The St. Louis Observer: August 20, 2021
St. Louis Public Schools receives "blueprint" for reform; more unrest in City jails; Jewish community speaks out; International Institute prepares for arrival of Afghan refugees & SIV holders
Editor’s Note
This past Tuesday, a special session of the St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) Board of Education was called for a presentation from Better Futures STL -- a coalition of Forward Through Ferguson, WePower, and the Education Equity Center. In the presentation, this coalition of private entities proposed that they lead the planning process to chart a course for the future of the public school district and the broader education system in St. Louis. The Board of Education (BOE), the publicly elected body responsible for governing St. Louis Public School system, was never given the opportunity to provide input regarding this plan. Despite being locked out of the planning process, the BOE would be responsible for implementing the bulk of the plan.
At the St. Louis Observer, we believe that the best programs affecting the public are designed with accountability, transparency, and input from all parties involved, especially those directly affected. When private entities such as education nonprofits and lobbyist organizations believe they know what’s best for the City and do not seek feedback from the parents, teachers, and elected officials who have the most at stake, disaster ensues. The BOE is the collective voice of the people of St. Louis City and should be front and center in any discussion that claims to reimagine a better future for St. Louis.
The Observer will be following this story closely and producing a full piece soon, with details about the special interests involved in this push for mass changes to the St. Louis Public School system, including a breakdown of the charter school-affiliated organizations that seek to profit by allocating taxpayer money to private charter schools with handsomely paid executives, away from our already-struggling St. Louis Public Schools.
In the News
City & nonprofit leaders unveil “blueprint” for the future of St. Louis Public Schools without input from SLPS school board
A citywide “blueprint” to transform St. Louis Public Schools, pitched by special interest group “Better Futures STL” and pro-charter school organizations, collapsed this week following misrepresentations of the plan by St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams to school board members. Following the meeting, engagement with Better Futures has been suspended until school board members’ concerns have been addressed. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Blythe Bernhard]
Area teachers are struggling to find new ways to teach the accurate history of Black Americans in the midst of angry white parents decrying “critical race theory,” a graduate-level premise that acknowledges the deep racism ingrained in American law, politics, and culture. Shifting from a white-centered perspective of history, which traditionally is taught, some school districts are instead offering Black history and Black literature courses. [St. Louis Public Radio/Kendall Crawford]
Police accountability and transparency in the St. Louis area
A former Ballwin police officer has been indicted by a St. Louis County grand jury for assaulting a 17-year old when the officer pulled the child out of his vehicle during a traffic stop. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said that “[p]olice are authorized to use the minimum force necessary when dealing with suspects. The conduct we allege goes well beyond the use of minimum force and is an assault.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Rachel Rice]
Two St. Louis County women have filed a civil rights lawsuit against Riverview Police, the municipality of Bellefontaine Neighbors, and St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell. In their suit, Najae Jordan and Deja Holland allege that Riverview and Bellefontaine police racially profiled them, stopped them without probable cause, and charged them with assaulting police and resisting arrest, for which the women were acquitted by a jury. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Joel Currier]
More detainees transferred to Medium Security Institution after recent wave of uprisings
After another disturbance at the City Justice Center (CJC), four detainees have been relocated to the Workhouse, now called “the CJC Annex,” while they wait for court appearances. City correctional facilities have experienced a wave of disruptions this year, as detainees protest conditions inside the CJC and Workhouse and call attention to staff shortages, lack of COVID-19 testing, insufficient personal protection equipment (PPE), and more. [KSDK/Alex Fees]
Public Safety Director Dr. Dan Isom has requested nearly $20 million for the City’s detention facilities, in addition to funds the corrections department already receives from the City’s annual budget. Focusing the bulk of the request on the cell locks of the City Justice Center, which previously received $13 million earlier this year, Dr. Isom was unclear about the need for additional funding for the locks. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Taylor Tiamoyo Harris]
Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed announced plans to investigate conditions inside CJC and the CJC Annex when the Board resumes session this September. No further action has been taken related to this proposed investigation. [Jenna Rae / KMOV]
St. Louis County municipalities enact measures to address racist history
