Down Comforter

Is St. Louis School Board member Peter Downs setting up for a negative recommendation from the state advisory committee? Maybe.

In the latest issue of his newsletter St. Louis Schools Watch (Antonio French is currently at the helm of the watchdog publication), Downs criticized recent reports presented to the state-appointed committee which, "which is dominated and chaired by supporters of [Mayor Francis Slay] and his hand-picked board," said Downs.

Downs criticized a presentation on public opinion assembled by the St. Louis Community Foundation. The group conducted a poll of registered voters and held a focus group assembled from principals, teachers and parents.

The survey found that: 60% of voters were in favor of a state takeover; principals were opposed to the idea; the teachers and parents were somewhere in-between.

District principals may be wary following a statement by Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall in the St. Louis American last month that 90% of district principals are no longer with the district seven years into its turnaround. Atlanta has been held up as poster-child for school reform.

Both the Foundation and the polling firm, Vector Communications, were linked to slates of school board candidates backed by Mayor Slay, said Downs.

Based on comments from participants, Downs raised questions about the manner in which the surveys were handled. He cited at least two instances in which incorrect figures were given regarding average per-pupil spending in St. Louis County districts versus the city. Downs said the two are roughly equivalent while the survey made it seem the city was spending over $3000 more per student. The implication being that the St. Louis district mismanaged its funds.

Downs said the committee was addressing important issues and that the district ought to, "ignore the antics of individual members and continue working to address the problems [the studies] raised."

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Speaking of raising questions, O'Brien's advice to the Post-Dispatch when asked how the board would respond to the sub-par marks the district received last week: ""Why don't you ask [Superintendent Diana Bourisaw] what she plans to do about it?" O'Brien said. "I'm not responsible for 30 years of decay."