My comments have NOT yet been shared. I've got a ton to say about this. First thing first, let's get this out into public view.
What do you say?
Same thing as above but in Quicktime format.
Click to play
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Title IX report from the consultant to Pittsburgh Public Schools
My comments have NOT yet been shared. I've got a ton to say about this. First thing first, let's get this out into public view.
What do you say?
Same thing as above but in Quicktime format.
Click to play
Policy Brief from A.I.: GreatSchools Ranking of Schools Flawed and Misleading
Policy Brief, An electronic publication of The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, April 14, 2010 Volume 10, Number 20
GreatSchools, a San Francisco non-profit organization, recently ranked cities according to school performance and city affordability. According to GreatSchools the rankings were done to assist parents who might be looking for a new city for their kids’ education. Among cities with more than 300,000 people Pittsburgh ranked seventh. As usual, a more in-depth look at the city school rankings shows Pittsburgh’s high ranking reflects deep flaws in the GreatSchools methodology.
First of all, the rankings are misleading because they are purportedly about the city schools but in fact include many suburban schools with much better academic results than the core city. Second, part of the ranking is based on housing prices and unemployment rates. And third, of the top ten cities in the large city category, four scored 7 of 10 on the GreatSchools school evaluation scale while six scored only 6 out of 10. In other words, the large city ranking is a selection of the best of not very good school systems.
And what’s worse, in the case of Pittsburgh, inclusion of non-Pittsburgh Public Schools severely distorts the GreatSchools Pittsburgh evaluation which is put at 6 out of 10. Any school district with a “Pittsburgh” mailing address—21 of the 43 school districts in Allegheny County—was counted as a Pittsburgh school.
The academic rating scale used by GreatSchools is based primarily on state standardized test scores and for students in Pennsylvania that means the Pennsylvania System for School Assessment (PSSA). As we have noted many times in our Policy Briefs, Pittsburgh Public School students on average have performed relatively poorly on the PSSA and for some of the District’s high schools the results are nothing short of disgraceful. Only one Pittsburgh Public high school scored a perfect 10—the Creative and Performing Arts High School. The next highest scoring high school is Allderdice (5). Three District high schools scored a one (Oliver, Peabody, and Westinghouse) while two more managed a score of 2 (Langley and Perry). Overall, including elementary and middle schools, the Pittsburgh Public School District scored a seriously inadequate 4 out of 10.
The suburban school districts ranked much higher. Three suburban high schools scored a perfect ten (Fox Chapel, Mt. Lebanon, and Upper St. Clair) and North Hills came in with a nine. The lowest score was a 3 (Penn Hills and Woodland Hills). The study provided the overall scores for three suburban districts: North Allegheny (10), Mt. Lebanon (10) and North Hills (8).
The final educational score given to Pittsburgh (including all suburban districts that use the Pittsburgh mailing address) is 6 out of 10. Not exactly a strong score worthy of a national ranking and remember that Pittsburgh City schools had a GreatSchools an education score of only 4 out of 10. And this is supposed to induce people with school-aged children to move to the City?
Obviously, Pittsburgh’s seventh best ranking depends heavily on other factors. The median home price in Pittsburgh, according to the study, is just under $80,000. This is the lowest price for any city in ranked in the top ten. Only three others had median prices under $200,000 (Colorado Springs ($192,320), Mesa, AZ ($174,810) and Tampa ($151,340)). Clearly the low median home price helped Pittsburgh in the rankings of affordability. The other factors that went well for Pittsburgh included cost of living (88 percent of the national average) and the unemployment rate (7 percent vs. the national rate of 10 percent—numbers used by GreatSchools. Note here that the City of Pittsburgh’s unemployment rate reached nearly 9 percent in the first quarter of 2010).
Purportedly, the city school rankings scheme is to provide families who might be contemplating a move to find good education for their children. Clearly, the premise of the study is a bit odd. How many families contemplate a move to another city, possibly across country, to look for educational opportunities for their children? People make long distance moves for many reasons, but merely to find better schools is not likely to rank high on that list. They would look first at other residential and school options within the area where they currently reside, including private and charter schools and possibly home schooling.
Families are far more likely to move for employment opportunities for a parent or parents or to be closer to relatives. Once a decision is made to move to a new city then the decision about where to live will be, for some families, heavily dependent on school quality. To be sure, a city or region with uniformly bad schools could cause parents to turn down job offers. Having good schools is a plus for a city trying to attract families but it is unlikely to be more important than having an abundance of high quality jobs available.
In sum, like so many other city rankings we have seen recently from organizations seeking press attention, the GreatSchools rankings are short on substance and usefulness and long on fluff.
