As fit citizens, neighbors and running mates, we are tyranny fighters, water-game professionals, WPIAL and PIAA bound, wiki instigators, sports fans, liberty lovers, world travelers, non-credentialed Olympic photographers, UU netizens, church goers, open source boosters, school advocates, South Siders, retired and not, swim coaches, water polo players, ex-publishers and polar bear swimmers, N@.
People in Pittsburgh are both blessed and cursed with some school choices. And, these choices come to a much younger kid than in the past. And, there are a lot of choices to consider.
The BGC, Bloomfield - Garfield Corporation is a group that has worked to watch what our schools are doing. They have services for kids and families in the communities. But this event is special as it takes a more global view with charter schools, public schools and private schools too.
When the Pgh Public Schools holds its 'magnet fair' -- another great event -- only the choices of PPS are presented. Naturally. There are plenty of choices just within the PPS line up. But there is a bigger world too.
I like this as it is going to be a way for our those in the public schools to consider 'recruitment' for the family to a wider level.
School Choice Fair - Helping Parents Pick the Best School
Parents/Guardians who are seeking information that will aid in the selection of the best school for their child for the upcoming 2010/2011 school year should attend the School Choice Fair. Representatives from 35 public, charter, cyber, and parochial schools will be attendance. The schools will share information on each educational institution's mission, academic levels, classroom sizes, school safety record, after-school programming, transportation, financial aid. etc. Information on how to apply along with application deadlines will be shared.
The School Choice Fair will be held on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the St. Lawrence O'Toole Activity Center, 140 N. Atlantic Avenue (Garfield).
Please share this information with all that could benefit. Please post the flyer, forward the email, and hand out info to your friends and neighbors.
You might want to print out a few copies of the brochure and put them into your bag, purse or pockets to pass around to those you see around town.
This is very important for those now in 4th and 8th greades. But, it is also for others as well.
If you want great peeks at schools -- I like to go to some sporting events and chat with the fans in the stands. Visit with some high school parents tonight at the girls volleyball championship game at Brashear High School this afternoon. Or, join us at the soccer championship games on Wednesday night. Girls play at 5:30 or so and boys after. Both games are Allderdice vs. Schenley.
Friends of the Beechview Library, Customer Appreciation Day & Book Sale
author event with special guest
Saturday, Nov 7th- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1910 Broadway Ave.
Stop for refreshments & to browse the books.
At 1 p.m. Brian O’Neill, award-winning columnist for the Post-Gazette will sign copies of his new book, “The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the 21st Century, being released November 15th.
Cost of books will be $17.00 including tax. Brian will donate $5.00 for each book sold to help save Beechview Library.
Please stop by to purchase a book, say hello & thank him for suporting our cause.
Members Perks: embers only may preview and shop the book sale at 9:30 a.m. before the doors open for the regular book sale hours.
Members may also purchase 2010 book lover’s page-a-day calendars which retail for $12.99 for $5.00 each (special friends members price).
Donations of “gently used” books will be accepted at the library until November 5th.
Was fun watching Schenley High School's girls volleyball squad win the city league title last night. Won in 3rd game over Allderdice by 2 points. Very close. Tonight Schenley's football team plays the 2nd game at Cupples. Final 4. Victors of early and late game play at Heinz Field next Thursday night for city title. Wednesday is another double header for finals of soccer. Both Schenley's girls and boys soccer teams are in championship games (vs. Dice in both as well). So, Schenley could get 4 fall sports championships (Girls VB= check; Girls Soccer; Boys Soccer; Football). Guess Schenley can claim boys, girls and co-ed water polo title too. I'll try to be at Cupples (South Side Stadium) by the 2nd half tonight for football game.
The library system is a great asset. However, the people who have managed it in the past years are not. Plenty of serious mistakes have been made by upper management.
I would love to see heads roll -- then the library system can be saved.
Those who are not good stewards should not be rewarded for their serious screw ups.
A friend of mine told me in 2000, "Mark, don't pick fights with those that buy ink by the barrel."
