St. Louis Schools Watch
October 24, 2016
By Susan Turk
Board of Education Member Bill had a brain storm last week and asked me to publish a request before this month’s state board of education meeting, which he erroneously thought was last Thursday. It is tomorrow.
During their September 13, 2016 meeting, that state board of education discussed agenda item L “Update on Transition from Appointed to Locally-Elected Board of Education.”
“SUMMARY:
Missouri statutes permit the appointment of a Special Administrative Board (SAB) or an alternative governing structure for a school district that has been classified as unaccredited and has had its corporate organization lapsed by the State Board of Education. However, the laws do not address the criteria to be met which would indicate the appropriate time to begin a transition back to a locally-elected board of education.
Potential criteria were discussed at the May meeting.
The May discussion focused primarily on how specific criteria could be applied in the St. Louis Public School (SLPS) district. During this discussion, the board recommended that the first step in the process should be to determine how a seamless transition could occur, but the board understands that the “how” is essentially in the hands of the local community. So Mike Jones and Vic Lenz were selected to represent the state board of education at a joint meeting with a member of the SLPS SAB and up to three members of the SLPS elected board to discuss a transition from the SLPS SAB to the SLPS elected board of education. An update will be presented regarding the status of the process and potential next steps.
PRESENTER: Margie Vandeven, Commissioner of Education, will open the discussion of this agenda item. Board members Mike Jones and Vic Lenz will provide an update.”
The update reported about the one meeting in July which occurred and how SLPS Board of Education Member Bill Monroe interfered with the process by attending the second meeting in August, which led to its being cancelled before it was convened. The outcome of their September discussion was for Commissioner Vandeven to explore options and return to the state board at their October meeting with recommendations for how to proceed.
SLPS Board President Susan Jones reported at the SLPS Board of Education’s October 11 meeting that that transition committee meetings would be postponed until further notice. Board Member Bill Monroe asked her how she came by the information. Jones responded that it was during a phone call with State Board Member Victor Lenz. Dr. Lenz, who was sitting in the audience interjected that the decision would not be official until the state board’s October 25 meeting, but that that was the gist of a conversation he had had with Commissioner Vandeven. Monroe then asserted that Board President Jones had misrepresented or misunderstood the state board’s position on transition, because it had not yet been voted on, and insisted that this was reason for there to always be a minimum of two elected board members participating on phone calls.
Jones did not misunderstand or misrepresent the state board’s intention. Monroe was just displaying his usual disrespectful behavior.
Meanwhile, there is no agenda item on the October 25th state board meeting agenda referencing the transition. So, in all probability, it will not be discussed tomorrow. It looks like the state board has decided to punt for another month.
Board Member Haas’ ask is that the community contact state board members and DESE Commissioner Vandeven to advocate for not discontinuing the transition committee talks.
In effect, what is happening was explained informally by Dr. Lenz. The state board wants to see the SLPS board acting responsibly. To the state board, that means acting in a unified manner and with decorum. Lenz explained during a discussion preceding the meeting that it is okay for board members to disagree with each other over issues during discussion. But that once the board has voted on an issue and made a decision, that all board members must accept that decision and support it. If any board members reject the outcome of a vote and publicly take actions averse to that decision it reflects badly on the board as a whole. It makes the board as a whole look dysfunctional. The state board does not want to return power to a dysfunctional board. That state board will hold the entire SLPS board of education responsible for Board Member Monroe’s repeated refusal to respect board decisions and the outcome of board votes.
That is untenable. The state board is holding the SLPS board to an unachievable standard and using that as an excuse to not return our elected board of education to authority over the district.
So we have two problems here. One is an obstructive board member, Monroe who plays into the hands of the state board. Problem two is the state board which is in no hurry to return the SLPS to democratic governance despite the SAB’s complete lack of success improving the academic outcomes for our students after nearly 10 years in power.
Hass’ letter follows.
“Here’s what’s going on with the transition back to governance of the St. Louis Elected Board in my opinion:
1. Under political pressure, the State Board of Education asked DESE to come up with a plan for transition back from the SAB to the Elected Board.
2. So Margie Vandeven established a transition committee with two state board members, Mike Jones and Victor Lenz, Rick Sullivan, and three members of the Elected Board, and a representative of DESE. (Area Supervisor Maureen Clancy May)
3. The state board in complicity with DESE required the first several meetings to be closed to the public while the transition process is established. The elected board didn’t agree with the necessity of this but had no choice really but to go along. My view is that Mike Jones didn’t want his views quoted in public about the transition.
4. Elected Board member Bill Monroe showed up at the second meeting, so rather than conduct the meeting in public, or remove Mr. Monroe, Susan Jones canceled our participation and so the meeting was never called to order. I had offered to leave so that it could still be closed but the offer was not accepted.
5. I think Bill Monroe Is wrong in his opinion that holding the meetings in closed session violates the Sunshine Law, but he refuses not to attend, so the State Board upon the recommendation of Commissioner Vandeven will recommend Thursday (October 25) that the transition process be terminated or suspended until further notice.
6. This is not necessary and is only being done because Vandeven and the St. Louis representatives of the State Board, Jones and Lenz, are in no hurry to return governance to an elected board because it might make them look bad if we don’t do well. Test scores are in the toilet after 9+ years, 36% of the district not reading at grade level advanced or proficient. (only 36% is reading at the proficient or advanced level) We/they already look bad.
7. Alternatives to suspension of transition talks exist:
a. Open the meetings; no real harm would be done.
b. Not tell Monroe where the meetings are.
c. Remove him if he shows up.
8. Vandeven is going to recommend against those options and the state board is going to vote to go along on Thursday (October 25).
9. So we need to put pressure on the state board to follow their stated intention for a transition process! If you agree, please email the state board members at the email addresses below and tell them not to suspend the transition process but rather just open the meetings! Tell them not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There is even support among elected board members for options b and c, but a) would be best. Please tell them to accept one or more of the options to suspending the transition process!!! Victor Lenz even suggested that they just wait until they see if Bill Monroe might be defeated at the next election. That’s the worst idea in education history since Brown v Bd. Of Education! You can’t make transition dependent on who may or may not be elected in any given election! That’s ridiculous.
10. SO, PLEASE EMAIL THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND DESE AT THE EMAIL ADDRESSED BELOW TODAY!!! AND TELL THEM TO OPEN THE MEETINGS RATHER THAN SUSPEND THEM!! FEEL FREE TO EMAIL THE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES AS WELL, WHO HAVE REFUSED TO EVEN MEET WITH THE BOARD TO DISCUSS TRANSITION ISSUES.
THANK YOU!!!
vicshar@swbell.net for Dr. Lenz
none for Maynard Wallace; SOMEONE MIGHT CALL DESE FOR HIS CONTACT INFORMATION
Joe Driskill
573-329-8502
Charlie Shields
816-404-7000
Russell C. Still
573-874-2402
John A. Martin
816-942-6297
O. Victor Lenz, Ph.D.
314-892-2149
Michael Jones
314-615-7020
Sincerely, Bill Haas”
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Calendar
November 8, Tuesday, Board of Education meeting, regular monthly meeting, 7 p.m., Long Middle School, 6028 Morganford Rd., 63116
November 17, Thursday, SAB meeting, 6 p.m., 801 North 11th Street, room 108
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