Chris Lilienthal, Communications Director
Phone: (717) 255-7156, 717-829-4823 (cell)
E-Mail: lilienthal@pennbpc.org
Think Tank to Host Blogger Conference Call on Pa. Budget
HARRISBURG, PA (February 6, 2009)—The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will host a conference call on Tuesday, February 10 at 11 a.m. with Pennsylvania bloggers to discuss Gov. Rendell’s state budget proposal and a new report from the center on state and local tax policy in Pennsylvania. If you plan to blog on state and local budget issues in the coming months, this call should be your starting point.
WHAT: A conference call on state tax and budget issues hosted by the Pa. Budget and Policy Center. The call will include an introduction to the center’s new publication,
The Common Good: What Pennsylvania’s Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You.
WHO: Sharon Ward, Director, and Michael Wood, Research Director
Pa. Budget and Policy Center
WHEN: Tuesday, February 10, 2009, 11:00 A.M.
DETAILS: Call 1-800-272-0950 and enter Passcode 607821 to access the conference call.
You can view a copy of The Common Good: What Pennsylvania’s Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You on the center’s Web site at http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_08.pdf and a three-page summary of the reports’ findings at http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_Summary.pdf.
Friday, February 06, 2009
ADVISORY: BLOGGER CONFERENCE CALL on PA budget
Girls Swim Camp: June 15-19
If you can't go to Ak-o-mak, this might be a wonderful camp experience.
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Guys need not apply.
Tuition is $300; register and pay in full by April 30 and tuition is $250.
The Cougar Swim Camp is an intensive training experience offered to young women in grades 7-10 who want to improve their stroke mechanics, start and turn technique, goal setting, pre-race preparation, nutrition and strength training. The camp will emphasize the “how” and the “why” of competitive swimming and incorporate water training, video analysis, lectures and a daily training table. Leading the camp will be Chatham University swim coach Michael Meyers, who began his coaching career while earning his masters degree at New Mexico State University and serving as assistant swimming and head water polo coach. As head coach at Peters Township High School, Coach Meyers’ swimmers earned 32 National High School All-American honors, as well as several WPIAL and PIAA High School records and a USS American record. An accomplished swimmer in his own right, Coach Meyers was a four-year NAIA All-American and All-WVIAC swimmer for West Liberty State College and was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Camp tuition will includes a t-shirt, a DVD of all the swimmers’ strokes, starts and turns, and a workbook to chart, measure and monitor their future progress.
Follow-up questions for Natalia Rudiak
The Pittsburgh Comet: Interview: Natalia Rudiak: "Interview: Natalia Rudiak"
I have some big picture questions for Natalia Rudiak as follow up to what Bram delivered.
I agree that the city and its citizens need greater public knowledge about decisions being made. Hence, the flaw of cooperation and more communication between Act 47, the ICA, Council and the Mayor's office deals with the elimination of all OVERLORDS.
The citizens and people as well as accountability is all in the trunk, yet alone back seat, when there are OVERLORDS in the role of driver.
So, the way to fix that isn't with more memos. Rather, toss the OVERLORDS out of town. And do that AFTER cleaning up our own (Grant Street) house first.
So, the goals and expectations need to be self-governance. That requires self control.
We need to elect people to council, the controller's & mayor's office who are sick and tired of OVERLORDS calling the shots because of a history of folly making by those in the past (and sadly, the present as well).
Furthermore, the URA has a history. And, it isn't good either. I don't want to work closer with the URA. Rather, I want to do away with what doesn't work.
The URA is an AUTHORITY that does deals and makes decisions without public knowledge.
Does Natalia Rudiak want to expel the cronies and OVERLORDS, or be the one at the table with them herself?
Is a TRID (that she wants) really just a new name for more bureaucratic red tape without accountability? Is the TRID a thing to create and have a life of its own? Or, can we just have a shared vision and make Beechview into a more wonderful neighborhood with splendid transit assets?
Thursday, February 05, 2009
USA Swimming Suspends Phelps For 3 Months - Sports News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh
USA Swimming Suspends Phelps For 3 Months - Sports News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh 'There are a lot of people who have been in my shoes in other sports … and that's been a lot of help the last couple of days,' he said.Still think it would have been great to have Santonio and Michael together in the parade on Tuesday. I would have pulled my kids out of school for that.
