The 'Race to the Top' Has Already Started in St. Louis

As I embarked on the AFT's first-ever "back-to-school tour" last week, I had a feeling of great optimism, as I always do at the beginning of the school year. But it was reinforced when I was joined by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan for our first stop -- the city of St. Louis.

Competition over the generous portion of the federal stimulus funds for public schools -- called "Race to the Top" funds -- is set to begin shortly. But what I saw in St. Louis demonstrated that the race has already begun, and that city's collaboration, support for teachers, community schools and innovative labor agreements could provide a model for the rest of us.

As Secretary Duncan said, "Let's face it. St. Louis has struggled." A difficult history of racial tension combined with declining enrollment and resources in the public schools led to rapid turnover in the superintendent's office and, ultimately, to a state takeover of the schools in 2007.

In the last year, with the appointment of a new superintendent who believes in working with teachers and their union, along with a union that has a five-point agenda for change, a renaissance has begun in the St. Louis Public Schools. Together, they have embraced new and innovative approaches to alternative education. The city has put a premium on supporting new teachers with a focused and strong mentoring program designed not only to keep talent in the system, but also to help new teachers develop their skills. In addition, St. Louis has embraced something Secretary Duncan and I both deeply believe in -- community schools. The city acknowledges that sometimes the conditions in our kids' lives hamper learning and success, and that if we can provide many of the services struggling families need through the schools, we can build better families and stronger communities, and enable our children to succeed.

And there is something else -- an extra ingredient -- that lies at the heart of St. Louis' recent success: collaboration. At the Innovative Concept Academy, its founder, Family Court Judge Jimmie Edwards, told me that it took an "assembly of odd couples" to get his groundbreaking school up and running -- requiring all stakeholders to come out of their respective corners and work together for the sake of these kids who, without their help, would have a very tough road ahead. The school was focused on the 200 students in the system who had the most deeply entrenched behavior problems -- kids who had been repeatedly suspended and were on the verge of expulsion. "It is more important to collaborate for children than it is to dig in for any other reason," said the judge. AFT St. Louis President Mary Armstrong was one of the key leaders who stepped up to ensure that the teachers in this unique school had the kind of flexibility they needed to reach their students.

St. Louis' approach isn't only succeeding because of funding. True reform requires more than simply funding. It requires valid, reliable, sustainable and fair policies; thoughtful implementation; and the collaborative efforts necessary for success. What we hope to see as states start to compete in the official Race to the Top is a spirit of real innovation, real collaboration and a real commitment to building programs that are branches on a growing, vibrant tree, not, as the proverb warns, branches without a tree. We need innovations that support good teaching by measuring the right things in the right way, and then using what we learn to further inform instruction -- in other words, a self-reinforcing cycle of success.

I saw the beginnings of growing that tree at the Innovative Concept Academy, at Clay Elementary and at Lexington Elementary in St. Louis. I look forward to even more examples of collaboration, innovation and success as I make my way across the country visiting our schools in the next two weeks.

Comments

[Byron Clemens]

Pre-K is a big part of the answer and so is expanding Community Centered Schools.

A large portion of the 3 and 4 year olds in the City of St. Louis are not attending
Pre-K and their are waiting lists and many of the Early Childhood Centers.

A little clarity fact check for Parkway resident. St. Louis Public Schools has Special Education
within the district.

St. Louis County, including Parkway, has costs that are contained within
the Special School Disttict. I hope that helps clarify.

Meanwhile let us celebrate something good happening in public education . . .
the schools focused on made progress.

[Sarah Leslie]

We can banter incessantly about the past misfortunes and failures of the Saint Louis Public Schools; however, the fact still remains that in order for things to TRULY change, systemic reform is neccessary. To that end, Saint Louis Public Schools and AFT St. Louis Local 420 have rallied together to implement strategic reform. One major focus is Pre-K education. It has been well documented that students who receive Pre-K education are more apt to be productive learners in the long run. Dr. Kelvin Adams (SLPS Superintendent) has also focused on limiting class sizes to the desirable standards rather than the minimum. This will afford teachers more one on one interaction with students. Community schools have also been revived. These schools will become hubs for not only educating the whole child, but the parents and community as well. Even Judge Jimmie Edwards has become involved in helping construct an academy centrally focused on the most desperate of juvenile offenders in an effort to turn them around before they are unreachable. Further, Saint Louis Public Schools has adapted a Peer Assistance Review committee, whereby teacher consultants are partnered with beginning teachers to ensure their success and preparedness for the teaching profession. Public perception about urban education has been so far skewed that it is often difficult to see that there are those of us who are determined for all students to achieve and are willing to go to any lengths to meet that end, even for students in the SLPS.

[libraryv]

& have been through my share of ups and downs. The past 7 years were mostly downs. We went through numerous superintendents, being unaccredited by the state board, a hostile mayor, lack of funding for our schools, having an appointed Special Advisory Board, etc, & in spite of all of this, teachers & students have carried on with the task at hand. While we may not have reached the NCLB standards, it must be pointed out that Missouri's state board, in its wisdom, set our standards much higher than did many of the other states, but strides have nevertheless been made, especially in the schools with Pre-K programs..

