Thursday, January 15, 2009

My second question to Dan Onorato at the cyber town hall is about schools

Pgh Public Schools is slated to open a new high school or two. One is with a focus on I.B. It comes in the aftermath of Schenley.

Will you stand with us in our request to name the new school Barack Obama High School and Jr. High?

The school will spand from grades 6 to 12.

Furthermore, we'd love to have one year of I.B. education as an option that is made available to all graduates (in good standing) from any Pgh Public School. Hence the I.B. High (Obama High) should be established as not only a high school, but also as a "prep school" so as to give the students an option of a 13th year if they choose. Then the students can get additional academic challenges before going to college. A few I.B. classes would better prep some students before going on to college. And, the I.B. classes, if you do well on the tests -- are often applied as college credit.

Presently, we're told, 20% of the graduates at Pgh Public Schools who do go to college are able to stay in college. The others don't finish.

With such a few finishing high school, fewer going to college, and even fewer making it out of college, we've got some problems. Hence, the prep option becomes an important bridge for long-term success for many of the students.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

University partnership school to bear Mrs. Milliones' name
Thursday, January 15, 2009

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh school board Wednesday will vote on naming its new university partnership school for Margaret Milliones, the late board member and activist who lived in the Hill District.

A group appointed by Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt suggested the name ???University Preparatory School at Margaret Milliones.

A committee of three board members -- Jean Fink, Thomas Sumpter and Randall Taylor -- endorsed the idea and asked the full board to adopt the name at the legislative meeting Wednesday.

The Hill District school, which opened in August, is located in a former middle school building already named for Mrs. Milliones.

The school, featuring a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, has about 130 students in ninth grade. It eventually will expand into a school for students in grades six through 12.

Anonymous said...

I thought a person had to be deceased to have a school named in their honor, so it is not appropriate at this time. We all wish Mr Obama a long and prosperous life.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Schools are named after people who are alive.

"Trapper" Tom Leturgey said...

There are already schools being renamed for B. Hussein Obama already.

REALLY? Really.

This is absolute horse crap.

In no way, shape or form should a school be renamed for someone who, as of this very writing, isn't even PRESIDENT.

What are people thinking?

Barack Obama is the "American Idol" of presidential candidates. Nothing more.

Will it be next to Clay Aiken Prep?

Mark Rauterkus said...

A school on Long Island has been renamed Barack Obama Elementary School in honor of his historic rise to the presidency.

The move at the largely black and Hispanic school in Hempstead is among the first in what will likely be a wave of name changes around the world now that Mr. Obama has been elected president, from schools and streets to parks and mountaintops.

source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/21/national/main4626367.shtml

Thomas Leturgey said...

Historic rise? Unfortunately, the lowest-common-denominator had no idea what it was doing.

Mark Rauterkus said...

BTW, the Obama name is NOT my original idea. I did come up with the mascot of "olympians" for the IB school and Zombies for the combined sports team that will compete at U-Prep and Sci-Tech.

But, the Obama part came from another parent.

I do think it has some merit. Perhaps we (Pgh) could get Mrs. O to come for the first school graduation. He'd be expected upon his retirement -- if not sooner.

Thomas Leturgey said...

Seriously,

Naming a school for Barack Obama right now is an asinine idea.

Where's the G.W. Bush schools?

A Barack Obama-named school is racist. Pure and simple. It's all about race.

Mark Rauterkus said...

No. It isn't about race. It is about timing. Perhaps too about purpose.

The school is with an urban district and with an international flavor. And, it is going into operation now.

Heck, Carnegie was named after a guy because they wanted a factory / mill there. He was still alive.

Perhaps it is also about leverage and/or handouts. Perhaps it is also about hype and notice.

The school is a 'magnet' that folks from all around the city can attend -- and others from outside the city could go to and pay tuition to attend.

Plus, Obama works with the mascot name of Olympians.

Perhaps we put it to a city-wide vote.

Perhaps we use Olympians High School / Jr. High and only that as the mascot until after his term(s) end and then slap down the Obama name -- after the legacy is proven by history without a jail term or some other global disgrace.

Thomas Leturgey said...

It's absolutely idiotic to think that it's NOT about race.

Good God. If this isn't about RACE, nothing is. NOTHING.

Where's the William Jefferson Clinton School in the urban area?

Barry Obama has accomplished NOTHING other than to hoodwink a gullible electorate. Nothing more.