Several restorative practices training sessions are being offered in February and March, 2018.
Introduction to Restorative Practices and Using Circles Effectively is offered once per month at no-cost to PPS staff and District partners who have not yet attended restorative practices training. Note that all sessions take place at the Greenway Professional Development center (1400 Crucible St, 15205) from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm with a one hour break for lunch. Additionally, registration is limited to 30 participants per session. District partners can register by e-mailing restorativepractices@pghboe.net. For additional details and contact Keiterez Bynum at 412-529-3985 with questions.
More insights at this PDF.
Showing posts with label schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label schools. Show all posts
Monday, February 05, 2018
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Interview with Principal Colbert at Obama Academy
Article was published in the school newspaper, The Obama Eagle:
Posted: 24 Jan 2018 07:07 AM PST
Yalonda Colbert is the new principal at Obama Academy, and if this isn’t your first year here you may remember her as the Assistant Principal and Middle School Director. But do you know how she came into this position? There are a lot of things about our principal that you may not know, but I got to sit down with her and take a look into the life behind our principal.
How would you describe being the Principal so far based on this school year?
So far, first of all I’m super excited. But, there’s a lot of paperwork. And I think that, that sometimes interferes with my ability to be as visible as I would like to be sometimes and as supportive as I would like to be. Especially in the classrooms to help students and thinks like that. It’s been really good, parents have been very welcoming, students are I think really giving me an opportunity and a chance to provide support and insight on things that we want to change, things that we want to keep, things that we want to improve upon. But it’s been a lot of work, which I expected. But like I said the paperwork piece is really- I don’t want to say overwhelming because I knew that there would be a lot just being here the past to years. But the paperwork is intense. Kind of like, you guys’ class schedules and managing all of your papers and projects you guys do. I’m having to do that for the entire school. But it’s definitely been fun, I’m enjoying it. Just kind of getting to know all of our systems that we have in place and how to make things better. So I’m just looking forward to the second semester.
What was your position before becoming Principal?
Before I was Principal for the past two school years I was the Director, so that’s kind of like being Assistant Principal. The only difference is that I was responsible for a lot more of the paperwork than someone who is an Assistant Principal in the District. So there was a lot of work that I did side by side with Dr.Walters these past two years just because of the nature of my role. So on top of being in charge of discipline for middle school, I also had to support discipline for high school. But then also having to be like Dr. Walters’ right hand person, whether he was physically in the building or not. I had to make sure that school was still happening, students were being taken care of, parents were listened to and taken care of, activities were still going on, the budget, all of those types of things. It was really fun but last year I just felt like I was able to get out into the hall space a lot more.
What were some jobs you had before that helped you prepare for being a Principal?
I began in the district in 2006, I started at Arsenal Middle School. I was a middle school math teacher. After that, I applied to be one of the founding teachers to open up University Prep at Milliones here in the district. So I left Arsenal Middle School and started over at U-Prep in the 2008 school year and I stayed there until 2013 I think. So I was a middle school and a high school math teacher for about seven, seven and a half years then I became a high school and middle school math coach for U-Prep. So I did that for one year and then I had the opportunity to apply to become a Secondary Supervisor over curriculum for mathematics for grades 6-12 math at the district where I was able to be a supervisor and go over and write the curriculum and kind of get some things going on to support students in their learning and teachers in their teaching. And with that I was able to learn all about budgets, all about writing, board tabs to like say “Hey we need this program to come in or we need this person to come in.” So I learned a lot of the back end paperwork from growing from a teacher to a coach to being an assistant supervisor over in the central office, so the math department. And then, like I said just with Dr. Walters’ leadership and challenging me to learn. I learned a lot in two years, he always tells me that. We learned a lot in two years and you don’t often see that from a lot of people. Those are basically the things that really helped me but I think the biggest thing that helped me is just that I’ve always been pushed by others to be a leader. I enjoy leading people and helping, you know to be their best and that really began for me when I used to help my friends who were struggling in math and were struggling in French because I really love French and I really love math, coming through 6th grade to 12th grade. I always loved math probably since I was really little but I didn’t even really get the chance to take French until middle school. So I’ve just always tutored people, helped my friends’ kids, my cousins, and always just being pushed to be a role model so I think that those are my early year experiences all the way through like becoming a teacher and things like that.
Where did you go to college and what did you major and minor in?
So I first started off at Penn State. I had a full ride scholarship, so all I had to pay for was my books. So I was very blessed and thankful for that experience. I declared myself as an Accounting major at first, because I loved math. But I found it to be quite boring so I kind of left that alone and enrolled myself, well declared myself to be an Education major. I transferred up to the main campus and I didn’t have a good transition from the branch campus to the main campus. So what I ended up doing was transferring back to Pittsburgh and I came to the University of Pittsburgh, their main campus and I enrolled in a program that was under the psychology branch. My Bachelor’s is in Developmental Adolescent and Adult Psychology so that helped me to really begin to learn why people behave the way they behave, why they think the way they think and things like that. So I would also say that my Bachelor’s learning and stuff also helped me to be able to really help children and be in the position that I’m in right now. I remained at the University of Pittsburgh where I got accepted to their secondary mathematics education program there so I became certified as a teacher in secondary mathematics. So middle school and high school mathematics. I am still certified to teach, like if I decided I don’t want to be a principal anymore I can go back to teaching math. And then I went to IUP to get my principal certification. And so you learn a lot about community engagement and what it means to be a principal and how to support all three entities in the school. So not just the students but the parents and the community, they make up the school. It’s not just your school and you run it, you have to really make sure that you pay attention to all of those variables.
