As a recently retired high school teacher who began my career in the Normandy School District and ended it in the Francis Howell School District, I have closely followed the transfer situation. In both districts I had the opportunity to work with amazing students, caring parents and extremely dedicated teachers. I am saddened by the recent conditions in Normandy that led to this situation and proud of the way that the Francis Howell School District, under the leadership of Superintendent Pam Sloan, has dealt with the issue.
My intent in this letter is not to rehash how poorly this situation has been handled by the state, but to discuss the article stating that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is asking for $6.8 million to help the Normandy School District get through the end of the year ("Normandy needs cash infusion to cover transfer tab, board says," Sept. 18). If DESE was concerned about the achievement of students in Normandy, wouldn't it have been better to seek this emergency funding to put more resources at the disposal of the district? Instead of paying for transportation to bus students, the money could have been spent on innovative programs, smaller class sizes, tutoring programs, etc. Students could have remained in the schools that were part of their community and easily accessible to their parents.
People are also reading…
It appears that DESE has not thought through this situation and is merely reacting to problems that haven arisen. It is a shame that they were not proactive. Had they been, they could have made decisions that would have positively impacted all students at Normandy and the communities in which they live.
Theresa L. Sheldon • O'Fallon, Mo.