Monthly Archives: May 2017

Forbes

Trading Progress for Equality in the Global Economy Forbes This article was originally published at Stratfor.com. By Mark Fleming-Williams. The nature of global trade is shifting once again. For two decades, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been locked in a stalemate between the wealthy north and the ... and more »

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Trading Progress for Equality in the Global Economy - Forbes

Potential Democratic presidential candidates took center stage Tuesday for what might prove to be the kickoff of the 2020 campaign, but the popular characterization of the progressive policy confab as a CPAC for liberals might have missed the mark.

The Center for American Progress 2017 Ideas Conference looked like the kind of muted 2020 cattle call one would expect from a gathering in the ballroom of the Georgetown Four Seasons in Washington. Missing were the raucous crowds that overtake the sprawling gathering at National Harbor for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe glad-handed old friends and supporters in the lobby outside the ballroom before an afternoon speech, but there were noswarms of selfie-seeking young people, always present at CPACs party-like atmosphere.

While there were more polite golf claps than cheers, there was also more attention to policy than sometimes comes from the CPAC stage, even as President Donald Trump, whose previous appearances at CPAC helped launch his candidacy, remained an overarching presence.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, for instance, focused her remarks on her ongoing push for paid family leave legislation, challenging Trump to sign on.

Year after year, we are shortchanging our workforce, and we are shortchanging our economy, the New York Democratsaid. It should be a test of whether or not its real paid leave.

But her remarks began with reaction to the reports from Monday about Trump sharing highly classified informationwith Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, in the Oval Office.

Last nights reporting has taken us to a whole new level of abnormal, Gillibrand said.

Freshman Sen. Kamala Harris a rising star within the Democratic Party focused on the scourge of opioid addiction, directing her criticism at the last weeks announcement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions that the federal government will resume seeking stiff penalties for relatively minor drug offenses.

Opioids have taken the lives of coal miners struggling with back pain inWest Virginia, and the son of a former Republican congressman in Pennsylvania, and a mom who got addicted to pain killers after a C-section in San Francisco, the former California attorney general said. She also called fordecriminalizing marijuana.

To fight Jeff Sessions and his old-fashioned, discredited, and dangerous approach to drugs, I believe we must embrace what all regions have in common and build coalitions, Harris said. I believe we have opportunities in front of us.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who gave the lunch keynote, focused as expected on government ethics and conflicts of interest with Trump. But aswith many other speakers, the news of the day about the president and the Russians was unavoidable.

Now is the time to remind Trump that our intelligence secrets are not gossip. And that his personal desire to impress his Russian buddies does not outweigh the safety, security, and lives of Americans and our allies, the Massachusetts Democratsaid.

Other lawmakers on stage included House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,and Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Jeff Merkley or Oregon.

The panel discussion most explicitly about Russia featured the tandem of Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California and Sen. Christopher S. Murphy of Connecticut.

Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he had yet to receive a briefing on what exactly Trump had shared with the Russian officials, but he offered a general response about the threat that could be posed to U.S. security and that of Americas allies by the disclosure.

I cant say if these allegations are accurate, but if they are we immediately have to go into damage mitigation mode, to findout what steps we need to take to minimize any risk to our sources, and if the damage is to our allies, what steps do we need to take to reassure our allies that we treasure the relationship, Schiff said. And then I have to hope that someone will counsel the president about just what it means to protect closely held information.

Schiff was spotted outside the Four Seasons after finishing his conversation with Murphy, speaking on a cell phone, before being approached by acameraman apparently with the celebrity and gossip media outlet TMZ.com.

The Bourne Identity is far and away the best, Schiff replied when asked about his favorite spy movies by the TMZ cameraman as he entered his car.

The House Intelligence panelhad scheduled a meeting later in the daywith CIA DirectorMike Pompeo.

McAuliffe wasnt the only governor to speak at the Center for American Progressevent. Montanas Steve Bullock and North Carolinas Roy Cooper also made the trip. In introducing Bullock, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle highlighted Bullocks 2016 victory in a state carried overwhelmingly by Trump.

Coopertook part in a conversation that focused on his battles with a Republican-led state general assembly, particularly over voter identification laws and restrictions on voter registration.

But the surprise star for the liberal audience, maybe because of the current series of foreign policy and intelligence crises plaguing the Trump administration, was former national security adviser Susan Rice.

