Cotton: Majority members are reformers
From George Cotton, Sr. activist and executive director of REACH St. Louis.
To paraphrase Franklin Roosevelt.....
"when matters need addressing, DO SOMETHING, if that does not work, DO SOMETHING ELSE, BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE, DO SOMETHING!"
On Friday, the new School Board majority took action to move the St. Louis Public Schools towards the implementation of what they obviously feel is a plan to strengthen the district. Time will tell if that action brings about the results they anticipate. I am among those who salute Board members Veronica O'Brien, Bill Purdy, Donna Jones, and Peter Downs for taking the courageous step of voting their convictions. Their decisions represent a clear departure from the "shoot, ready, aim" approach of the past Board Majority.
For the record, I liked Dr. Creg Williams. I found him to be an articulate and bold avocate for "his" plan. It is necessary to understand however, that the Superintendent is an employee, albiet highly paid, of the Board. The Board of Education has the right and responsibility to only have in place a person "they" feel has their total confidence and shared vision. This new Board majority and the Superintendent never reached a point of commonality. While some may argue that it was never fair to Dr. Williams, the fact is that "it is what it is."
The new board majority has now become the victims of a major smear campaign, including efforts by the Mayor and others to paint them as reactionary and destructive to the greater good of children. In as respectful a tone as possible to the Mayor, and many whom I respect on all sides, I see the recent Board actions as a clear opportunity to heal a community that has suffered a great deal since the arrival of the "gang of four." Let us not forget that it was the Darnetta Clinksdale and Vince Schoemehl led majority that tore the community apart and massacred the public trust in a manner unheard of by any previous School Board. Their lack of community respect, ill-planned budget cuts, and wholesale giveaways of school district properties and contracts was shameful, and an insult to the hard working families of this community. The result of their irresponsibility and wasted millions is a school district that sits on the verge of losing accreditation.....not because of the Veronica O'Brien led majority....but due the rancor and blatant slash and burn philosophy of the Darnetta Clinksdale and Vince Schoemehl led Board. We should never allow our differences to cause us to forget that unavoidable fact.
St. Louis can most certainly prove to be a tough place for those who challenge the status quo. Veronica O'Brien and the new Board majority deserve our support and our encouragement. While I respect and empathize with the frustration, and even anger, of those who decry their most recent actions, I am calling on people of good will to understand that we were in your shoes two years ago. At that time, you urged us to give the new Board a chance....we were told that change was necessary and that the schools were in need of radical reform. I now say the same. Change was necessary. The schools are in need of radical reform. That reform has come in the personage of O'Brien, Purdy, Downs, and Jones.
As an active member of this community, I call on all citizens of good will to reduce the hostilities and bring a sense of urgency and action to the table. We can ill afford another year of confrontation and ego at the expense of children. We may never be presented a better chance than now to make this situation right again.
George R. Cotton, Sr.
I am amazed at how people like Mr. Cotton, and others, now want people to stop the verbal fighting. When the previous board made sweeping changes that they thought necessary to change a declining, and in debt district, all Mr. Cotton and his friends did was verbally attack. Now that their people are in, they want peace and harmony. How hypocritical. To now say that they are right and those that don't agree are wrong and should be quiet is very much what they said they disliked about the previous regime. I do believe that the verbal abuse must stop, but why should the discussions about who is right and who is wrong stop now that the anti-mayor people have school control. Why can't we have open debate? That is what people said was lacking in the previous administration. I haven't seen anything yet that looks like positive open debate. This board hasn't done anything that they promised during their campaigns yet, but have done something they promised not to do. I think the message is right and should have been used years ago, but maybe the messenger is wrong.
Posted by worried citizen on Tue., Jul 18, 2006 at 11:57 AMWorried Citizen, thou dost speak with forked tongue. You're more politician than citizen. It's easy to paint people of independent thinking as "anti'mayor" rather than "pro-public schools." It's like the abortionists who paint the pro-life people as anti-choice. You've been hypocritical for some time. So please spare the rest of us with your semantic games. It seems to me your only worry is that City Hall may not have control of the tremendous resources of the city school district!
Posted by Tawanna on Tue., Jul 18, 2006 at 12:10 PMWell, when the President of the Board, describes the new hire as someone who will give the mayor trouble, it seems pretty anti-mayor to me. When a group of concerned people run to help the city schools and are voted down because they are "the mayor's slate" it seems pretty anti-mayor to me. If I had a better word I would use it, but that is how I see it.
Posted by worried citizen on Tue., Jul 18, 2006 at 12:17 PMAltruism n. consideration for other people// unselfishness// completely missing from St. Louis politics.
Posted by TimR on Tue., Jul 18, 2006 at 12:43 PMReactionary adj. resisting or opposing a force, influence, or movement; especially: tendency toward a former and usually outmoded political or social order or policy
Or a return back to Bill Purdy's disorder.
Posted by Brian on Tue., Jul 18, 2006 at 1:25 PMIsn't George a new hire for the SLPS. Doesn't he work directly for the Board?
Posted by zingy on Tue., Jul 18, 2006 at 2:27 PMIf George was rehired does that mean Liz Brown is far behind. How's it go, the Gang's all here.
Posted by haas watch on Tue., Jul 18, 2006 at 3:12 PMHey, George already screwed up the University City School Board, he just wants to have a shot at screwing up really big.
Posted by ArchPundit on Tue., Jul 18, 2006 at 3:15 PM"tendency toward a former and usually outmoded political or social order or policy"
Just like calling for Governor Blunt to take over our schools!
=="it is what it is."== This is your rationale? I'm sorry, does the end justify the means here? I'll tell you what it is Mr. Cotton, IT'S F***KED UP!!!
And after O'Brian, Purdy, Downs and Jones have lied their way onto the school board, only to drag this district down more, "it is what it is" is the rationale that just makes everything ok?
I guess they "deserve(you must have been dropped as a child)our support and our encouragement"??? I think this board just topped the last one in tearing "the community apart and massacred the public trust in a manner unheard of by any previous School Board."
Accept defeat, you and your supporters are flopping around like fish out of water, gasping for those last breaths of oxygen. You guys are finito
Posted by The Southsider on Wed., Jul 19, 2006 at 7:33 AMIt is so pathetic! You have to really feel sorry for the kids! It's unbelievable! What a disgrace and shame to our city! How crass and obscene!
Am I talking about the city school system? Am I talking about George cotton? No, the above are reserved for the crass and obscene language of The Southsider. If he's got kids, everyone express your sympathy to them. All he is is aan attack pitbull when it comes to discussing issues.
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