USA Swimming Suspends Phelps For 3 Months - Sports News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh ... the picture of the ... incident was taken during a November house party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina.Humm. I remember a November incident when at the University of South Carolina with swimmers that I was involved in. I was very happy that photos were not being taken. True story.
We swam a meet against the Gamecocks on our way to our Florida training trip. This was just before, on or after Thanksgiving. We departed our campus, Athens, Ohio -- home to the Ohio University Men's Swim Team -- in our custom green bus, the Magic Bus. The bus could sleep 24 or so in bunks. It had three types of heat, a head, roof rack, tow hitch and lots of comforts of home without any of the privacy.
Our incident didn't include any drugs nor alcohol. No way. We were not that dumb, even in the age before cameras in cell phones. I'm talking 1980 or 81, I think. Our team never had any brushes with drugs nor booze, if you don't count that time at Bush Gardens. But, that was nothing.
We all stayed in the bus, by design, over-night. The bus was parked next to the pool, plugged into the electricity via an extension from the building. The bus was our hotel while on the road. The Gamecock Natatorium was, for some, our hot tub, complete with jumps off the 10-meter tower. The campus was closed. No need for clothes. Cell phones weren't invented, thank goodness.
I stayed dry, and warm. Bundled even. No trouble came.
Moral of the story: Be on your best behavior in November in South Carolina. For some reason, that's a place where swimmers have been known to take a dip on the wild side.
From the CollegeSwimming message boards:
I thought Michael Phelps had the opportunity to bring swimming to another level, but it would appear that he is more interested in having fun with his fame rather than giving back. I don't have a problem with him wanting to do that, but wouldn't it be nice to try and grow the sport as one of the great athletes of all time.Time will tell.
Benedum Foundation pledges $2.5 million to scholarships
Wow. Can't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Benedum Foundation pledges $2.5 million to scholarships 'We view the Pittsburgh Promise as an integral part of the school district's reform efforts to prepare all students for success in college and provide the means to make higher education possible,' said James Denova, Vice President of the Benedum Foundation, Downtown.I view the Pittsburgh Promise as something different. I view it, well, how should I say, as something that is $2.5 million richer.
Trust to buy land near North Park Lake
Trust to buy land near North Park Lake: "Trust to buy land near North Park Lake"
Front page on CNN: Commentary: Libertarian ideas to stimulate economy - CNN.com
Front page coverage.
Commentary: Libertarian ideas to stimulate economy - CNN.com Commentary: Libertarian ideas to stimulate economy
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Joe Jencks in Friendship House Concert, Feb 15
Friendship House Concerts
is proud to present
Joe Jencks
Sunday, February 15
4:00 p.m.
"Joe Jencks is the type of musician that will cause you to drop that morning newspaper or pull your car to the side of the road when you hear his songs. He is the type of artist that will turn heads in his direction when he walks onto a stage. His voice will instantly draw you into his passionate songs. He is the type of musician whose music will become part of you. His craft and artistry will remind you of the best efforts of Phil Ochs, Stan Rogers, and Woody Guthrie. The troubadour tradition is alive and well in the 21st century with the music of Joe Jencks." — Ron Olesko, WFDU–FM Teaneck, NJ
"A Joe Jencks concert is definitely not a visit to the inner world of some guy with a guitar who would like us all to sit still and listen politely. It's an occasion for singing, a contagious rising up of voices, an act of joy and defiance! …Tapping into the latent, nearly mystical beauty that a roomful of people can unleash by singing together." – Seattle Folklore Society
Joe Jencks is an award-winning songwriter. His career is based as much in ministering to the human spirit as it is in the performance of music. Joe has earned wide recognition for his songs about working people, and for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Joe manages to make everyone feel welcomed, valued, and part of a community.