That is good advice for those that want to win elections and get jobs. But, it isn't what I was out to do. I'd rather work and save the region.
I have an education and background in journalism and publishing. I've been upset at the local media for decades. And, I let them and others know about many of their fumbles.
But the worst of the worst is QED. So much for needing a commercial station. We should have 2 noncommercial public stations that are doing the work that needs to be done and we get do-whop. They suck. They are the root of many ills.
Jim Roddey would NOT sign my petition to get allow me onto the ballot in 2001 because I was pounding on QED -- and he was on the board there.
As for fun news: Ever see "The Art of News" -- a PCTV21 show? Great stuff. We held writters meetings at my home/office. I miss that and them. So much fun. Very worthy pursuits.
Don't go to the the foundation folks -- as they saw to it that QED got to its state. Unless you go to them and ask for heads now -- not a year from now (i.e. George Miles). Jagoffs.
Talkshoe.com works. You gotta get your own podcast(s). That should be the next step for many with ambitions.
Press a CD / DVD -- cost about $.25 each. Do that five times and then attach your resume to it.
Ron Morris would be a good stop after that work has been completed.
Nuts. I didn't see this email. So, I didn't go. So sad for me. Anyone else have some info and insights?
You are cordially invited to a meeting hosted by the Pittsburgh Public Schools
Working Together: How Pittsburgh Public Schools and After School Programs Can Support Children on The Pathway to the Promise.TM Tuesday, October 27, 2009 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Education Building 341 S. Bellefield AvenueConference Room A
To attend this meeting, please R.S.V.P. to Janene Smith at jsmith5@pghboe.net or 412-622-3951 by Thursday, October 22nd. If you cannot attend, please send another person from your agency. Presenters: - Mark Roosevelt, Superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools - Holly O’Donnell, After School Manager, Pittsburgh Public Schools
Again, I posted at Bram's blog, something like this.
The rental ordinance as well as the abandoned building law passed by Pittsburgh City Council are crap bills. Over-reaching again. Worthless in the real world.
If they (anyone on Grant Street) wanted to streamline city government (that's what Pat Ford was to be doing) -- they'd prune all the stuff that they can't enforce and shouldn't enforce.
Examples like these (resignation of BBI's top person, again; inside baseball on management of city's employees) are not going to resonate (have great traction with more than 100 voters) with the voters / challengers (Dok Harris and Kevin Acklin).
If more noise was made then the members on city council would need to be engaged in railing against the mayor too. As the council members would need to start to campaign against the mayor because he didn't enforce -- then their twisted laws would be put front and center. The end result is that members of council would really be campaigning against what evil they have planted throughout the city's code and in the city's neighborhoods.
Going to knock on that door together isn't going to bring much but bloody knuckles. Nobody is home. House is empty. Demolition pending.
The entire Point State Park re-do is a giant waste of money. Here is another branch in this sad chapter -- and shows of double talk.
Point State Park to lose 27 trees: "Not only are the trees on top of water and sewer lines, Ms. Novak said, they sit on ground that is scheduled to be reshaped to allow water to drain more easily after flooding.
First we are told that the trees are over water and sewage lines. But then we aer told that the trees are not able to be there due to the incline for water run-off after flooding.
There are not 27 trees over water lines in the park. No way. And, why do the water lines need to be replaced? For funnel cake vendors?
The Riverlife Task Force stinks, still. Where are they -- running the chain saws?
Why not auction the lumber? Is there a kick back with that that value? Sniff. Something smells.
By all means, they had better re-plant trees that are native to the area, for goodness sakes. Why not plant corn instead? Pumpkins would be nice too. Make some food and open a composte park for all those living in the new downtown condos.
My #1 bit of advice to all local advocates, bloggers and otherwise, has always been: "Don't burn out."
Think fixture.
To that note, the trend these days is twitter and facebook has been on the rise too.
I've got my main account, @Rauterkus, where I follow= 2,001 (limit at 2K) and 1,172 follow me; and I've made 4,133 tweets.