What was your first choice in careers?
My first choice was accounting, when I was going to school Penn State had a partnership where they helped students get jobs and if you had a certain GPA and you passed your exams, you were guaranteed to be starting out at like $80,000. So like what kid–you know you’re 19-20 years old. I was a very good kid, I was always on the Dean’s’ list. I had to be on the Dean’s list to keep my scholarship. And so just the incentive of, “Oh my gosh, I can really work for a really prestigious accounting firm for $80,000. I’m young, single, I can do this by the time I’m 22 or 23.” That was like really awesome for me but I was missing the whole relationship piece which is what drives me to do what I do like interacting with human beings. Sitting and crunching numbers all day, that just wasn’t going to work for me I couldn’t do it. And so knowing that I still love numbers and I love math I knew that a lot of African-American students in particular just reflecting back on friends they would say, “I hate math, I don’t know how you like it, what is it about it? What is your obsession with it?” It just kind of makes me feel powerful and strong and confident. So I just thought that I could be a role model in that space if I sought to become a mathematics teacher. Not only being an African-American but being a female. You really have a female math teacher so that was how I chose what to do. So first accounting but I quickly switched over to education.
What were some other passions you had that could have affected your career choice?
Middle school was really when I became– people would always say like “Yalonda you are so ambitious” like kind of just know what you’re going to do. And so, I actually applied to go through the Magnet process here in Pittsburgh Public Schools. I’ve been in PPS all my life. I went to Oliver High School which is now closed, but I went there because I actually wanted to be a lawyer at one point. And then somewhere my teachers kind of turned me off, which I would never advise a student to let anybody get them into that kind of space. But I had a rocky road with a couple teachers in that program which caused me to not even be focused on it or love it and enjoy it, and pursue it as much as I probably would have had I not had those encounters. But I would say early on that was one of the spaces that I really wanted to go into and be this voice of justice, voice of reason because of all the stuff I was witnessing in that community. You know with the drug epidemic at that time when I was growing up and I had my peers thinking that early encounters with sexual promiscuity meant that “Oh I’m going to be ok” versus staying in school and being educated and things like that. So I just knew something had to change. I saw a lot of my friends, not necessarily my friends but just people I went to school with being arrested, getting into gangs, just the typical statistical type of thing. What people would say “You’re another statistic” about or something, so that’s why I was interested in pursuing law and just becoming an attorney and I hoped I could be a judge at some point. I can give someone someone a second chance if I really have evidence and I can really see that they deserve a second chance.
Do you ever wish you had chosen a different career?
Sometimes I really do wish I would have at least stuck with pursuing law to at least achieve earning my Juris doctorate. Sometimes I even consider it, will there ever be a point in time in my principalship where I could go to night classes and take those classes so I could at least be certified and go through those courses because I feel like those courses may give me the opportunity to still support some other places that students would need my help and support here in school. So that would be one thing I kind of still have on my bucket list. I haven’t quite put it off but, that’s one thing I still hope to be able to do.
What are some hobbies you have outside of being a principal?
I don’t know if it’s a hobby but I enjoy being a mom, I enjoy being a wife, I enjoy like– I don’t think you guys would even know because I don’t think you guys kind of give me the opportunity to like interact in that way but I love to dance, I love to sing, I really like to eat, I love movies, I just really love to be silly and hang out with my friends. I guess that’s kind of boring but that’s who I am.
What would you say to a student that wants to become a principal some day?
I would say that you have to accept that this position is not necessarily a position of power. So don’t let the title get your head big. You have to approach the position and the work that you have to do through a servant’s heart. The work that you will be charged with as a principal is very delicate and you have to be ok with being lonely. Because it is a very lonely job. And at the end of the day you’re held accountable and responsible for everything and even like your assistant and other people aren’t always going to be there for you or physically in the space when everything is happening. So you have to be ok with working in solitude because it is a very lonely space.
How would you describe being the Principal so far based on this school year?
So far, first of all I’m super excited. But, there’s a lot of paperwork. And I think that, that sometimes interferes with my ability to be as visible as I would like to be sometimes and as supportive as I would like to be. Especially in the classrooms to help students and thinks like that. It’s been really good, parents have been very welcoming, students are I think really giving me an opportunity and a chance to provide support and insight on things that we want to change, things that we want to keep, things that we want to improve upon. But it’s been a lot of work, which I expected. But like I said the paperwork piece is really- I don’t want to say overwhelming because I knew that there would be a lot just being here the past to years. But the paperwork is intense. Kind of like, you guys’ class schedules and managing all of your papers and projects you guys do. I’m having to do that for the entire school. But it’s definitely been fun, I’m enjoying it. Just kind of getting to know all of our systems that we have in place and how to make things better. So I’m just looking forward to the second semester.
What was your position before becoming Principal?
Before I was Principal for the past two school years I was the Director, so that’s kind of like being Assistant Principal. The only difference is that I was responsible for a lot more of the paperwork than someone who is an Assistant Principal in the District. So there was a lot of work that I did side by side with Dr.Walters these past two years just because of the nature of my role. So on top of being in charge of discipline for middle school, I also had to support discipline for high school. But then also having to be like Dr. Walters’ right hand person, whether he was physically in the building or not. I had to make sure that school was still happening, students were being taken care of, parents were listened to and taken care of, activities were still going on, the budget, all of those types of things. It was really fun but last year I just felt like I was able to get out into the hall space a lot more.
