Council resolution to delay Schenley vote fails

Council resolution to delay Schenley vote fails: "Ms. Harris and Ms. Payne wanted council to ask the board to put off its vote until the public could study the conflicting accounts on the cost of fixing Schenley and all interested parties could come together. They won the support of colleague Bruce Kraus and Council President Doug Shields, who argued that there are 'no easy choices here' but that the district should make its decisions on Schenley only as part of a complete plan for its buildings.

My email was just sent:

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Hi Tonya, Ricky and Darlene,

Thanks for your listening last night....

I did not watch the discussion unfold in person or on TV today. But, I've got a few thoughts for you after reading about it on the PG site.

Was it possible that you had to rush a tad too much. Peduto could have called in -- or --
otherwise waited. ?? So sad to have the resolution about Schenley and HS Reform NOT pass.

We got to get to five votes. Counting to five is sorta important.

To get to Rev. Burgess -- let's jump to the selfish points for a moment. I'm not sure if it is clear -- but Schenley is an all-city magnet. District 9 kids are able to go to Schenley. That helped get Chelsa into the game. This is everyone's school.

I know for a fact that there is one family that is moving out of his district and downsizing to a house to stay in the city but be put into the feeder pattern for Dice. The family is very close to leaving the city, loves the present home -- but does not want to be part of an 'experiment.'

Mr. Roosevelt has said that only 20% of the students in the Peabody feeder pattern choose to attend Peabody. I'd love to see Peabody turn into an all city magnet for either boys or girls. Put the other gender into Oliver.

Peabody needs serious attention in an urgent way. The new principal is great. But there is much to be done.

And, I'd love to see the Science and Technology magnet / HS go into Westinghouse. There is no reason to put the Sci/Tech school into Frick. For the wired -- being in Westinghouse is even better than being in Oakland. Teleconf needs, etc.

Is middle-school, CAPA / Rodgers in city council district 9 too (Lincoln Lemington) ?? It is a shame to have 6-9 Rodgers depart that area. The move to CAPA downtown is going to make an empty building in a frail neighborhood. And, the tightness of quarters is going to downsize a
great opportunity -- allowing few of his kids to get into the best performing school.

Lots of kids from the south of the Mon go to Rodgers and love it there. They are getting a good education.

The other huge factor for Rev. Burgess to know is the property next to Bakers' Square -- where Reizenstein sits -- can be sold and re-developed if the school at Schenley stays at Schenley. That property can be a great upside for that area of the city. Councilman Burgess is on the redevelopment committee. That is a key location with tons of upside for the city and district 9. Putting a school next to an upscale hotel is not going to make for a great fit.

We really need to get Darlene Harris to work upon both Skip Mc. (firefighter) and Mrs. Fink (ex-board bud) to have one or both of them flip their vote.

Can we get some info to the Firefighters to put some 'old-fashioned heat' upon Skip? The firefighters send their kids to the schools. Some are sure to be grads of the district too. When the city shrinks -- the firefighters are sure to suffer as well.

Tonya needs to get to Tom Sumpter.

There is some homework for you three.

Let's get another resolution to another vote -- and have the five votes in hand before the meeting begins. But, the real push needs to be with PPS Board: McCray, Fink and Sumpter.