Blunt approves creation of SLPS review committee
Governor Blunt responds to news the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has established a committee to asses and assist the St. Louis School System (kudos to Antonio French over at Pub Def for trekking out to Jeff City to get the scoop).
The committee is co-chaired by attorney and legendary civil rights activist Frankie M. Freeman and Dr. William H. Danforth, Chancellor Emeritus of Washington University. Also on the board: Dr. Donald Suggs, Publisher
St. Louis American; Michael Middleton, Deputy Chancellor University of Missouri-Columbia; attorney Ned Lemkemeier, an alderman in Ladue.
Commissioner of Education Kent King made sure to say the department is not looking to take over the school system. The commission's mission is to determine what it will take to bring full accreditation to the St. Louis school system. Followers of the takeover talk around St. Louis will be quick to point out that consistent failure to reach full accreditation is one of the criteria required for the state to step in.
Update: Mayor Slay, unsurprisingly, endorses the commitee. "It is my strong belief that these five citizens will be able to make some timely recommendations for children whose best interests have been misplaced and whose educations have been bungled."
Dave,
Why would you be surprised that Slay would endorse the committee? Slay is aligned with the majority [Danforth, Freeman and Suggs]. The three of them and the Mayor's Office backed Clinkscale, Buford, etc.
This was a very unfortunate choice on DESE's part. They are perceived to be backers of the "Let Civic Progress feed at the trough of public funding public school budget". Even if the business community can only get a small portion of the huge public school funding budget, that can still be a lot of money.
This committee will be perceived to just look for every thing that they can to attack the current board majority and Bourisaw. Hopefully, the new board majority will stop making that job easy for them.
Jackson was impatient when he said he wanted state takeover now. This committee will just be perceived as laying the groundwork for control being taken away from the voters and going to Mayor's Office.
Can't remember which news report had DESE saying that under deseg agreement, DESE would be able to take district over more easily that outstate districts.
Posted by Chris on Sat., Jul 29, 2006 at 10:33 AMSome remember seeing Suggs drunk with Roberti on a couple of occasions. How did he ever get appointed to that committee?
Posted by Damian on Sat., Jul 29, 2006 at 11:25 AM
Right a Wrong. Submit any tips or story ideas by using our anonymous email form. Confidentiality is guaranteed.