Author: Brian H. Marston

Educator of the Year awards

The ceremony was held on May 7 at 612North.

Werner Family
Early Childhood Educator of the Year
Lindsey Smith
Patrick Henry Downtown Academy

Kindergarten Educator of the Year
Lauren Hollis
Nance Elementary

Tammy Taylor & Family
Elementary Reading Educator of the Year
Lynette Farmer
Gateway MST Elementary

Elementary Mathematics Educator of the Year
Evan Day
Mallinckrodt Academy of Gifted Instruction

Secondary English Language Arts Educator of the Year
Emily Herron
Sumner High

Secondary Humanities Educator of the Year
Caleb Pavon
Lyon Academy at Blow

Baur Family | Fine-Kanterman Family
Secondary Mathematics Educator of the Year
Benjamin Klocke
McKinley Classical Leadership Academy

Barbara Jean Kuczka
Health & Wellness Educator of the Year
Kelcy Voegele
Humboldt Academy of Higher Learning

Visual Arts Educator of the Year
Jacob Lewis
McKinley Classical Leadership Academy

Performing Arts Educator of the Year
Robin Mik
Adams Elementary

Special Education Educator of the Year
Rhea Willis
Vashon High

Specialty Support Areas Educator of the Year
Abrahatzion Habtu
Soldan International Studies High

Supporting School Leader of the Year
Dr. Dianna Sumner
Sumner High

Elementary School Leader of the Year
Dr. Yvette Levy
Wilkinson Early Childhood Center

Secondary School Leader of the Year
Dr. LaRon Haymore
McKinley Classical Leadership Academy

Special Announcement
SLPS District-Wide Educator of the Year
Lynette Farmer
Gateway MST Elementary

Special Award Presentation
SLPS Retired Educator of the Year
Dr. Lynn Beckwith

May 25, 2025
Board of Education committee assignments

Committee assignments (PDF)

I’m on the real estate, Proposition S, and communications committees.

May 25, 2025
5/13/2025 Board Meeting
- Agenda
- YouTube recordings: Meet and Greet, Meeting
- Notes taken by SLPS parent Misty Donald Ramirez
May 25, 2025
Graduating class sizes

School Class size
Gateway STEM 219
Clyde C. Miller 123
Roosevelt 118
Vashon 90
Central VPA 83
Collegiate 72
Metro 70
McKinley High 59
Sumner 52
Soldan 45
Nottingham 9

There were 318 students in my high school class (I was co-valedictorian, thanks for asking), and I’m right in the middle of the population low point known as Gen X, so SLPS’s class sizes seem small to me.

May 2, 2025
4/22/2025 Work Session
Meeting materials
- Agenda (663-page agenda packet)
- YouTube recording
- Nearly word-for-word notes taken by SLPS parent (and saint) Misty Donald Ramirez
Board officer election results

President, Dr. Karen Collins-Adams
Vice President, Emily Hubbard
Secretary, Brian H. Marston

Karen, Brian, and Emily

Media coverage
- SLPS superintendent ‘welcomes scrutiny’ from board, The St. Louis American, 4/24
- Friction starts early for new board at St. Louis Public Schools, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4/24
- After Elections, New Leaders Confront Old Problems in St. Louis, The 74, 4/23
- New members sworn in St. Louis Public Schools board amid challenges, FOX 2, 4/23
- 3 newly elected St. Louis Public Schools board members sworn in, KSDK, 4/22
- New board members will confront immediate challenges at St. Louis Public Schools, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4/22
May 2, 2025
Proportional symbol chart

Making an election data visualization hits differently when you’re one of the candidates.

Flourish isn’t letting me change the number formatting for votes in the popups, which is annoying.

On average, voters chose 2.3 school board candidates. (You could pick up to three.)

April 15, 2025
Thank you, St. Louis.

April 9, 2025
Got the sticker

It’s a beautiful day to vote. Back in December, I was anticipating this. I thought maybe a confetti cannon would go off when I filled in the box to the left of my name. (It did not.)

I was ballot 1,238 at 2:17 pm at Carpenter library.

City Strong. Public Proud.

April 7, 2025
Support public schools

Public schools are a public good. The call to support them should be uncontested. You can support the Mann Elementary PTO by buying a shirt like the one I’ve been wearing on the campaign trail.

April 6, 2025
Election watch party

I don’t know if I’ll win a seat on the Board of Education. I do know I’ll have the most fun election watch party, thanks to G.Wiz & Trackstar. I’m standing on the shoulders of giants.

Taco Menace will be there, so come with an appetite and a card/cash.

April 6, 2025

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