GreatSchools, a San Francisco non-profit organization, recently ranked cities according to school performance and city affordability. According to GreatSchools the rankings were done to assist parents who might be looking for a new city for their kids’ education. Among cities with more than 300,000 people Pittsburgh ranked seventh. As usual, a more in-depth look at the city school rankings shows Pittsburgh’s high ranking reflects deep flaws in the GreatSchools methodology.
First of all, the rankings are misleading because they are purportedly about the city schools but in fact include many suburban schools with much better academic results than the core city. Second, part of the ranking is based on housing prices and unemployment rates. And third, of the top ten cities in the large city category, four scored 7 of 10 on the GreatSchools school evaluation scale while six scored only 6 out of 10. In other words, the large city ranking is a selection of the best of not very good school systems.
And what’s worse, in the case of Pittsburgh, inclusion of non-Pittsburgh Public Schools severely distorts the GreatSchools Pittsburgh evaluation which is put at 6 out of 10. Any school district with a “Pittsburgh” mailing address—21 of the 43 school districts in Allegheny County—was counted as a Pittsburgh school.
The academic rating scale used by GreatSchools is based primarily on state standardized test scores and for students in Pennsylvania that means the Pennsylvania System for School Assessment (PSSA). As we have noted many times in our Policy Briefs, Pittsburgh Public School students on average have performed relatively poorly on the PSSA and for some of the District’s high schools the results are nothing short of disgraceful. Only one Pittsburgh Public high school scored a perfect 10—the Creative and Performing Arts High School. The next highest scoring high school is Allderdice (5). Three District high schools scored a one (Oliver, Peabody, and Westinghouse) while two more managed a score of 2 (Langley and Perry). Overall, including elementary and middle schools, the Pittsburgh Public School District scored a seriously inadequate 4 out of 10.
The suburban school districts ranked much higher. Three suburban high schools scored a perfect ten (Fox Chapel, Mt. Lebanon, and Upper St. Clair) and North Hills came in with a nine. The lowest score was a 3 (Penn Hills and Woodland Hills). The study provided the overall scores for three suburban districts: North Allegheny (10), Mt. Lebanon (10) and North Hills (8).
The final educational score given to Pittsburgh (including all suburban districts that use the Pittsburgh mailing address) is 6 out of 10. Not exactly a strong score worthy of a national ranking and remember that Pittsburgh City schools had a GreatSchools an education score of only 4 out of 10. And this is supposed to induce people with school-aged children to move to the City?
Obviously, Pittsburgh’s seventh best ranking depends heavily on other factors. The median home price in Pittsburgh, according to the study, is just under $80,000. This is the lowest price for any city in ranked in the top ten. Only three others had median prices under $200,000 (Colorado Springs ($192,320), Mesa, AZ ($174,810) and Tampa ($151,340)). Clearly the low median home price helped Pittsburgh in the rankings of affordability. The other factors that went well for Pittsburgh included cost of living (88 percent of the national average) and the unemployment rate (7 percent vs. the national rate of 10 percent—numbers used by GreatSchools. Note here that the City of Pittsburgh’s unemployment rate reached nearly 9 percent in the first quarter of 2010).
Purportedly, the city school rankings scheme is to provide families who might be contemplating a move to find good education for their children. Clearly, the premise of the study is a bit odd. How many families contemplate a move to another city, possibly across country, to look for educational opportunities for their children? People make long distance moves for many reasons, but merely to find better schools is not likely to rank high on that list. They would look first at other residential and school options within the area where they currently reside, including private and charter schools and possibly home schooling.
Families are far more likely to move for employment opportunities for a parent or parents or to be closer to relatives. Once a decision is made to move to a new city then the decision about where to live will be, for some families, heavily dependent on school quality. To be sure, a city or region with uniformly bad schools could cause parents to turn down job offers. Having good schools is a plus for a city trying to attract families but it is unlikely to be more important than having an abundance of high quality jobs available.
In sum, like so many other city rankings we have seen recently from organizations seeking press attention, the GreatSchools rankings are short on substance and usefulness and long on fluff.
Jake Haulk, Ph.D., President Frank Gamrat, Ph.D., Sr. Research Assoc
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Report: Teacher pension plans shaky
The sky is falling.
Report: Teacher pension plans shaky Pennsylvania and its school districts face a daunting enough task meeting significant hikes in teacher pension contributions.
Now a Manhattan Institute report says the situation in Pennsylvania -- and across the country -- may be worse than it appears.
Keystone Oaks board discusses possible closures
Keystone Oaks board discusses possible closures: "Keystone Oaks board discusses possible closures"Rather than contract, expand. Go to Carlynton and seek their students to join yours. Merge and grow. Why not entertain a merger with Brentwood too?