What were some jobs you had before that helped you prepare for being a Principal?
I began in the district in 2006, I started at Arsenal Middle School. I was a middle school math teacher. After that, I applied to be one of the founding teachers to open up University Prep at Milliones here in the district. So I left Arsenal Middle School and started over at U-Prep in the 2008 school year and I stayed there until 2013 I think. So I was a middle school and a high school math teacher for about seven, seven and a half years then I became a high school and middle school math coach for U-Prep. So I did that for one year and then I had the opportunity to apply to become a Secondary Supervisor over curriculum for mathematics for grades 6-12 math at the district where I was able to be a supervisor and go over and write the curriculum and kind of get some things going on to support students in their learning and teachers in their teaching. And with that I was able to learn all about budgets, all about writing, board tabs to like say “Hey we need this program to come in or we need this person to come in.” So I learned a lot of the back end paperwork from growing from a teacher to a coach to being an assistant supervisor over in the central office, so the math department. And then, like I said just with Dr. Walters’ leadership and challenging me to learn. I learned a lot in two years, he always tells me that. We learned a lot in two years and you don’t often see that from a lot of people. Those are basically the things that really helped me but I think the biggest thing that helped me is just that I’ve always been pushed by others to be a leader. I enjoy leading people and helping, you know to be their best and that really began for me when I used to help my friends who were struggling in math and were struggling in French because I really love French and I really love math, coming through 6th grade to 12th grade. I always loved math probably since I was really little but I didn’t even really get the chance to take French until middle school. So I’ve just always tutored people, helped my friends’ kids, my cousins, and always just being pushed to be a role model so I think that those are my early year experiences all the way through like becoming a teacher and things like that.
Where did you go to college and what did you major and minor in?
So I first started off at Penn State. I had a full ride scholarship, so all I had to pay for was my books. So I was very blessed and thankful for that experience. I declared myself as an Accounting major at first, because I loved math. But I found it to be quite boring so I kind of left that alone and enrolled myself, well declared myself to be an Education major. I transferred up to the main campus and I didn’t have a good transition from the branch campus to the main campus. So what I ended up doing was transferring back to Pittsburgh and I came to the University of Pittsburgh, their main campus and I enrolled in a program that was under the psychology branch. My Bachelor’s is in Developmental Adolescent and Adult Psychology so that helped me to really begin to learn why people behave the way they behave, why they think the way they think and things like that. So I would also say that my Bachelor’s learning and stuff also helped me to be able to really help children and be in the position that I’m in right now. I remained at the University of Pittsburgh where I got accepted to their secondary mathematics education program there so I became certified as a teacher in secondary mathematics. So middle school and high school mathematics. I am still certified to teach, like if I decided I don’t want to be a principal anymore I can go back to teaching math. And then I went to IUP to get my principal certification. And so you learn a lot about community engagement and what it means to be a principal and how to support all three entities in the school. So not just the students but the parents and the community, they make up the school. It’s not just your school and you run it, you have to really make sure that you pay attention to all of those variables.
What was your first choice in careers?
My first choice was accounting, when I was going to school Penn State had a partnership where they helped students get jobs and if you had a certain GPA and you passed your exams, you were guaranteed to be starting out at like $80,000. So like what kid–you know you’re 19-20 years old. I was a very good kid, I was always on the Dean’s’ list. I had to be on the Dean’s list to keep my scholarship. And so just the incentive of, “Oh my gosh, I can really work for a really prestigious accounting firm for $80,000. I’m young, single, I can do this by the time I’m 22 or 23.” That was like really awesome for me but I was missing the whole relationship piece which is what drives me to do what I do like interacting with human beings. Sitting and crunching numbers all day, that just wasn’t going to work for me I couldn’t do it. And so knowing that I still love numbers and I love math I knew that a lot of African-American students in particular just reflecting back on friends they would say, “I hate math, I don’t know how you like it, what is it about it? What is your obsession with it?” It just kind of makes me feel powerful and strong and confident. So I just thought that I could be a role model in that space if I sought to become a mathematics teacher. Not only being an African-American but being a female. You really have a female math teacher so that was how I chose what to do. So first accounting but I quickly switched over to education.
What were some other passions you had that could have affected your career choice?
Middle school was really when I became– people would always say like “Yalonda you are so ambitious” like kind of just know what you’re going to do. And so, I actually applied to go through the Magnet process here in Pittsburgh Public Schools. I’ve been in PPS all my life. I went to Oliver High School which is now closed, but I went there because I actually wanted to be a lawyer at one point. And then somewhere my teachers kind of turned me off, which I would never advise a student to let anybody get them into that kind of space. But I had a rocky road with a couple teachers in that program which caused me to not even be focused on it or love it and enjoy it, and pursue it as much as I probably would have had I not had those encounters. But I would say early on that was one of the spaces that I really wanted to go into and be this voice of justice, voice of reason because of all the stuff I was witnessing in that community. You know with the drug epidemic at that time when I was growing up and I had my peers thinking that early encounters with sexual promiscuity meant that “Oh I’m going to be ok” versus staying in school and being educated and things like that. So I just knew something had to change. I saw a lot of my friends, not necessarily my friends but just people I went to school with being arrested, getting into gangs, just the typical statistical type of thing. What people would say “You’re another statistic” about or something, so that’s why I was interested in pursuing law and just becoming an attorney and I hoped I could be a judge at some point. I can give someone someone a second chance if I really have evidence and I can really see that they deserve a second chance.