Joe's latest release, The Candle And The Flame, combines the many facets of Joe's diverse musical background and weaves them all together into an aural tapestry that is stark and exquisite. Joe sings with the passion of an R & B/Gospel singer, the knowledge of a classical vocalist, the soul of an Irish Tenor, and the conscience of a troubadour. And at the center of Joe's music is an abiding love for all humanity, a love that transcends the everyday and boarders on the mystical.
Joe is a dual US/Irish citizen living in the US, and merges traditions from both countries in his eclectic and vibrant musical presentation. Joe has had the unique pleasure of sharing the stage with numerous folk artists including Pete Seeger, Utah Phillips, Holly Near, John McCutcheon, Pat Humphries, and Bill Staines.
Check out Joe and his music at http://www.joejencks.com
Seating is limited.
For information and/or an invitation, call or email:Llouise & Jim Altes
412.361.6051
friendshiphouseconcerts@gmail.
com
Suggested donation: $10.00. All proceeds go to the performer.
After the concert, there will be a pot luck dinner. Please bring an entree, an hors d'oeuvre, a salad, a side dish, or dessert to share.
Other House Concerts we're aware of:
February 12 Allison Williams with Chance McCoy, 7:30 pm at Cindy & Ricks
March 22 Friction Farm http://www.frictionfarm.com
April 19 Jay Mankita http://www.jaymankita.com
May 17 Andrew McKnight http://www.andrewmcknight.net
Peabody High School and Reform of High Schools. Meeting at BGC in Jan09
Meeting was held in January 2009 at Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
The grand conclusion of this meeting uncovered some of the brutal facts of school performance in high schools throughout the district and at Peabody. The numbers are a downer, so this clip does not dwell on them. As an uplifting element, consider a recent Schenley graduate now at Pitt and working magic on the hardwood.
More is pending on the next meeting that happened on Feb 4, 2009 with four school board members: Thomas Sumpter, Randall Taylor, Marc Brently and ex-President, Bill Isler. . See http://rauterkus.blip.tv/.
Photo from Feb 4, 2009. Shows from right to left, Randall Taylor, ex-Board-President, Bill Isler, and Thomas Sumpter.
Handout in PDF from Pittsburgh Public Schools, 84 pages.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
The grand conclusion of this meeting uncovered some of the brutal facts of school performance in high schools throughout the district and at Peabody. The numbers are a downer, so this clip does not dwell on them. As an uplifting element, consider a recent Schenley graduate now at Pitt and working magic on the hardwood.
More is pending on the next meeting that happened on Feb 4, 2009 with four school board members: Thomas Sumpter, Randall Taylor, Marc Brently and ex-President, Bill Isler. . See http://rauterkus.blip.tv/.
Photo from Feb 4, 2009. Shows from right to left, Randall Taylor, ex-Board-President, Bill Isler, and Thomas Sumpter.Handout in PDF from Pittsburgh Public Schools, 84 pages.
Theresa Smith hits a home run on the first pitch in her new role as city council member
I've been tickled all day with the news of the election yesterday and the arrival of Theresa Smith to city council. Then I read this, rather late, article in the P-G and the joy turns to all out elation!
Wiser words have never been said, in all my days, by a member of Pittsburgh's City Council.
Yes.New councilwoman: West communities should help themselves
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Incoming Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Theresa Smith said today that she's not going to try to legislate away the problems of the western neighborhoods.
"I think there's enough legislation on the books already," she said. "It's enforcement that we need."
The Westwood resident said she'd also like to bring unity to a district that's traditionally divided because of very different communities like Fairywood, Sheraden, Banksville and Mt. Washington. She wants to create a small business advisory council and hold a series of town hall meetings.
Ms. Smith, 49, plans to reach inside and outside of government for help with what she views as the district's biggest problem.
"I know there are a lot of vacant properties throughout the district," she said. The solution is "trying to restore some of the homes. Some of the homes you can't restore will be demolished."
She's also talking with the Service Employees International Union, which plans to represent workers at the casino going up just across the Ohio River from her district, about marketing homes in its neighborhoods to those employees.
"The problem is, we're always depending on government to do everything," she said. "We have to take some responsibility for what's going on in our community."