Biz leader of Brazil want Government there to monitor spending for Rio 2016, a future Olympic Host
Here in the USA, we'd be most happy if the Biz leaders would monitor the government, not the other way around. We know that the gov people can spend more than they have.
When asked how much the World Cup and Olympics are going to cost them, the clever business leader said, "A Brazilion Dollars."
Woops. I had it wrong. The biz leaders don't care about the amount of the spending, they care that the luxery boxes are built on time. They must be members of the Allegheny Conference.
BRASILIA, Brazil -- A top business leader in Brazil is urging the government to make sure building projects for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics are completed on time.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/olympics/04/14/rio.2016.ap/index.html
When asked how much the World Cup and Olympics are going to cost them, the clever business leader said, "A Brazilion Dollars."
My aims with this little light of mine.
I'm most interested in fixing things. Less interested in getting a job for myself.
I'd rather make a discussion and spread ideas and less worried about showing up in the newspaper. When something is news worthy, a press conference should be called and all the media should be invited. Feeding one reporter or one outlet is too easy and unfair. That needs to happen as the news occurs, not days and weeks later.
If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the mornings. If I had a song, I'd sing it all day long. There is no time like the present.
I'd rather make a discussion and spread ideas and less worried about showing up in the newspaper. When something is news worthy, a press conference should be called and all the media should be invited. Feeding one reporter or one outlet is too easy and unfair. That needs to happen as the news occurs, not days and weeks later.
If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the mornings. If I had a song, I'd sing it all day long. There is no time like the present.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Paterno believes Big Ten expansion is coming
Okay, to get to 14, now with 11, three get to join. How about Pitt, Mizzu and Texas. If Texas says no, pick up Syracuse, but insist that they pick up men's swimming. Then there is Notre Dame.
Paterno believes Big Ten expansion is coming: "Paterno believes Big Ten expansion is coming"
Fw: Education Policy Forum Breakfast - Pittsburgh - Thursday, April 29,2010
EPLC Invites You to a Thursday, April 29, Education Policy Forum Breakfast in Pittsburgh
The next PA Education Policy Forum on THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2010 in Pittsburgh (Holiday Inn Select - University Center) will feature a discussion about “Govern for Kids” and its work to impress upon the Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidates about the most important issues facing children.
More information is in the letter below. There is no fee for the forum, but please RSVP as soon as possible since seating is limited.
You may RSVP for the April 29 Forum by using our easy on-line reservation system which is available by clicking on http://www.eplc.org/forum_westernpa.html.
Please feel free to share this information with your colleagues, but everyone must RSVP to attend.
Dear Colleague:
The Education Policy and Leadership Center invites you to attend the next Pennsylvania Education Policy Forum on Thursday, April 29, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Select - University Center at 100 Lytton Avenue in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.
This Forum, the third in our 2010 Western Pennsylvania Breakfast Series, will feature a panel of guest speakers to discuss “Govern for Kids” and its work to impress upon the Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidates about the most important issues facing children. Govern for Kids has focused on seven critical issues: Early Childcare and Education; K-12 Education; Children’s Health; After School; Drop-out Reengagement; College Access; and Child Welfare.
Convened by United Way of Allegheny County, Govern for Kids is a growing coalition of parents, community organizers, concerned citizens and advocates united in their focus on asking the candidates for governor in Pennsylvania to be active champions for Pennsylvania’s future.
Convened by United Way of Allegheny County, Govern for Kids is a growing coalition of parents, community organizers, concerned citizens and advocates united in their focus on asking the candidates for governor in Pennsylvania to be active champions for Pennsylvania’s future.
Our speakers will include Bob Nelkin, Executive Director of the United Way of Allegheny County, and representatives of several key organizations helping to build this coalition.
A continental breakfast will be available at 8:00 a.m. The 90-minute program will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m.
Please accept this invitation to join other policymakers, educators and community leaders for this important education policy discussion. There is no registration fee for the program, but seating space is limited.
Please RSVP as soon as possible by faxing the enclosed form to EPLC at 717-260-9903. As an alternative, you may RSVP for the Forum by using our easy on-line reservation system that is available at http://www.eplc.org/forum_westernpa.html.
Sincerely,
Ronald Cowell, President
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
The School Finance Project of The Education Policy and Leadership Center is currently supported by generous grants from:
The Falk Foundation
Fulfilling the Dream Fund
William Penn Foundation
The Western Pennsylvania Breakfast Series of the Pennsylvania Education Policy Forum is also supported by additional financial support from the following organizations:
A+ Schools
Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties
Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators
Pennsylvania School Boards Association
Pennsylvania State Education Association
AFT Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units
PA Association of Rural and Small Schools
Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Center for Educational Leadership - University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Greater Pittsburgh Suzuki Institute
Musical?
