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Historical April–May 2003 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Editor’s Note: On April 8, voters have an historic opportunity to elect four new school board members, which could change the direction of the troubled system.
We asked Marj Weir, who served on the St. Louis Public School Board from 1977 to 1983, for her analysis of the upcoming election. Marj thought it would also be of interest to our readers to hear from others from the neighborhood who have served on the school board as well. Deciding whom to vote for in a St. Louis Board of Education election is a challenging task for those who take it seriously, as it most certainly should be. Knowing who the candidates are and what they stand for takes time and effort.
Then comparing what each one brings to the role of school board member with one’s view of what needs to be done is quite another. What kind of expertise is really needed in this role? What can and should a board member do to advance the system’s effectiveness?
There are 18 people on the April 8, 2003, ballot who sincerely wish to improve the city’s public schools.
I have seen no reason to think that any of them is driven by a narrow or unworthy agenda.
Some offer their educational leadership experience or their experience as parents of public school students.
Some have past school board experience, others professional credentials in some field related to school business operations. Still others offer their civic leadership experience and influence. At different times and under varying circumstances, school boards may need different composition, but in order to do the public’s business well, they always need to behave with dignity and unity, especially because their behavior tends to symbolize the system itself. At this time the system needs a board that can attract the attention of any and all educational leaders across the country who would take on the challenge of leading the system toward the higher achievement levels that it must attain.
This new board will choose a new superintendent and provide him or her with a daunting challenge. Such a board will have to understand how to keep its target goals in focus and avoid being sidetracked in pet personal projects.
It will have to provide staunch backing for its superintendent and a high public profile for its goals and accomplishments. For these reasons, I believe that the slate of candidates comprised of Vincent C. Schoemehl, Darnetta Clinkscale, Ronald Jackson and Robert Archibald provides the best opportunity to take big steps forward.
I will be voting for them and will be expecting that they use their considerable leadership talents and national influence to begin a new era for our public school children, for our public school system, and for our community.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, April–May 2003.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2003_04.pdf, printed page(s) 3; PDF page(s) 3.