Ms. Smith campaigned in yesterday's special election with the Democratic nomination, nearly doubled the vote total of runner-up Georgia Blotzer and goes into the May Democratic primary as the front-runner in what could be a crowded field.
May turnout is likely to be much higher than the 10.4 percent figure for the special election.
"I actually feel more comfortable with more people coming out to vote," Ms. Smith said.
She expects to be inaugurated around Feb. 17 to serve the rest of the year to fulfill the term previously held by Dan Deasy, now a state representative.
I was going to offer to be a volunteer speech writer for her. But instead, I might want to just open up a new blog and fan club for her existing press agent.
Meanwhile in city council today, they were talking about a new set of laws to impose on building owners about student housing and dormatoies. What ever that is.
In other parts of city council's chamber, Darleen Haris was seen with an ice pack on her elbow due to over-use from yesterday's parade and Terrible Towel waving. (That's a joke.)
I did talk a bit with Councilman Dowd before the meeting about parks. He had been the chair of the Citiparks / Urban Recreation Committee. I'd love to get him to talk at length about how we need to move in the city in terms of recreation.
Dr. Dowd and I don't seem to agree on much in that realm as he doesn't want schools to do anything with afterschool and athletics. I think that would be fine, however, the schools are where we already invested plenty of capital in terms of gyms, pools, locker-rooms, auditoriums, and fields. So, when we have schools lock those to community use, we've got nothing at all. At least when there is a fledging sports program, the kids get some crumbs of time in those facilities with guidance.
I think that school sports are important so as to get the parents and community involved in fun, healthy boosterism and participation as an easy stepping stone to more leveraged help in the academic process in the following steps.
Literate Kids, imagine that! More on Parent Accountability in our schools.
Educational Jargon Chokes most parents. We need a glossary, sort like the movie Doom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_(film)
Humm.... Doom is a 2005 science fiction horror film adaptation of the popular Doom series of video games created by id Software. It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak and was released in the United States on October 21, 2005 and in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2005. The film was rated R in the United States by the MPAA for strong violence/gore and language.
Rather than a glossry of terms for Doom and Schools, let's make our school mascot The Zombies.
Hints that Guy Costa won't be hired as the COO, chief operations office, for Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Imagine a YouTube on school information so parents do not need to go to as many meetings.
Swimming coaches work with more than one team | News-Leader.com | Springfield News-Leader
Swimming coaches work with more than one team | News-Leader.com | Springfield News-Leader: "Swimming coaches work with more than one team"
Pitt plans to discipline those arrested after Super Bowl
Those involved should be packing their bags.
Pitt plans to discipline those arrested after Super Bowl: "The University of Pittsburgh said yesterday it has begun filing campus judicial charges against an unspecified number of its students accused of taking part in the damage that occurred in Oakland as fans celebrated the Steelers' Super Bowl win Sunday night.
Chancellor Mark Nordenberg said sanctions available include permanent dismissal from the university."
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
New City Council Women: Theresa Smith, with 2-to-1 vicotry!
YES. Theresa Smith is going to be on city council.
Double yes, as there was some talk with Council's President, Doug Shields, that the new council person might get the nod to be chairperson of the Parks & Urban Recreation & Youth Committee. I'm not 100% certain of the new name of the committee. But, I'm very certain that she'd do a fantastic job in that role, if it is to happen.
Fine gathering and victory party.
Theresa Smith = 1,259
Brendan Schubert = 450
Georgia Blotzer = 639
Chris Metz, R, = 239
Double yes, as there was some talk with Council's President, Doug Shields, that the new council person might get the nod to be chairperson of the Parks & Urban Recreation & Youth Committee. I'm not 100% certain of the new name of the committee. But, I'm very certain that she'd do a fantastic job in that role, if it is to happen.
Fine gathering and victory party.
Theresa Smith = 1,259
Brendan Schubert = 450
Georgia Blotzer = 639
Chris Metz, R, = 239
Folly's face
Pittsburgh council changes city name to 'Sixburgh' - The Huddle - USATODAY.com They changed the name of the city to 'Sixburgh.'
Pittsburgh city council member Bruce Kraus led the proclamation that designates the city as 'Sixburgh' for all of 2009.