The dates are: Saturday, July to Sunday August 8, 2010.
The Suzuki Camp / Institute is located just outside the city of Pittsburgh at the Upper St. Clair High School. There is a state-of-the-art theatre facility, many large classrooms and several practice rooms available.
The Greater Pittsburgh Suzuki Institute is all in one building making it easier for families with multiple children to attend.
We also offer on sight child care.
Accommodations are available at special rates at two nearby hotels: Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South, 164 Fort Couch Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15241 412-833-5300
Knights Inn (at I79 & S.R. 50), 111 Hickory Grade Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017, 412-221-8110
Teacher Institute courses are as follows:
Every Child Can!© with Katherine Monsour Barley
Violin
Unit 1 with Carrie Reuning-Hummel
Unit 3 with Marilyn O’Boyle
Cello
Units 2 & 3 with Nancy Hair
Flute
Units 2 & 3 with David Gerry
Guitar
Units 2 & 3 with Andrea Cannon
Piano
Unit 1 with Patricia Schaefer Pavlack
Changes and Additions to the Suzuki Piano Repertoire with Katherine Monsour Barley
Piano Plus with Jacqueline Herbein
Student Institute runs from August 1st – August 6th. We teach violin, viola, cello, flute, guitar and piano. The courses are as follows:
Pre-Twinkle Program (age 5 and under) The fee is $200.00 for the week. The Pre-Twinkle program is for children who have begun lessons, but have not yet mastered the Twinkle variations. Parents must be present during all classes.
Book 1 Program (age 5 and under) The fee is $240.00 for the week. The Book 1 program is for students already taking lessons in books 1 or 2 and includes: a one-hour master class, a one-hour group class and one elective.
Books 1 & 2 Program (age 6 +) The fee is $255.00 for the week. The Books 1 & 2 program is for students age 6 and older who are already taking lessons in books 1 or 2 and includes: a one-hour master class, a one-hour group class and one elective.
Books 3 & Up Program The fee is $285.00 for the week. The Books 3 & Up program is for students who are already taking lessons in books 3 and beyond and includes: a one-hour master class, a one-hour group class, a one-hour ensemble class, and one elective.
Parent Education These programs will be offered daily from 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Under the direction of Enid Wood, these lectures by faculty members will enhance the institute experience for families.
The electives and ensembles include:
Music Together ®
Music Games
Musicianship
Choir
Musical Theatre
Folk Dancing
Piano for Other Instrumentalists
Guitar for Other Instrumentalists
Viola for Violinists
Sight Reading
Music and Movement
Chamber Music
Jazz and Fiddling Orchestra
Piano Ensemble
Guitar Ensemble
Flute Choir
The dates are: Saturday, July to Sunday August 8, 2010.
The Suzuki Camp / Institute is located just outside the city of Pittsburgh at the Upper St. Clair High School. There is a state-of-the-art theatre facility, many large classrooms and several practice rooms available.
The Greater Pittsburgh Suzuki Institute is all in one building making it easier for families with multiple children to attend.
We also offer on sight child care.
Accommodations are available at special rates at two nearby hotels: Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South, 164 Fort Couch Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15241 412-833-5300
Knights Inn (at I79 & S.R. 50), 111 Hickory Grade Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017, 412-221-8110
Teacher Institute courses are as follows:
Every Child Can!© with Katherine Monsour Barley
Violin
Unit 1 with Carrie Reuning-Hummel
Unit 3 with Marilyn O’Boyle
Cello
Units 2 & 3 with Nancy Hair
Flute
Units 2 & 3 with David Gerry
Guitar
Units 2 & 3 with Andrea Cannon
Piano
Unit 1 with Patricia Schaefer Pavlack
Changes and Additions to the Suzuki Piano Repertoire with Katherine Monsour Barley
Piano Plus with Jacqueline Herbein
Student Institute runs from August 1st – August 6th. We teach violin, viola, cello, flute, guitar and piano. The courses are as follows:
Pre-Twinkle Program (age 5 and under) The fee is $200.00 for the week. The Pre-Twinkle program is for children who have begun lessons, but have not yet mastered the Twinkle variations. Parents must be present during all classes.
Book 1 Program (age 5 and under) The fee is $240.00 for the week. The Book 1 program is for students already taking lessons in books 1 or 2 and includes: a one-hour master class, a one-hour group class and one elective.
Books 1 & 2 Program (age 6 +) The fee is $255.00 for the week. The Books 1 & 2 program is for students age 6 and older who are already taking lessons in books 1 or 2 and includes: a one-hour master class, a one-hour group class and one elective.