If we cannot find our way to put country over party, and democracy over demagoguery, even in the face of such a dangerous external threat, then we might as well hang up our leadership cleats and resign ourselves to becoming a second-rate power, Rice said. That should not be our future. We are so much better than that. At our best, we are still the bright beacon to the world of hope, creativity, justice, and opportunity.

With current national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster offering a rapid-fire defense of Trumps actions at the White House the same day, the contrast was one that CAP organizers were likely happy to welcome.

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At Center for American Progress, a Tryout for 2020 Ideas - Roll Call

Five years of progress reducing the number of Americans without health insurance has come to a halt, according to a government report out Tuesday. More than a factoid, it shows the stakes in the Republican drive to roll back the Affordable Care Act.

The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 28.6 million people were uninsured in 2016, unchanged from 2015. It was the first year since passage of the health care overhaul in 2010 that the number of uninsured did not budge.

The uninsured rate for 2016 was 9 percent, an insignificant difference from 9.1 percent the previous year. When former President Barack Obama signed the ACA in 2010, the uninsured rate had been 16 percent.

Tuesday's report suggests that the ACA was running low on gas in Obama's final year as president. Premiums for private insurance were about to jump, and 19 states continued to refuse the law's Medicaid expansion.

Now, the number of uninsured could start climbing again under policies being considered by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.

The politically unpopular GOP bill passed narrowly by the House would limit Medicaid financing and curtail subsidies for many consumers buying their own private policies. Republicans also would repeal the requirement that most Americans carry health insurance or risk fines, a much-disliked nudge to get healthy people covered.

The legislation would lead to an estimated increase of 24 million uninsured people within 10 years, according to congressional analysts. Under "Obamacare," there are 20 million fewer uninsured since 2010.

"It's disappointing that it's stalled out," said health economist Gail Wilensky, a Republican. "The real question is, will we be able to keep the gains that we have made?" Critical of the ACA and co-author of an alternative plan by GOP policy experts, Wilensky nonetheless supports the goal of expanding coverage. She's concerned about the impact of the House bill on Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income and disabled people.

The new numbers come from CDC's National Health Interview Survey, which is considered an authoritative source, and publishes findings earlier than the Census Bureau. Estimates for 2016 were based on data for nearly 97,500 people.

"It looks like we are kind of sticking a landing and holding on to the gains," said Katherine Hempstead, who directs research on health insurance at the nonpartisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "To increase coverage, you would have to see more states take up the Medicaid expansion, and some reforms to increase take-up in the individual (private) market."

Could the number of uninsured start rising again? Absolutely, say both Wilensky and Hempstead.

"This release is really timely because it just helps everybody focus on what's at stake," said Hempstead.

The report found a significant increase in the percentage of people under age 65 covered last year through government-sponsored insurance markets like HealthCare.gov. About 11.6 million (4.3 percent) had marketplace insurance in the last three months of 2016, compared with 9.1 million (3.4 percent) in the same period the previous year.

States that expanded Medicaid were more effective at reducing the number of uninsured. Of the 16 states with adult uninsured rates significantly lower than the nation as a whole, 15 expanded Medicaid. In that group, only Wisconsin had not extended coverage for low-income people.

Conversely, of the nine states that had significantly higher uninsured rates, only New Mexico expanded Medicaid.

The CDC numbers do not reflect any changes directly attributable to Trump, who took office this year on Jan. 20.

During the campaign and since, the president has made some big promises about health insurance, talking of coverage for everybody and much more affordable premiums and deductibles. But Trump has also embraced a GOP bill that would make more people uninsured, even if it delivers on his campaign pledge to repeal "Obamacare." And he's threatened to stop paying subsidies that reduce out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles for people with modest incomes.

Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated, had promised to increase government assistance for private insurance costs, and also work to convince holdout states to expand their Medicaid programs.

"This is really pre-election activity" reflected in the CDC survey, said Wilensky. "It's news because people need to know we seem to have reached a plateau." What that will look like a year from now is unclear, she added.

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Progress reducing US uninsured rate comes to a halt - ABC News

ts one of those good problems to have.

But now its time for Carolinas new defensive coordinator to find solution even if it includes continuing to plan for life without the heart and soul of the defense.

With Thomas Davis getting up there in age and years, we've got to cut down on his reps, Steve Wilks said Monday. So there will be times where Shaq is going to be in, and we're going to try to relieve Thomas to give him some rest.