Do you ever wish you had chosen a different career?
Sometimes I really do wish I would have at least stuck with pursuing law to at least achieve earning my Juris doctorate. Sometimes I even consider it, will there ever be a point in time in my principalship where I could go to night classes and take those classes so I could at least be certified and go through those courses because I feel like those courses may give me the opportunity to still support some other places that students would need my help and support here in school. So that would be one thing I kind of still have on my bucket list. I haven’t quite put it off but, that’s one thing I still hope to be able to do.
What are some hobbies you have outside of being a principal?
I don’t know if it’s a hobby but I enjoy being a mom, I enjoy being a wife, I enjoy like– I don’t think you guys would even know because I don’t think you guys kind of give me the opportunity to like interact in that way but I love to dance, I love to sing, I really like to eat, I love movies, I just really love to be silly and hang out with my friends. I guess that’s kind of boring but that’s who I am.
What would you say to a student that wants to become a principal some day?
I would say that you have to accept that this position is not necessarily a position of power. So don’t let the title get your head big. You have to approach the position and the work that you have to do through a servant’s heart. The work that you will be charged with as a principal is very delicate and you have to be ok with being lonely. Because it is a very lonely job. And at the end of the day you’re held accountable and responsible for everything and even like your assistant and other people aren’t always going to be there for you or physically in the space when everything is happening. So you have to be ok with working in solitude because it is a very lonely space.
Monday, January 01, 2018
Monday, December 18, 2017
No practice policy at PPS throughout the holidays is a way to soil the slogan, EXPECT GREAT THINGS.
UPDATE: I got a call from the PPS COO and we were granted permission to practice on a couple / few days of the winter break. Permits were submitted.
- - original post - -
Hi Dr. Hamlet:
Coaches need to coach. Athletes need to practice.
It is CRAZY to not grant the varsity swim teams, and, for that matter the coaches and players for the varsity basketball teams and wrestlers, NO ACCESS to their high school facilities for the duration of the Christmas break.
Teams should be able to use the facilities in the schools on these dates:
Saturday Dec 23
Wednesday, Dec 27
Thursday, Dec 28
Friday, Dec 29
Saturday, Dec 30
The teams could hold practices within the window of time from 9 am to 2 pm on those days.
No games. No outside teams, but we need practice times.
We have had problems with this in past years. We have had been granted practice time last year. In other years, not so much. I've stood in the lobby of our school one year with 15 kids ready to go to practice on December 26 and been refused entry to the swim pool by the custodian because the principal did not sign off on the pool permit.
This year they're not even allowing any permit to be written.
Other school districts often hold three practices a day over the holidays. We get NONE. We want to compete.
--
Ta.
Mark Rauterkus Mark@Rauterkus.com
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim & Water Polo Camp Executive Coach
Ta.
Mark Rauterkus Mark@Rauterkus.com
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim & Water Polo Camp Executive Coach
Varsity Boys Swim Coach, Pittsburgh Obama Academy
Recent Head Water Polo Coach, Carnegie Mellon University Women's Club Team
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team
http://CLOH.org
412 298 3432 = cell
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team
http://CLOH.org
412 298 3432 = cell
Monday, November 13, 2017
Aquatics and Pittsburgh Public Schools
Tip: You might want to view this on the SlideShare site so it can easily go to full screen.
Ask for the PDF or Keynote if you want parts or all of it.
Monday, November 06, 2017
Conservative foil: Sue Kerr of Pgh Lesbian Correspondents
Let's ponder the
definition. “Conservative” is holding to traditional attitudes
and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in
relation to politics or religion.
Sue Kerr, a blogger,
(I am a blogger too) is playing the role of a conservative and asking
people to vote “NO” to the City of Pittsburgh ballot measure that
I have championed because:
- She has not found
anyone with actual facts, however, she refused to answer my friend
request on Facebook and refused to discuss this with me despite my
repeated approaches to her. So, her seeking is more like planned
avoidance. Come on Sue. Why can't we be friends? One of my central
themes as a coach and advocate for better government is “playing
well with others.”
- Then she writes,
“the narrow exclusion would only benefit a few people.” Really?
You really want to put hardships on super-minorities? You think that
because only a fraction of the population is (insert letter of your
choice) that they don't deserve the rights of others? What about
protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or
gender identity? Hey, that is a “narrow” and those protections
only benefit a few people. So, let's let things as they are. So
conservative of you.
Pittsburgh passed a
law with sexual orientation protection and that benefits few – and
I'm proud to have that as part of the fabric of our city's legacy.
Helping a few people helps us all be better, be stronger, be more
whole. At its roots, the ballot question is about non-discrimination.
I don't like discrimination, even for a few, and I'm puzzled why you
favor it.
- Vote no, posts
Sue, “because some are already coaching and teaching in public
universities as adjunct faculty (just Google a few names.)” What?