My MR & Running Mates blog is at 9,375 visible posts. A slew of other blogs and wikis are out there to other levels of input.
Presently my main www sites, Rauterkus.com, & elect.Rauterkus have been down for a couple of months, getting a re-tooling of sorts. The one day peak was >7000 visitors, years ago. Even my blast list is down from >10,000 contacts -- but it still lives and bucked recently to twist the arm of WTAE TV to post the entire debate #2 onto the web.
Sending tweets is easier. Go with the flow of the time. Carry your weight.
Pittsburgh has had a rash of lightweight retirements and too many crow about un-engaged voters. Heavy. so don't go to the dark side of being un-engaged, as in retirement. Just lighten up. Tweet into the sunset.
I was able to attend the community meeting hosted by Pittsburgh Public Schools this past week at Perry Traditional High School. Called, Excellence for All. Mark Roosevelt, superintendent, spoke about the new push for teacher effectiveness and the as yet un-official Gates Foundation Grant.
At the outset of the meeting, I had a brief moment with Mr. Roosevelt and told him congratulations on his new contract.
After the meeting, I sent along an email to Mr. Roosevelt and Mark Conner, Parent Engagment Coordinator. Stay tuned / scroll down.
Some of the points in the presentation make great conversation starters. I'll try to comment and wedge some of my opinions and obserations into the text of the blog.
Before the video camera ran, a testimonial from a recent PPS Graduate now getting Pittsburgh Promise scholarship money as he attends Penn State Allegheny (McKeesport) for engineering was shown. That first person account was from a recent meeting at Perry hosted by the head of the Pittsburgh Promise. The district has been hosting Pittsburgh Promise outreach meetings at all of the schools. Interesting. Those meetings are part of the PPS monthly calendars -- see the web site, http://www.PghBOE.Net.
Part 1 via Viddler: (Exact same file as above, just different server.)
Part 2 via YouTube:
Part 2 via Viddler:
Part 3 via YouTube:
Part 3 via Viddler:
Part 4, via YouTube:
Part 4, via Viddler:
Thanks for the grub and a few comments from last night
Hi Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Conner,
Thanks for the food and presentation last night at Perry. Sorry I had to leave the meeting as questions began. I had to get my son at the JCC after his swim practice. I'll get to and post the video today.
QUESTION: Is that "Cold Play" video on the web? It should be on YouTube.
QUESTION: Is that interview about the Promise Testimonial from the Oliver HS grad now at PSU Allegheny on the web? That should be on YouTube too.
The student in the video fell between the cracks in 9th grade (booted from Schenley) and 10th (at Oliver). If you do put the video onto the web, make sure all who watch understand that the standards for the Pgh Promise have been made more difficult. The 9th and 10th graders of today (and the future) can't slack off and still be 'promise ready.' That has been stressed to the kids at our school -- but it is a very important change and update that impacts the on-going telling of that testimonial for the sake of clarity going forward. So, I'd suggest an extra footnote on that video as it goes out to YouTube.
My reaction for discussion concerning that student as to why/how he was able to slip so much in 9th and 10th grade goes to his 'afterschool sports.'
Was he an athlete? What sports did he play? He would have been NOT ELIGIBLE, perhaps, due to grades. And, a sports coach (as I know them to be in healthy situations) COULD HAVE and SHOULD HAVE been on his back and able to monitor / coach / develop that student so as to keep him / get him back to the straight and narrow (Pgh Promise Pathway).
I'll bet he wasn't an athlete with one or more coaches who were hawks that were looking out for that kid's total student life.
The effort to make 'clusters' of adults in the school to monitor the kids -- home room teachers, guidance, etc -- is what great coaches do all the time.
More than 75% of the boys and aprox 55% of the girls should be in scholastic sports. The national numbers are not being reached in Pittsburgh. And, our coaches are fumbling, by and large.
