[imc-st.louis] [Fwd: Few parents show up (1 PARENT EJECTED) to meet candidates Journals 9/15/08]

[Ben]

Andrew Wimmer, a longtime member of Instead of War (IOW) and the Center
for Theology and Social Analysis (CTSA), and a parent, was ejected from
this week's public school board meeting for the unthinkable offense of
asking a question that wasn't pre-approved by the board.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Few parents show up (1 PARENT EJECTED) to meet candidates
Journals 9/15/08
Date: 	Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:41:33 EDT
From: 	SLPSBOARDNEWS at aol.com
To: 	SLPSBOARDNEWS at aol.com



* 1 PARENT EJECTED*

*Few parents show up to meet superintendent candidates
Lack of public involvement seen as issue for city schools*


By Shawn Clubb <mailto:sclubb at yourjournal.com>
Monday, September 15, 2008 4:34 PM CDT


Shawn Clubb <mailto:sclubb at yourjournal.com> photo/ City resident James
C. Smith, left, waits as superintendent candidate Eric Becoats speaks
with Cynthia Crawford, an in-school suspension monitor, at a reception
Tuesday at Vashon High School.
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400, 200)
<javascript:thumbnailWindow('/articles/2008/09/16/news/education/doc48ced45f48b301498004931.img',
400, 200)>

The three final candidates for superintendent for the St. Louis Public
Schools got a chance to meet the public Tuesday — and almost no one came.

Most of those who turned out at Vashon High School for the event were
district employees — some of them wanting to get an early start in
advocating for their jobs or programs. Others included three Special
Administrative Board members, five of the seven elected school board
members, at least two former school board members, school security
officers, consultants from a firm hired to help find a new
superintendent, reporters and news photographers.

And a handful of parents also attended.After the three candidates,
Kelvin Adams, Eric Becoats and Donnie Evans spoke and were asked
questions submitted by audience members, one parent, Andrew Wimmer,
stood and began to ask a question. Moderator Carol Daniel asked him to
come forward and then had security escort him from the room.

Wimmer said that treatment was exactly why he tried to speak and why he
believes more parents don’t turn out to support the district at events.

“Few parents are still coming,” he said. “You know if they can’t say
anything, they will just fade away.”

At a reception before the presentations, community members were given
the opportunity to speak individually with the candidates.

Each candidate was later given 15 minutes to present how the district
would be different in three years if he were chosen as superintendent.
*They were then asked questions submitted on cards by audience members.

**Wimmer said it was ridiculous to have to write out questions before
hearing the presentations. He said he came to hear the candidates and
get a better idea of them than what was presented by the district in the
form of brief biographies for each.

*Among the questions submitted on the cards were inquiries about how
each candidate would improve the relationship between the district and
community.

Adams said the district needs to be transparent. Becoats called for
transparency, plus monthly public meetings and an invitation for
community members to give input.

“We are here to serve. We need to be a customer-driven organizations,”
Becoats said.

Evans said every school needs a Parent Teacher Organization.

“Parents are the child’s first teacher,” he said. “We can learn a lot
from our parents.”

*While the district did include community members as part of its
superintendent selection process, Wimmer said every parent shouldn’t
have to show up to every meeting to be able to have a voice in the district.

Daniel had tried to encourage community members to be involved, noting
more than once during the presentation that the auditorium was half empty.

The community cannot be empowered, if the district continues to have
meetings that don’t allow the community to interact, Wimmer said.

“Democracy is a messy process. Before the state takeover we had 1,200
people at Harris-Stowe,” he said. “It was loud, but there was nothing
out of control about that meeting.” *


*This SLPS Board News Update is from the Public and Governmental Affairs
Committee of the Elected Board of Education and was created to help keep
you informed about what is happening in the St. Louis Public Schools.
Please feel free to forward this News Update to others who might be
interested. IF AT ANY TIME YOU RATHER NOT RECEIVE THESE E-MAILS _REPLY_
TO SLPSBOARDNEWS at AOL.COM WITH _"UNSUBSCRIBE ME"_*



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