It's the second attempt at a football-related name change this year among the city's politicians. Before the Steelers' AFC championship contest with the Ravens, Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl said he wanted to change his name to 'Steelerstahl.'
Monday, February 02, 2009
Pittsburgh Parent Group Reopens Asbestos Debate
Perhaps points in this story need to be clarified?
Pittsburgh Parent Group Reopens Asbestos Debate: "Pittsburgh Parent Group Reopens Asbestos Debate"
Round Three: another meeting at Bloomfield Garfield Corp about Peabody
Here is the invite:
Hope to see you there, then.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT MEETING WITH THOMAS SUMPTER — Pittsburgh Public School Board MemberI have a lot of decent video from the last meeting last week, but have not been able to upload it yet. The last meeting was long on the report of the I.B. site selection stuff. It also went to the heart of the matter that change is necessary at Peabody. Too many kids are dropping out of high school -- 35%. And, too few are going to college. And, too few that do go to college are able to graduate with a 4-year degree.
What: Pittsburgh Peabody Stakeholders Meeting
When: Wednesday, February 4th, 2009
Time: 6:00pm
Where: BCG Community Activity Center 113 N. Pacific Avenue (Garfield)
Questions: Call Rick Flanagan at 412-441-9833
We will engage our District 3 board representative on Peabody and other Pittsburgh Public School related matters. (We hope other PPS Board Members will join Director Sumpter.)
You will have an opportunity to listen, ask questions, and share solutions.
Pittsburgh Peabody future is being determined—PLEASE ATTEND!
Hope to see you there, then.
Vote for Theresa Smith, tomorrow, for city council in district 2.
I posted this at Bram's blog.
A "L" buddy of mine advocates that grooming candidates who are known in their communities is UNLIKE putting up a candidate that shills for votes.
Clearly, Theresa Smith, is known to those throughout the district, by association and deed. For her, campaign planks are things that others need to stand on.
That's the rub, Bram, with your back-and-forth with her.
Her past weaves right into the future.
I have good comfort and trust in Theresa Smith. And, I despise the city's 'one-party machine.'
I've got plenty of t-shirts. But, this might find a way home now.
Mark Roosevelt talks about spending, principals, foundations and more
Mark Roosevelt, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, talked to a group of Parents at the Excellence for All meeting last week.
I'm a big fan of the public schools. More like a booster than 'brainwashed fan.' And Mark Roosevelt gets three cheers from me today for following my suggestion last week to call for a two hour delay and do it early, so families could plan ahead.
Here is some insights into the school district.
Comments welcomed, of course.
Clip #1: Spending at Pittsburgh Public Schools. This is the big pledge. No new taxes.
The district is spending the same amount of money in 2009 as it did three years prior, upon the arrival of Mark Roosevelt. Fine. Except, the school district is shrinking. Thousands (exact # not sure) have voted with their feet and departed.
An overhaul and reform of the school district is happening. That might cost a bit more than normal. But, it is interesting to watch.
To the credit of Mr. Roosevelt, he has made a great number of changes among the principals within the district. This was needed, and we agree.
Part 1 and part 2 give an extensive story of Principals in PPS. (See clip #2 and #3 in this blog posting.)
In my personal experiences, we are blessed with two great principals. Mr. Netchi is presently at Phillips Elementary School. Dr. Walters is at Frick Middle School. Both men do a fine job. Dr. Barbara Rudiak was the past principal at Phillips. She got promoted a couple of years ago. She is now one of the four executive directors for the district. Dr. Rudiak is a principal of principals for the elementary schools.
Next year, Frick Middle School, a school that works and has good performance, is closing. That school will merge into the new I.B. High/Jr. High. Dr. Walters has been named as the new principal there. That school will be with grades 6 to 10 next year.
To be sure, some have other opinions. And, I am far from being a expert on the principals at other schools. But, this has been a sore spot in the overall district in the past years.
Finally, the talk we've heard in the past and the actions we've seen in the past have not always been hand-in-hand. We've been promised that bad principals and bad teachers would be removed from the district. Often, those promises didn't come true, in the past. There are some key elements within the union contract that have also been slated for changes -- that have not come about. So, all in all, these promises of actions are not what we like to listen for. The promise is an easy benchmark to make. Rather, we are in need of actions. And, a good bit of action has happened with the principals headed into the 2008-09 school year.
