By Kevin Lavery, KWMU / AP
St. Louis, MO – Today (Monday) is the first day on the job for Diana Bourisaw, the sixth superintendent of St. Louis public schools in three years.
She was hired Friday night after the city school board fired Creg Williams in a hastily-called meeting.
Bourisaw once headed the Fox School District in Jefferson County, and says the district's mounting problems are beyond the control of one person. She arrived at district headquarters at about 8:20 this morning and told reporters she's assembling a team to lead the district: "We have excellent staff members; they've stepped up to the plate. We were in here yesterday we're going to talk with staff later and our job is to get school going August 28th."
When asked whether teachers will be assigned in time for the start of the school year, Bourisaw answered "absolutely."
"We will have teachers in every classroom, we will prepared, we have an excellent group here that's been working to do just that."
Williams' firing has Mayor Francis Slay and some board members calling for the state to take over the district. Slay on Friday night called the move a "damn shame."
Others have called for board members to be recalled, but that's not an option. State lawmakers would have to pass legislation to allow for school board recalls.