Davis, who turned 34 in March, has averaged 107.8 tackles and 940.6 snaps in the five seasons since he returned from his third ACL tear. Last year, after recovering from an early-season hamstring injury, he was in for every defensive play over the Panthers final 11 games, finishing with a unit-high 1,009 snaps.

Thompson, meanwhile, saw his snaps increase from 365 as a rookie to 534 in 2016. But thats still not enough for a guy with his kind of potential.

Weve got to create more packages for him, which weve talked about, Wilks said.

Still, even if the Panthers put Kuechly, Davis and Thompson on the field part-time and somewhat increase the latters playing time with different packages, Thompsons path toward full-time snaps is blocked by Davis. And to make it possibly more complicated, Davis may want to keep playing even after his current contract expires at the end of this, his 13th season.

So while its a good problem to have, its something that needs to be handled delicately.

Thomas is a team player, he said, and he understands the long season and the wear and tear on his body over the years. It's just a benefit for him.

More From Mondays Conversation With Wilks

Butlers Back

As they wrap up stage two of offseason workouts, players arent doing much more than conditioning and strength training. But if you could measure each nice thing Wilks said about his guys, his excitement for Butler would probably top the scale.

If you go out there and you watch him right now as a matter of fact I had two clips this morning talking about him in front of the group he is prideful right now. I mean, lights out, Wilks said. Im very impressed with what hes doing.

Cornerback Continuity

Because it began by letting a Pro Bowl player leave, the Panthers cornerback reconstruction dominated much of last summers conversation. But that was nothing new for Wilks, who had to make over his secondary each year since coming to Carolina:

CHARLOTTE Its one of those good problems to have.

In the two seasons since the Panthers used a first-round pick on linebacker Shaq Thompson, hes played less than 50 percent of possible defensive snaps. Thats mostly because Thomas Davis refuses to give into Father Time.

But now its time for Carolinas new defensive coordinator to find a solution even if it includes continuing to plan for life without the heart and soul of the defense.

With Thomas Davis getting up there in age and years, we've got to cut down on his reps, Steve Wilks said Monday. So there will be times where Shaq is going to be in, and we're going to try to relieve Thomas to give him some rest.

Davis, who turned 34 in March, has averaged 107.8 tackles and 940.6 snaps in the five seasons since he returned from his third ACL tear. Last year, after recovering from an early-season hamstring injury, he was in for every defensive play over the Panthers final 11 games, finishing with a unit-high 1,009 snaps.

Thompson, meanwhile, saw his snaps increase from 365 as a rookie to 534 in 2016. But thats still not enough for a guy with his kind of potential.

Weve got to create more packages for him, which weve talked about, Wilks said.

Toward the end of his sophomore season, the Panthers finally began putting more on Thompsons plate, using the 23-year-old hybrid not just in traditional 4-3 sets or as a bigger nickel back, but also as a middle linebacker in place of then sidelined Luke Kuechly.

Still, even if the Panthers put Kuechly, Davis and Thompson on the field part-time and somewhat increase the latters playing time with different packages, Thompsons path toward full-time snaps is blocked by Davis and a defense that more often than not uses just two linebackers. And to make it possibly more complicated, Davis may want to keep playing even after his current contract expires at the end of this, his 13th season.

So while its a good problem to have, its something that needs to be handled delicately.

Thomas is a team player, he said, and he understands the long season and the wear and tear on his body over the years. It's just a benefit for him.

More From Mondays Conversation With Wilks

Butlers Back

Like they did with Thompson, the Panthers kept their strengths strong last spring when they spent their top pick on a position no one wouldve labeled a need. But Vernon Butlers first-year development wasnt just slowed because he was behind defensive tackles Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei.

A high ankle sprain cost Butler five games, and he finished his rookie season with 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 225 snaps only one more than Kyle Love, who was released in final cuts and then re-signed after Butler went down in Week 3.

As they wrap up stage two of offseason workouts, players arent doing much more than conditioning and strength training. But if you could measure each nice thing Wilks said about his guys, his excitement for Butler would probably top the scale.

If you go out there and you watch him right now as a matter of fact I had two clips this morning talking about him in front of the group he is prideful right now. I mean, lights out, Wilks said. Im very impressed with what hes doing.

