By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Republican leaders in the Missouri Senate have expressed concern over the state of public schools in St. Louis.
In a speech on the chamber's first day of the spring session, President Pro-tem Michael Gibbons of Kirkwood says there are 13 school districts in Missouri, including St. Louis, that are in some form of accreditation distress.
"We are allowing the city of St. Louis public schools, which serve a large and very vulnerable population of students, to drive the final nail into the coffins of their futures," Gibbons said. "This failure is an outrage."
Gibbons told senators they shoud be open to any solution that will improve opportunities for students in St. Louis and in other troubled school districts, and he called for reforms that focus on both academic achievement and accountability.