By Antonio D. French
Filed Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 6:00 AM
PUB DEF EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
The mayor's education liaison's PR event with a group of St. Louis Public Schools students Friday got a little too real when a parent asked why recently air conditioned schools were closed and sold off by the past school board supported by Mayor Francis Slay.
Robyn Wahby told parent Yolanda Nelson that the mayor's office had nothing to do with that decision, that it was entirely the decision of the school district, a separate government entity.
Despite Wahby's assertion to a parent, the mayor's office — through Wahby — was indeed very much involved in decisions made by the school boards of 2003 through 2006, including big ones like:
The mayor's education liaison's PR event with a group of St. Louis Public Schools students Friday got a little too real when a parent asked why recently air conditioned schools were closed and sold off by the past school board supported by Mayor Francis Slay.
Robyn Wahby told parent Yolanda Nelson that the mayor's office had nothing to do with that decision, that it was entirely the decision of the school district, a separate government entity.
Despite Wahby's assertion to a parent, the mayor's office — through Wahby — was indeed very much involved in decisions made by the school boards of 2003 through 2006, including big ones like:
- the decision to hire a $425 per hour New York-based corporate "turn-around" firm to run the district for a year;
- the decision to close 16 schools (mostly in north St. Louis); and
- the decision to outsource the district's food service and maintenance.
Labels: Education, Exclusive, Mayor, Schools
16 Comments:
Then why do the taxpayers pay for an education liarson or liaison?
What a joke. I hope Slay meets the same fate as the Indianapolis mayor.
WB
11/20/2007 8:00 AM
Give me a break - I think we should beat up on everyone trying to improve educational options and outcomes for all kids in the city. I for one am tired of this site's drum beat of racial antagonism and constant attacts on the mayor. I really believe that the mayor could walk on water and antonio would claim that his footprints somehow damaged the water.
11/20/2007 11:02 AM
Good for you. Look at French's history. He was brought to the table by Hilgemann to run for shool board. He lost against Slay. He disappeared from town.
He road his bike around town without direction.
He and no money until Bill Purdy adopted him and threw him some crumbs. Purdy had his write a lot of bad stuff and then taleover the Watch since Peter was making a fool of himself as a board member.
Sources in the district say O'Brien was demanding that Peter stop all the bad talk about Slay and Williams and Purdy got mad.
Downs and Purdy wanted the district to hire French to replace Little. This did not happe so who tookover the Watch and met with Purdy and was told what to write and is still told what to write.
French has had a long hate toward Slay, but now he is like Lizz Brown wants contracts and he has angered too many money folk.
Slay, O'Brien and the gang of four can do nothing right for him.
French ties with Purdy will continue to hurt him. Only people like Rodney and Lewis will pay him.
What fools.
Thank you Mayor Slay for continuing to try and help our poor
children. Your people will unite and you will have the last good word.
11/20/2007 11:18 AM
Looks like Slay did a good job covering his trails. She is right the district is separate from the mayor.
Any response from journalist French and the school board that pull your strings?
Go for it Slay the voters are with you. Stay focused.
11/20/2007 11:24 AM
Slay should sick Vince, Ron and Veronica on these nutts.
11/20/2007 11:26 AM
Good idea but you will need an animal trainer to separate them when they are not going after their prey. May Wabby can do this.
11/20/2007 11:28 AM
Remember when Wahby was caught writing scripts for "Slay's
Raiders." The Riverfront Times
published the scripts that
the School Board read from
and the fact that they were emailed from Wahby at City Hall.
Wahby be should be proud of
her handy work dismantling
a school district.
11/20/2007 11:41 AM
She should and that is why she is getting paid big bucks. Someone should try an dismantle a failing system. Good job Slay.
11/20/2007 12:25 PM
That damn Slay's meddling with SLPS has destroyed SLPS!
11/20/2007 1:29 PM
Newsflash:
"St. Louis Public Schools Have Sucked For Some Time: Crappy Schools Pre-Date Slay"- this is called a fact and those of you who can't accept need to reconcile with yourselves that it is.
11/20/2007 2:52 PM
First of all, more has to be done than just educating children. St. Louis was an industrial town from 1870-1965; "smoke stacks" adourned the city..remember? The blacks migrated to St. Louis because there was a need for laborers due to strikes, demand and a weakening infrastructure throughout the South because of technological improvements. White folks migrated away from St. Louis in droves!! The industries left simultaneously....remember? As Jesse Jackson would say, "Blacks don't want welfare, we want our share"! Lets put this in perspective. It has never been the intention of white folks to unite with blacks to sing "Kum Bah Ya". Currently, charter schools are being discussed as a way to rescue some students from adverse conditions. You don't believe Francine and Jeff "Weak-Ass" Rainford desire to educate all children?...wake-up you're having a nightmare! Maybe..... these guys want schools for Bosians who are growing in population throughout South City. Maybe, charter schools downtown for the Loft district. But not in Walnut Park!!....Where's the Black Clergy? NAACP?...Don't worry real help is on the way!!!...Nat Turner
11/20/2007 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Newsflash:
"St. Louis Public Schools Have Sucked For Some Time: Crappy Schools Pre-Date Slay"- this is called a fact and those of you who can't accept need to reconcile with yourselves that it is.
11/20/2007 2:52 PM
That mantra of bs just does not cut it.
Very specific people did very specific things to wreck the slps starting around 2003. And when voters took steps to stop them---they had those voters disenfranchised.
Of course there have always been problems--dating back decades---but quit pretending that 2003-2006 is just part of a large picture. It isn't. Slay's krap is in a class by itself.
11/20/2007 8:38 PM
Come on people the fault generally is Slay or O'Brien. Everyone is to blame. The city and schools have been falling apart for 30 years.
Stop the blame game and move on. At least Slay is doing something
11/21/2007 9:00 AM
That was literally the most condescending answer I have ever seen. I am so glad I took my kids out of this city.
11/21/2007 9:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Come on people the fault generally is Slay or O'Brien. Everyone is to blame. The city and schools have been falling apart for 30 years.
Stop the blame game and move on. At least Slay is doing something
11/21/2007 9:00 AM
It is much easier to blithely parrot generalities than to face up to specific actions like stacking a school board which hired Roberti, lost dozens of accreditation points, and when a crooked coach was removed from his job, turned to republican political power in jefferson City to take away the rights of voters who were AT LEAST DOING SOMETHING (A PHRASE YOU SEEM FOND OF) to reverse the idiocy.
11/21/2007 11:45 AM
newsflash
Mayor Slay gave $23 Million
bond issued to Confluence
Academy Charter Schools.
$23 MILLION in taxpayer dollars
to private interests.
P.S. Senator Smith is on
the board of Confluence.
Managed by a private firm Edison Inc.
11/29/2007 2:27 PM
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