Plans for the community's counter plan for Pittsburgh Public Schools are swirling

It was posted via email....

Hi everyone,

Obviously, we did not get time tonight to present.  

We will plan to do a community presentation this upcoming Tuesday, Oct 22nd at 6:30pm at Smithfield United Church of Christ Community Hall.  

Location: 

620 Smithfield St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

There is a public parking garage very close, and this location is accessible via PRT.  

Light dinner will be provided. 

 

Specific needs for that night: 

We are looking for a few folks to be there as staff to provide childcare - I have a lead on a few childcare providers. 

We would like an ASL interpreter if anyone has a connection to someone who is available to donate services. 

We need a way to stream the presentation live and also to record it for distribution.  

We need to borrow or rent a projector. 

We need to compose an official invitation to be sent out via email to board members, local elected leaders, superintendent and school administration, and community members. 

We will be accepting donations for anyone that would like to contribute to offset the costs of renting the church space, providing dinner, and paying anyone who we hire to provide childcare.  Please do not feel obligated, but if you feel like you are able to contribute a small amount - please send to @Sarah-Zangle (venmo) or zelle (717-395-4975; sarahzangle@gmail.com)

Thanks so much for all the amazing community support thus far.  I'm so impressed by our outreach.  

Thanks!

Sarah

Parent University - organized by Pittsburgh Public Schools and hosted at Duquesne University

Obama Golfing Team with Coach Mark

The solution chatter

Sadly, PPS, by and large, fails to understand some of the basics of life.

What does PPS want? It says "safety" is the top priority. 

For many, to amp up the safety factors makes life feel more oppressed. Confinement, surveillance, oppression, ridged authority, supervision with gatekeepers and control is their rulebook guide.

“In order to get people to do what you want them to do, you have to understand what motivates them."

PPS doesn't always have a good grip on what motivates the youngsters.

You also have to know how to present yourself and your product to get their interest, their trust, and

ultimately their willingness to call you, visit you, or send you their talents, energy and enthusiasm. 

There are transactions to be made here. Money is a part of it with the citizens paying the taxes, of course. Others can choose to vote with their feet and depart the city. 

Human psychology has not changed in ten centuries.

As a coach, I don't wish for safety as a top goal. It seems to me that safety is an artifact of responsibility, learning, betterment, engagement, devotion and improving results. 

When we win, we are safe. When we win, we show up. PPS is losing the safety battle and losing in achievements in education and sports.

Letter to PPS from a teacher, posted on social media and sent to the board

Kristen Johnson posted

 · 

I am posting the letter I am sending to the board for tomorrow. I do not know if it will all be read because of time, but enough is enough! I ask each and everyone of you to write as well.

Pittsburgh Board of Education:

Good evening, my name is Kristen Johnson and I am a teacher at Brashear High School. I am writing to implore a sense of urgency in addressing our current situation within the district. This is a call to action for each of you and everyone who works at Central Office.

Five years ago I started working at Brashear high school as an English teacher. I have moved to the CTE department and now teach Personal Finance and Computer Fundamental elective courses. Working for PPS is a dream come true and Brashear is my “home” where I can show school pride, community pride, city pride, and PPS pride.

Nothing that has transpired over the past week, and frankly this school year, has elicited a sense of pride. We are all experiencing a myriad of emotions. I will keep this letter local and immediate to my experience, but I know many others share similar frustrations and anger.

When family and friends asked how I was doing at the end of last week I paused and said “I am disgusted”. I am disgusted that our district has experienced heinous acts of violence including the death of a 15 year old student. I am disgusted that many conversations end without closure or a plan for actual and effective change. I am astounded that my colleagues at Oliver do not feel secure in their building because of the number of exits without alarms. I am outraged that we continue “with business as usual” after the death of a student, staff injuries in breaking up a fight, and another young adult in the hospital as a result of a fight.

What is going on?

We, teachers, are fighting a battle much bigger than us individually. We are fighting a system that is not effective at educating or preparing students for a future. We are trying to instill a sense of self in students, develop self-confidence, empower students to achieve self-actualization and see themselves as an asset to our communities. We do this by building relationships with students and families so they can become the captains of their own destiny. We are doing this every day in every building, and we are emotionally exhausted because we are doing it alone.

Where are you?