Cornerback Continuity

Because it began by letting a Pro Bowl player leave, the Panthers cornerback reconstruction dominated much of last summers conversation. But that was nothing new for Wilks, who had to make over his secondary each year since coming to Carolina:

So if James Bradberry and Daryl Worley are on the field for the first defensive play in San Francisco, itll be the first time the same outside corners started back-to-back season openers in Wilks six seasons. And right now, with Bradberry coming off a solid first year and Worley impressing coaches early in his second, that looks like a safe bet.

You can see the development and growth from where they were last year and where they are now, Wilks said. The biggest thing is we always talk about that freshman to sophomore leap, and that's what we're looking for this year in those guys.

Its not that simple, of course. While Wilks believes Bradberry and Worley have the physical tools to keep improving, their biggest challenge in the months ahead is mental.

At times last year, they were a little hesitant. You can watch them on tape they see certain things, but they're not really reacting as fast, Wilks said. I think you're going to see them playing a lot faster because they understand certain things to where now they can process it quicker.

Captain's Chance

To fend off complacency, Wilks wont guarantee starting spots to Bradberry and Worley. Every corner on the roster will get a look on the outside, including the presumed starter in the slot.

That's one of the things I told Captain (Munnerlyn) when we got him: 'Yeah, you're going to be playing nickel, but I want you to compete outside as well, Wilks recalled.

The first couple of days we were out there on the field, he came up to me and said, 'Coach, you weren't telling me a story.' I said, 'No, I'm honest. I want you to compete on the outside.

Last Line of Defense

Because Wilks now has to peel himself away from spending entire practices with the secondary, he needs to trust others back there. Curtis Fuller, Richard Rodgers and Jeff Imamura are listed as the units coaches, but in some respects, safeties Mike Adams and Kurt Coleman could share similar titles.

You have to have an extension of your voice whenever the coaches aren't around, Wilks said, and Mike is bringing that element, along with Kurt.

Coleman, who Wilks confirmed is sliding back over to free safety, went into last season with by far the most experience in the secondary. But now his eight years pale in comparison to Adams 14.

Its fair to wonder, though, about depth behind the two vets.

After cutting ties with Tre Boston two weeks ago, the Panthers backup safeties are Dean Marlowe, Colin Jones, L.J. McCray, Travell Dixon, Dezmen Southward and converted linebacker-turned-converted-back-to-safety Brian Blechen. Of that lists six career starts, they all belong to Jones.

I'm not overly concerned, Wilks said, before singling out McCray, who played 22 games with the 49ers from 2014-15. I was telling coach Rivera - I'm sort of intrigued by him right now, just the way he's moving out there.

There's going to be some competition behind those two guys, but some guys are going to have to step up and be ready to play.

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Steve Wilks delivers a progress report on his defense - Panthers.com

ROME From the beginning, cleaning up Vatican finances has been a major priority of Pope Francis. That campaigntook a step forward Tuesday with the release of the2016 report from the Financial Information Authority (AIF), in effect the Vaticans financial watchdog unit, suggesting a significant drop in reports of suspicious activity.

However, AIF leadership also acknowledged that to date, there have been no publicly known instances in which someone accused of financial wrongdoing has been prosecuted and punished by the Vaticans legal system.

AIF is an anti-money laundering watchdog unit created under Benedict XVI and strengthened by Francis. Its headed by Swiss lawyer Ren Brlhart, with Italian Tommaso Di Ruzza serving as director.

More than 190 suspicious financial transactions in the Vatican were flagged in 2016, leading to the suspension of four of those transactions totaling over $2 million, and the freezing of one account at the Vatican bank worth another $1.5 million.

The numbers represent a notable decrease from 2015, when there were 540 suspicious transactions, eight suspended, totaling over $10 million, and freezing four accounts in the Vatican bank worth another $8.

According to Brlhart, the AIFs president, this decrease is no surprise, but a logical follow-up to the path we have been taking these years.

Since its inception, Brlhart said, AIF has been steadily trying to set up not only a functional system for the Vaticans finances, but a sustainable one.

Brlharts previous claim to fame was helping to turn around Liechtensteins reputation as a financial pariah as director of its financial intelligence unit from 2004 to 2012.

Brlhart and Di Ruzza spoke with the press on Tuesday to present the fifth annual AIF report. Beyond statistics, the report also indicates an ever-increasing and effective implementation of reporting requirements.

In the reports introduction, Di Ruzza explains the decrease in suspicious activity reports, saying that this stabilization is due to several factors, including more efficient controls implemented in the Institute for the Works of Religion, known in the street as the Vatican Bank.

