Thursday, October 11, 2012
The Mehlville School District is considering offering full-day kindergarten for free if enough students register this month for next school year. Is your child entering kindergarten? Vote in our poll if you prefer full-day or half-day programs.
Enrollment numbers this month will determine whether the Mehlville School District joins the statewide trend of offering a tuition-free, full-day kindergarten program next year. If more than 600 families enroll their children into the 2013-14 full-day kindergarten class, the school district will recieve enough state funding to fund the program without tuition costs or dipping into the district's budget. Otherwise, the district charges more than $2,000 per year. But there’s a time crunch. Planning for next year’s classes starts in December, so the district is opening kindergarten enrollment in the last week of October. (Look below for instructions on how to enroll.) Superintendent Eric Knost called full-day kindergarten “part of my vision …
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Also, during the evaluation discussion at Saturday's Mehlville school board retreat, one member disagreed with the involvement of the Missouri School Boards' Association.
A discussion about the Mehlville school board’s development and evaluation led to a debate about an organization’s role with the board. The Missouri School Boards' Association (MSBA) is an organization that represents school boards across the state in legislative and administrative efforts. “Not all of us on this board support the mission of the MSBA,” board member Rich Franz said. “In fact, some of us, considerably myself, see the MSBA as a political organization with the separate agenda from what’s of the best interest of the school district.” The discussion began after Larry Felton presented the board with a self-assessment tool at Saturday’s school board retreat. Each board member will complete an evaluation form and then the board …
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The board approved a new format for their meetings and will implement it in October.
The Mehlville school board is trying to make meetings shorter and more efficient by aligning the agenda around its goals. The agenda format and meeting efficiency were both discussed Saturday, at the board’s annual retreat. The new format was approved unanimously. Superintendent Eric Knost said he’d make adjustments over the next two meetings and implement the new format in October. The format is based on the board’s goals of student achievement, fiscal responsibility and strategic planning. Presentations and reports will be orchestrated to fit into the main topics. Board member Larry Felton introduced the new idea and said it was growing in popularity across the state. “The main thing we’re adopting if we do this is that we’re going to …
Monday, August 6, 2012
A Mehlville mom explores how teachers and schools adjust when there aren't enough supplies for the classroom.
One of the sure signs that summer fun is drawing to a close are the huge areas of Target, Walmart and Kmart displaying bins of discounted school supplies. Parents generally seem to hate school supply shopping, and especially react to the long lists from school. I’ve never heard a parent say, “Wow, we really don’t have to buy too much!” I remember being kind of shocked by the list I received when my firstborn started kindergarten. We have made school supply shopping into a fun evening, preceded by shopping for a new first-day hair bow or a needed pair of tennis shoes and topped off with ice cream. In fact, though I can’t help wiping a few tears thinking about our summer days winding up, I like the time I spend one-on-one with each of my …
Monday, July 2, 2012
State Representative Marsha Haefner said she was offended over Rich Franz accusation that state legislators did not have political will or courage to change the state’s Public School Retirement system.
Missouri State Representative Marsha Haefner (R-100) had an exchange of words with Mehlville school board member Rich Franz during a town hall meeting Friday. At a June 21 board meeting, Franz criticized the state legislature for their handling of Missouri’s Public School Retirement System, which he labeled a “ponzi scheme.” “And my other problem is with the state legislatures. Those same teachers’ organizations, through their current and retired members, exert political influence on the state legislators and I fault the state legislators, including the legislators who represent the districts in this school district, for not having the political will and courage to address this issue,” Franz said. “They know it has to be fixed and they …
Board member Rich Franz says he appreciates teachers’ efforts and that his comments were taken partially out of context.
Mehlville School Board member Rich Franz spoke with the Mehlville-Oakville Patch last week explaining the comments he made during the June 21 board meeting which have caused a stir from both teachers and the community. “First of all, I want to speak not as a board member but as a citizen,” said Franz after he attended a town hall meeting last Friday. “My comments at the recent school board meeting were partially taken out of context. They are also not the opinions of the school board.” In his closing remarks of the June 21 board meeting, Franz said he asked teachers to produce receipts to show how much money they were spending out of pocket for school supplies. “...this constant harping on this alleged idea that teachers have to take …
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
The Teachers’ Lounge in South County serves teachers from different school districts throughout the area. Scott Gurley, owner of the store, said teachers spend hundreds of dollars a year on supplies for their own classrooms.
Scott Gurley, owner of The Teachers' Lounge, a teacher supply store, said that ever since he opened his store in 2007 he has seen teachers spend an average of $500 - $1000 a year on school supplies. “I am certain most of that comes from their own pocket,” Gurley said. Gurley, an Oakville resident, reached out to Patch shortly after discussion started on our site regarding comments made by Mehlville school board member Rich Franz, who said teachers having to pay for their own supplies in order to do their job was “a lie that’s perpetrated on the taxpayers.” “I think he’s a little out of touch with his teachers,” Gurley said. “They (teachers) are not coming here to buy toys for their own home. What they are buying are things teachers need.” …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Statements by a Mehlville school board member and by a teacher in the district have drawn conversation on our site regarding teachers who have to spend their own money for school supplies. Should they be spending their own money?
Last week, at the end of the Mehlville school board meeting, board member Rich Franz made a closing statement about the roles of teachers that has drawn criticism ever since. Franz, referring to teachers’ complaints that they are spending their own money for school supplies, said he challenged teachers to prove to him that the school district is not providing them with the resources to teach the basic curriculum. “...this constant harping on this alleged idea that teachers have to take money out of their own pockets just to do their job and teach the basic curriculum I think is a lie that’s perpetrated on the taxpayers and I think it’s time that the taxpayers be treated to the truth and I think it’s time that the teachers either put up or …
Monday, June 25, 2012
Letter to the editor submitted by Ed Taylor, Oakville High School teacher.
- OPINION
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Monday, June 25, 2012
I just read Rich Franz's comments in the Patch. More than once he said "teach the basic curriculum." I don't know anyone who only teaches "the basic curriculum" which is a big reason students in our district do so well. The teachers regularly go above and beyond "the basic curriculum." But I like Rich's idea. I could get used to working the clock, nothing outside my scheduled hours—including coaching, which, let's face it, is far below minimum wage (did you know that, Rich?)—and not doing work at home, during the summer, while on vacation (how many of us actively seek information and resources we can use in class while on vacation? To enhance "the basic curriculum.") Maybe if all the teachers just taught "the basic curriculum" and did …
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Mehlville school board member Rich Franz challenged teachers to voice their concerns if they were spending their own money in the classroom and also shared his opinion about the Public School Retirement System (PSRS).
As the Mehlville school board meeting concluded Thursday, members gave their closing comments about happenings in the district since the May 17 board meeting. Rich Franz challenged teachers to voice their concerns if they were spending their own money in the classroom and also shared his opinion about the Public School Retirement System (PSRS). Below is a transcription of his comments: “I wanted to bring these up after our negotiations with our certified and classified employees were completed and after we had voted on the contract because I wanted to be sure nobody would tie them in with any points that were discussed during those negotiations and then tied in with my specific vote or anything. But specifically, the PSRS, the teachers…
Mike Stevens
12:06 pm on Monday, September 17, 2012
I agree, Mr. Franz needs to make his contact information available, or find some way to get community feedback other than at a board meeting where no real discussion can happen between board and community, only comments. Mr. Franz needs to realize that his "vision" for the district isn't one that everyone shares. more ›