Books 3 & Up Program The fee is $285.00 for the week. The Books 3 & Up program is for students who are already taking lessons in books 3 and beyond and includes: a one-hour master class, a one-hour group class, a one-hour ensemble class, and one elective.
Parent Education These programs will be offered daily from 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Under the direction of Enid Wood, these lectures by faculty members will enhance the institute experience for families.
The electives and ensembles include:
Music Together ®
Music Games
Musicianship
Choir
Musical Theatre
Folk Dancing
Piano for Other Instrumentalists
Guitar for Other Instrumentalists
Viola for Violinists
Sight Reading
Music and Movement
Chamber Music
Jazz and Fiddling Orchestra
Piano Ensemble
Guitar Ensemble
Flute Choir
Police dog that bit girl relieved of duties
 |
| From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events |
Police dog that bit girl relieved of duties: "Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's charitable foundation had helped pay for the dog."Who let the dogs out?
I hope the 9 year old girl (under age) is okay.
This could be an endless rant with lots of silly puns and jokes for latenight comedians.
Do you think the NFL lawyers will begin its investigation before the weekend?
 | This dog is NOT the one in trouble. But, it is (or was) a work dog and part of the police force with Pgh Public Schools. |
| From PPS Safety |
Burgess proposes GPS devices for most Pittsburgh vehicles
He knows if you've been sleeping. He knows if you're awake. You better be good for goodness sake. Oh, you better watch out. You better not putt around town.
If we put a video camera on every public employee, especially the elected ones, then we'd need fewer GPS devices.
What about a bunch of bumper stickers, "How am I driving? Call Rev Burgess at 412 255 2137." And we could switch up the text to say, "Where an I driving?"
We could put the city's 3-1-1 phone number on the bumper stickers, but, people don't want to call that and be put on hold for 25 minutes.
Burgess proposes GPS devices for most Pittsburgh vehicles Among other benefits, Mr. Burgess' bill said, the devices will make workers more productive and cut down on speeding and improper use of vehicles.Good management would also take the place of GPS devices.
If we put a video camera on every public employee, especially the elected ones, then we'd need fewer GPS devices.
What about a bunch of bumper stickers, "How am I driving? Call Rev Burgess at 412 255 2137." And we could switch up the text to say, "Where an I driving?"
We could put the city's 3-1-1 phone number on the bumper stickers, but, people don't want to call that and be put on hold for 25 minutes.
Schenley International Baccalaureate's language program honored
Sweet: Schenley International Baccalaureate's language program honored. Schenley International Baccalaureate's language program honored: "Schenley International Baccalaureate's language program honored"
Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10102/1049677-298.stm?cmpid=education.xm#ixzz0kzl3saAc
All the kids in the IB progam take a foreign language every year. My sons have had Spanish since grade K.
I agree that we are blessed with a good number of foreign visitors, even overlooking the G-20, as well as foreign exchange students. Plus, a good number of the kids at Schenley go abroad from time to time. One of the swimmers, a senior now, is going to go to Brazil for part of the summer with a church mission effort. Travel abroad is not that unusual.
The long-heralded International Baccalaureate at Pittsburgh Schenley High School gained a notch of distinction when it was named as one of five exemplary high school foreign language programs in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association on Friday awarded Schenley High its 2010 Golden Globe -- the top award given to a high school for its foreign languages curriculum and a recognition of Schenley's outstanding world languages department, said Thekla Fall, chairwoman of the association's Exemplary Program.
"This is special recognition of the long and proud history of Schenley's foreign languages department," said Dr. Fall, a retired German teacher and curriculum supervisor in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Schenley's language department, which offers French, German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese, was the only program in Pennsylvania to receive the Golden Globe award this year.
The award program established in 2005 gives out four kinds of awards -- the Golden Globe, Silver Globe, Bronze Globe and Globe.
Schenley, which moved from its expansive Oakland campus to the Reizenstein building in Shadyside in 2008, joins Pittsburgh Allderdice High School and three others-- Academy of Notre Dame in Villanova, Germantown Academy in Fort Washington and Upper Moreland High School in Willow Grove -- in the Golden Globe club.
The award covers a two-year period and is given to schools that excel in at least eight of 11 aspects of foreign language instruction.
Among the criteria judges consider is the number of languages offered to students, given the size of the school; the percentage of students in the school that are learning a foreign language; the percentage of students who go on to higher levels of language learning and whether the school district administers a standards-based performance test of languages.
Allderdice, which offers French, Spanish, German, Japanese and Mandarin, first received the Golden Globe in 2005, and it was renewed in 2007 and 2009.
"We are very thrilled to be recognized in this manner, especially because the award will cover the last two years of our existence," said Devin Browne, a French and Russian teacher at Schenley.