When a superintendent was finally hired, it was with some trepidation that we warily awaited his directives. Happily, Dr. Kelvin Adams actually has knowledge of education, students, and, big surprise, how teachers work! He has been working with our Local AFT in order to provide a better environment for students and staff. Yes, there are school closings, some staff cuts, and a loss of students due to other choices, but the administration, the SAB, and the Union have come to realize that it is in the best interests of the students for us to work together, to begin innovative programs, and to do our very best to rebuild what was once an exemplary district. If we continue on our present course, I do believe that St. Louis Public Schools will again become a leader and exemplary model for other school districts throughout

[sdskelton03]

I live in St. Louis, and believe deeply that the city public school district should be disbanded.

We spend 11k per student in the district and get horrible results.

We should give every student a voucher for 9k and let them find their own education.

[mongoose63124]

amen!

[MsMandy]

While this is clearly a step in the right direction, STL is not alone. Collaboration and restructuring are happening all over the country. The true results of these actions, as definied in NCLB as meeting the proficiency level, will not be available for at least a year, when the all-important 2010 test scores are available. As an Obama supporter and high school teacher, I am extremely disappointed that in order to receive these Race to the Top funds, teacher evaluations must be tied to student performance. I currently teach English Language Development to a class in which 10 countries are represented. Many of my students have been in our country for less than one year. While there is no doubt they are bright and eager to learn, there is NO WAY they will be able to meet the level of proficiency expected by NCLB. Their vocabulary may increase by over 10,000 words in the 180 days I have them over the course of the year, and they may be able to speak and write well enough to pass their classes or apply for an after school job, but my evaluation and income level will reflect that I was unable to get them to the point they need to be, thus negating all of the positive lessons they have learned in my class. We need national standards and tests which take into account language barriers and special education needs, or our efforts to revamp education will simply not do enough.

[overd0g1]

All efforts will go to waste if the parents don't care, and most of the time they don't. Try to save the few kids with brains and iniative. Train the rest to be politicians or some other low skill job.

[lastpost]

A recent documentary demonstrated how a group of children, selected and described by behavioural therapists as un-teachable, could be turned around in a few months. By the efforts of someone who knew what they were doing. One of the therapists involved commented that if she had not seen the event unfold personally, she would have dismissed reports of it out of hand.
Is that potential now being capitalised on, for the benefit of all subsequent generations?
Don’t hold you breath.

[Gregory Cook]

It seems a bit premature to declare any of these programs a success. The problems mentioned in the column - lack of adequate funding, declining student base, racial tensions - all still exist and must be dealt with. On the public school side, you have a mayor that is indifferent at best, and a state appointed board that may not have the city's best interest in mind.
There certainly seems to be stability in the superintendent's office now, and after the 3 ring circus they had going before that is a welcome development.
Another issue that has to be dealt with is getting parents involved in their children's educations. All the funding in the world won't resolve that problem.

[Flavor]

I'm going to say something positive, we have to start somewhere and at least they are trying and or putting up a good fight to improve things. I stay over the river from St. Louis and we see the same things that St. Louis was seeing so I say Kudos to St. Louis for trying. Success to you St. Louis.

[PunditBasher]

I just read your article and I have have no idea what you claim to be the solution to any of the problems facing the St Louis city schools

This "Innovative Concept Academy" or taking the kids who get in trouble and set up a special "dumb kids" school for them is not something new. I didn't live in the city, but in the country, the parkway school district has a school called fern ridge for the kids with behavior problems. Its been there for at least 20 years
I don't understand what you are claiming to be unique about this school? I imagine most school districts in most cities have a program just like that

The problem in St. Louis' city schools is and always has been funding.
Schools, at least in Missouri are paid for with local property taxes, and in the city, they don't have enough revenue. That's the problem. There is no mystery
We fund the country schools at least double what we fund the city schools. So they do better

[westbrooks01]

Dear Huffpost readers:

Ms. Weingarten spoke of the difficult history of racial tension that affects St. Louis City Schools

I live in the City of St. Louis.

The attitude exuded by PunditBasher, in the well-off school Parkway School district, in St. Louis County, 20 minutes from the problems in the St. Louis City schools is exactly the historical racial attitude that Ms. Weingarten is talking about.

[sdskelton03]

That feller never once mentioned race. You did.

[sdskelton03]

Are you aware the the St, Louis Public School District spends more per pupil than Parkway does.

[Katie101622]

Now all St. Louis needs to do is focus on Pre-K.

My mom is a first grade teacher in St. Louis in the heart of the inner city of North St. Louis. I fear for her safety on a daily basis, but somehow she's great at what she does, and at 5 feet tall, commands respect from her kids and colleagues. She tells me that the hardest thing is seeing kids come for first grade who are non-verbal, who have never seen the alphabet, who can't carry on the simplest of conversations. These kids go nowhere without the basics.

It's great that St. Louis has come this far, but they need to help their teachers and students with a more realistic social attitude about the lack of pre-education at home. All the innovations and technology in the world can't replace fundamentals of socialization.