So the Mayor's slate (Clinkscale, Buford) are African-American, while the best known opponents (Haas, Downs) right now are Caucasian. This is shaping up to be an interesting race to watch voting habits.

It is definitly going to be interesting with Bill Haas in the race! I wonder what zany stunts hew has up his sleeve on this one!

It wouldn't surprise me if another African American candidate announces and runs as a team with Downs. This is true even though Haas has already endorsed Downs for the other seat. Haas' past behavior suggests that he would be disappointed but would continue to back Downs (just as he continues to back teachers union positions even though he is disappointed that they didn't endorse him).

Such a field would spell trouble for the Buford candidacy, as the Downs-allied African American candidate would be especially attractive to black voters who are either anti-Slay or anti-Republican, while white voters who are either anti-Republican, anti-Slay or anti-black would find Downs and Haas as attractive alternatives (even though appealing to racists is genuinely repugnant to both Downs and Haas). In a field so divided, don't count Haas out. He's won before.

Bill Haas has made some of his positions known. Read down on the Political fix under the Percy green story.http://www.stltoday.com/blogs/news-politicalfix/2005/12/green-opposes-buford-for-school-board/all-comments/#comments

A Downs and French team perhaps?

It's a sad day and perhaps typical of St. Louis that race has to even enter into a school board election. What is unfortunate is that race-based politics seem to be direction-based, i.e., the north city is just as guilty as the south city. This, of course, pertains to the St. Louis Oracle's predictions, which probably are fairly precise.

Will St. Louis ever reach Dr. Martin Luther King's ideal of content of character counting more than the color of skin?

St. Louis will never become a progressive city until both colors and both sides of Market Street recgnize how insane it is to continue such a parody. Furthermore, it is so ignorant to ignore othr races and areas of the city that have a stake in the education of St. Louis' children and youth.

St. Louis needs to get beyond the 19th and 20th centuries' mistakes, flaws, and hangups, and begin to go forward in the 21st by forging a new and healthier beginning for a city that needs all the help it can get.

This may be the opportune time for blacks and whites of good will to take the lead and let the bigots of both colors and both sides of the great divide (Market Street) choke on their dust. Peter Downs has the character to be such a leader.

As always the Southsider that is working for City Hall has something negative to say about Haas. Again, why are you and the folks in the Oval office so angery. Do you realize that all people in the city are tired of the negative approach that comes from the leadership in City Hall. I hope these folks don't try to run for Congressional offices as this negative approach will hurt them. Right now they beat up on people they bully. In other races the dirt will start flying on them and it may not be pretty. Southsider/City Hall go to church pray for yourself as you appear to be a very miserable person. Again, are you man/woman enough to say who you are? Leave Haas alone. Stick to the issues not your personal hatered. To much for me to ask since the leadership in City Hall is about hate and evil.

Whoa, Hey, Veronica O'Brian, is in the house, THE NUT HOUSE!!!

The Southsider has responded with the level of civility and dignity with which we have become accustomed from her/his posts. Southsider was so busy name-calling, the fact that a poster we believe to be the same person who is a member of our Board of Education can't spell "angry," "hatred" or even "Too" sailed right over her/his head. (Congrats, though, Veronica, for spelling all four syllables of "miserable" correctly!)

Cant we all just get along. And criticisms for spelling seem particularly cheap shots, as they are more likely to be typing errors, since we often type fast, or faster than we're thinking, or visa-versa. Also, even with spelling, we shouldnt judge ideas by the medium within which they're expressed. Very elitist, classist, possibly racist. As I tell my students when I taught them grammar, it's not particularly related to intelligence, you just want to know it so that people arent distracted from how wonderful your ideas are.
I know I make typing and spelling errors as I dont usually have time to proofread posts.
Also, spelling just easier for some than others; has a lot to do with early training. And spellcheck of course.
happy sunday to all.
ps I often wondered if southsider was city hall; certainly seems loyal to them; nothing wrong with that; (exactly); but the often mean-spirited nature, unfairly judgmental tone, and ad hominem attacks, not to mention just wrong alot and fairly ignorant of facts and ideas often (I hope that's not mean-spirited or unfairly judgmental), flattered and becomes neither that administration nor him(her?)self. Plus, has way too much time on their hands. Needs more interest. And cant imagine is my friend Richard Callow, who would seem much too smart and nice for that sort of wallow.

Forgive me, Bill, if I hold people in charge of education to a bit of a higher standard.

I agree with the Oracle. Those that are running to help our children learn should at least be able to meet the minimum grammar and spelling requirements. Maybe a test for who is qualified to run for school board is necessary?

If minimum grammar spelling requirements are either desirable or required, then some of the degreed administrators, including those with Ph.D.s couldn't make it.

You have to wonder how some of them obtained advanced degrees when they can't even compose a simple sentence in English. If it weren't for some of their subordinates, nothing would be clear. And some of them can't write, punctuate, spell or make subjects and verbs agree. The first superintendent after Roberti sent out his first two to three sentence communication to all staff, and the subject and verb in one sentence didn't agree.

Harris-Stowe is partially to blame because they pass on students and graduate them when they can't pass high school grammar (some grammar school grammar--no pun intended).