By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – St. Louis schools superintendent Creg Williams says he won't be deterred by rumors that the city school board majority is trying to fire him.
Speaking through a district spokesman, Williams says he's only 15 months into a four-year contract with the board, and that he intends to honor that commitment.
Earlier this week, Williams expressed anger over the board's firing of Vashon High School coach Floyd Irons without his knowledge.
The superintendent says the community should instead be concerned with the district's academic and budgetary problems.
Meanwhile, in the wake of Irons' firing, Mayor Francis Slay is standing by Williams, saying if Williams is let go, "hopes are going to be slim that we can pull this district out of its problems."
"He is the educational professional, the school board is not," Slay said Thursday.
"He needs to have some support to carry out his reform package that he has put together based on years of experience in the business. But doing things without his knowledge and interfering with his efforts is far beyond what the role of a board is."