I have not seen one of you, board members or otherwise, in our buildings unless is was a planned tour of a particular program. I ask again, where are you? You have to get in the trenches to understand our day-to-day struggle with high need students and their individual circumstances. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed in Birmingham, Alabama, he wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. He began by addressing his fellow clergymen who called his visit “untimely and unwise”. Now is your time to see and be seen. We, teachers, feel we are doing this alone. We feel the support given by administration has been stifled because they are not willing, or able, to provide the necessary discipline to address minor student behaviors that perpetuate a climate and culture of disrespect for people and learning. Now is your time to come be substitute in our buildings, all buildings, but especially high school buildings and see for yourselves the profanity and disregard for redirection from staff. 

Where are you? 

Please come see for yourself what is happening. Not just once, take a week or two and sub in our buildings.

One year ago Amanda Gorman recited original poetry at the Presidential Inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. She was the youngest person to every do so. Her poem “The Hill We Climb” speaks to the challenges we have overcome in recent history, difficult challenges that tested our persistence and willingness to listen to each other. At the end she says “When day comes, we step out of the shade, Aflame and afraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, If only we’re brave enough to see it, If only we’re brave enough to be it.” I am “Aflame and afraid.” I beseech you to be brave enough to be the light so that we, teachers, may see it and share it. We must be the light and see the light to heal this district and our most precious asset, our students.

Fwd: Obama Academy Information

This newsletter has an interesting mention about the swim team schedule. I blog about it at the Dystopia blog. See: https://dystopia.4rs.org/two-major-policies-changed-for-this-years-2019-20-obama-varsity-swimmers/

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Barack Obama Academy of International Studies

Nothing in life is so complicated that it cannot be achieved by discipline and hard work. OBAMA ACADEMY INFORMATION December 2, 2019 Seniors See the bottom of this email for important information. 8th Grade Families!!!!! Friday Dec 6 is the deadline to submit your magnet application to be able to return to Obama for 9th grade. PTSA EVENTS Zumba Classes December 10, Tuesday, 4pm: BHS presents Zumba in the Obama cafeteria December 17, Tuesday, 3pm: BHS presents Zumba in the Obama cafeteria PTSA Meeting December 10, Tuesday, 6:30pm: Obama PTSA meeting in the Obama library. Featuring Dr. Dwyer, Chief of Data for PPS. PTSA PARTY December 17, Tuesday, 5-7pm: Obama PTSA invites you to join us for an Ugly Sweater Happy Hour at Primanti's!  5491 Penn Ave. (Garfield) Pittsburgh, PA 15206 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Ugliest Sweater Prize, Appetizers and Giveaways! Hope you will join us! Adults Only High School Swim Team Schedule M: 6-7:20; 3:30-5:00 (morning and afternoon) T: 3:30 - 5:00 (afternoon only) W: 6:00-7:20 (morning only) R: 3:30 - 5:00 (afternoon only) F: 6:00-7:20 (morning only) GRADUATION INFORMATION Graduation Practice Friday, June 12 /11:30-1:00 @ Peterson Event Center Graduation Sunday, June 14 / 3:00-4:00 p.m. @ Peterson Event Center Barack Obama Academy of International Studies Phone 412-529-5980 Fax 412-622-5983 https://www.pghschools.org/ibworld2

Barack Obama Academy of International Studies | 515 N Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Thanks for speaking to the PPS Board - from Anthony Hamlet

Doctor Walters departs

This was good news because Dr. Wayne Walters was no friend of swimming. He didn't allow us to swim on Saturdays. He didn't allow the coaches to lock up the facilities or unlock the facilities before and after practices. 

But, what went from bad went to worse with the arrival of the new principal, Ms. Colbert. She would not allow for AM swim practices nor for fall water polo. She wouldn't sign the permit for months, until the issue was forced. And, she wouldn't even meet with me -- again for months. 

PPS pool permit in March

Pool permit for Mondays for kayak.

PPS Permits in 2016, first quarter

Two permits. One for Mondays to do kayaking. Other for Tuesdays to do water polo.

Score card of swim meet: Schenley vs. Carrick, a typical District 8 dual meet

Mark ranting to the PPS School Board - notes

Gifted Center shut down threat: Letter to PPS Board and Superintendent from Catherine Palmer, Ph.D. & mom

This letter was written by Catherine V. Palmer, Ph.D.

Catherine and Mark Rauterkus, candidate for public office, have been married since 1990.



108 South 12th Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203

412-481-2540



December 14, 2005


Superintendent Mark Roosevelt School Board, Pittsburgh Public Schools


Dear Madams and Sirs:


I write to you as a parent of two elementary school children in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and a fellow educator. I am an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders. I have an undergraduate degree in elementary education, my PhD is in Audiology, I conduct research, and see patients who have communication problems due to hearing loss. I believe I am sensitive to educational needs, budget constraints, and making decision based on data due to these various roles.


