23 PM
The poor kids already are sinking or swimming on their own, and not always doing so well. We haven't done very well by the kids in a long, long time.
IF there are going to be charters/vouchers, I would need it to be recognized that not all kids are equally easy/difficult to educate. The wealthy kid with a two college-educated parent household would receive LESS resources for a charter/voucher than the single GED parent kid.
It would make the charter schools think about taking the 'tough' kids because the charter/voucher would be significantly more.
I realize that the above would be a very difficult sell because it would create a dis-incentive to 'easy' kids from moving in as they may get a better deal in another municipality, and an incentive for 'difficult' kids to move in as they may not get as good a deal in another municipality. It would be a hard thing to balance.
The Founding Fathers believed in slavery and voting for land holding white males only. I hope we are shattering what they stood for.
11/09/2007 4:27 PM
For the first time since charter schools have been allowed in Missouri, there are more students enrolled in St. Louis charter schools (7700) than in Kansas City charter schools (6400).
11/09/2007 4:37 PM
That's interesting, Col. Mustard, that you think charters should get to charge more for harder to educate kids. The old argument that private schools do so much better than public schools for less money would suggest otherwise.
And my mortgage is the same whether I have 2 people living here or 10. So saying the SLPS will need less money with less students ignores overhead costs. Even Sullivan gets that.
Slay has no interest in improving education for low income kids. He would just as soon there were none living in his kingdom.
11/09/2007 5:14 PM
Slay needs to get out of education! Never once have I seen him doing anything good for our city kids in the schools, and I've been in the schools longer than he has been mayor. All he's ever done is harm them. Why can't he put his energy and resources in what we already have? I really really don't like Slay!!!
11/09/2007 5:35 PM
We should not forget that Veronica was brave and constructive for most of the first part of her term.
She was one of the votes needed to replace Greg Williams with Diana Bourisaw. That was a very important moment for the district.
The state takeover was about the Slay dogs losing their elections, not about Veronica's antics. That was just an excuse people used who already wanted to control the district.
11/09/2007 5:44 PM
I bet that damn Slay threw his usual infantile tantrum when Sullivan didn't want to get with his charter school plan! I believe that damn Slay wants to rid the city of all poor and black residents (Uncle Toms like Charles Bryson will be allowed to stay as long as they buck dance to Slay's music)! That is why we are going to rid the mayor's position of that damn Slay thru recall!
11/09/2007 6:03 PM
I still wonder how last year's overall attendance under Bourisaw compared to the last year under Williams. Maybe the figures will be available in December.
Meanwhile---I would like to know how the news media missed the story of the opening of a charter school (America Can) SPONSORED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION---the people who took away the right of St. Louisians to elect their own school board. It is at 4300 goodfellow---grades 9-12.
I would like to know the percentage of staff who are first year teachers. I would like to know whether class sizes meet the standards they demand of regular public schools.
I wonder how much it resembles -----Dallas Can Academy Charter School District - Texas
Up-to-date test scores and student demographics for the Dallas Can Academy Charter
there are a lot of numbers----but this jumped out at me----
state average spent on instruction---58 percent. Dallas can spends 50 percent.
state average for school leadership---6 percent. DallasCan---13 percent.
less for the classroom---more for administrators.
If this town had news reporters----THEY WOULD DEMAND TO KNOW IF THS KIND OF CRAP HAS BEEN INTRODUCED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IN THEIR OWN CHARTER SCHOOL!!!!!!
Not holding my breath waiting for anyone to ask.
11/09/2007 6:13 PM
Anonymous 4:01--
Anyone that has dealt with a graduate of European public schools knows that our schools leave so much to be desired. So, quit thinking that public schools are the best thing to happen to the USA. They are substandard at best. Plus, my libertarian bent forces me to remind you that we shouldn’t ever forget that Marx recognized the value of public schools in achieving his goals.
Folks, nothing will change until the parents take charge of their offspring's education. It's not the mayor's job, it's not the state's job...it's THEIR job.
The fact is, public schools are forced to teach kids how to take MAP tests. They are wasting time while private schools are teaching their kids how to think.
One day public school parents will be saying "little Johnny had great MAP scores--why can't he get a job?" And, someone will have to explain that testing ability won’t get Johnny out of a wet paper bag--it requires actual cognitive skills. THAT'S where the gap between the haves and have-nots will show up 30 years from today... I will never hire a test taker. I will hire a thinker.
