To all Stakeholders of St. Louis Public Schools:
What roles did Dr. Kelvin Adams play in the Recovery School District in New Orleans? What is the Relevance of his Achievement in New Orleans to St. Louis Public Schools? Dr. Adams:
- Was the Chief of Staff for a school with 12,500 students in 33 schools with over 2,000 employees and an annual operating and capital budget of $300 million. Dr. Adams’ executive experience and expertise to rebuild a school district devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are very invaluable to St. Louis Public Schools. We couldn’t have hired a superintendent with better qualifications than him to steer our school district in a different direction.
- Was the executive coordinator of day-to-day operations for the Recovery School District in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Worked directly for the superintendent to develop and implement the district’s educational and operational vision and strategies for improving student achievement. This has been an illusive goal which Dr. Adams can handle because of his track record. Low student achievement is one of the reasons our school district lost accreditation.
- Acted on behalf of the superintendent during his absence and provided direct executive oversight to several departments, including: Finance, Legal, Academics, Human Resources, Facilities, Student Management, Accountability and Communication. Dr. Adams has a wide-ranging experience to efficiently coordinate and streamline the operations of the many components of the St. Louis Public Schools, which has been a chronic problem for many years.
- Successfully opened 33 Recovery School District direct-operated schools and 26 charter schools in New Orleans. This is an impressive track record which convinces us that Dr. Adams will make substantial achievements in St. Louis Public Schools over time.
- Developed a long-term strategic plan, which serves as a blueprint for building a superior school system for New Orleans. This is a much needed experience and expertise that Dr. Adams brings to St. Louis Public Schools.
- Created and managed an instructional model for all grades and distributed first quarter 2009 curriculum for all subjects to teachers. This is a skill very much in need in St. Louis Public Schools.
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive classroom modernization initiative for the Recovery School District in New Orleans, a desperately needed expertise that he brings to St. Louis Public Schools.
- Steered the completion of the development of the high school redesign and with a new managed instructional program, which increased graduation from 39% to 67% in one year. This is a blessing for St. Louis Public Schools, where graduation rate is at an all time low. The low graduation rate is one of the reasons why we lost accreditation.
- Assisted in implementing the JPAMS Student Information System. This is a valuable expertise because we believe he would maximize the potential use of the SLPS Student Information System.
- Helped to rebuild the IEP system by completing over 1,700 IEPs during Academic Year 2007-2008, an expertise very much required to turn St. Louis Public Schools around.
- Also assisted in developing a network of transition and alternative schools, as well as infusing curriculum with Response to Intervention strategies for the 2008-2009 school year.
From the foregoing, Dr. Adams is a man of many talents. He has the proven leadership qualities, management skills, experience, and stamina which will be very much invaluable to raise student achievement, bring about fiscal responsibility, streamline the operations of this huge school district, and put it back on track to reclaim its accreditation.
The parents and taxpayers of St. Louis City will need to give Dr. Adams all the necessary help and support he needs to fulfill the enormous responsibility we've given him. We all know that he has inherited a lot of problems, which will take time to solve. We need to be patient. We can't afford not to support Dr. Adams if we want our children to have high quality education. We want to remind you that we hired Dr. Adams from New Orleans, where he was a rising star on track to become the next Superintendent for the Recovery School District.
We leave you with the following thought-provoking quotes:
"The Recovery School District of New Orleans Superintendent Vallas and State of Louisina Superintendent Paul Pastorek said "New Orleans will lose a veteran administrator who earned the trust of many educators working in the schools." Vallas often said he hoped Adams would succeed him. Adams' leaving "is going to set me back a little," Vallas said. "Obviously, we want to bring someone in who we really can groom to be superintendent." Pastorek called Adams "a special guy" who is "not easily replaceable." by Jim Salter, The Associated Press.
“We can document Dr. Adams’ hands-on role in improving student achievement, as well as his commitment to students,” said Rick Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of the Special Administrtive Board of St. Louis Public Schools. “He has an unblemished record, works hard, and is well respected for his work in New Orleans.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Dr. Adams is quoted by the St. Louis press to have said "I am absolutely focused on one thing—student achievement."
Please extend your full and unswerving support to Dr. Adams and St. Louis Public Schools for our children.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers, and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