Who? Name names! I know of none. Should we google the entire city
payroll? And, what might that uncover? I don't have the names of all
the city workers. Sue, why don't you send this posting to Michael
Lamb, city controller. Does your partner work for CCAC? I don't know
what to think. I lost my decoder ring anyway. And, let's say it is
true in that perhaps there are a few workers in the city who are
already working another part-time job, against the norm and city
charter's stipulations, for CCAC and /or Pittsburgh Public Schools –
then what? Do you want to whistleblow? Or, would you just forgive
them and not allow others the same opportunities? Then vote YES with
me. Or, are you just without any logic and wishing to spread fog and
doubt?
- Since, as Sue
posted, “enforcement of this ban has certainly not been consistent”
then it makes sense to vote YES and be done with this opportunity for
meaningless rule-breaking. All should know that I championed this
ballot question because last year a newly-hired coach was forced off
of the PPS job because of his city employment with the department of
public works. Real work actions, to my knowledge, have been fully
consistent and ethical. He should not have worked last year – and
he didn't. But, he should be able to work as a coach next week if we
change the charter. And, I hope he applies, gets hired and takes
another coaching job as soon as possible.
- Sue thinks a no
vote is wise because of a lack of an informed perspective. Wrong. The
matter before the voters in the election is for part-time employment.
Part-time employment for public-school coaching and adjunct teaching
at CCAC is different. The charter's authors didn't visualize every
possible situation under the sun for the future of our city. This is
an enhancement. Be progressive.
The quote from Mr.
O'Connor of city council speaks against a broader exemption as being
problematic, but this ballot question is specific and NOT A PROBLEM.
Ms. Rudiak of city
council defends the ballot question too. The change is what it is. It
is not an exemptions for all types of government side work. It is a
question with focus. Perhaps Sue likes uncertainty and sinister plots
within her ballot questions. I don't.
- Sue goes on to
slam Natalia Rudiak for leaving office at the end of her term. She
didn't seek re-election because she is moving on to other chapters in
her life. “Who would champion such a thing?” is a direct question
from Sue. Answer: A reasonable person who listens to citizens'
concerns and does her job while she is hired to do her job. I'm happy
that Natalia has not been a lame duck for an entire year.
Sue attempts to
throw stones now at the messenger and not the message, a childish
ploy.
Sue then plays the
not forthcoming victim yet won't converse with me. Joke is on Sue.
Sue gets it wrong
again when she posts that the goal is to create more employment and
side income opportunities for City employees. Wrong! That is not the
goal. Sue knows what the goal is, as the first line of her blog post
reads, “… I think students in Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS)
deserve good coaches.” That's the goal. We had a good coach knocked
off of a part-time coaching job opportunity because of a city-charter
provision that worked AGAINST good coaching. Here is the formula from
2016-17 season on the PPS pool deck: 2 coaches, minus one, equals
less coaching. That's bad. Help fix it.
- Sue asks a
question for another day and another referendum, “Why not allow
employees to do holiday temp work with the postal service?” That's
not the issue. Your thinking that voters should pick “NO” because
this ballot question is not going to help the postal service is crazy
talk. I'm happy Sue thinks coaching is important. No amount of her
lengthy googling should get in the way of a YES vote on this simple
measure.
- Sue asks: Is it
reasonable to amend our City constitution to address select
employment vacancies in PPS? Isn’t that the responsibility of PPS?
NO! The sticking point is the city, not PPS. The problem is with the
city's charter, not PPS. When fixing a problem, go to the source of
the problem. Victims are not to blame.
We’re talking
3,100 people who would be ineligible out of the whole population of
the City. Is that a reason to change the constitution? YES. Vote yes.
Problem fixed. Changes made. No blood required. This is not a drastic
measure. I hate to write such a drastic blog post too.
The 3,100 people who
work for the city account for the second largest block of employed
people in the city. If five great coaches come from the ranks of the
city's work force, they could impact hundreds of kids a year. Whole
schools and neighborhoods could change. Teen violence might reversed
itself. I know that I help to teach about 200 kids how to swim and
swim better every year. In the course of my career, more than 10,000
kids have called me “coach.” The impact of a few coaches can be
tremendous. I think that some of the folks who work in the city
should have the same opportunities to contribute to the community in
meaningful ways as I have had the good fortune to do as well.
I've been known to
recruit coaching help for employment needs anywhere and everywhere.
Even at UPMC and at AGH. Last year, an kid of an AGH employee was
employed with our Summer Dreamers Swim & Water Polo Camp.
Furthermore, it is HARD to find qualified candidates to coach in
part-time positions. There is a world-wide shortage of lifeguards.
Coaching shortages are, well, just google it yourself, Sue.
Sue says that this
proposed change will disproportionately benefit men. Sue, ever hear
of Title IX? There are not fewer opportunities for women coaches.
And, women and men make the same money in coaching with PPS as it is
a union-negotiated amount. Double-wrong.
OMG Sue, here is my
answer for your absurd question that follows. Yes. Anyone can sue
anyone at any time. Sue's Q: “Does this set up the possibility for
excluded employees to sue the City because they are not able to
pursue a sorting gig with the USPS over the holidays?” No one
answered that question – except me.
Only a conservative
crank would use the lack of a robust research process on the charter
provision’s history – paralysis by analysis – as an excuse for
a no vote.
Coaching is a
privilege. I am privileged. I coach boys and girls. Title IX insures
that the boys and girls get equal treatment.
