STL Regional Plan for Sustainable Development

Focus St. Louis and East-West Gateway Council of Governments are leading the effort to create a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development for the Bi-State region. The first in a series of public meetings will be held throughout the region from March through early May. Click on the image above for more information about the times and locations of upcoming meetings.

Please review the info, attend one or more of the meetings if you are available, and forward this flier to your contacts and other interested groups. The goal of the public engagement effort is to engage as broad a cross section of the St. Louis community as possible.

For more details about the project, click here:

East-West Gateway RPSD

SLPS to offer Charter Schools?

Word around town is that the St. Louis Public Schools may open its own charter schools.

This would be a huge change in policy given that for years the public school system has opposed the expansion of charter schools in St. Louis.

I must say that the development is confusing, but maybe in a good way. Charter Schools are operated outside of the regular public school system. By proposing its own charter schools, is the SLPS trying to distance itself from some of its own challenges?

Charter Schools need a sponsor to get a charter. They can be geographically based. Or with a certain educational emphasis. They are a little experimental in that they provide families an education option outside of the regular public schools and are an attempt at a school reform.

Not everyone is convinced that Charter Schools outperform their regular public school competitors.

Nonetheless, if this information is indeed true, that the SLPS is getting into the Charter School business, would you call this move the "If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em" strategy?