My sons came home from the Gifted Center last Thursday (their favorite day of the school week) and told me that the superintendent was going to close the Gifted Center. In fact, they both produced a handout from the Gifted Center that summarized the news thus far (frequently asked questions: buses cost money, the board is voting 12/21, gifted education is mandated by law, how to be at the hearing, etc.). And then they both asked me how I could let this happen. So, out of my responsibility to my two boys, I decided to compose a letter so at least I won't have to say that I didn't even ask the important questions. I have taken several days to think about this because I have admired the process thus far in the Pittsburgh Public Schools to try to make data driven decisions rather than emotional ones. Just because I love my boys going to the Gifted Center and they love going, isn't actually a reason to keep it open. Yet, what is the reason for closing it? I will try to suggest a data driven way to approach this.


Thus far, the major decisions related to the "right-sizing” of schools in Pittsburgh have been data driven even if the formulas weren't readily available. And these data were based on educational performance. These are hard to argue with.

What is the formula for considering closing the Gifted Center?

It can't be performance based because these children clearly are performing. So, is it solely financially based?

The only information that we have received states that this “... is not an educational decision, but a needed financial decision. By closing the building and sending all students back to their home schools the district will save $394,449 the first year and possibly $986,000 thereafter.” But these aren't adequate data. First, it is disheartening, although honest, to be told decisions related to your school children are not educational.

All the right-sizing” thus far has emphasized that these were educationally based decisions, but now when it comes to some of our most gifted students, decisions are no longer educational? That seems peculiar.

I would respectfully request that no action is taken until data can be collected as it has been for all of the other decisions. These data would include the actual costs of integrating gifted programs into each and every home school for the same grades that currently receive services. In doing this, the administration also needs to be honest in how they will do this and maintain the standard that the Gifted Center has set.


I can save you some time here, because you can't possibly maintain this standard. Anyone who has studied Gifted Education and seen it implemented in the Pittsburgh Public Schools knows that it is a culture that is created. It is not something that can be recreated in a room set aside at a home school. You cannot replicate the interactions between the students from different parts of the city, the freedom to explore subjects with amazing resources (both things and teachers), the independent learning that is created in this environment, and the forthcoming leadership skills that are born and nourished. This is not likely to be recreated in a room that most likely will be shared with other programs at home schools. And perhaps even more importantly, whatever is created in the home schools will be wildly different between schools and you will see some schools witř terrific gifted resources and others with very little. This is not equitable or just for the gifted children of Pittsburgh who come from different neighborhoods. Most likely the best we will be able to hope for is some accelerated work in these home school "gifted programs" and no one should be fooled into thinking that this is adequate gifted education. Regardless, the responsible way of looking at this would be to calculate the true costs of implementing adequate and equal gifted programs in each and every school (materials, rooms, teachers, etc.) including all grades that currently use the gifted center and then comparing it to what is spent now on the Gifted Center and the transportation to the program.

As we interact with our friends and relatives who live in the suburbs with children the same ages as our own, there are two things they always mention and envy about the city schools – the fact that we have language magnets that start language immersion in Kindergarten and the fact that we have the Gifted Center - a place where gifted education truly takes place in an ideal atmosphere. Why would we close the Gifted. Center, why wouldn't we make it a model for others to follow? Why wouldn't we use it as a source to approach foundations who might want to encourage the best and the brightest in our city schools? These two programs that are the envy of suburban friends are also part of what keeps people who choose to send their children to the city schools doing just that. Without these outstanding resources, the reasons to be in the city schools may not outnumber some of the costs and we may find ourselves yet again needing to “right size”. As superintendent and the school board, you must look at all of your constituents and part of that constituency consists of individuals who make a conscious choice to have their children in the city schools and have other options available. We want a diverse group of children in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and we want people who have consciously chosen to be here.

I respectfully request that you postpone any decision related to the Gifted Center until you have collected and shared the data that would reasonably compare the current cost of the gifted center and the cost to duplicate this program in each and every home school. This would be a responsible way to make a decision related to gifted education in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.




Sincerely,




Catherine V. Palmer

Handwritten notes by Mark:

Local principals won't stand up for the Gifted Center.

Could suggest to end transportation to the Gifted Center and let families handle that cost.

Without the buses, it could be a longer school day at The Gifted Center.

At the least, PPS should phase out, not just terminate, the Gifted Center.