RELATED: The Vaticans quiet reformer

One of the issues the two officers of AIF were asked about most were the 22 recommendations for possible prosecution made to the Vaticans Office of the Promoter of Justice last year, adding to the 34 made during 2012-2015. These reports include various financial crimes, from tax evasion to misappropriation and corruption.

Up to this point, theres been no announcement of cases brought to justice by the promoter, Gian Piero Milano. Back in February, the Italian layman said two cases had gone to trial for the first time in 2016, but its unknown what these cases involve.

Its a far cry from the notorious Vatileaks 2 trial, when three former members of a Vatican commission and two journalists were accused of revealing confidential information, and it all played outin broad daylight.

I cannot speak for the Promoter of Justice, Brlhart said. However, there have been relevant developments in recent times, without elaborating on what that meant.

Yet the Swiss expert believes that most of the backlog can be explained by the fact that the system theyve established is still new, and that IT resources, qualified people and context are needed to develop the cases flagged by AIF and then forwarded tothe prosecutor.

In addition, Milanos office has to request information to international agencies as part of the process, often slowing things down further.

However, the Vatican is facing a ticking clock. The Council of Europes anti-money laundering unit, known as Moneyval,is due to present an interim report on the Holy See this December, after finding in 2015that there had been no real result in terms of imposing accountability for financial crimes.

Brlhart spoke about Moneyval, saying that body gave a lot of credit to the Holy see for the progress that has been done.

I would call it a very constructive bond, he said.

One of the key issues present in Tuesdays report was the fact that the cooperation between AIF and its international counterparts has grown.

International co-operation is a precondition for countering financial crimes, and the Vatican is fully committed to this front, Brlhart said. In 2016, the AIF has seen a significant increase in bilateral cooperation with the competent authorities of other jurisdictions and will continue to be an active partner in combating illicit financial activities globally.

To this end, during 2016 the Vatican made over 700 requests to foreign authorities, up from the 199 made in 2015. It also received 116, down from 181 from the previous year.

The Vaticans financial sector is unique in the sense that it provides services primarily to support the Holy See and the Church in the world.

By its nature, it has an international projection, including those critical areas and regions sometimes in which the Church, for various reasons, is present with its pastoral and humanitarian activities, Di Ruzza wrote in the report.

While retaining its own uniqueness, it therefore shares the inherent challenges and complexities of the current international scenario, he added.

AIF, created in 2010 by Benedict XVI, is one of the several financial entities in the Vatican. Others include the Secretariat for the Economy and the Council for the Economy, both instituted by Pope Francis.

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Vatican's financial watchdog cites progress, but still no prosecutions - Crux: Covering all things Catholic

Tim Tebow signed a lot of autographs May 16 in Lakewood. Follow along as he walks the autograph line at FirstEnergy Park. Steve Feitl

Tim Tebow takes a selfie with John Herrera of New York City at FirstEnergy Park on Tuesday.(Photo: Steve Feitl)

LAKEWOOD - Tim Tebow did his thing one last time at the Jersey Shore on Tuesday, unlikely ever to return to the area, atleast in a baseball uniform.

There's no doubt this guy gets it. He's been an incredible ambassador for the Mets organization, spending time signing autographs, taking selfies and engaging with his teammate and opponents. He's doing it all the right way as he lugs his own gear and takesthe long bus rides with the Single-A Columbia Fireflies, while doing everything he can to make up for lost time against guys who were fresh out of Little League when he was winning the Heisman Trophy.

Some of the numbers surrounding his three-day stay in Lakewood have been impressive, to say the least. Around 23,000 fans fans poured through the FirstEnergy Park turnstiles, driving revenues for the Lakewood BlueClaws and energizing an already solid fan base. He's done it everywhere the Fireflies have traveled this spring.

Had Saturday's game not been rained out, the Lakewood BlueClaws were anticipating a crowd of more than 10,000 fans, which would have made it the second highest attendance total in franchise history, behind the 13,003 that showed up to see a team led by Gavin Floyd and Ryan Howard play the final game of the 2002 season.

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As for some of the other numbers surrounding Tebow's visit, not so much.

APP SPORTS AWARDS:Celebrate the best of the Shore!