Mr. Browne credited the school's long-standing commitment to foreign languages and cultural exchange programs as part of the reason the school's foreign languages department continues to flourish.
In 2008, for example, 15 of his students had a private audience -- conversing in French -- with Ambassador Pierre Vimont when he visited the University of Pittsburgh, said Mr. Browne, who arranged the meeting.
"We often have traditional Russian dance, Japanese cuisine events and an exchange program with Germany that has done wonders for our students," Mr. Browne added. "This is a place where the students often leave with an exceptional command of the foreign languages they are studying."
Schenley, which was moved from Oakland amid stiff resistance from parents and community members, will cease to exist after the class of 2011 graduates. The district has already implemented a new International Baccalaureate program, which will be known as the Barack Obama International Studies Academy.
"This is a very high honor for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, especially because we are now the only district that has two schools which have received the Golden Globe," said Marsha Plotkin, supervisor of foreign languages curriculum at district headquarters.
Other area high schools that were recognized include Gateway in Monroeville, Greensburg Salem in Westmoreland County and Moon Area, which all received a Globe Award.
No Silver Globe or Bronze Globe was awarded this year. Quaker Valley High School in Leetsdale received a Silver Globe award last year and Shaler Area High School received a Globe award the same year.
What both Schenley and Allderdice have achieved in foreign languages instruction over the years, Ms. Plotkin said, is a model of what the school district hopes to replicate in all its schools.
"We have a number of schools like Perry, Carrick and CAPA, which are well on track to receiving this award sometime soon," Ms. Plotkin said.
Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10102/1049677-298.stm?cmpid=education.xm#ixzz0kzl3saAc
All the kids in the IB progam take a foreign language every year. My sons have had Spanish since grade K.
I agree that we are blessed with a good number of foreign visitors, even overlooking the G-20, as well as foreign exchange students. Plus, a good number of the kids at Schenley go abroad from time to time. One of the swimmers, a senior now, is going to go to Brazil for part of the summer with a church mission effort. Travel abroad is not that unusual.
Wicked problem = Dealing with a Sports Overhaul in Pittsburgh Public Schools
Wicked problem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Wicked problem"
Check out what is meant with a wicked problem and then how it fits in our struggle to overhaul sports opportunities at Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Sports as a topic is interesting to me, and nearly everyone else. We all have a concept of and reaction to sports. But, these emotions are often unlike the others. Sports can be hard to make into a definitive state: Football, cheerleading, special events, training, games, out-of-season, recruitment, retirement, and so on.
1.There is no definitive formulation of a wicked problem.
2.Wicked problems have no stopping rule.
I like to tell the swimmers on the team that the swim season ends only when one dies. Once you are a swimmer, you are always a swimmer. There are no 'seasons' to stop us from swimming and staying healthy. We need to talk and think in lifestyle manners, not stop and go seasons.
3.Solutions to wicked problems are not true-or-false, but better or worse.
Likewise, playing the game isn't about winning-or-not, but rather, improvement, effort, learning, and excitement.
4.There is no immediate and no ultimate test of a solution to a wicked problem.
Sports are filled with many tests -- but these can't be easily measured. Sports scholarships, next level participation, coaches made, evaluations, and strength gains are factors. My ultimate test and yours might be very different.
5.Every solution to a wicked problem is a "one-shot operation"; because there is no opportunity to learn by trial-and-error, every attempt counts significantly.
I crave the shots that are more of the lay-up type, and I favor less the full-court buzzer beater shots.
6.Wicked problems do not have an enumerable (or an exhaustively describable) set of potential solutions, nor is there a well-described set of permissible operations that may be incorporated into the plan.
The PPS Sports and Athletics efforts have lots of moving parts: Students, coaches, schools, principals, partnerships, competitors, facilities, and so on.
7.Every wicked problem is essentially unique.
District VIII = the City League. It isn't VII = WPIAL.
8.Every wicked problem can be considered to be a symptom of another problem.
How many times do we hear that it is the teachers fault, or the parents fault, or the middle-school sports development fault. Plus there are economic, racial, gender and other big ass (role model) hurdles to navigate.
9.The existence of a discrepancy representing a wicked problem can be explained in numerous ways. The choice of explanation determines the nature of the problem's resolution.
The victors get to write the history. But, they don't get to control the rule book.
10.The planner has no right to be wrong (planners are liable for the consequences of the actions they generate).
Heavy.
Seeking to generalize the concept of problem wickedness to areas other than planning and policy, Conklin identifies the following as defining characteristics of wicked problems:
- The problem is not understood until after the formulation of a solution.
- Wicked problems have no stopping rule.
- Solutions to wicked problems are not right or wrong.
- Every wicked problem is essentially novel and unique.