I do not want to see
our police union in Harrisburg at the PA Supreme Court in litigation
seeking rights to move their homes and their kids into school
districts that are out of the city. Rather, I'd be more willing to
permit employees of the city, such as those on the police force, to
be permitted to coach their sons and daughters and their classmates
in the city's schools programs of sports, music, chess, drama, debate
– with part-time jobs. For some, being engaged in the lives of
their children is important. And, it is important enough that if my
city prohibited that from happening, moving out of the city makes
great sense. Let's keep those people here.
And you'd rather
have a volunteer coach from the ranks of city employees – for
further hardships on families. A volunteer coach isn't accountable. A
volunteer coach has no standing with the district and can be flicked
aside by the PFT in a heart-beat. Clueless odds are high. I do not
want evenly applied coaching employment. I want talented, inspiring
coaches. You seem to want to keep employees of the city within
financial distress.
Your commending of
the city employees who put forth this suggestion is misplaced too. A
city resident and a PPS coach, acting on my own, seeing the reality
of situations, put forth the ballot measure. The city and the
district have been reserved. Let's all applaud people who act with
integrity and let's all fix flaws, together. Both big and small flaws
count. Don't get in the way of progress because it has always been
done in another flawed way. This is fair. This is complete for what
it is. If you want utopia, put it on the ballot yourself.
A good reason for
you to block this YES vote is because a women helped get it in front
of the voters and she is quitting. We are losing women in elected
roles so we should not pass measures that they help to advance. Come
on.
You, Sue, can write
the post-office ballot measure for 2018. Go for it.
By the way, off of
society's needs can't be put into one YES or NO ballot measure. By
voting YES, the citizens of Pittsburgh get to side-step and fix a
WORST-PRACTICE clause in the city's charter. It isn't about
“best-practices” – but rather about making improvements.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Divorce of a sports coop
Posted to Facebook about the looming discussions of sports team in Pittsburgh Public Schools with students from U-Prep, Sci-Tech and Obama.
This (above) does not need to be the case. It is an option. The students, parents and community can make another, better demand.
Sci-Tech could field its own sports teams too.
CAPA does have X-Country and Track as a HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS TEAMS.
Sci-Tech could do the same and pick and choose what sports to support -- and then other sports could be left for students to join with their neighborhood schools.
I think it is POSSIBLE that Sci-Tech could have the #1 boys and girls varsity swim teams in the city -- and a team that could climb in the ranks to the top 10 in the state.
Sci-Tech does have a swim pool. It would need to swim its HOME meets elsewhere, but there are plenty of options. Most of the other schools in the WPIAL would be happy to always host swim meets if against Sci-Tech. Or, some of the meets could be squeezed into other suitable pools within PPS, such as at Obama, Perry, Oliver, PCA, and even Dice. Tri-meets (with 3 teams) are also possible and would be encouraged.
As for other sports, it would be GREAT to have Sci-Tech kids join with other city kids to play WATER POLO with Obama as well. That is a fall sport and it leads into winter swimming.
Furthermore, the Sci-Tech middle school swim team should move its season to the SPRING, and not the winter. In the winter, the Sci-Tech MS kids are in the way of the HS kids. And, in the spring, with swimming, the Sci-Tech kids could compete against the other MS programs around the WPIAL, such as at Montour, WA, Carlynton.
Furthermore, it would not be out of the question to have the Sci-Tech kids KEEP the sports Co-Op with other individual sports teams. For example, Sci-Tech boys and girls could play BASKETBALL with U-Prep. I imagine the U-Prep gym is not suited for varsity games. Go figure. So, the practices and games could be at Sci-Tech, with its better gym. The issue is then where to put the MS hoops teams at Sci-Tech? Perhaps one of the squads should practice before school?
On a sport by sport basis, facility by facility, -- this needs to be examined by an athletic sports reform task force from PPS, in a district-wide effort as was done in the past. We made great strides in some areas with the PPS Sports Reform Task Force in the end of the Roosevelt era. Linda Lane killed it. Now it is time for it to resurface. And, if needed, I'd be happy to serve as the chair, without any consultant fees.
Sci-Tech could field its own sports teams too.
CAPA does have X-Country and Track as a HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS TEAMS.
Sci-Tech could do the same and pick and choose what sports to support -- and then other sports could be left for students to join with their neighborhood schools.
I think it is POSSIBLE that Sci-Tech could have the #1 boys and girls varsity swim teams in the city -- and a team that could climb in the ranks to the top 10 in the state.
Sci-Tech does have a swim pool. It would need to swim its HOME meets elsewhere, but there are plenty of options. Most of the other schools in the WPIAL would be happy to always host swim meets if against Sci-Tech. Or, some of the meets could be squeezed into other suitable pools within PPS, such as at Obama, Perry, Oliver, PCA, and even Dice. Tri-meets (with 3 teams) are also possible and would be encouraged.
As for other sports, it would be GREAT to have Sci-Tech kids join with other city kids to play WATER POLO with Obama as well. That is a fall sport and it leads into winter swimming.
Furthermore, the Sci-Tech middle school swim team should move its season to the SPRING, and not the winter. In the winter, the Sci-Tech MS kids are in the way of the HS kids. And, in the spring, with swimming, the Sci-Tech kids could compete against the other MS programs around the WPIAL, such as at Montour, WA, Carlynton.
Furthermore, it would not be out of the question to have the Sci-Tech kids KEEP the sports Co-Op with other individual sports teams. For example, Sci-Tech boys and girls could play BASKETBALL with U-Prep. I imagine the U-Prep gym is not suited for varsity games. Go figure. So, the practices and games could be at Sci-Tech, with its better gym. The issue is then where to put the MS hoops teams at Sci-Tech? Perhaps one of the squads should practice before school?