Like Tebow's sub-.240 batting average, fivestrikeouts and no hits in the series through his first fourtrips to the plate Tuesday night, hitting into a double-play with bases loaded and no outs in the top of the fourth. In the top of the sixth, he got a run home on a groundout to second that the fielder could not handle. He reached on an error and the Fireflies' second run came home, with Tebow eventually scoring.

In left field, he looks uncomfortable, absent of the sharp baseball instincts players who have been at non-stop for the past decade possess.

And maybe that's about right.

Tebow always has been a conundrum as athlete.

He quarterbacked theDenver Broncos to the postseason, and won a playoff game. Except that he simply couldn't throw the ball well enough and the Broncos turned to Peyton Manning to win a world championship, with Tebow's pro football career eventually flaming out.

Now Tebow is a soon-to-be 30-year-old trying to make it to the big leagues. And given what we've seen so far, it's highly unlikely he'll ever earn his way into a game at Citi Field.

Tim Tebow takes a swing the batting cage before Tuesday's game at First-Energy Park.(Photo: Steve Feitl)

So while it's already something of a circus, with a first-year prospect emerging as the biggest story in minor league baseball, here's to hoping the Mets dont take advantage of the situation.

Sure, you have to push the issue and find out if Tebow is ever going to progress through the farm system. But he deserves better than to be marched through the ranks trying to sell tickets and make up for the failings at the major league level.

The Mets were the ones that decided to take a chance, and the public relations aspect to all of this played a role in it. Tebow has clearly held up his end, assimilating to a lifestyle far removed from the one he had grown accustomed to, while doing everything the organization could have asked of him, and more.

Its hard not to root for him to succeed. It would be an inspiring, uplifting story to see an athlete who fell from favor in one sport return to the highest level in another. It's a Disney move for sure.

But if it doesn't work out, Tebow shouldnt be reduced to some carnival sideshow. Just send him back to the broadcast booth, and thank him for his hard work. Because he's certainly going to thank you for giving him a chance.

Staff Writer Stephen Edelson is an Asbury Park Press columnist: sedelson@gannettnj.com

Tim Tebow took batting practice May 16 in Lakewood.

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Tebow-time a success, but the player is a work in progress - Asbury Park Press

(St. Louis Public Radio) - Normandys schools will remain under the control of a state-appointed board for three more years, education officials said Tuesday, adding that they are optimistic about students academic progress in the states only unaccredited school district.

We have had steady progress in graduation rate and in academic performance, deputy education commissioner Roger Dorson said at a Missouri State Board of Education meeting. I think it would be an overstatement to tell you anybody believes we have arrived where we want to be, but we certainly are very interested in the progress made.

And later this year, the Normandy Schools Collaborative could be given provisional accreditation, depending on its latest standardized test scores and other metrics, like graduation and attendance, which means the mandatory program that allows students to go to schools in other districts on Normandys dime could be phased out.

Normandy Superintendent Charles Pearson said renewal of state control known officially as the Joint Executive Governing Board is a vote of confidence that the district is making progress.

The thing the community can take heart in is that we are here and we do plan to be around, Pearson said in an interview. And that has been validated by this process.

Shontea Hurtson sends her son to Jefferson Elementary School, where hes finishing second grade. Shes been to one school board meeting and feels a locally elected board would get more involved in the district.

Friends of Hurtson are surprised when they learn she enrolled her child in a Normandy school, but she said her experience has been positive.

Thats where we are, we live in the district, she tells them, and for us its a good fit. At this point.

Still, there are lots of parents that havent stuck around. The district is paying tuition and transportation costs more than $6 million a year for about 550 students to go elsewhere. Twice that many students used the transfer option in 2013, the first year it was available.

But Vic Lenz, vice president of the state education board praised Normandys test scores Tuesday, saying they were up, way up last year. If scores remain the same or improve, he added, this board will be in position in December to present Normandy with provisional accreditation.

Provisionally accredited status could also mean regaining local control of the district, Pearson noted. Yet, both St. Louis Public Schools and Riverview Gardens school districts have state-appointed boards even though their academic performance has improved beyond unaccredited.

Parents have less voice in a school system when they cant elect school board members, according to Peter Franzen, the associate executive director of the Childrens Education Alliance of Missouri, an organization that advocates for parents to have more choice in schools.

It means control is one more step removed from the community, he said.

Republished with permission of St. Louis Public Radio: http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/normandy-schools-making-progress-remain-under-state-control-another-3-years

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Normandy schools making progress, but remain under state control for another 3 years - St. Louis American