Public Comments- Central VPA/Cleveland NJROTC
2013 Superintendent’s Town Hall Meeting
1) Susan Turk (parent of an alumni/concerned citizen) do not close Sherman. Kids at Sherman
have no adult supervision at home to ensure that the students get to school safely. Students will
have to walk through dangerous areas to arrive to next neighborhood school. You, Dr. Adams,
chose not to A/C Sherman. Finally, do not close Cleveland. District has a bad perception that it is
its intent to dismantle.
2) Donna Jones (elected board member) the city is dismantling public schools and opening 15 new
charter schools. Sullivan & Slay are in charge of District and it is being dismantled. Alleges
political paybacks and the re-segregation of St. Louis City. Go Vote. Contact elected officials. City
is not welcoming to families.
3) Cadet Walker (student at Cleveland) Cleveland should stay open because of hidden offerings:
health, future, and education. The situation scares students and families. Believes that the
proposal shows that $ is valued more than values and morals together. Parents leave the district
because of the lack of stability. Small schools are a benefit. Teachers value students at
Cleveland. Proposal to close will not bring benefit expected.
4) Jennifer Shaduski (mom of Cleveland cadet) My kid comes here because it is safe, and why
would you take that away? {Dr. Adams responded, “security is the same at every school.”} My
son has been accepted to the medical high school, why would you close a sure thing (Cleveland)
for an unsure thing (Medical High School)? Why Change the times? How do you know it will
work? Also, why increase transportation costs when it results in a school closure? Don’t take our
future away.
5) Chuck Williams (president of Navy league, which has provided scholarships for students at the
school) doesn’t understand the cost of the closure since the building will remain open. Believes
that the ROTC program will then be picked up by a school in the county. Questions $10K policy
for alternative education. Believes that uniforms makes kids prouder and families more
engaged.
6) Rosemary Russell (mom of Cleveland cadet) the 75 accepted to the biomedical school could go
to Cleveland. {Kelvin responded, the medical high school has greater growth potential versus
Cleveland. 60 kids have only been accepted to Cleveland annually despite efforts to market.}
Parents and students who have been accepted are proud of it. Senior students are more stable
and prepared, more so than other schools, for graduation. This school is a proven success. Are
these recommendations an intelligent community decision?
7) Kay Wittington (daughter of a former teacher) ERIP, how many are needed at a minimum to be
effective? {Kelvin responded, 100 participants needed} Payout method? {Working with the
retirement board to figure it out.} Do you have a timeline for information for payout? {We
would start working immediately.}
8) Ms. Rick Hill (mom of Cleveland cadet) do not close the school. Also, Ms. Hill alleged that Dr.
Adams left a graduation as it appeared to not be safe. {I never ran out of a graduation because
of safety. I left to go to another graduation as there tends to be several on the same day.}
9) Demetrius Drummer (2009 alumni of Cleveland) did not have a good experience at the school
and has no problem seeing it closed. “school doesn’t make a student. A student makes a
student.”
10) Patricia Turner (mom of Cleveland cadet) Do not close Cleveland.
11) Mary Long (grandmother and mother of SLPS students, a substitute teacher, and a volunteer)
Sees a dismantling of our schools which started when Mayor Slay began to support charters.
McKinley should not be a high school. Does not support new high school because we already
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have a STEM high school at Gateway. Revamp Gateway to support biomedical program. No
teacher can control overcrowded classrooms (keep class sizes the same).
Mary Armstrong (President AFT St. Louis-Local 420) We need nurses in every school. Counselors
are needed at every level of school. Two high schools already have medical programs- do not
open the medical high school, keep Cleveland. Mayor raped and pillaged the District. Roberti got
paid, SLPS got played. Waring school tore down and property turned into Chafetz. We need to
stop closing schools and be more competitive. More opportunities are needed for student
achievement. Advocates for small community schools. Find $! Believes SLPS is being dismantled.
Elizabeth Cassmeyer (parent and Parent Assembly member) Do not close Cleveland. Supports
biomedical high school. Does not support bus tiers.
