Wilburn’s Black Appalachian book got an award

Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com 412-298-3432 New Books at SwimISCA.com

Cover of the book, Coach Mark's Public Policy Playbook, Pittsburgh Aquatics and Recreation, Yinzer, Alpha Edition

ISCA Hall Of Fame Tribute -- Heavy Or Not, episode #112 -- Matt Kredich of Univ of Tennessee

The video is a ISCA Hall of Fame tribute built around Matt Kredich, Tennessee swimming, team culture and an ISCA interview segment. I’m checking the captions now so the description reflects his actual themes instead of relying only on the visuals.

The caption pass is taking longer because the tribute uses cinematic letterboxing and several different layouts. I have already confirmed Matt Kredich, the University of Tennessee program and ISCA Hall of Fame framing; I’m narrowing the pass to the caption region for the remaining wording.

Check out this episode!

Letter sent to Pittsburgh's Controller, and a few other people

September 4, 2026

Rachael Heisler
City Controller
City of Pittsburgh

Dear Controller Heisler:

Thank you for issuing *Parks Trust Fund Follow-Up: Challenges and Opportunities at Year Five*. Your report gives Pittsburgh a timely opportunity to strengthen the planning, oversight and public accountability surrounding the Parks Tax.

I support your call for a Parks Tax Commission. I also encourage you, Mayor Corey O’Connor and City Council to place that commission within a larger civic structure: a reconvened Athletic Reform Task Force.

The Athletic Reform Task Force should serve as Pittsburgh’s umbrella coordinating body for athletics, aquatics, recreation, public facilities, youth programming, coaching, workforce development, school partnerships and community investment. The Parks Tax Commission could operate within the Task Force as a standing commission with a focused financial and accountability mission.

The distinction is significant. The Parks Tax is one funding instrument within a much larger financial puzzle. Pittsburgh’s parks, pools, fields, courts and recreation centers are supported through city and county appropriations, school funding, state and federal grants, foundations, philanthropy, corporate sponsorships, program revenue, joint-use agreements and institutional partnerships. The city needs a structure capable of seeing and coordinating the entire system.

The Athletic Reform Task Force can function much like an Olympic committee. It can provide the larger table where different sports, institutions, facilities, coaches, program operators, public agencies and community partners coordinate their work. Specialized commissions and working groups can then carry out defined missions within that structure.

The Parks Tax Commission would be one of the most important of those missions. It could establish scoring criteria, develop long-term financial plans, examine the balance between capital and operating expenditures, submit unified budget recommendations, hold public meetings and publish regular reports and open data. The City Controller would bring essential financial oversight and accountability expertise to this work.

The full Athletic Reform Task Force would connect those financial decisions to public use. It could inventory facilities and programs, study participation, gather input from young people and families, assess staffing and coaching needs, develop school and neighborhood partnerships, and identify opportunities for immediate implementation.

A renovated pool produces greater public value when it is open, staffed and filled with lessons, practices, teams, fitness programs and community events. A repaired field produces greater value when young people have coaches, transportation, leagues and schedules that allow them to use it. Facilities are the hardware. Programming is the software that makes them come alive.

Your report identifies overestimated revenues, allocations that have exceeded collections, increasing operating expenditures and the absence of a clearly defined long-term plan. Those findings make the need for coordinated leadership even more urgent. Pittsburgh should begin with the public mission and then organize its money around that mission.

I recently completed *Coach Mark’s Public Policy Playbook for Pittsburgh’s Aquatics & Recreation, Yinzer Alpha Edition*. The book includes a detailed Meta Play calling for the Athletic Reform Task Force to be reconvened. It proposes a six-month public review, a broad inventory of facilities and programs, hundreds of community conversations, controller involvement and an action-oriented structure capable of advancing multiple missions.

I would be glad to provide you with a copy of the book for your review. A print copy can also be ordered through https://SwimISCA.com.

I welcome an opportunity to meet with you and discuss how the Parks Tax Commission could become a standing mission within the Athletic Reform Task Force. Your report supplies an important financial and accountability play. The Athletic Reform Task Force can provide the larger team, structure and public mission needed to carry it forward.

Thank you for putting this proposal into Pittsburgh’s civic conversation. I hope we can connect these ideas and begin the work.

Sincerely,

Mark Rauterkus, Publisher, Author and Coach
*Coach Mark’s Public Policy Playbook for Pittsburgh’s Aquatics & Recreation*
4Rs.org
SwimISCA.com
Mark@Rauterkus.com
412-298-3432 = cell

Fwd: Summer Times Newsletter: Policy Developments, Upcoming Events, News You Can Use, & More!

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From: National Summer Learning Association <info@summerlearning.org>
Date: Thu, Sep 3, 2026 at 2:25 PM
Subject: Summer Times Newsletter: Policy Developments, Upcoming Events, News You Can Use, & More!
To: <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>

