Statements about Special Advisory Committee
Statement from State Senator Maida Coleman and State Senator-elect Jeff Smith regarding the report of the Special Advisory Committee and public input:
We greatly appreciate the work of the Special Advisory Council, especially their efforts to gage the opinions of a cross-section of the community.
Public input will be essential to forming a consensus about the direction of our schools in the important weeks and months ahead.
We hope that citizens, teachers, administrators, and civic leaders will continue making their voices heard and unite around a common interest: the welfare of our children. We can all agree that we must put any political bickering aside and move forward.
Ultimately, we all want the same thing, which is for our children to have a safe environment to gain a quality education. To help achieve this goal, the public should feel it has been involved in the process.
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Comptroller Green Supports Call
For Public Hearing On SLPS Report
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 29, 2006—The following is a statement from St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green:
“I support the community’s call for the State Department of Education to conduct a public hearing on the St. Louis public schools report.
“With the School Board election just three months away, the state and the committee should consider that a change in board members may be all it takes to end the turmoil. A state takeover, on the other hand, could result in a continuation of the political controversy instead of focusing efforts on what’s best for the children.
“Any of the committee’s recommendations, short of a takeover, need broad public support to be successful. A public hearing on the issue here in St. Louis would go a long way towards doing just that.”
Good advice from our Comptroller, although whether or not a public hearing would become a shouting match is anyone's (easy) guess.
Posted by Michael Allen on Fri., Dec 29, 2006 at 2:16 PM"We greatly appreciate the work of the Special Advisory Council, especially their efforts to gage the opinions of a cross-section of the community."
The verb "gauge" means to estimate, measure or judge. The seldom-used verb "gage" means to challenge to a fight or pledge to duel. The above passage would be interesting indeed the senators intent to say that the council means to do battle with the opinions of "the community," or at least the opinions of their cross section.
Posted by MH on Fri., Dec 29, 2006 at 2:55 PMThose trying to poke fun at the typos of others should not make so many on their own. I count three in my previous post. Woops.
Posted by MH on Fri., Dec 29, 2006 at 2:57 PMMoDOT will soon lobby the state legislature supporting rail passenger service, Amtrak from St. Louis to Springfield, Branson, and Tulsa. Fifteen years of work went into promoting the effort. It's critical people who want such service speak out.
Please find out more by going to www.reedforcouncil.com
Posted by Steven Reed on Mon., Jan 1, 2007 at 9:16 PM
Right a Wrong. Submit any tips or story ideas by using our anonymous email form. Confidentiality is guaranteed.