Until the voters figure that out, they can all twiddle their thumbs while Rome burns.
11/09/2007 10:16 PM
Bourisaw and Sullivan must go. They are both two fools. Way to go Slay by taking charge of education. Pull together your former block of four, but O'Brien back with them and you will get the Charters and then stick it to the recallers.
11/09/2007 11:34 PM
Slay needs to get out of education? Sullivan should go dig dirt. Who would pay attention to this dude. He knows nothing and is doing nothing. Hope the rumor is not true about Sullivan and the superintendent.
11/09/2007 11:38 PM
It is clear that O'Brien was a spy for Slay and they were working together the whole time to take down the district and that is what happened. Things will never be the same. O'Brien was one of key Charter Reform people also. She acts like she is one of us but she generally pushes the establishment agenda in a very tricky way.
11/09/2007 11:47 PM
If you are planning to open a charter school in St. Louis it might be a good idea to look at how the public schools are treated.
When your charter school is forced to increase class sizes, get rid of teacher's assistants, cut key personnel, close your alternative schools (more on this later), cut back on supplies, use cumbersome and inferior texts, forced to cut special ed services, and on and on...your test scores will drop.
Do you think the mayor will come to your aid? Don't hold your breath.
And what the f*** happened to our much heralded "alternative schools" for discipline problem children? We were told we were opening alternative schools for disruptive students. Instead we got some kind of magnet type school that doesn't take the most severe kids at all. We were LIED TO and MISLED on this issue about 6 months ago.
Caring parents of the average student please listen...your child will NEVER get the education they deserve until YOU demand the disruptive, abusive students sitting next to and behind them are removed from the classroom and given special placement elsewhere.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS WASTED EFFORT AND MONEY. The parents are going to have to step up and demand this. Teachers have been saying it for ages but we all know how damn dumb those teachers are.
11/10/2007 8:52 AM
Rick Sullivan has shown the public that he has no interest in the district. He is just around to feel important. If Slay is serious about city schools then he needs to get rid of Sullivan, Bourisaw and the elected board and put in people that want to do riht for the children.
11/10/2007 10:52 AM
Anon at 10:52...
You say "Rick Sullivan has shown the public that he has no interest in the district". I may agree that his actions/inactions are not what I would like but what specific things make you state this? I know he has missed some meetings, etc. and I am not in favor of him being in charge either but...facts?
You also state "He is just around to feel important". C'mon, that weakens your argument.
You also said, "If Slay is serious about city schools then he needs to get rid of Sullivan, Bourisaw and the elected board and put in people that want to do riht for the children".
Isn't the elected board pretty much already "out of it" for now?
In what way has the elected board not demonstrated that they "want to do the right thing for children"? They have children in the district!
Why would they not want to do the right thing for their OWN CHILDREN? That is why they were elected in the first place. They are PARENTS being denied the right to serve their own children.
Someone earlier ended with "sad"...I agree.
(yes, I will stop posting)
11/10/2007 11:31 AM
CWEguy,
You are right about wanting a thinker, not a MAP tester. But since that's a federal law our local officials can't change that even if they want to. Now, if DESE and Blunt really had guts they would fund public education completely out of state money, forgo the fed money, and be out of the NCLB web. But that will never happen because this state doesn't prioritize children enough to spend that kind of money on them(the country doesn't, really, not just Missouri).
People can blog about parental responsibility all they want, but when it comes down to it, when you are getting wheeled into that ER with a heart attack, you better hope that the country cared enough about kids to raise some that can make sure you get out of the hospital alive. Making sure the next generation is well educated goes way beyond personal, parental concerns.
I have dealt with graduates of European schools. The real story there is what happened to the kids who didn't graduate from European schools. They label you there, you know, and if as a youth you don't show yourself to be worth investing in, they don't, and you go to trade school instead of an academic school. So their "success" is not to be compared to all our public school output, the more accurate comparison would be to only compare them to Metro grads, for example.
As a public school graduate who can think just fine, thank you very much, I resent your patronizing attitude. The value of private schools is not in the fact they educate better, but in that they allow certain classes to continue to segregate themselves. Those kids do well because of networking and family ties, not because of brilliant education. If my daughter were to transfer over to our parish school, she would be at least one year ahead based on what I see those kids learning as opposed to what she has learned in her public school.