View as Webpage Dear Summer Learning Community, For most folks, Labor Day marks the official end of Summer. In our field, we know the impact of summer programs continues all year round. To celebrate, reflect, and build upon our field’s recent accomplishments, we invite you to join our virtual , free of charge, Summer Starts in September Webinar and Professional Learning Community (PLC) Open House on Wednesday September 30 from 1:00- 3:30 pm EST. We’ll have great speakers and sessions and hear a keynote from Lisa Lawson, CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Register here. To learn more about the latest policy and funding developments related to the Social Media Settlements, Federal Education Tax Credits, upcoming mid-term elections, Summer For All Act, and more, we invite you to join us for our Summer Policy and Practice Forum, Nov 9-11 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC. The Forum will gather hundreds of top, multi-sector leaders and be packed with inspiring partners, relevant resources, and informative sessions. Register here.   You can find more “News You Can Use” below.  Thank you for continuing to invest in young people, families, and being part of the NSLA community.   See you soon, The NSLA Team NSLA's Summer Policy & Practice Forum November 9-11, 2026 in Washington, DC This national gathering will bring together education leaders, policymakers, researchers, funders, nonprofit organizations, and summer learning practitioners to explore new strategies and shape the future of summer learning. Featured speakers include Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation and author of Big Bets and Dr. Deborah Kenny, the founder of Harlem Village Academies and the Deeper Learning Institute, and author of the recent New York Times bestselling book, The Well-Educated Child. Featuring leaders from: Youth Development, K–12 & Higher Ed Workforce & Enterprise Learning Government Funders Corporate Social Responsibility Local, State, & Federal Policy Solution Providers If your work influences the future of young people, you belong in this room. We look forward to welcoming you to Washington this November. Register Today   Register for Summer Starts in September Webinar + PLC Open House NSLA is excited to announce best-selling author and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Lisa Lawson, will keynote Summer Starts in September Webinar on September 30, 2026. This event is free, but the ideas and connections could shape your entire summer strategy. Join your peers from across the country for an energizing afternoon of ideas, insights, and strategies on: Increasing enrollment Career-connected learning Innovative program models Partnerships that drive results Register Today Meta Settlement and Resouces The National Summer Learning Association welcomes the proposed settlement between Meta and state attorneys general and, in particular, its recognition that summer programs can be an important part of addressing the harm young people experience from social media. Through our participation in the Fund IRL coalition, we are proud to join organizations across the youth development, mental health, education, arts, sports, library, mentoring, and advocacy fields in calling for these resources to be invested transparently and equitably in the programs and services that help young people thrive in real life. Read NSLA's full statement on the Meta Settlement here.  We encourage our partners to review these helpful resources from Fund IRL: Fund IRL's Guidance on the Use of Funds From Social Media Lawsuits Meta Settlement Toolkit & Messaging  NSLA Summer Recap Thank you to every summer program that made our 50 Programs In 50 Days tour possible. Thank you to Clear Channel Outdoor, A BROADER WAY FOUNDATION and The Felix Organization for our PSA billboard campaign. Thank you to Google for making our YouTube Kids Summer Learning Playlist. Thank you to US Senator Chris Murphy and our bi-partisan Congressional Summer Interns for making our policy work possible. Thank you to our entire NSLA community for making summers special for millions of young people. #SummerForAll News You Can Use • The Wallace Foundation: What Does Equity-Centered Leadership Look Like in the Age of AI? School Leadership School leaders are exploring how to use AI thoughtfully while keeping human relationships at the center of their work • Afterschool Alliance: Workforce Pell goes live: What this means for afterschool and summer learning?  • National League of Cities: America’s cities are not just surviving, they are innovating and delivering every day. Mayors remain committed to providing top-quality services to their residents. The National League of Cities’ (NLC) 13th annual State of the Cities report examines mayors’ and councilmembers’ approaches to overcoming their challenges.    • Results for America: A Solutions Sprint to Accelerate Student Learning Results for America invites teams from local governments, education agencies and municipalities to apply for this 5-session virtual learning opportunity. Offered in partnership with The Learning Agenda and grounded in research from EdResearch for Action, this opportunity will provide selected teams with expert guidance on how to design, fund and implement evidence-based summer learning programs.  • Wings for Kids Leadership Program: Wings for Kids — a Charleston-based nonprofit with 30 years of proven results in social-emotional learning (SEL) — is inviting youth-serving organizations to enroll in Soar with Wings, a free of charge leadership training program that equips your staff with practical, evidence-based tools to build SEL skills in the kids you already serve. Learn more.  Professional Learning Community Meetings: Open to all and free of charge, PLCs are planned, led, and facilitated by NSLA expert Field Consultants. Each PLC regularly convenes and trains youth development staff across the U.S. and hold quarterly training meetings on key topics affecting youth. • Public and Affordable Housing Leaders Wednesday, September 16 🕐 1:00-2:00 pm ET Register here • Early Education Leaders PLC Session presented by Waterford.org: Creating Meaningful Family Engagement for Afterschool and Summer Programs Tuesday, October 6th 🕐 1:00 PM EST / 12:00 PM CST / 10:00 AM PST Register here    For more program, policy, and funding resources, events and opportunities, join our summer learning community by clicking the button below.  Join Our NSLA National Network

National Summer Learning Association | 1701 Pennsylvania Ave NW Ste 200 | Washington, DC 20006 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice

Fwd: One Month to Go: Join Us at the Remake Learning Assembly

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More than 150 people are already registered. Save your spot for September 25th!

One Month Until the Remake Learning Assembly The countdown is on! One month from today, the Remake Learning network will come together for the 2026 Remake Learning Assembly.   More than 150 people have already registered for this once-a-year opportunity to connect with fellow education innovators from across Southwestern Pennsylvania, plus special guests joining us from across the United States and around the world.   Expect hands-on experiences, unexpected connections, special announcements, and plenty of opportunities to explore the people, ideas, and partnerships shaping the future of learning.   Date: Friday, September 25 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Location: Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh   Don't miss your chance to be part of it. We can't wait to see you there! Register for the Assembly Scenes from last year's Assembly