Plus, that's a story that gets repeated in all urban districts. For example, Philly wasn't a part of the PIAA. Pittsburgh isn't a part of the WPIAL.
Pittsburgh does not have a massive cadre of caring adults watching out for a sizable majority of our middle school and younger high school aged students as our sports landscape in our schools in Pittsburgh stinks.
The push to master teachers (rock stars even), mentoring, monitoring and performance standards are nothing new to me -- as this is what we do all the time in swimming and sports.
The platform, goals and increased expectations you are embracing are splendid. I am in full support of that. But I fear that the sports / coaching support is missing, still, in the PPS execution. It is like a 3-leg stool with teachers + principals/administrators + COACHES / SPORTS / AFTERSCHOOL. You are getting there with the principals and data and now the teacher elements. Great. That's 2 of the 3 legs that are getting attention and fortified. But the easiest element and the one that will have massive returns is still getting ignored.
Furthermore, what I talk of is getting worse with all the school mergers.
I'd be most happy to talk about this with you or others.
SUGGESTION: Go to Eddie Wilson (PPS) and ask to peek at the 4 different binders I delivered to him in early October: That round of the RFP imploded, I guess, due to a stimulus funds snafu. Nonetheless, those binders make a work packet and hit upon vision / benefits. They are packed with opportunities and potential to get our kids performing. Check em out. (Swim & Water Polo Camp, Lifeguard Camp, Olympic Sports Camp, Sport Manager and Entrepreneur Camp). That's a first step. There is plenty to do for this leg of student support, and it needs to start with the superintendent.
Keep up the good work in those other areas. My request: The sports efforts should begin now too. And, frankly, Gates can get the credit. But for a fraction of the costs and a much smaller investment of time at the Board Levels -- an overhaul of sports would make a much bigger impact for our students. I'd love to make it so and prove it to you.
-- Ta.
Reply from Mark Roosevelt to me
Mark - I agree with you about sports and much that you say below. I will make more of an effort to push this forward in the coming weeks. Cheers, Mark
GREAT QUESTION: What is the status on the Title IX report on sports? Is it out? Have you seen it? Is it worthy of a discussion?
I don't think it is out yet. I'm putting in a call now to ex-PPS Board Member, Heather A.
What percent of our kids (boys / girls) are in scholastic sports in Pittsburgh High Schools?
PPS does not have that number, so I hear from the Athletic Director of PPS.
I think it makes sense to do an overhaul of sports in Pittsburgh while that Gates Foundation Grant is about to roll out. The coaching and teaching parts can overlap a great deal. We need to spotlight our city's mentor coaches. We need to have a coaching center of excellence, and so on. Most of all, sports participation can help to keep the kids on the straight-and-narrow through high school. So sports coaches can address a chunk of the mentoring and overall evaluation of the kids so as to insure that they are 'Promise Ready.' I'd much rather have sports coaches play a bigger role in the lives of the kids than home room teachers and security guards. The coaching staffs can be that year-in-and-year-out glue to the kids. But, we'll need coaches to be invited to the table and be more robust with greater numbers of kids.
Advocate style: I'm trying to connect the dots -- for the benefit of the kids and athletics. Ride the wave, so to speak.
> 4. We are currently reviewing the Athletic Program however, the Gates money is not earmarked for anything related to Athletics at this time.
I understand that the Gates money isn't for athletics. But, some of the efforts of the work at the board / administration could dove tail into athletics as it is going into the realm of teaching and CARE for the students.
-- We need to show the ability of teachers (and coaches) to move students to more advanced levels.
-- The whole issue of TENURE with coaches needs to be dealt with.
-- And, this plan creates the opportunity for highly effective teachers -- as it should also go to highly effective coaches.
-- Coaches can move the students to high levels. Are the athletes the ones in the district that are doing better than the non-athletes? (Duhh. What about data there! They are going to follow kids according to teachers they had in 9-12th grade. What about coaches too? What about college performance in sports too? Would they be shocked to learn that certain sports players in certain sports teams with certain coaches are GENERALLY far more accomplished in college success because of their fitness and discipline and X-FACTOR with being an accomplished athlete / exposed to accomplished coaching.)