- Every solution to a wicked problem is a 'one shot operation'.
- Wicked problems have no given alternative solutions.
TaxFree15th.com - Welcome To The Constitutionally Backed Tax Holiday! > Home
Three important questions:
TaxFree15th.com - Welcome To The Constitutionally Backed Tax Holiday! > Home: "WHY ARE WE ALLOWING OUR CONSTITUTION TO BE IGNORED?A new movement for the 15th of every month.
WHY DO OUR CHILDREN HAVE TO SACRIFICE FOR BANKING SCAMS?
WHY ARE WE SUPPORTING POLICIES THAT DON'T SUPPORT US?"
Pine-Richland votes for $41.7 million cap on expansion project
Sorry, but this smells bad. I don't approve of phantom budgets and pie in the sky numbers that are not real, only to pass the board. When votes don't mean diddly, nor does democracy.
Accountability matters.
Pine-Richland votes for $41.7 million cap on expansion project Vice President Richard Herko cast the lone dissenting vote. He said he realized the number was 'imaginary,' in that the board has no intention of spending that amount for construction, 'but it feels like a real one.'More power to them for fixing up the schools and even moving along on the acceptance of a very large and healthy grant to build an indoor 50-meter swim pool. But, be square with numbers and votes and the process of self government.
Accountability matters.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Lay of the land and terms of Pittsburgh Public School district
So, what background terms are we missing in this list?
DEFINITIONS
Allderdice High School - A comprehensive high school in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood for grades 9-12. Allderdice has a city-wide magnet for engineering.
CAPA - Creative and Performing Arts high school which is located downtown and had accommodated grades 9 to 12. As of the 2009-2010 school year, the CAPA expanded to house grades 6 to 12. CAPA is a city-wide magnet.
CTE - Career and Technical Education, once known as Vocational and Technical education or "Vo Tech".
DeJong - A consultant firm hired by Pittsburgh Public Schools to report on building conditions and offer recommendations regarding facilities closures.
Frick Middle School - A PPS Facility in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh for grades 6-8 with an international studies theme. The students and the program moved to the Reizenstein facility and is now a part of Pittsburgh Obama, 6-12.
IB - International Baccalaureate, an educational program with an international standard. Pittsburgh Public Schools opened an IB middle years program school for grades 6 to 10 in the fall of 2009 at Reizenstein. The school is now called Pittsburgh Obama Academy of International studies and will expand to grades 6-12 over the next two years.
IB Site Selection Committee - A group of citizens and district employees selected by the PPS Administration to consider the long-term location for the IB program after the closure of Schenley High School.
Obama International Studies Academy - Pittsburgh Obama Academy of International Studies - a city-wide magnet for grades 6-12 that uses the IB educational system. It is presently located at the Reizenstein facility, but may move to another location.
Peabody High School - A comprehensive high school for grades 9-12 located on Highland Avenue in East Liberty section of Pittsburgh. Peabody houses the city-wide magnet for its robotics program, which was previously located at Schenley High School.
Perry High School - A comprehensive high school for grades 9-12 located on the North Side. It is an all magnet school consisting of a "traditional academy."
Schenley High School - A PPS facility in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh that was closed in June 2008. The students from grades 10 to 12 were moved to Reizenstein in the fall of 2008. The last class at Schenley High School will graduate in June 2011.
Sci Tech - A science and technology school that now occupies the building once known as Frick. As of the 2009-2010 school year, the school accommodates grades 6-9 and will grow to house grades 6-12. Sci Tech is a city wide magnet.
U-Prep / Milliones - A middle school facility in the Hill District that, as of the 2009-2010 school year, accommodates students from grades 6-10. Now called U-Prep at Margaret Milliones, it is a partial magnet, partial feeder pattern school and is to expand to grades over the next two years. U-Prep is a city-wide magnet.
Vo Tech - see CTE above. Vo Tech is an out of date term it seems.
Westinghouse High School - A comprehensive high school for grades 9-12 in Homewood. This facility had a $30 million renovation within the last 10 years.
DEFINITIONS
Allderdice High School - A comprehensive high school in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood for grades 9-12. Allderdice has a city-wide magnet for engineering.
CAPA - Creative and Performing Arts high school which is located downtown and had accommodated grades 9 to 12. As of the 2009-2010 school year, the CAPA expanded to house grades 6 to 12. CAPA is a city-wide magnet.
CTE - Career and Technical Education, once known as Vocational and Technical education or "Vo Tech".
DeJong - A consultant firm hired by Pittsburgh Public Schools to report on building conditions and offer recommendations regarding facilities closures.
Frick Middle School - A PPS Facility in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh for grades 6-8 with an international studies theme. The students and the program moved to the Reizenstein facility and is now a part of Pittsburgh Obama, 6-12.
