South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Fedorchak, Palamand ‘are suffering from very selective memories’

Letters+to+the+editor

Letter to the Editor

To the editor:
It seems that both former Mehlville Board of Education members Ron Fedorchak and Venki Palamand are suffering from very selective memories.
The Mehlville School District’s test scores began their decline in 2009 and fell below the state average in 2012 when both were serving on the board.
Mr. Fedorchak served on the board from 2010 to 2014 and Mr. Palamand served from 2007 to 2013 and from 2014 to 2017.
I must have missed their outrage and subsequent plans of action to remedy the situation during their tenure on the board.
Meanwhile, both Fedorchak and Palamand have written recent letters to the Call taking shots at the current board and administration for declining test scores while taking no responsibility for our current state of affairs. I do believe they, too, are culpable.
Our state test scores have been declining for eight years.
Unfortunately, there is not a quick solution and everyone needs to continue to be patient and supportive.
The district received funding from Proposition R just over a year ago and needs time to recover from years of cuts, teacher turnover and large class sizes. Unfortunately, previous boards and administrations did little to repair our faltering academic test scores, and we are currently repairing eight years of neglect.
A quick review of the facts will remind voters that the current board and administration created a successful plan for redistricting, cutting pockets of overcrowding, is strategically addressing our math curriculum, and is also providing increased technology access to teachers and students. We have learned from the past that knee-jerk responses — like randomly lengthening the school year without a plan to pay teachers — not grounded in data and research will amount to wasted money, wasted time and increased animosity.
Furthermore, a more correct interpretation of Board of Education history will remind voters that Mr. Fedorchak did not leave the school board, he was not re-elected for various reasons.
Again, selective memory at work.
While I admire any person who steps up to serve on the Mehlville School District’s Board of Education, I feel the need to call out those former board members who live in glass houses and continue to throw stones at the current board and administration.
Kim Hanan-West
Oakville

Editor’s note: Kim Hanan-West served as president of the Mehlville-Oakville United Committee and is a teacher at Parkway West High School.

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