Katherine (aka “turban lady” and former teacher forced into retirement) do not support Jamilla
Nasheed’s parent trigger bill. Do not close Cleveland.
Mr. Torch/Dorch (Cleveland alumni). Do not close Cleveland.
Officer Kevin Androff (Cleveland alumni). Do not close Cleveland. School is invaluable as kids
with jrotc have edge to enter military programs.
Sarah Pisciotta (Cadet and has mom who is an elementary teacher) 4.0 GPA, ranked 3rd in classopportunities at school are not available anywhere else. Also, wrote a public comment.
Stanley Marchlipsky (Cleveland parent and possible alumni) do not close Cleveland.
Cadet Jerretta XXXX (Cleveland student) do not close Cleveland
Cadet Herden (Cleveland student) do not close Cleveland.
Cadet xxxx (no name given) (Cleveland student) do not close Cleveland.
Cadet Samantha Lester (Cleveland student) do not close Cleveland.
No name (grad of Southwest class of 1984, parent of current Cleveland Cadet, and former navy
member). do not close Cleveland.
Cadet Jacob Lindsay (student at Cleveland) do not close Cleveland. Give school feeder school.
Vince Haten (alumni of Cleveland) do not close Cleveland.
Cadet Kaliey Neeley (student at Cleveland) do not close Cleveland.
Cadet Stephanie Briggs (student at Cleveland) do not close Cleveland.
Cadet Ebony Brown (student at Cleveland) do not close Cleveland.
Robin McKayla (alumni of Kennard Academy) Will be giving proposal to SAB to save Cleveland.
Xxxx (Cleveland teacher) Save Cleveland. Support biomedical high school inside of Gateway.
Charters provide consistency that SLPS does not.
Professor Friseman (grandfather of Cleveland student Damian Morris and Chair of Sciences
Department at STLCC-Forest Park) Wants formula for determining capacity. What is Cleveland’s
capacity? What high schools are below 60%? How will you provide resources for biomedical high
school? What other high school has been relocated this many times in the last 6 years? How can
we market the school if it has no resources? Save Cleveland and give it a feeder school.
Cadet Bingam (student at Cleveland) do not close Cleveland.
Xxxx (no name given) (alumni of school when it first opened) Save Cleveland and give it a feeder
school.
Autumn Jennings (mom of students at SLPS magnet schools) feels SLPS won’t make good
decisions for high performing schools. Example, Cleveland.
Cadet Matine (student at Cleveland) do not close Cleveland.
“Lonie” (student at Busch Middle School) Wants Busch to be a feeder school for Cleveland. Do
not close Cleveland. (Was accepted to Central but wants to go to Cleveland)
Tim Owens (alumni from Cleveland) Does not support transportation proposal. Do not close
Cleveland.
38) Monteze Lamar (student at Cleveland) do not close Cleveland. Got an athletic scholarship to
college.
39) Tashon Jackson (student at Cleveland) do not close Cleveland.
40) Dr. Owens (mom of 2012 class valedictorian who went to naval academy)Do not close
Cleveland. Audit needs to be reviewed to tighten fiscal controls. Wants a feeder school to boost
enrollment. Also wants ideas on how to help school help applicants meet the bar to get
accepted.
41) Contrese Jackson (mom of Soldan student) do not put biomedical high school in Soldan. It will
kill Soldan to have another school on its property. Save Cleveland.
42) Xxxx (no name) (teacher at Multiple Pathways @ Stevens) the school has moved for three years
and stability has not occurred. Why moving again? {Kelvin responded, “Age differences between
students and shared resources opportunities.”} Cost of moving? {Kelvin responded,”
Administrative costs to keep it open.”}
43) Carol Wilkerson (Roosevelt alumni and worked tax campaign) Desegregation caused SLPS
collapse. Do not close schools! Would like to see better accountability for wasted money.
44) WRITTEN COMMENT-Taylor Long (student at Cleveland) “I came to this school because I wanted
to go because of my brother. When I came to this school I didn’t think that I would be doing as
good as I am. I’m doing this well because of my teachers, students helping me understanding
what I’m learning.”