-- And, coaches need to be included with the cadre of school professionals as each student is evaluated to be on the pathway to the promise.
-- Mentoring is a new push with PPS -- and we need to hook the mentors with athletics / middle school sports too.
The Gates Foundation money as well as the mindset now being embraced by PPS Board / Administrators because of the new goals -- SHOULD have a tie in with Athletics.
-- They are talking about WIDER recruitment of teachers -- highly effective teachers. New teachers we hire need to be spot on 80% of the time. We need new teachers hired into the district who are excellent teachers. And, hiring non-traditional teachers is now a possibility too. So, a great coach could be -- to use Mark Roosevelt's term -- a ROCK STAR coach and TEACHER. Let's use that wider net of the recruitment of teachers to also include the recruitment of coaches. Then these folks can get to the new teacher academy to sharpen up the academic skills that already have been proven in the coaching ranks.
Frankly, I'd love to see half of the new teachers within PPS being accomplished coaches before hired by PPS. Then they'd get the support of the intern year.
Furthermore, the others who are in the teacher academy need to be given coaching expertise too -- so that when they are placed in new school settings, they are able to coach sports teams there.
I'll talk with John Tarka next.
No need to reply. Perhaps I'll see you at a soccer or football game or volleyball championships in the next week or so.
Dok would be running on his father's name if he was a candidate for a job with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dok isn't trying out for a position with the football team.
Ebert G. Beeman's words hit David Mitchell, a retired librarian and 12-year veteran of Erie County Council, like a body blow.
Beeman, a Waterford Township resident who had won the Republican Party's nomination to fill the council post soon to be vacated by Mitchell, was standing before a group of Corry voters over the summer.
Beeman was talking about how if he were elected, he'd ax the Erie County Public Library's BookMobile.
"Those are fighting words," Mitchell said.
Mitchell, 65, a Republican, had planned on stepping down from Erie County government at the end of his term this year to pursue public service on the state level.
He saw in the ranks of young Republicans in the 6th District at least three viable candidates with local government experience whom he believed would serve the district and the county well.
But in the May primary, those candidates -- Frank Stefano Jr. and Greg Lucas, of the Edinboro area, and Edward DiMattio, of Waterford -- split the primary vote three ways with more than 500 votes each.
Beeman, a Waterford Township auditor and relative political newcomer, emerged victorious, with 573 votes.
Mitchell, a former Corry mayor who has represented the 6th District since 1996, said he met Beeman briefly before the start of a program in Corry over the summer. The meeting went well, Mitchell said.
Then he said he heard Beeman get up and casually talk about getting rid of the BookMobile. In a recent interview, Beeman said he wants to eliminate the entire county library system.
"He basically said he does not like politics or politicians," Mitchell said.
"When you see someone coming out and blasting things in such a partisan way, they are doing it for their own benefit, not the people's," Mitchell said.
Mitchell decided then that he might seek a write-in campaign because he feared Beeman might disrupt county government. Council in the next term will be working with a new county executive and will face very difficult budget planning, he said.
The Republican Party leadership began calling Mitchell, asking him to run because of their own concerns with Beeman's agenda, he said.
Of his decision to mount a comeback, Mitchell said, "I decided if Brett Favre could do it, I could do it," referring to the NFL quarterback.
Mitchell said everyone has a right to their own views and that, like Beeman, he has no love of taxes or excessive government.
But Mitchell said those who protest taxes most loudly tend also to forget that taxes fund what many people consider essential services.
"They simplify a very complicated system, and they get very angry," he said.
He said that because there are seven members of County Council, they must work together, for the good of the county and their respective districts.
"If the other council members isolate him, he won't suffer," Mitchell said. "The district will suffer."
Guy K, a tech guru, tweeted about a blog article that covers the top ten thinking mistakes. Number two on the list was about the status quo, a topic that I love to battle in my (quixotic to some) efforts of life.