If the politicians would get out of it, we would all be better off. Educators, not politicians, should be leading the way.
11/10/2007 12:16 PM
I, too, graduated from public schools. However, when I was in school, we were "tracked". It wasn't racist, classist, or any other "ist" you can dream of. It was simply placing students with similar abilities and goals in the same classes to maximize education.
You are right, educators should educate. As long as you let politicians control the purse strings, they are going to tell you how to teach. At least with private schools, you have some input into the school.
11/10/2007 5:29 PM
Sullivan is on a head trip. He has never been around black people
He is always running his mouth to the Post and others.
Sullivan needs to be replaced.
Maybe Sherman George could replace him.
11/10/2007 5:46 PM
Heger and union cut deal with Sullivan. Union is not good and that is why you have no membership.
Just wait til the elected board is back in charge and you come crawling back.
11/10/2007 5:50 PM
Sullivan doesn't want Charter Schools because he has to pay off the union.
11/10/2007 6:04 PM
Yes the union is a joke. Sullivan paid them to quiet down and the hell away with the kids. Let us all pray Sullivan will not be confirmed. If he is then he will bring Charters, Choice and fire everyone. He is fooling you all because you can't look beyond yourselfs. He is laughing at everyone on your dime. Union members will bolt and the union will be busted. Wake up.
11/10/2007 7:02 PM
CWEGuy, since you have some libertarian values, how can you agree with the state funding charters, without any standards that are applied to public schhols? It is a money game people, and charters and vouchers are currently the best way to divert the state's tax revenue away from the actual constituants, and into the pockets of crooks, cronies, and conmen.
11/10/2007 8:09 PM
Why in the world do you think some state Rep. from out-state Missouri is qualified to set standards for the education of your child? Does he know your children? Does he know your children's goals and aspirations? He doesn't. You and your children should decide what is the best education for them. Not some lobbyist-beholden politician in Jefferson City.
If there is a buffet of choices, you get to pick what is best for you and I get to pick what is best for me. Sounds perfect to me...
11/11/2007 1:00 AM
I just love the credit given to me by Anonymous posters! I doubt Mr. Sullivan even knows my name and many in the union wish they didn't!
Anonymous (of course) I'm just a teacher...powerless..get your facts straight.
11/11/2007 10:23 AM
The buffet of choices:
Not when your right to a crappy charter education infringes upon my right to a quality public education.(which it does)
11/11/2007 11:46 AM
Does anyone know how Blunt got Sullivans name? He is awful. Wonder what Blunt thinks about Sullivan's views on Charter Schools. Sounds like bith Blunt and Sullivan need to throw in the towel. So much for reform.
11/11/2007 2:59 PM
Excuse me, but there is no right to an education. If your parents had given you a better education in the first place you would know that there is no "right to a quality public education" in the constitution.
You may want to read it some time. You would see that YOU are responsible for your life, not the government.
11/11/2007 4:05 PM
You're wrong, CWEGuy. A child in Missouri does have the right to a free (and one could infer from the "vision statement" of the State Board of Education) public education.
From Article 9, Section 1 of the Missouri Constitution:
"A general diffusion of knowledge and intelligence being essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people, the general assembly shall establish and maintain free public schools for the gratuitous instruction of all persons in this state within ages not in excess of twenty-one years as prescribed by law."
And the current "vision statement" of the Missouri Board of Education:
By 2010, we want Missouri's public education
system to be rated among the top five states in the nation . . We want Missouri citizens to view their public schools as the best schools available.
11/11/2007 6:05 PM
You are wrong French. Bill Purdy had the new board majority elminate the vision statement you are speaking about. That vision statement was that of the Slay group. The only fool that continued that statement was Veronica O'Brien.
11/11/2007 7:13 PM
I stand corrected.
However, I was speaking of the U.S. Constitution.
Not to split hairs either, but I don't see where the MO constitution says education is a right ;-)
I would love it it if it were gratuitious...we are paying a fortune for a rotten product!
11/11/2007 8:11 PM
The vision statement dates back to 1998. I doubt if some of these new yahoos care very much about the concept.
