From the Desk of…
Diana Bourisaw, Superintendent
Creating the Best Choice in Urban Education
Thanks to a generous grant from Parsons Blewett Scholarship
Fund, we are in the process of a creating a continuous cycle
of improvement for the St. Louis Public Schools. This cycle
will help us continually set goals aimed at improving teaching
and learning across the district. Our overriding goal of, and
theme for, this journey is Creating the Best Choice in Urban
Education.
In the coming weeks, we will be surveying teachers, principals,
parents, business leaders, and the many other owners of the
St. Louis Public Schools. From those surveys we hope for honest
feedback on the current direction of SLPS and how we can continue
the process of improving teaching and learning in the classroom.
That feedback is critical for us to properly determine the
goals and objectives for the upcoming school year.
The development of a sustainable cycle of improvement is quite
different than previously undertaken “strategic plans.” This
process will provide us on “on ramp” beginning
next school by having us focus our energy, and professional
development opportunities, on the identified needs of the district.
As the process continues in subsequent school years, we will
truly be building a roadmap for our system.
I will be providing additional information on this process
in future columns.
Our Competition
There are three things you must know in order to successfully
market a product - your company, your customers, and your competition.
We all, I believe, have a firm grasp on the St. Louis Public
Schools and our customers. However, I’m not sure we all
know our primary competitors: charter schools.
Next school year, the number of seats available in charter
schools will total 8,900. Below is a listing of the schools
that will be open and the Adequate Yearly Progress status for
each.
School |
Sponsor |
Enrollment |
AYP Status |
St. Louis Charter |
UMSL |
930 |
Corrective Action |
Lift for Life |
Southeast Missouri State |
255 |
Corrective Action |
Imagine Academy of Academic
Success |
Missouri Baptist University |
632 |
N/A - New |
Imagine Academy of Careers |
Missouri Baptist University |
978 |
N/A - New |
Imagine Academy of Environmental
Science & Math |
Missouri Baptist University |
1,100 |
N/A - New |
Confluence Academies |
Univ. of Missouri - Rolla |
2,331 |
School Improvement |
Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Academies |
Missouri Baptist University |
1,680 |
School Improvement |
Construction Career Center |
St. Louis Public Schools |
425 |
Not Met |
Paideia Academies |
Univ. of Missouri - Rolla |
600 |
School Improvement |
Charter schools are not held to the same standards as all
other schools and districts across Missouri. They do not have
to comply with the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP).
They cannot be unaccredited. They are exempt from most of the
state laws that govern public schools.
Charter schools do have to comply with the federal No Child
Left Behind Act. That is why you see an “AYP Status” listed
for each school. However, if a charter school fails to make
AYP for more than five years, it would not cause them to close
or to seek a new sponsor.
Three new charter schools are opening in St. Louis next school
year. Another charter school is seeking sponsorship from the
State Board of Education. Please join me in spreading the word
that our city does not need more charter schools. What we need
is to continue our work to rebuild the St. Louis Public School
system.
State Grants Hearing Regarding Accreditation Status
The Commissioner of Education, D. Kent King, has granted the
St. Louis Board of Education a hearing regarding the accreditation
status of the school district. The hearing is currently scheduled
for May 22 beginning at 9:00 a.m. at:
Missouri Council of School Administrators
MCSA Education Center – Lower Level
3550 Amazonas Drive
Jefferson City, MO 65109
"We can, whenever and wherever we choose,
educate all children whose schooling is of interest to us.” – Ron
Edmonds
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