ABSTRACT
In 2007, the state of Missouri took governing power away from the elected school board of St. Louis Public Schools and installed a State Appointed Board. The state left the elected school board in place but diminished its powers from governance to oversight. Many in the community were outraged by this assault to democracy. The author shares some of her efforts in standing up for educational rights of children, parents, and teachers and the powerful literacy practices that sprang from her efforts. In particular, she focuses on the time when the district's governance was under review and re-evaluation (November 2009–October 2010). It was during this time that Special Advisory Committee was deliberating which form of governance would serve the school district most effectively. The author's intention is to make visible how her elected school board used Critical Discourse Analysis as a tool to raise awareness and advocate with the use of powerful literacy practices for self-governance, transparency, and educational justice.