The state board of education has changed a lot since Blunt took office. He appointed a nazarene bible college guy, a Wentzvilled builder of church schools, and Derio Gambaro. The others are multi millionaire republican fat cat Peter Herschends, a superintendent who retired over ten years ago, a self-employed accountant, a college teacher, and Sybl---who---astonishingly enough---------has actually spent time in an actual classroom teaching children.
These are the assssholes who disenfranchised st. louis voters, and are also directly responsible for the new charter school at 4300 goodfellow.
The PD reporter hinted to me that he might.....never mind.
PRESIDENT
Russell V. Thompson, Columbia, was appointed to the Board in November 1994; he was re-appointed in December 2002. He had previously served as president of the Board from 2000-2002. He is a professional educator who spent his entire career with the Columbia Public Schools. Dr. Thompson retired in 1994 after serving nearly 20 years as superintendent. He is active in numerous educational and civic organizations.
VICE PRESIDENT
David Liechti, St. Joseph, was appointed to the Board in October 2003. He is a self-employed Certified Public Accountant. He is a former member and president of the St. Joseph Board of Education. Mr. Liechti earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is active in numerous community organizations.
MEMBERS
Rev. Stan Archie, Kansas City, was appointed to the State Board of Education in December 2006. He is senior pastor of the Christian Fellowship Baptist Church. He serves as president of the Kansas City Leadership Foundation, an organization devoted to community betterment and strengthening individual ethics and character. Rev. Archie earned a degree in divinity and organizational leadership at Calvary Bible College and a master’s degree in education at MidAmerica Nazarene University.
Deborah L. Demien, Wentzville, was appointed to the Board in March 2006. She is director of marketing for Demien Construction. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and history from Southwest Missouri State University and a master’s degree in education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Derio Gambaro, St. Louis, was appointed to the Board in June 2007. He is a former member of the Missouri House of Representatives (1999-2003) and is former chairman of the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners. Mr. Gambaro attended the Air Force Academy and graduated from Parks College of St. Louis University with a degree in plant engineering. He is currently an engineer employed by BRI, Inc.
Peter F. Herschend, Branson, was appointed to the Board in December 1991 and re-appointed for another term in November 1999. He previously served as president of the Board from 1994-96. He is co-owner and vice chairman of Herschend Family Entertainment Corp., Branson, which owns Silver Dollar City and other entertainment properties. He served 12 years on the Branson Board of Education and was vice president of that Board. He also served on the Region 10 executive committee of the Missouri School Boards’ Association.
Shirley Langley Hindman, Harviell, was appointed to the Board in April 2004. She is retired from Southeast Missouri State University, where she was a professor in the College of Education from 1976-1996. Dr. Hindman has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University and a doctorate degree from Southern Illinois University.
Sybl Slaughter, Lebanon, was appointed to the Board in October 2003. She retired in 2001 from the Lebanon School District where she was an elementary teacher for 20 years and principal for eight years. Ms. Slaughter holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a former member of the University of Missouri College of Education Alumni Board and is active in several civic organizations.
11/11/2007 8:37 PM
How dumb are some of you? The new Board majority did not change any vision statement, and even if they did, they can't change the state board's vision statement, only one for the SLPS. Whatever you have against Purdy, if you're going to insult the man at least make it plausible.
Wow, CWEguy, I wonder how Ladue and Clayton feel about you claiming the education they provide is rotten. Or for that matter, any of the teachers who struggle each day to teach our kids as best they can.
Lots of things aren't rights, but it doesn't mean it isn't right to do them. Let's just quit building roads, for example, there's no right to have the government provide those for you just because you want to get somewhere.
11/11/2007 8:53 PM
this is juicy reading for a holiday!
11/12/2007 11:48 AM
You know, I meant to write: ... and one could infer from the "vision statement" of the State Board of Education — and quality public education.
A free and quality public education, that's the social compact in Missouri. One left unfulfilled for tens of thousands of kids.
11/12/2007 1:56 PM
Antonio--
When it comes to education, why do people suddenly believe a politician's campaign promise? That's what I think that "social compact" is.
At least we agree on one thing. Today's public education is neither free nor quality.
Have a nice afternoon.
11/12/2007 2:47 PM
Sullivan must have missed all of this. He is doing nothing for the children. This all just seems to be a midlife love affair with himself. What happens to this guy when Jay defeats Blunt? He is telling everyone that Joan Bray has agreed to appoint him so it looks like more bad news for the district.
