PPS Public Hearing -- speaking

Statement from Mark Rauterkus

I am Mark Rauterkus. 

We reside at 108 S. 12th Street on Pittsburgh’s Historic South Side. 

I am a former PPS Varsity Coach. I led the first city league team of any sport to a WPIAL Sectional title. I also had the privilege to coached the first PPS athlete to win a WPIAL event and set a WPIAL record.

I directed Swim & Water Polo Camp as part of PPS Summer Dreamers for 10+ years. At the peak of the program we coached more than 200 students with 35 employees at five different sites for 27-days, including running the Liberty Mile.

I'm an afterschool provider with other nonprofits. 

I'm on the Take a Father to School Day Committee too, did PPS Sports Reform Task Force and other community projects.

Presently I'm webmaster with the International Swim Coaches Association.

Vice President for the World Aquatic Federation of Schools and Universities. – WAFSU.org.

My sons are proud PPS graduates, and I’ll be happy to share proud dad updates on their whereabouts after my 3-minutes have expired.

In my view, the swimming pool is the best learning laboratory ever. It is a classroom where students get to learn thousands of lessons.

Swimming – so when a family vacation happens people can enjoy themselves and come home, not in a coffin.

Physics, biology, training, goal setting, accountability, safety, hospitality, – and above all, Teamwork.

Sports, swimming, water polo – is about playing well with others. Sadly, that’s not being developed at our pools in the city.

The Olympics are happening in a matter of days. We have two OLYMPIC Swimmers from PA. Good luck to Josh Methaney from Upper St. Clair – now a IU Hoosier.

At the Swim Trials, high school swimmers were striving to make the team from Mt. Pleasant and Bedford, PA.. An Oakland Catholic grad was racing in finals too.

Sadly, in the city, we’re not creating literate Olympians here.

The city isn’t hosting its swim meet, nor teaching lessons.

There used to be dozens of PPS teams in meets for Elem Schools and Middle Schools. It is sad as to how that experience has been allowed to evaporate.

I do all these things internationally, and when I put in an ESSER Grant Proposal in December of 2023, I don’t even get a score or a call back. Seven great letters of reference, and not a peep from PPS.

https://read.swimisca.org/esser-pittsburgh-public-schools/

Meanwhile, we are very happy to be utilizing the swim pool at PPS Oliver High School throughout the winter with the Renegades. I gathered folks (adults and HS kids) every Monday evening to play water polo. We had a fine year. Some players went to events in Ocala, Florida and Cleveland even.

This summer, we had 30 people playing water polo at Citiparks Ammon pool – Bedford Ave, Hill District – every Tuesday and Thursday, 6 to 7:30 pm. See the poster on my Facebook page.

Consultants are here! 

My invite is clear. 

I will be happy to meet with them to explain what SHOULD happen at PPS pools. With a little cooperation and latitude, the aquatics programs could be a bright start for the district and generate jobs, community engagement, scholarships, sponsorships and wellness. – PLUS – I dare say, over time, REVENUE.

Rather than having our district and city in decline – we’d be retaining kids and their families.

Call me: 412-298-3432

Mark@Rauterkus.com

WAFSU.org@Gmail.com

The swim pools are the low rungs on the ladder for civic engagement. The activities there should be for all ages too.

Ironic how many of the issues before the PPS Board today are matters that citizens battled against as they were hatched by Mark Roosevelt. Get rid of those 6 to 12 schools. We knew that they were a bad idea. 

But, it is the parents and community that knows best. Listen. Engage. Let's build that capacity at the PPS pools. 

PITTSBURGH BOARD OF EDUCATION

PUBLIC HEARING

JULY 22, 2024

6:00 P.M.

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

CONFERENCE ROOM A

1. Ja'Bree Wiginton - Organization

412 Justice

Estudiantes preocupados

2. Shirley Hill - Retired PPS Teacher

Unfair treatment of Montessori teacher. Lack of Black teachers at Carrick High School. Scheduling concerns at Carrick High School.

3. Karen Sloan - Parent

Montessori Administration Concerns

4. Shannon Striner - Parent

Town Halls are performative

5. Gina Grotelueschen - Parent

PPS Fulton Parents

6. Lauren Abt - Parent, Community member

Frustration multiplied

7. Jalayne Allison - Organization

412 Justice

Concerned Student

8. David Abt - Student

Course offering at Schiller

9. Meredith Knight - Parent, Community member

Extend the Timeline for the Facilities Utilization Pan for better process efficacy, community feedback and future-proof planning

10. Laura Mullen - Parent

Facilities Utilization Plan

11. Jacquelyn Schriver - Family member

Ripple Effect Counseling, LLC

Do not close Fulton. These students matter. Their educations matter just as much as any of Pittsburgh resident.

12. Katy Rank Lev - Parent

Lainey Davis

Plan to increase or maintain enrollment?

13. Martha Riecks - Parent

Concerns regarding school closure plans and strategies

14. Goldette Shields - Organization

Shields Of Joy

Grieving and health awareness in the schools

15. Jessica Merlin - Parent

Jessica Merlin

16. Jala Rucker - Parent

412 justice

Don’t close Manchester school

17. Angel Gober - Organization, Community member

149.99

Stop the FU Process

18. Lily Allman - Student

A Student's Perspective on the School Closure Process

19. Valerie Webb-Allman - Parent

Rushed process leads to terrible outcomes

20. Lauren Stuparitz - Teacher/Staff, Parent, Community member

412 justice. Education rights network.

Closed Minds Close Schools

21. Andrea (Andy) Kubis - Parent

Attracting Families to the District

22. Jude Abt - Student

Manchester

23. Alice Valenta - Parent

Disappointment

24. Walitta Abdullah - Community member

Not providing testimony

25. Laura Gallagher - Organization

Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network and 412Justice

Not failing schools, as some say, but schools that are being failed

26. Debra Hall - Community member

None

27. Emily Sawyer - Parent, Other substitute

And the band played on

28. Marcia Bandes - Community member

School Closures

29. Pam Harbin - Community member

Stop the facilities utilization - AKA school closure - plan. Accountability for authentic community input and access

30. Rachel Schlosser - Parent

Authentic Community Input

31. Holly Munson - Parent

Stop the school closure process and start listening to what students actually need

32. Lars Munson - Student

Don't close schools

33. Rita Porterfield - Parent

The Silence Is Deafening

34. Jude Porterfield - Student

I've Had Enough of It

35. David Munson - Parent

Stop the school closures

37. Ghadah Makoshi - Parent

Accessibility and Accountability

38. Naomi Chambers - Parent

Concerned Parent…

39. Laura Petty - Organization

Advancement Project

School Closures Harm Children and Families

40. Paul James Dell - Parent

Response to initial facility presentation and listening sessions methodology

41. Jazlynn Worthy - Parent

The Foundation for the Future

42. Annette Hall - Parent

Taking away online public hearing attendances is taking away accessibility for many

43. Mark Rauterkus - Parent, Organization, Community member, Other Afterschool partner & former scholastic coach

Renegades Water Polo, International Swim Coaches Assn, World Aquatic Federation of Schools & Universities

Swimming, our pools are the best learning labs - yet under utilized