In St. Louis, backers rally for city schools

[Peter Campbell <campbellp@mail.montclair.edu>]

Backers rally for city schools
By Steve Giegerich and Jake Wagman
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Jan. 05 2007

A coalition of parents and teachers launched a campaign Thursday to 
halt a
proposed state intervention in St. Louis Public Schools.

Organizers claim the proposal would strip city residents of the right 
to vote
and therefore govern the troubled district for the next six years.

The meeting, which attracted about 75 people, took place seven days 
before the
Missouri State Board of Education is scheduled to consider a 
recommendation
that would remove power from the city's elected School Board. If 
approved, the
system would come under the control of an appointed committee.

"I have a problem with my vote being canceled, this is supposed to be 
America,"
said Karen Franz-Cohen, who has taught in city schools for more than 30 
years.

The organizers of the Save Our Schools movement urged participants to 
contact
the Department of Education, the state School Board and members of the
Legislature.

As organized opposition picked up steam, the discussion about a 
potential state
intervention continued in the corridors of power.

In Jefferson City, key legislators said Wednesday that righting St. 
Louis'
public schools should be a priority in the current legislative session.

And on Thursday, the state commissioner of education paid a courtesy 
call to
City Hall.

In the visit, Commissioner D. Kent King met separately with Mayor 
Francis Slay
and Aldermanic President James Shrewsbury.

Should the state impose a "transitional school district," Slay and 
Shrewsbury
will each have an appointment to the un-elected board that will oversee 
the
system. Gov. Matt Blunt will make the third appointment.

"It went fine," said King. "We weren't asking for any final answers on
anything. I wasn't looking for consensus, I was just looking for 
opinion."

King said he was not yet prepared to make a final recommendation to the 
state
board, which will discuss the future of the St. Louis Public Schools on 
Jan. 11.

The possibility that Slay might have a major role in the future of the 
schools
was a major theme of the Save Our Schools meeting. Many in attendance 
trace the
schools' downfall to a slate of board members elected with the support 
of Slay
in 2003.

With Slay's candidates voted off the board in the last election, "He 
just
doesn't like the electoral process, and he has made that very clear," 
said
Byron Clemens, a vice president of the teachers union.

The potential disenfranchisement of St. Louis voters — many of whom 
fought in
the civil rights movement for the right to vote — was a recurring theme.

"This is taking the power away from the people," said parent Otis 
Woodard.
"When I voted, I gave the board a personal contract to take care of my 
kids."
_____________________________________________________________________