On a sport by sport basis, facility by facility, -- this needs to be examined by an athletic sports reform task force from PPS, in a district-wide effort as was done in the past. We made great strides in some areas with the PPS Sports Reform Task Force in the end of the Roosevelt era. Linda Lane killed it. Now it is time for it to resurface. And, if needed, I'd be happy to serve as the chair, without any consultant fees.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Divorce of a sports coop among U-Prep, Sci-Tech and Obama gets chatter at PPS public comment
Parent of two PPS students, and one attends Sci-Tech presently
A student's voice
Blogger and Coach reactions:
First, I have called for the renewal of the PPS Athletic Reform Task Force. I'll even volunteer to chair such a group as well. We had one back in the day, established by then superintendent Mark Roosevelt. I was put on that task force. We got some good work accomplished and had plenty of additional tasks ahead.
When Lind Lane took over the reigns of the district, the task force died. She was not fond of sports, in my humble opinion.
It is time to renew the task force, hold serious discussions among a wide-reaching audience and plan, plan, plan.
I also spoke at the meeting, and I didn't video tape my own talk. I'm looking for the audio and can't find it, just yet.
If there is a divorce of the coop among U-Prep, Sci-Tech and Obama, the outcomes may not be as described in the public comment so far. Sci-Tech could choose to field some of its own sports teams. It would be great if Sci-Tech had varsity swimming teams for boys and girls. It would be fine if Sci-Tech had varsity soccer team too, but that is more of a stretch. Perhaps Sci-Tech and U-Prep can form their own co-op.
Sports co-ops can be made on a sport-by-sport basis. It does not need to be the same marriage with every sport.
Likewise, in soccer, Obama might choose to still be in a co-op with Sci-Tech and U-Prep, but get out of the co-op for basketball. Then U-Prep can have its own team for basketball. Same too for Sci-Tech basketball.
There are plenty of moving pieces, and a few principals can't be trusted in crafting the best outcomes -- and everyone else just sitting in the back seat in reaction mode. Let's be proactive.
Splitting the co-op makes sense in some settings, but might be worse in others.
When Lind Lane took over the reigns of the district, the task force died. She was not fond of sports, in my humble opinion.
It is time to renew the task force, hold serious discussions among a wide-reaching audience and plan, plan, plan.
I also spoke at the meeting, and I didn't video tape my own talk. I'm looking for the audio and can't find it, just yet.
If there is a divorce of the coop among U-Prep, Sci-Tech and Obama, the outcomes may not be as described in the public comment so far. Sci-Tech could choose to field some of its own sports teams. It would be great if Sci-Tech had varsity swimming teams for boys and girls. It would be fine if Sci-Tech had varsity soccer team too, but that is more of a stretch. Perhaps Sci-Tech and U-Prep can form their own co-op.
Sports co-ops can be made on a sport-by-sport basis. It does not need to be the same marriage with every sport.
Likewise, in soccer, Obama might choose to still be in a co-op with Sci-Tech and U-Prep, but get out of the co-op for basketball. Then U-Prep can have its own team for basketball. Same too for Sci-Tech basketball.
There are plenty of moving pieces, and a few principals can't be trusted in crafting the best outcomes -- and everyone else just sitting in the back seat in reaction mode. Let's be proactive.
Splitting the co-op makes sense in some settings, but might be worse in others.
Saturday, September 09, 2017
Call to action from City Charter High Post High School Planning Team (PHSP Team)
To whom it may concern,
We recently received a grant through Partners for Work for 10 City Charter High School students will complete the Patient Care Technician training program at CCAC.
We are establishing a professional Roundtable of businesses and organizations to provide career resources and guidance to prepare our students for work as a Certified Nursing Assistant. We cordially invite you to be a part of this group and share best practices, professional workplace expectations and other pertinent information.
The goal of the Patient Care Roundtable is to engage local businesses in discussions of student preparation for careers, City High curriculum and business needs for a pipeline to employment.
The Patient Care Roundtable will take place on Friday, October 6th from 10:00 am - 11:30 am, at City Charter High School located at 201 Stanwix Street Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. A wrap-up session will also be held on Friday, March 16th (same time and location).
If you are interested in participating, please reply to this email NO LATER THAN September 11, 2017 with the following information:
Organization Name
Attendee Names and emails
Organization Industry
We thank you in advance for your consideration.
*If this email should be forwarded to another person in your organization, please feel free to send it to them or reply to this email with their contact information.
Sincerely,
City Charter High Post High School Planning Team (PHSP Team)
Antonietta Riley
Transition Manager & Alumni Coordinator
City Charter High School
201 Stanwix Street
Pittsburgh PA 15222
Phone: 412-690-2489
Fax: 412-690-2420
Friday, September 08, 2017
Wanted: Running Mates and places to run to!
Time to hit the road to share insights about this ballot question for city voters in the 2017 general election.
Who wants to help spread the word?
Where and when are the meetings being held?
Who can we talk to about getting an invite to speak to the audiences -- for only a couple of minutes.
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Sports Town Pittsburgh
The Final Post - Sports Town will cease operations in October, 2017
Written by Ken Wunderley on Saturday, 26 August 2017 5:05 am.
