I am sure Antonio will criticize his good friend Peter as much as Peter criticized the former majority.

I'm sure French will criticize Downs as much as ACC criticized the Slay majority.

I'm sure the District will return to it's former money hemmoraging, children retarding, board member antic-filled self, while Antonio claps his hands.

Did I hear the circus is in town???

As I understand it, the Arch City Chronicle doesn't claim to be the Watchdog of the Public Schools. Now I believe that SLPS Watch was designed that way. Also I certainly hope that the schools don't return to their former condition, but reading the letter to the editor from Downs, Jones and Purdy I wouldn't be surprised.

The optimism of Southsider and Worried Citizen return. Dialogue as usual in deconstructive fashion.

Yeah, yeah, yeah---------- just don't claim that the new majority is to blame when Creg Williams leaves. Afterall, he started interviewing for a new job BEFORE the election of Jones and Downs. Guess he didn't think the Mayor could pull it off either.

I'm sorry Michelle, unless you have some proof, scram. Dr. Williams leaving will have everything to do with Peter Downs and Donna Jones winning the election, not to mention Mr. Purdy's and Ms. O'Brian's antics.

"I'm sorry Michelle, unless you have some proof, scram."

What gives you the right to chase someone off of this forum?

Oh, right: You elected yourself head of the Pompous Jackass Society.

=Afterall, he started interviewing for a new job BEFORE the election of Jones and Downs. Guess he didn't think the Mayor could pull it off either.

Really--where did he interview?

I was speaking metaphorically, Anon.

But she may as well because we are all waiting to hear proof of this claim, that Michelle knows does not exist?

I'd love for her to prove me wrong, but I suspect Michelle and her unfounded claims have already hightailed it outta here.

Williams knew that a school board election would be coming up [and the majority on the board could change] when he took the job. He knew that parents didn't trust Slay majority. He is being very well paid. If he cuts and runs, he will not be living up to the responsibility he took on.

Parent, you can't be any more wrong.

Dr. Williams was hired over a year ago, by people who told him they wanted to turn this district around. Now that he has people,(with zero qualifications)undercutting him at every turn, I wouldn't blame him at all for leaving.

This guy did not come in here to play games, he came here to turnaround this district, and when his new bosses come in and publicly attack him, while I am sure other districts would treat him much better, what would you do if you were in his shoes? Run the hell away!

You know the funny thing is, I haven't heard any of these folks talk about improving the education of the children since they were elected. All I have heard revolves around making life easier for the teachers.

Southsider is in true form, just as blind and pigheaded as always. "The guy did not come in here to play games...." I think he came here to earn the big bucks (superintendents around the country now consider St. Louis the gold standard for superintendents) so he could build his half-million dollar home in Chicago. Besides he had an opportunity to bring friends and put them on the payroll at big bucks as well.

ArchPundit - it's Baltimore. Got it? Good!

That's quite a scoop you have there Michelle. Perhaps you should call the Baltimore Sun and let them know there is even a search for a new CEO of the Baltimore schools because there is nothing I can find that Bonnie Copeland is leaving. She just released a new Middle School Plan on Thursday.

So I don't have it and neither do you. Care to try another city?

The St. Louis Pulic schools have been ripe with favoritism and nepotism as long as I can remember. That includes all of the terms during which Board Member Purdy served, so why are people like Ms. Helen raising such a stink now??!! As far as the new home he's building - that's his prerogative, if I had it my way I'd be building one in Senegal.
As for as that "news" that Michelle attempted to share . . just goes to show how far people will go to lie and change facts to fit their own agendas. This new slate is proving itsself no better than the last. No vision, no plans, just a lot of hype! I can see that my wife and I will be taking our children out of the district before the new school year begins.

N'Side Parent, I am not "just now raising a stink" about favoritism and nepotism. I have done so for years. However, the cost is much greater now with the doubled and tripled salaries. Besides, true "reform" that has been the motto for the past three years should have done away with that.

Just think of all the Northside parents that took their children out in the past three years! You're just a bit come lately.

As for building a home in Senegal, some Senegalese have come to live in St. Louis. The State Department issues this warning: "Banditry occurs with some regularity on the main highways after dark in the central area of Senegal, including the region around Tambacounda.

Over the past several years, there has been a decrease in fighting between Casamance separatists (MFDC) in southern Senegal and the Senegalese military, but fighting and banditry still occur sporadically. In December 2004, the Government of Senegal and members of the insurgency instituted an end to hostilities and agreed to negotiate with the goal of achieving a definitive end to the armed conflict in the Casamance. There are still pockets of armed rebels and bandits in the countryside, particularly along the borders with The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. The U.S. Embassy recommends that U.S. citizens avoid non-essential travel south of the Cap Skirring road and Highway 6, and avoid travel off of the paved highways in the northern part of the Casamance along the Gambian border. U.S. citizens are encouraged to limit driving outside of towns to daylight hours only and to remain on well-traveled roads at all times."

