On Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh discussed the top local education stories of 2017 with St. Louis Public Radio education reporter Ryan Delaney.
In the last few months of the year, the governor’s reshaping of the state board of education stirred controversy. Delaney said the governor raised a lot of eyebrows when he placed five members onto the state board of education to fire commissioner Margie Vandeven.
“[Greitens is] just upset with bureaucracy and sees education in Missouri as entrenched,” Delaney said. Greitens wants more money going into classrooms and for students, stating that teachers are underpaid and administrators are overpaid.
“The issue is some of those things that [Greitens] says are wrong with education in Missouri, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and commissioner can’t directly influence,” Delaney said. Individual districts deal with issues including teacher salaries.
Another one of Delaney’s top stories was the accreditation of St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS). For almost two decades, the district went through turmoil and moved between provisional and full accreditation.
“No one in SLPS or the special administrative board that’s overseeing it will say that work is done and that SLPS is cured. They see this as a step of part of a long journey,” he said. “But it was definitely an emotional moment in terms of a milestone for SLPS.”
Other top educational stories of 2017:
- Budget woes at higher education institutions with cuts at University of Missouri System, Saint Louis University and St. Louis Community College
- Illinois finally gets a budget and overhauls school funding
Some of Delaney’s favorite stories:
- Only 6 St. Louis-area schools have a clear restroom policy for transgender students
- The natural classroom: Summer programs put biology in kids’ hands
- Because ‘sometimes the coffee ain’t gonna do it’: One man’s quest to make St. Louis smile
- ‘Just for doing your job’: Teachers share memorable Christmas gifts from students
Listen to the full discussion:
St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer and Lara Hamdan give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.
