Dave-

Roll Call quoted you today but ascribed you to ArchPundit :P

http://www.rollcall.com/pub/50_79/politics/8299-1.html

LOL.

Flint Fowler has also established a web site for his campaign:

http://www.flintfowler.org

Following my previous communication regarding violent behavior in our SLPS middle schools and among middle school students, permit me to add a postscript.

Today a father called our school and told our family parent specialist that his son was threatened to be shot to death by a former student of our school. He was encouraged to call the police. As the details unfolded, the named former student was identified by staff as evil without exception, identified as a gang member, and believed to follow through on his threat. Some said he previously threatened another student who was personally taken home earlier in the school year by our principal for his safety's sake.

Some staff members said he probably learned he could kill another person and escape the death penalty due to his age thanks to the recent Supreme Court decision. It is believed he is not attending school anywhere, although the last school he attended was one of our contracted alternative schools that do not offer a full day of school. Therefore, he is free to roam neighborhoods and be used by his gang to threaten harm to others.

When I pulled the threatening student's file, I learned his behavior was noted as of great concern even as an elementary school student.

Once again, this is the environment in which some of us find ourselves working and attempting to do the best we can. Early this afternoon I heard some comments by a teacher outside my office. I heard, "I just want to teach. I want my students to learn." What heartening words! Yet so many unnecessary obstacles face such desires and such motivation. These are the people who need to be hailed as the heros of urban public school education. Were any of them, as well as myself, prepared to deal with murderous thoughts and violent behavior? Nothing in life prepared us to work in such circumstances and in such an environment. One teacher related how the former student threw a desk out a window during summer school just missing someone below but damaging a car. Some of us even hope we won't be caught in the crossfire of angry, violent, pathological desires. It is not uncommon for the innocent of our community to pay a heavy price for disputes between unrelated individuals.

Our community, if not our nation, faces a sociological crisis. We have allowed children with monstrous aims and desires to grow and increase in our urban public schools. Remember my mention of the handcuffed boy who could only continuously repeat, "I'm going to kill him?"

Think about it. How would you like to be faced with and deal with such a student? I sometimes wonder if I might not feel safer in Iraq than in a South side, urban, St. Louis middle school?

The public and the media could help by demanding greater consideration for staff who work in such circumstances and environments. It is inhumane to expect simple, idealistic and altruistic teachers and other support staff to face such dangers and issues without compassionate and understanding community support. Apparently, the present Slate of Four do not recognize the perilous conditions they have created for so many undeserving men and women who care about education and the children of St. Louis by cutting school staff and closing the alternative schools.

There will also be a candidate forum on March 21st at 7pm at the Schlafly Library Branch on Lindell and Euclid. This forum will be focusing on Special Education issues within the district. For more information, please contact Teresa at Paraquad, Inc. 314.567.1558 ext. 315.