11/12/2007 10:53 PM
Antonio,
The term you are looking for is "social contract" not compact. It is a basic theory of sociology.
It is a theory of the responsibilities of the individual more than the whole or more so how the individual's efforts compliment the whole and therefore what the individual can then expect back. So by your use the students would be required to strive in school and work for betters schools and the duty of the whole, as repayment for the hard work of the individuals would be to provide better schools.
Unfortunately I have seen very little of the individual effort and likewise very little general effort. Our social contract is serverely broken.
Luckily the individuals responsible will find some one else to blame.
11/13/2007 8:38 AM
Antonio----I do not understand journalists.
1.we have spent well over a year watching the details unfold as the state board of education took away the right of st. louis voters to go to the polls and select the board which has power to run the st. louis public schools.
2.there has been a lot of talk about charter schools---including reports that the new takeover guy sullivan is wary of charter schools and their financial effects. David Hunn wrote a big article---the pd followed up with an editorial today.
3. the very same board which disenfranchised st.louis voters, and gave the governor the power to appoint sullivan is sponsoring a charter school at 4300 goodfellow for the first time this year. The state board has never done anything like this.
4. the company they are dealing with does some very questionable things in texas---huge science and math classes---large percentages of starting teachers---lack of balance between teaqcher pay and administrative pay.
5. I am getting a sense of deja vu---some of the same frustrations I felt with the freeze of reporting on the murder of Tim bacon. Isn't there a journalist in town who can drive out to 4300 goodfellow and find out wtf the staqte is doing. Maybe it is wonderful.somebody could write a feelgood story. or not.
11/13/2007 12:03 PM
Kojoe good points. French a journalist or street hustler?
The Post is covering up the Bacon case because they are protecting the story. This kid was picked on for years by the same person and the same police covered this up. Now they claim he was just another black kid killed by his own. LIE.
As for Sullivan the Post is also covering his failures up. Have you ever seen them go after a white male or female? No. Sullivan is so stupid he thinks he has gotten a feel about the district from that Steve guy that just got in town. One good thing is that Sullivan will make sure Blunt is voted out of office.
He needs to make sure he takes that user annd liar Diana Bourisaw with him. She says he is friends with her husband. Hope this explains the love taps.
11/13/2007 11:48 PM
The phrases "social compact" and "social contract" are interchangeable. Both were used by Jean Jacques Rousseau.
11/14/2007 12:09 AM
Compact and contract are not interchangable. Rousseau loosely based his writings on Keyne who's theory was based on Aristotle. Aristotle created the king and the shadows which become the first understanding of the social bond one agrees to by living in a society chosen or not.
Please Sir, research what you say before you speak.
I understand you are trying to be inflamatory but please try to be responsible as well.
11/14/2007 8:52 AM
To 11:48 anon, French is a blogger, before being a street hustler or journalist. He does not have the resources to do too much actual fact gathering/reporting.
He does a pretty good job of covering news conferences and such, but investigative stuff is pretty time consuming.
If you want that kind of stuff, it is not free, and newspapers are bleeding circulation/ad revenues. The RFT was sold to the highest bidder and the paper version of pubdef didn't quite make it.
It is a lot easier to fill airtime sending Eliot Davis for a you paid for it, than to have a reporter go out and get a story, hitting many dead ends along the way.
Cut the guy some slack, this is a good site, even when the comments section gets out of hand.
11/14/2007 9:02 AM
Blunt you can keep your SAB just get Sullivan out. He is so far out of touch it is unreal. Besides I don't think he has ever been around this many black people
11/14/2007 7:47 PM
We are still waiting for something substantial to come from Sullivan and the state's takeover. And waiting. And waiting.
What a brilliant idea it was to have the bureaucrats take over the district.
(invest in paper mills, stock prices must be skyrocketing)
11/14/2007 9:17 PM
"but investigative stuff is pretty time consuming."
Antonio is a very fine journalist in my opinion.
How much time and money would it take to find out the average daily attendance for the st. louis public schools during the year of 2006-2007, so that could be considered instead of the largely irrelevant first day attendance figures?
I know gas prices are high---but how much would it cost to drive out to 4300 goodfellow and find out---maybe by asking a student---how large his math and science classes are? Would the state board's new charter school refuse to give a reporter basic information? Well, that would be a story in itself.
11/17/2007 1:56 PM
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