Dale Singer began his career in professional journalism in 1969 by talking his way into a summer vacation replacement job at the now-defunct United Press International bureau in St. Louis. After two weeks, he was such a spectacular success he was made night bureau manager, which isn't as grand as it sounds because he was the only reporter working at night. After graduating from Washington University, Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in English, he served a 14-month term in public relations before joining UPI full-time in 1972.
Eight years later, he joined the staff of the Post-Dispatch, where for the next 28-plus years he was a business reporter and editor, a Metro reporter specializing in education, assistant editor of the Editorial Page for 10 years and finally news editor of the newspaper's website. He held that position until parting company with the P-D in August of 2008. Two weeks later, he joined the staff of the Beacon, where he scours the web for links to news stories worldwide as well as writing his own, on education and other topics.
In addition to being a journalist, he has been an adjunct professor at University College at Washington U., where he taught classes in online journalism and journalism ethics. He and his wife, Merle, a retired high school English teacher, live in west St. Louis County with their spoiled Bichon, Teddy. They have two adult daughters who have followed them into the word business as a communications manager and a website editor and a grandson, Jonah, who is the cutest child in the world.
Email: dsinger@stlbeacon.org
Twitter: @dalesinger
The school, which was designed to help students who had dropped out come back to class to earn their degrees, started three years ago. But founder Stephanie Krauss said it was unable to overcome obstacles that had kept its target audience from succeeding in school.
When the first group of students who entered KIPP Inspire charter school in south St. Louis were ready to be promoted out to area high schools, seeing how they've done was a natural follow-up.
On this week's Beacon Roundtable, Dale Singer speaks with Mary Delach Leonard and Robert Joiner about different public displays dedicated to fallen soldiers for Memorial Day, Missouri looking at new ways to grade teachers and a graphic look at medical problems around the region prodived by the Pictures of Health series.
Two systems being developed would use seven basic principles to determine how teachers are doing in the classroom as well as whether those who want to be teachers are suited to the job.
With the board of trustees ready to begin the search process for a successor to the Rev. Lawrence Biondi, faculty and others outlined what they want their new leader to be like.
On this week's Beacon Roundtable, Dale Singer sits down with Robert Duffy, Robert Joiner and Mary Delach Leonard to talk about changes at the top at SLU, charges varying across the region's hospitals, military sexual assault in the news and an exhibition of Donald Judd coming to the Pulitzer.
J. Joe Adorjan, beginning his third stint as chairman of the school's board of trustees, says he wants to look at successful searches on other campuses to help pick the right president.
After Gov. Jay Nixon announced the introduction of Western Governors University Missouri, WGU president Robert Mendenhall met with representatives of other colleges and universities. He said he knew that other schools might be skeptical. But the response was more positive than he expected. Second of two parts.
Western Governors University, a private nonprofit school, is all online, charging $6,000 a year in tuition and giving credit to adults for what they know, not just for how long they sat in class. First of two parts.
The barely had time to digest the news that the Rev. Lawrence Biondi plans to leave after more than 25 years as president before its attention turned to the next issues.
2012 SLU governance dispute · Beacon Roundtable · Education standards · 2012 Missouri History Museum controversy · teacher tenure · teacher evaluation · College degrees · Higher education · Online college courses · drugs
Lawrence Biondi · Michael Wolff · Tom Keefe · Mark Knuepfer · Chris Nicastro · Silvana Siddali · John Lamping · Brent Ghan · David Russell · Kate Casas
Saint Louis University · Saint Louis University Law School · St. Louis Public Schools · Missouri History Museum · Missouri Department Of Elementary And Secondary Education · St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association · East St. Louis School District · Illinois State Board Of Education · Western Governors University · Public Insight Network
April 2, 2013 election · St. Louis Mayor's Race · Boston Marathon
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Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.
When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.
Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice today when he announced that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s sculptured bust will be formally installed in the Capitol at 1 p.m.
With the exception of its laser focus on gun rights, the 97th session of the Missouri General Assembly that ended at 6 p.m. Friday pretty much reflected the recent tradition: The Republican majority portrayed it an “immense success,’’ the Democrats called it an extremist failure and Gov. Jay Nixon declined to say.
The school, which was designed to help students who had dropped out come back to class to earn their degrees, started three years ago. But founder Stephanie Krauss said it was unable to overcome obstacles that had kept its target audience from succeeding in school.
When the first group of students who entered KIPP Inspire charter school in south St. Louis were ready to be promoted out to area high schools, seeing how they've done was a natural follow-up.
The Beacon's Mary Delach Leonard and Rob Koenig extensively covered flooding in 2011 in Missouri. Now this coverage is compiled in an iBook. Read the stories.
The feeling is openness, with soaring, airy spaces planned for easy and logical circulation and planned to reveal art not only to its best advantage but also appropriately and respectfully. Still, the building is notable more for its architectural reticence than its audacity.
When a Chicago photographer found more than a thousand unidentified slides, he set out to discover the couple behind them -- with a little help from social media.
The first reunion came about after Tom Hall broke his collarbone and musicians came together for a fundraiser. Then came two more. Hall simply says, “We decided that it’s fun to pay. We make good music. And people want to hear it.”
Donna Korando is the Beacon's arts and features editor. You can contact her at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Twenty winners will split a million dollars and a wide array of professional services after this year's Arch Grants competition. Victors will also see one-on-one business mentoring in their prize package. The diverse group includes everything from biotech concerns to fashion enterprises.
Eleven IT entrepreneurs vied for the attention of more than 70 investors at Capital Innovators' annual Demo Day. This year's crop of hopefuls wooed potential investors with eight-minute presentations on a wide variety of business ideas.
Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Vernon Bowman's challenge to Monsanto Co.'s patent on its Roundup Ready soybean seeds was billed as a David vs. Goliath contest. Goliath won and won big. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an Indiana soybean farmer had violated Monsanto's patent on its genetically engineered soybean seeds.
St. Louis theater artist Andrea Purnell dramatizes mental health issues for a living. For her efforts and potential, she'll receive a Grand Center Visionary Award for Emerging Artist in May 13 event at The Sheldon.
Sally Altman is the Beacon's Health and Science editor. You can contact her at saltman@stlbeacon.org.
When the first group of students who entered KIPP Inspire charter school in south St. Louis were ready to be promoted out to area high schools, seeing how they've done was a natural follow-up.
Much as Americans may disagree over politics, we share a belief in the public's right to know. This week's controversies were a reminder that a healthy press is vital to a healthy democracy.
Hegel may explain the trajectory of politics: A thesis breeds its antithesis. The dissonance between these polar opposites results in a new state of affairs called a synthesis. That synthesis becomes the new thesis as the process repeats itself. Thus does history travel its tangled paths.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's Voices editor. You can contact her and submit opinion pieces for possible publication at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.