St. Louis Needs Urgent Educational Reform—The Time to Act Is Now
VIEW ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Source: FOX 2 Now
by: Taylor Harris
Posted: Aug 21, 2024 / 10:17 PM CDT
Summary: Community members, including Coalition With STL Kids, rally for immediate changes to improve the quality of education and address low literacy rates in St. Louis schools.
St. Louis is at a crossroads. Our city’s children are falling behind in ways that are not only alarming but unacceptable. When nearly 80% of our students are not reading at grade level, we are not just failing a generation—we are failing our future. This is why Coalition With STL Kids and other concerned citizens have come together to demand urgent and meaningful reform in education.
A Crisis in Reading and Math
The data doesn’t lie. A staggering percentage of Black students in St. Louis are not performing at grade level in reading and math. This isn’t just a problem—it’s a crisis. And crises demand action. For too long, we’ve allowed outdated systems and complacency to dictate the education of our children. The result? A growing achievement gap that threatens the economic and social fabric of our community.
Why Accountability Matters
Parents like Tiara Jordan-Sutton, founder of Activate STL, are asking critical questions about accountability. When schools produce proficiency rates as low as 7%, where does the blame fall? Is it the educators, the administrators, or the policymakers? The answer is simple: it’s all of us. As a community, we’ve allowed this to happen by not demanding better. That stops now. We must hold our schools accountable and push for policies that prioritize student success.
Solutions Are Within Reach
At the recent "Save Our Schools" meeting, we outlined several immediate actions to address these issues:
Increase Teacher Salaries: Missouri’s base salary for teachers must rise to at least $60,000. We cannot attract or retain top talent when we undervalue the very people shaping our children’s minds.
Tutoring Programs: Every child deserves to read at grade level. Establishing robust tutoring initiatives will help bridge the gap for struggling students.
Accountability and Behavioral Support: Schools need stronger accountability measures and better behavioral support systems to create an environment conducive to learning.
Join the Movement
We’ve organized three committees to tackle these challenges:
Starting Sixty: Advocating for increased teacher pay.
Tutoring Committee: Focusing on literacy improvement.
SLPS Accountability and Behavioral Support Committee: Driving legislative action to enhance educational standards.
Bridging the Divide Between Public and Private Education
Krystal Barnett, CEO of Bridge 2 Hope, highlighted a stark reality: private schools often offer immediate resources when a child struggles, whereas public schools leave parents fighting for solutions. Why is this disparity tolerated? Public school students deserve the same level of attention and support. Anything less is unacceptable.
A Call to Action
To the educators who pour their hearts into their classrooms: we see you, and we’re fighting for you. To the parents who want better for their children: join us. To the policymakers with the power to enact change: do your job. St. Louis’s children can no longer wait for reform; they need it now.
This is not just about education—it’s about equity, opportunity, and the future of our city. Let’s stand together to create a system that ensures every child, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, receives the quality education they deserve. The time to act is now.