The Status Quo Trap: Keeping on Keeping On In one experiment a group of people were randomly given one of two gifts — half received a decorated mug, the other half a large Swiss chocolate bar. They were then told that they could effortlessly exchange one gift for the other. Logic tells us that about half of people would not get the gift they preferred and would hence exchange it, but in fact only 10% did!
We tend to repeat established behaviors, unless we are given the right incentives to entice us to change them. The status quo automatically has an advantage over every other alternative.
What can you do about it?
•Consider the status quo as just another alternative. Don’t get caught in the ‘current vs. others’ mindset. Ask yourself if you would choose your current situation if it weren’t the status quo.
•Know your objectives. Be explicit about them and evaluate objectively if the current state of affairs serves them well.
•Avoid exaggerating switching costs. They frequently are not as bad as we tend to assume.
The objectives for a city election are important. Lots of people vote out of duty to democracy (little "d" -- not party "D"). Use it or lose it. Well, when we vote if we always know who is going to win because of the party associated with their name on the voting machines, then we are not really voting, we are anointing. Kings get anointed to the thrones. In America, we elect.
An objective of voting, an election and sustaining our democracy -- and keeping that status quo alive -- is reaching a popular decision by ballot. The objective is to insure democracy so as to insure freedom as it is much better to change rulers at the ballot box than with violence and blood.
I'd say, from time to time, we need to toss out the ones in elected office just so we don't make our elections meaningless and rusty of a done-deal mentality. To the fit, it is use it or lose it. Well, Pittsburgh has to pull for the underdog from time to time in the elections or all elections will be lost in terms of relevance.
But here comes the kicker question of this blog ramble:
What would be the costs to Pittsburgh if it got a new mayor now?
Bram, do not go overboard yourself. You wrote in part:
"Luke is lying, and everyone is giving him a pass because they'd rather see him prosecuted than bother calling him a liar again. For goodness sakes, people,..."
The EVERYONE part above is a lie too. First, don't discount yourself. You care. You are not giving out a free pass. You are part of everyone.
But, please do not lecture to the masses so as to think and know what they (we) think. That's just a little trap that I'd hate to see you step in so as to discount everything else.
Moving along, frankly, I do NOT want to see Luke prosecuted. That isn't a 'wish' of mine. We have elections. I want to see elections count far more than the actions of DAs and Attorney Generals and Ethics Boards. Being prosecuted is one of my last concerns and it should be in the back seat to plain old elections. Elections are where these things should be settled, not with the courts nor with violence. I'm a big fan of democracy, messy as it is.
Furthermore, it isn't good form to call anyone, yet alone the mayor of the city you reside within, a 'liar.'
I'm all for taking people out of their comfot zone. Sometimes a poke with a sharp or blunt stick is what is most effective. But, wow. To call names -- scum is a favorite of mine -- makes a big risk. No threat. Just, be careful. The conversation is on thin ice already. It won't take much to have the discussion implode.
Being honest is one of my valued principals (Caring, Loving, Open, Honest) -- but at the same time it would be foolish to go around telling people that they are 'fat.' Being honest personally -- and being an overt enforcer with a scaret letter of honesty -- are two different matters. There are two sides to the sword of honesty and people don't like to swing it nor be around much when it gets serious use.
Lots may run for cover. We want lots to get more engaged.
Countless things encircle us where we, as individuals and as a society, are not honest in addressing. Honest talk -- really honest -- becomes crushing.
So, tag it. Then advance to the other driving points. Tip to KA and Dok. In your administration (because we all know some less than honest dealings are going to get spun), who will be calling the shots? Developers? Developers did call many shots when Tom Murphy and Bob O'Connor were at the helm too.
My point: Distinctions beyond honesty and liar are necessary for a campaign to be effective.
He isn't honest. But that is not news. All politicians are less than honest to some degree.
And by all means, don't over-sell it -- because EVERYONE isn't giving a pass to those who are at odds with the truth.
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