Photography by Travis Duncan
Education reform is part of any substantive discussion about urban problems, or any attempt to solve those problems. As Margie Vandeven took the job as Missouri’s new education commissioner on January 1, she faced a provisionally accredited school district in the city of St. Louis and a controversial student-transfer program in St. Louis County. Already, the 46-year-old native of O’Fallon, Missouri, was familiar with the system, having worked in the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for nine years. Before joining the department, she taught English at private schools in Missouri and Maryland. Today, she’s playing a central role in the ongoing discussion about the student-transfer program and St. Louis County’s two unaccredited districts, Normandy and Riverview Gardens.
What improvements should be made to the student-transfer program?
All children deserve access to high-quality education, but there are ways to make that happen without bankrupting the home district. We are focusing on how we can get some kind of tuition fix to ensure we don’t bankrupt the sending district. We have met with a number of families and held public hearings in Normandy, Riverview Gardens, and other areas. Although people do like the option to transfer, they also said loudly and clearly that they truly desire a high-quality education in their own communities. The focus needs to be there, and it can’t be there if they are not fiscally solvent.
Are you against the transfer program?
I am not against the transfer program. I think all kids should have opportunities for a high-quality education. The focus needs to be on a tuition fix, so we are not harming the sending district.
About 70 percent of the funding in Normandy is state and federal money, and it follows the student. Are you saying there needs to be a set tuition fee, so the district is not overcharged?
That’s correct.
What do you think of consolidating districts as a way to improve economies of scale and get a better socioeconomic mix?
That was certainly one of the options that the state board could have selected with Normandy when the district was lapsed. Instead, we tried to keep those schools in the Normandy School District. [The district is] 80 students away from fiscal insolvency. If we do not get a tuition fix for the transfer bill, then those are questions that still need to be addressed.
If Normandy has 80 more students transfer, they will be bankrupt?
We calculated what we think could maintain fiscal solvency within the school district, the number of transfers they could maintain without going fiscally insolvent. If 80 more students would transfer, they would be really pressed.
There are currently 9,000 students in charter schools in the city of St. Louis. What’s your stance on charter schools?
We’re very open to the idea that children should have options for high-quality public education, and that can look different in different regions… If [charter schools] are being held to the same types of rigorous standards that other public schools are being held to, as far as their performance outcomes, then I think people are open to that option.
Normandy and Riverview Gardens have the highest percentages of students receiving free and reduced-cost lunches. What can be done to lessen the effects of concentrated poverty?
There is not one solution—it takes multiple factors. That is what makes this so complex. Yes, we definitely need rigorous standards. Yes, we definitely need effective teachers in every classroom. Yes, we need parental involvement. Yes, we need community support. Yes, we need an effective leader in every school. These are all essential components that we will need to be working together. I believe that’s why we are hearing more about bringing the community together. We talk about how kids can come to school prepared and ready to learn. We need to make sure once they get there, we have those other essential components in place. If there were one easy, quick answer, I would certainly give it to you. There is not. There are a number of items that need to be placed together and be working together to make an effective school happen for the children of poverty.
What does the "Top 10 by 20" plan mean, for a parent who is trying to find a good school for a child?
We need to focus specifically on the three goals of the Top 10 by 2020 plan. The first goal is that all students will graduate college and be career-ready. There are two big words in that: “all” and “and.” It’s not saying that every child needs to go to college; it is saying that the same skills that are required for the first year of college are often required in the workplace. We want to make sure every child has the opportunity to pursue their passion, that they exit the system successfully to pursue their passion. The “all” part is talking about all students. That takes on quite a bit of significance when you look at the situations children are in throughout our state. We need to make sure the opportunities are there for all kids. The second goal is that children come to school prepared to be successful. We know children have a greater chance for success when they come to school ready to learn. Providing access to high-quality early-childhood programs and services is a critical focus of this plan. Finally, we know and value the critical importance of effective school leaders and competent faculty. We need to focus on placing an effective educator in every classroom.