The City of Clayton is removing all neighborhood watch signs posted on city-owned property, following a recommendation by the Clayton Community Equity Commission. Removal was based on a number of factors, including the “chilling effect” on the “welcoming and safe” perception of the city, which historically abused redlining and blockbusting to displace the Black residents who lived there. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mary Shapiro]
The City of Ferguson’s new city manager, Eric Osterman, says he plans to use the DOJ’s consent decree as an opportunity to pilot new investments in housing, economic opportunity, and other alternatives to policing as part of his public safety strategy. Osterman previously worked as assistant city manager for a small town in Oregon. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Taylor Tiamoyo Harris]
COVID responses in St. Louis City & County
The State of Missouri received more than $185 million in federal funding for schools to provide COVID-19 testing, as most students in the state return to in-person learning. The state Department of Health and Senior Services, however, is not ready to begin implementing the school-based testing program. [Missouri Independent/Tessa Weinberg]
The St. Louis Jewish community is responding to false claims raised by anti-vaccination extremists during the most recent St. Louis County Council meeting, where they claimed that COVID-19 vaccination mandates “were similar to Nazi policies of genocide” and related viral containment measures to “Nazi war crimes.” A group of Jewish community leaders called on County Council Chairwoman Rita Heard Days to “use her gavel” to shut down hate speech and maintain decorum during county council meetings, where racist rhetoric and demonstrably false claims have been allowed. [St. Louis American/Sophie Hurwitz]
Following regional backlash for their inaction, St. Louis County Council Chair Rita Heard Days and Councilwoman Shalonda Webb have offered a proposal to use $50 million out of $195 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to boost North County vaccination efforts, to construct two new health centers, and to launch two mobile vaccination units. The two councilwomen have refused to approve of the implementation of mask mandates, which are crucial to slowing the spread of the virus. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Nassim Benchaabane]
Further reading
A new study on the St. Louis County Justice Center has revealed that although the overall quantity of persons detained at the facility has decreased, those who are detained in the jail are kept for longer. The research, conducted by University of Missouri-St. Louis criminologists, found that the average time that persons were held at the jail have increased more than 50% between 2010 and 2019. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Rachel Rice]
St. Louis City is one of 19 American cities that will welcome at least 1,000 Afghan refugees and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders in the coming months as evacuations in Kabul continue. Arrivals already have begun and the International Institute of St. Louis is coordinating resettlement efforts. [Riverfront Times/Doyle Murphy; St. Louis Public Radio/Jeremy D. Goodwin]
A new grocery store cooperative in South City will sell locally grown produce, bulk dry goods, and other healthy food options on a sliding scale, accepting SNAP benefits and connecting St. Louisans to nutritious food options. MARSH Grocery Cooperative will open to the public tomorrow, August 21. [St. Louis Public Radio/Shahla Farzan]
An Illinois judge issued an order finding that the Illinois Department of Corrections has committed and continues to commit “serious ongoing” constitutional violations of transgender prison inmates. In her order, Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel cited “delays in treating inmates, denials of treatment and a failure to monitor the health of inmates receiving hormone therapy and to properly adjust the dosage,” “cross-gender strip searches of transgender inmates,” and transgender women being forced to shower without privacy in front of male inmates. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Robert Patrick]
St. Louisans spend more than $5,000 annually in commuting to and from work and have an average commute of nearly 50 minutes each way, a recent study has found. Public transportation expenses were not included in the calculation, which considered gas prices, tolls, vehicle maintenance, parking fees, and vehicle depreciation. [KMOX/Sam Masterson]
Legislative & Legal Update
City of St. Louis
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen remains in summer recess, with regular sessions to resume on September 10, 2021.
State of Missouri
The Missouri State Legislature is on recess until January 2022.
Quote of the Week
“While I understand that a citywide plan cannot just be SLPS, the commitment does have to be in centering SLPS and in protecting SLPS. We have to acknowledge what’s most at risk here and who is most vulnerable and start there.”
- St. Louis Board of Education member Alisha Sonnier at Tuesday’s meeting.1
Take Action
As the International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL) prepares for the arrival at least 1,000 Afghan refugees, the organization has requested volunteers and supplies to help our new neighbors resettle.
To sign up to volunteer with the International Institute, please click here.
To view the IISTL’s Wish List for donations, please click here (list is current).
Thanks to St. Louis Political Clips for the time stamp used for this video!