Below is a message from Sports Town Editor Ken Wunderley.
In 2010, Tri-State Sports & News Service and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette teamed up to form the Sports Town web site. Sports Town provided excellent coverage of all high school sports for 6 1/2 years.
We were fortunate to have McDonald's as our sponsor during a six-year run, but the corporation has decided to end its sponsorship.
After an unsuccessful three-month search for a new sponsor, the Sports Town web site will cease operations in the near future.
The web site will be shut down at the end of October, so feel free to go back and find any posts or photos that you would like to save.
I would like to thank all the writers and photographers who contributed to Sports Town, especially writer Brad Everett (my right-hand man) and photographer Marilyn Schwilm. The full list of writers and photographers who have contributed over the years are listed below.
I also would like to thank McDonald's, for its six years of sponsorship, along with the many high school coaches, athletes, and fans who visited our site. Your support is greatly appreciated.
And lastly, I would like to thank Post-Gazette Executive Editor David Shribman, for giving me the opportunity to head up Sports Town, and Post-Gazette Assistant Managing Editor Matt Kennedy, for all his help with creating the web site and overseeing its operations.
I am currently working on a WPIAL and PIAA history site. My hope is to find a sponsor and unveil the site on Oct. 1. I will keep everybody updated on my progress.
Sports Town Alumni:
Writers
Chris Adamski
William P. Allmann Sr.
Keith Barnes
Stephen Catanese
Justin Criado
John D'Abruzzo
Brad Everett
Brittany Goncar
Joe Greiner
Drew Karpen
Joseph M. Koch
John Perrotto
Ryan Riordan
Nicholas Tolomeo
Ken Wunderley
Photographers
Marc Billett
Cara De Carlo
Marsha Green
J.J. LaBella
Jim Nagle
Matt Kruth
Dean Longwell
Lynda Scahill
Marilyn Schwilm
Susan Wentzel
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Thursday, June 08, 2017
Thursday, June 01, 2017
Fwd: New Beginnings at Baylor University
Baylor University is getting a new president. That's good news.
Ohio University is also getting a new president.
Meanwhile, another school I attended, St. Barts, is closing.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Linda A. Livingstone <Office_of_President@baylor.edu>
From: Linda A. Livingstone <Office_of_President@baylor.edu>
 | ||
 | ||
|
Dear Baylor Family,
First days. I remember so many of them marked with excitement and anticipation – my own first day in college; my first day as a college professor; my first day as a dean. On each of those days I felt God's presence as He prepared me and encouraged me to face a new chapter. My prayer on this, my first day as Baylor University's president, is that God's love and mercy will shine on each of you and on the University's leadership as we seek the strength and daily renewal necessary to faithfully serve and guide this remarkable institution into the future.
I am truly honored and humbled to have been selected as president of this historic institution of higher education and to return to the beautiful Baylor campus, where I formerly had the pleasure of serving as a faculty member and as associate dean for graduate programs in the Hankamer School of Business.
During the 15 years since I last worked on campus, the Baylor skyline has certainly changed. And along with impressive new facilities, the University has added a great number of academic programs and significantly expanded its staff and acclaimed faculty. There is one thing, however, that clearly has not changed: Baylor's absolute dedication to helping students fulfill their utmost potential in all areas of life, from academics to spiritual growth.
Focusing on the Baylor Family
My priority this summer will be engaging with the members of our faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni and friends, listening to their Baylor stories and gaining an understanding of their goals and dreams for the University. I am certain that one common commitment we will discuss at length is the development of our students into dynamic men and women with the capacity for leadership and a dedication to service. That has long been the benchmark of excellence at Baylor, and it will remain of paramount importance as we move forward.
As I express my excitement in returning to Baylor and eagerly anticipate our days ahead, I also wish to commend Dr. David Garland and the entire Baylor community for their tremendous work over the past year to create a better Baylor as we emerge from the challenges and heartbreak surrounding incidents of sexual violence in our community. All have joined hands to renew our commitment to providing a safe and welcoming home on campus for our students and to redouble our efforts to advance Baylor's distinctive Christian mission in higher education.
An essential focus as I begin my tenure as president: to bring the Baylor Family together in support of our students, faculty and staff. They truly are the core of our Christian mission as an institution, and I will begin and end each day in prayer for their well-being and the well-being of the entire Baylor Family. I invite you to join me in that discipline, and also to reach out to Baylor students in your families and communities this summer to let them know you care for them and support their decision to attend Baylor.
Working Together
Today marks a watershed moment in the history of Baylor University. On one side lies our institution's past – a heritage of devoted service to church and state that is memorialized by the motto inscribed on the Baylor seal, Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana. On the other side stretches out the future of Baylor – a story that remains to be written by our own hands and animated by our hearts.
Like any university with a long history, Baylor has experienced periods of triumph and turmoil over the decades. We will do well to celebrate our triumphs and learn from the turmoil. While acknowledging our past, it is also essential that we engage in the act of casting our collective vision forward. Our future does not simply await us. It calls for us to joyously and thoughtfully give it shape. It is ours to create, together.
Thank you for your prayerful and unceasing support of Baylor University.
Sincerely,
Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President | |
| ||
|
Baylor University Waco, Texas 76798 1-800-229-5678
| |
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Fwd: Our Changemakers celebration is just weeks away
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "A+ Schools" <info@aplusschools.org>
From: "A+ Schools" <info@aplusschools.org>
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