Public comment to PPS School Board

A Three-Minute Address to the School Board and Administration of the Pittsburgh Public Schools

Who: Facts

My Name is Mark Rauterkus. My family and I live at 108 South 12th Street, on the South Side of Pittsburgh.

Thanks for the opportunity to speak with you tonight.

Contact Information:

My phone number, home and office: 412-481-2540.

My email address is, Mark@SportSurf.Net.

The WWW site for the things I'm going to address tonight is: http://SportSurf.Net/backyard

Open Invitation for Feedback to All

I am very interested in hearing from any one, (board member or otherwise) regarding these issues. Do not hesitate to call, ask questions, raise objections. By better filtering and refining the ideas, we sharpen our perspectives and knowledge base. That insures a victory.

Goals for Tonight's Presentation:

In the 3-minutes of time I'd like to:

• introduce myself and
• present a "commercial" of sorts.

First the Commercial.

The commercial is to hype a position paper that is being released on the internet. IMHO, the School Board and the educational community is going to fall in love with the ideas presented within this position paper.

You are going to enjoy the position paper for all of the right reasons.

1. From what I can tell from my vantage point -- on the outside looking in, some of the ideas raised by the position paper make for a perfect match to the district's mission. I do, by all means, need your assistance here. I want to not only dovetail this plan upon your plan, but we want to make a complete overlap.

   I want to bond our ideas together. I want to forge later drafts of this position paper with your help so we all can work from a position of strength. This benefits the kids and the community and the district.

   ---

   The ideas within the position paper can be made to surround and fully-support the mission of the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

   
   

   Issues of Overlap with School Board and the position paper:

   1. The ideas make great financial sense.
      • Let's address a $50M burden looming large in our future.

   2. Let's champion community and school interactions.

   3. Let's leverage some inter-governmental cooperation with some the school district, some identified matching state grants, some capital investments and discussion brewing with Pittsburgh City Council and our Citiparks Department.

   4. Finally, let's get everyone on the same page and for the same reasons -- and then let's deliver a package to UPMC, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt -- that is just too good to refuse.

   ---

2. A wide-open window of opportunity exists, and we need to greatly accelerate some of these discussions. I need some high-priority attention from the board and some of the key administrators.

   You'll see that time is a critical factor. And, we need to have some high-level conversations and meetings within the week. I have had the chance to chat with the AD, the principal at South High, the AD at South High, some others in the district and with a school board member tonight. Furthermore, the Business Manager, Mr. Fellers came to a South Side meeting at my request, so he has this on his radar screen, so to speak. But these are more casual conversations. Now we need to get very serious.

   The citizens of Pittsburgh have put in a call to City Council for a Public Hearing on these matters. That meeting should be scheduled this week and held in a month's time. In short order, I'm going to be asking each of you to begin to network with your counterparts on City Council and to attend the Public Hearing. That would be a great show of brilliance for you all to be there, with the citizens and with City Council.

3. The dirty parts --- there is no one-page executive summary.

   The position paper is hundreds of pages in length. There are many concept maps. Large sub-sections of philosophy are tied within the points and justifications. To absorb these plans, each of you will have to apply about 6-8 hours of study. And, each of you are going to have to interact with chunks of this plan. Your want to raise objections, questions and offer refinements to various positions and elements of the vision.

   You're going to have to get to the internet, or, pickup a 3-ring binder, and slot a full-day of time to examine these issues -- in the very near future.

   Can the district make copies of this position paper available to its staff and board members once I deliver a Master edition, please? The photo-copy assistance is greatly appreciated.

   To spend a day of your time on issues I bring before you at short order is a tall request, granted. Please do it, because it is your duty.

   Do it for duty, and do it because we are talking about tens of millions of dollars.

   Do What?

   Before peeking at the WHAT, let's get to a big question you all have the right to ask. It is fair to wonder, "Who in the heck am I to ask for such big favors."

   What is in this for me?

   Often in this world, sad to say, it is not what you say, but who you are when you say it. An introduction is in order.

   Pittsburgher -- and Passionate about Education

   Presently, I'm a stay at home dad. My sons are age 4 and 1. My wife and I met while she was getting her Ph.D. at Northwestern. We moved her from Chicago. She is a professor and director at a medical setting.

   My blood has been boiling about this cause since November. I've been working on this every day since then. I'm fortunate as I've got some flexibility, time, and experiences to pound the pavement on this.

   We live on the South Side, just 2 blocks from South High School. Our kids are going to go to school some day soon.

