ST. LOUIS — Hundreds of people were expected to show up at the Saint Louis Public School Board meeting Tuesday night.
One group is demanding changes, as alarming statistics reveal low literacy rates in the district.
The group, known as Coalition with STL Kids, is made up of parents and community members interested in improving St. Louis, specifically when it comes to education and specifically with Black children.
Chester Asher is the founder of the group.
"This is not like a media stunt. This is not to get attention. This is to improve the lives of kids and families and Black kids, in particular, and just with our history of how we've treated Black kids and families in this country, specifically in this city, we owe it to them," he said.
It's a problem Asher said he's seen before.
"This is not a new issue with SLPS. You're talking about literally decades of failure, decades of just devastation for the Black community," he said.
Asher believes it's all about setting kids up for success and a big part of a successful future is literacy.
"It's not about bringing the school down. It's about being honest. Listen, we're not where we want to be. We're not where our kids can be," he said.
That's showing in the numbers, according to Asher.
He said after digging into the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's website, statistics showed that a vast majority of students in the Saint Louis Public School District are struggling to read.
According to Asher, it's disproportionately affecting Black students.
"So many times, you're judged by your writing, your resume, a cover letter. If you can't do that, your life choices are immediately reduced. I think a lot of it leads to these statistics that we see in terms of incarceration rates, in terms of poverty, in terms of housing and homelessness. This is real life, this is real stuff," he said.
That's why Asher and others are showing up at the district's school board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, pushing for a turning point.
"We hope hundreds of parents and community members say enough is enough. We're going to be demanding that things change, and if they don't, we're going to replace those who are supposed to be in the position to make these improvements for our kids," he said.
There are three main things the group is demanding, according to Asher:
- Personalized reading plans
- Free tutoring for struggling students
- Academic focus at school board meetings
"I don't think these are crazy demands and these aren't aimed to criticize or bring anyone down, but it is aimed to bring our kids up," he said.
With the students' best interest at the heart of it all, Asher just hopes their voices will be heard.
"We're really trying to build SLPS and hold them accountable," he said.
The school board meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night at the district's central office.
5 On Your Side reached out to Saint Louis Public Schools for comment but did not immediately receive a response.