IB - International Baccalaureate, an educational program with an international standard. Pittsburgh Public Schools opened an IB middle years program school for grades 6 to 10 in the fall of 2009 at Reizenstein. The school is now called Pittsburgh Obama Academy of International studies and will expand to grades 6-12 over the next two years.
IB Site Selection Committee - A group of citizens and district employees selected by the PPS Administration to consider the long-term location for the IB program after the closure of Schenley High School.
Obama International Studies Academy - Pittsburgh Obama Academy of International Studies - a city-wide magnet for grades 6-12 that uses the IB educational system. It is presently located at the Reizenstein facility, but may move to another location.
Peabody High School - A comprehensive high school for grades 9-12 located on Highland Avenue in East Liberty section of Pittsburgh. Peabody houses the city-wide magnet for its robotics program, which was previously located at Schenley High School.
Perry High School - A comprehensive high school for grades 9-12 located on the North Side. It is an all magnet school consisting of a "traditional academy."
Schenley High School - A PPS facility in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh that was closed in June 2008. The students from grades 10 to 12 were moved to Reizenstein in the fall of 2008. The last class at Schenley High School will graduate in June 2011.
Sci Tech - A science and technology school that now occupies the building once known as Frick. As of the 2009-2010 school year, the school accommodates grades 6-9 and will grow to house grades 6-12. Sci Tech is a city wide magnet.
U-Prep / Milliones - A middle school facility in the Hill District that, as of the 2009-2010 school year, accommodates students from grades 6-10. Now called U-Prep at Margaret Milliones, it is a partial magnet, partial feeder pattern school and is to expand to grades over the next two years. U-Prep is a city-wide magnet.
Vo Tech - see CTE above. Vo Tech is an out of date term it seems.
Westinghouse High School - A comprehensive high school for grades 9-12 in Homewood. This facility had a $30 million renovation within the last 10 years.
MEB's Coming to Pittsburgh!
He is not Michael Phelps, but I can roll out the red carpet for him for sure.
MEB's Coming to Pittsburgh! The first weekend in May, Mebrahtom Keflezighi (pronounced Kef-lez-ghee), more commonly known as “Meb,” will come to Pittsburgh to meet and inspire area athletes during the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend.
13th year of high school should be an option for all PPS students
PPS should pull together a 13th year / prep year for all PPS graduates who want a 13th year. This extra prep year could be hosted as part of the I.B. High / Pittsburgh Obama. Allow all students from PPS to take advantage of an extra year of study and maturity before going to college.
http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2009/01/ib-high-should-have-13th-year-component.html
http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2009/01/ib-high-should-have-13th-year-component.html
I am NOT in favor of tearing down the Civic Arena. I don't want to tear down much, except politicians that only want to churn our landscape.
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| From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events |
I don't want to tear down the Civic Arena. There is very little that should be torn down from our landscape. To build, add value. To destroy, subtract. I am on the side of building by increasing, by addition, by expansion.
Any third grader knowns that 1 + 1 = 2 and that 2 is larger than 1.
Luke's math: 1 + 1 - 1 = 1. That's not growth.
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| From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events |
There is any demand for luxery box seats to go to a high school grduation, or college graduation as some of them have been held there too. There is no demand for luxery boxes for a circus or a monster truck jam or even Disney On Ice.
With the Civic Arena here, re-tooled for sure, we'd be able to host a mega block party when the Pens play a HOME playoff game, with the overflow spectators going to the Civic Arena.
Monday =IB Movie. Tuesday = Global Poverty lecture. Spiker action too
On Monday night, tonight, the IB FILM Class from Schenley shows its film project. Happens at Pgh Filmakers, free.
HS Volleyball for Schenley this week begins with a home match today, 3:15 varsity game, vs city team (Langley). Then game on Wed at Mt. Lebo and Thursday at Perry, 3:15. Saturday is a tournament at Hempfield for varsity and JV.
Swimming for the JCC Sailfish begins again tonight as well.
OAKLAND: Wahu Kaara, advocate for social justice in Kenya, will deliver a lecture, "Roots of Global Poverty," at 7 p.m. in Hamburg Hall Room 1000 on Carnegie Mellon University's campus. The talk will explore the economic and political systems that impoverish Africa and Latin America. Event, which is free, begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10102/1049678-53.stm#ixzz0ktqarb0q
HS Volleyball for Schenley this week begins with a home match today, 3:15 varsity game, vs city team (Langley). Then game on Wed at Mt. Lebo and Thursday at Perry, 3:15. Saturday is a tournament at Hempfield for varsity and JV.
Swimming for the JCC Sailfish begins again tonight as well.
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