   I'm the son of a long-time Pittsburgh Public School teacher. My dad is Leo M. Rauterkus -- he retired a few years ago. My sister, my cousin, and my uncle also taught in this district.

   I've been blessed to have two different careers throughout my life -- both on hold while I attend to my kids. I've been a swim coach in six different states, and I've been a sports publisher.

   Coaching

   I've been lucky to coach at:
   • Harvard with Olympians on the team in 1980.

   • New Trier School District, on the North Shore of Chicago -- rated by Town and Country Magazine as the best public high school in America.
   • Ohio University, Bradley University and the Peoria Park District.
   • Plum High School -- where one athlete set a PIAA record as the fastest 200 IM swimmer in the state.
   • Baylor University in Texas. I was a grad student in Education.

   Texas Past

   I hitch-hiked from Pittsburgh to Waco, Texas to begin my year as a graduate student at Baylor. Short story if time permits.

   Publisher of 100+ Sports Books and Multi-Media Titles

   Books on Volleyball, Competitive Swimming, Water Polo, Triathlons, Sports Psychology, Weightlifting, a Flexibility Video, a book on sports inclusion for Hearing Impaired Athletes, Pull Your Own Weight -- self-esteem and body weight exercises.

   The Treasure Within --- handout cover. The philosophy. A companion work by Kevin DeForrest to Sports, Spirit and Soul.

   ---

   What is Happening?

   City Council's Control

   Some City Council-people are looking for ways to do things for the little-folks in this city. With "Plan B" everything seems to break in the favor of the corporate folks in development issues, at the expense of the citizens.

   The Jim Ferlo tax on ballplayers is to generate $1M per year, some for a city-parks trust fund. In today's paper read a great idea championed by Dan Onorato who wants to auction parts of the old Three Rivers Stadium, to raise $10M.

   Petition Has Been Filed

   The Citizens of Pittsburgh (49 names were gathered) -- filed a petition to the City Clerk's office last week to call for a Public Hearing on the topic of the URA's sale of land to UPMC on the South Side for a Sports Performance compound to be used by the Pitt Panthers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

   UPMC wants to spend $30M to develop this prime river-front site -- and it isn't going to fit. There are lots and lots of problems with the UPMC plans. The position paper uncovers hundreds of issues about this bogus plan.

4. One tiny example: The NCAA won't allow its college athletes to share the same facility at the same time with professional athletes.

   I feel that UPMC is trying to hoodwink the URA and the citizens on this terrible deal. Once this plan is understood by some additional people, everyone can see it doesn't make sense. The facility isn't going to happen if we take the time to look at it. Graders and bulldozers have been working at the site since mid-Feb, yet the deal for the land can't occur.

   Slogan: In a hurricane, even turkeys can fly!

   There is so much happening at this time with our city, we need to take a deep breath and be certain that the right projects get done for the right reasons.

   The position paper takes some long-hard looks at the global development picture. We dismantle the bogus plans, and then we must re-construct a better vision. Enter PPS officials.

   The Steelers Need a Practice Facility -- next year even.

   Let's get on the same page -- and put the Steelers into a spiffed up, bubbled, shared with city-kids, South Stadium at South High. There is much, much more to come in the vision as to what is needed, what can be done, and so on. We can expand the Market House concept to include a dynamic place for schools and community to interact.

   We can build a win-win-win solution -- if we have your help.

   Next Stop -- Arm and Arm with City Council

   I'd like to see you all begin to wrestle with these concepts. And, I'd like to have you all come to some positions, that benefit the kids and the district -- by this month. Then we can all go into the Public Hearing with City Council on this with some clear cooperation and much better solutions.

---

South Vo Tech event

South Vo Tech to Host Regional Competition

South Vocational Technical High School is hosting the regional competition for industrial arts students in grades 11 and 12 on Tuesday, February 16, 1999, 9 to 11 a.m. The competition, which also includes state and national meets, is sponsored through VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America).

Students from Pittsburgh Public Schools will compete against students from programs in Western Pennsylvania Career and Technical Centers, including Somerset, Green, North Fayette, Fayette, Central Westmoreland, Western Area and Mon Valley.

Superintendent of Schools Dale E. Frederick said the competition is held in Pittsburgh once every eight years. "We are proud to host this activity for students at our vocational education magnet school," he said. "Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership and applied skills in a variety of technical concentrations such as Cosmetology, Commercial Baking, Sheet Metal and Welding.

Many of these areas have incorporated computer technology. Student projects will be judged by community volunteers. First place winners advance to the state competition in the Spring along with other areas that are classified as "byes" and automatically qualify for the state meet.