Bon voyage should you decide to go.

Hmmmmm! Wanting to move to Senegal, eh? With all the violence on the Northside, would you consider taking it with you as well as all the violent and disruptive students who prevent those who want to learn from being able to learn and who make the SLPS teachers' tasks a living hell?

Or better yet, if you decide to stay on the Northside, why don't you organize a group of parents to assist teachers and school staff in dealing with some of the most disrespectful and belligerant children and youth around?

One of the aims of Downs and Jones is to work on the discipline problems that impede many from opportunities to learn in peace.

Oh, by the way, do you think Schoemehl and Slay are working toward selling Cleveland for a song so someone can reap millions in profits as Biondi and St. Louis University did with the African American historic Waring School?

Worried citizen, when are you going to start worrying about the mess created by the Slay bunch? You seem to fret over trivia and turn a blind eye to some of the biggest scandals to hit urban education in decades.

Kevin, I don't consider school board members defending educators missing school trivial. The "Slay bunch" improved test scores and brought in Dr. Criag Williams which I liked.
When did I turn "a blind eye to some of the biggest scandals to hit urban education in decades." ? What are these scandels I missed?

And by the way Kevin it would be nice to organize parents to help the teachers but who will help the teachers show up. Maybe we should organize parents to get teachers to class.

worried citizen, a couple of questions. Do you work? Can you give an idea of what type of work you do if you do work? Do you earn vacation time? If so, are you counted absent when you take your earned vacation time?

The SLPS teachers show up at a better percentage rate than most suburban school districts. And the suburban districts do not expect teachers to come in sick and be with sick kids. They also do not allow the violent and disruptive students to remain in class and to harass the teachers and other students. When did you last spend a week for 6-8 hrs. a day in one of the understaffed city schools?

Many of the best teachers left thanks to an oppressive and non-appreciating atmosphere. They now work in suburban school districts where they are paid a whole lot more and are treated with greater respect.

Your two previous posts didn't mention absenteeism; They did mention trivia. You're a little late in changing the subject.

Lastly, do you think it would help attendance if teachers were picked up and driven back and forth to school with an armed guard as the national "gold standard" superintendent is, something no previous superintendent expected or required? And he lives only a couple of blocks from the office!

First Kevin, I do work.
Second, my second post on this thread was about a letter to the editor that was about teacher absenteeism, so yes I think I have spoken on teachers attendance. And I don't see where I mentioned trivia except this post and the one right before it. I made what may not be a funny joke, and a comment on the new school board. You really don't read what I right do you. You just like to try and make me look bad. Why don't you mess with someone else maybe you won't sound so crazy.

So you work. When you take vacation time, do they count you absent? And if they send you on a business trip, do they count you absent? That's one of the absences the superintendent is counting. When teachers attend conferences to which they are sent, they use what is called an educational leave of absence. So why should an authorized leave be counted as an absence? Businessmen and women aren't counted absent when they attend such meetings.

I think most on this blog would like to know how you count your vacation and business time off?

No previous administration counted such times as absences. And this goes way back to the 1920's and 1930's when the school district was top drawer.

Not to mention Kevin...It was the William Roberti administration that implemented the "Use It, Or Lose It" attendance system. Why wouldn't an employee take those days off if they were going to lose them in the end? If the district were in a financial bind, why would they then compensate employees for not using those days? The rationale is not clear to me.

When teachers were allowed to accrue sick time, the attendance rate was much better. However, there were those who abused the "unlimited" funeral leave. Focus on those who abuse the system and don't lump the rest into the category. That is no better than saying all students are ruthless, arrogant, and abusive. I can assure you not everyone is created the same.

Worried citizen, I think it would be profitable to inquire as to how much time off the superintendent has and if he uses it, and how often he is away from St. Louis or his job to attend meetings and conferences.

Isn't it interesting that there is such an inclination to pick on teachers who are on the frontlines facing the most daunting of challenges daily? How many would attack our frontline NCO soldiers who fail to achieve the miraculous that seems to be expected of teachers?

Just some thoughts for those who think they have all the answers and who attack men and women in whose dhoes they neither would nor could walk.

Correction to typo in last sentence: it should read "shoes," not "dhoes."

worried citizen, still waiting for your answer as to how your workplace counts your vacation days.

Do you go on business trips and attend meetings? How are those times counted?

Perspective helps understanding, don't you think so? Please don't leave us without answering such simple questions.

Worried citizen must be too worried to answer such simple questions posed to him or her!

Well, Worried, now that there is an invitation to whistle blowers, perhaps some of those SLPS employees will get up the nerve to tell what they see going on that is soooooo wrong.