| For sometime now, I have written about the problems | | | | • Do nothing and allow the status quo to |
| within the St. Louis schools. They have been | | | | continue, which would be unacceptable; |
| "provisionally accredited" for several years now and | | | | • Form an advisory board that would make |
| are facing being unaccredited in less than three years. | | | | recommendations to the existing board of the St. Louis |
| The St. Louis Schools is Missouri's largest public school | | | | schools; the advisory board would have no power to |
| system with 37,000 students. For the past several and | | | | enforce its recommendations; or |
| consecutive years, they have received unacceptable | | | | • Form a three-member transition board, |
| ratings from the state, meaning the St. Louis schools' | | | | which would assume all powers over the St. Louis |
| students have received a less than adequate | | | | schools; the current elected board would operate in an |
| education. | | | | advisory capacity only with powers or authority. |
| Peter Herschend, president of the State Board of | | | | Also present at the conference was Maida Coleman, |
| Education, stated recently at the Missouri School | | | | state Senate Minority Leader and Democrat |
| Boards Association's annual legislative conference that | | | | representing the St. Louis area. She believes the St. |
| the primary problem is not ineffective teachers. He | | | | Louis schools are being singled out, since 12 other |
| noted that a crisis has existed for many years in the | | | | school districts within the state also are failing. Eleven |
| St. Louis schools' leadership or the lack thereof. Along | | | | of these are performing as poorly as the St. Louis |
| with Kansas City, St. Louis is a key player in the | | | | schools, according to Coleman. |
| economics of the state. Undereducated high school | | | | Herschend answered Coleman's allegation of unfair |
| graduates will soon begin to affect the state's | | | | treatment for the St. Louis schools, stating that all |
| economy and businesses. | | | | districts are treated equally on the same standards - |
| In less than three years, Herschend and his board will | | | | no exceptions. |
| be asked to determine the accreditation status for the | | | | Many others involved at the state and local levels cite |
| St. Louis schools, and unaccredited looks to be the | | | | inadequate budgets as the primary problem, with the |
| outcome. According to state law, if the St. Louis | | | | St. Louis schools barely breaking even and an |
| schools is unaccredited for two consecutive years, it | | | | expected $20 million in the red by July 2007. No school |
| could be taken over by the state. According to a 1998 | | | | district can last long without control of their finances, |
| state law, the state board could take over even | | | | especially one as large as the St. Louis schools. |
| sooner, without waiting for the two-year unaccredited | | | | Whatever happens, it will require some real work, |
| period to pass. | | | | knowledge and skills to correct the problem. In the |
| Herschend told conference participants that the State | | | | meantime, it is the students of the St. Louis schools |
| Board faces three choices regarding the St. Louis | | | | who must suffer the brunt of this issue. An inadequate |
| schools: | | | | education can affect them for the rest of their lives. |