At this rate of change, the generation now being born have a good chance of getting a great education in Pittsburgh Public Schools. I'm interested in quicker actions than that.
Clip #4, Foundations at Pittsburgh Public Schools:
I don't like to hear the present superintendent rail against the spending before he arrived. Furthermore, the actions of the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Trustees still leaves plenty to be desired.
Principals are graded, and given incentive income, based upon different benchmarks. One is to manage a school that welcomes and engages with the parents / families. Pgh Public Schools is looking for tools that work in these areas. Then they'll replicate them for re-use in other schools.
Clip #5: Welcoming school starts with the principal:
The concept and programs of Beginning With Books is great. But what about the older kids!
Clip #6: Accountability with teachers explained, sorta. A system of teacher evaluation is coming. The Charlotte Danielson Framwework is the trend. But, I've not been able to locate anything yet in my early research on the Charlotte Danielson Framework. Zippo.
See a report from Pure Reform on this meeting.
I'm a big fan of the public schools. More like a booster than 'brainwashed fan.' And Mark Roosevelt gets three cheers from me today for following my suggestion last week to call for a two hour delay and do it early, so families could plan ahead.
Here is some insights into the school district.
Comments welcomed, of course.
Clip #1: Spending at Pittsburgh Public Schools. This is the big pledge. No new taxes.
The district is spending the same amount of money in 2009 as it did three years prior, upon the arrival of Mark Roosevelt. Fine. Except, the school district is shrinking. Thousands (exact # not sure) have voted with their feet and departed.
An overhaul and reform of the school district is happening. That might cost a bit more than normal. But, it is interesting to watch.
To the credit of Mr. Roosevelt, he has made a great number of changes among the principals within the district. This was needed, and we agree.
Part 1 and part 2 give an extensive story of Principals in PPS. (See clip #2 and #3 in this blog posting.)
In my personal experiences, we are blessed with two great principals. Mr. Netchi is presently at Phillips Elementary School. Dr. Walters is at Frick Middle School. Both men do a fine job. Dr. Barbara Rudiak was the past principal at Phillips. She got promoted a couple of years ago. She is now one of the four executive directors for the district. Dr. Rudiak is a principal of principals for the elementary schools.
Next year, Frick Middle School, a school that works and has good performance, is closing. That school will merge into the new I.B. High/Jr. High. Dr. Walters has been named as the new principal there. That school will be with grades 6 to 10 next year.
To be sure, some have other opinions. And, I am far from being a expert on the principals at other schools. But, this has been a sore spot in the overall district in the past years.
Finally, the talk we've heard in the past and the actions we've seen in the past have not always been hand-in-hand. We've been promised that bad principals and bad teachers would be removed from the district. Often, those promises didn't come true, in the past. There are some key elements within the union contract that have also been slated for changes -- that have not come about. So, all in all, these promises of actions are not what we like to listen for. The promise is an easy benchmark to make. Rather, we are in need of actions. And, a good bit of action has happened with the principals headed into the 2008-09 school year.
At this rate of change, the generation now being born have a good chance of getting a great education in Pittsburgh Public Schools. I'm interested in quicker actions than that.
Clip #4, Foundations at Pittsburgh Public Schools:
I don't like to hear the present superintendent rail against the spending before he arrived. Furthermore, the actions of the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Trustees still leaves plenty to be desired.
Principals are graded, and given incentive income, based upon different benchmarks. One is to manage a school that welcomes and engages with the parents / families. Pgh Public Schools is looking for tools that work in these areas. Then they'll replicate them for re-use in other schools.
Clip #5: Welcoming school starts with the principal:
The concept and programs of Beginning With Books is great. But what about the older kids!
Clip #6: Accountability with teachers explained, sorta. A system of teacher evaluation is coming. The Charlotte Danielson Framwework is the trend. But, I've not been able to locate anything yet in my early research on the Charlotte Danielson Framework. Zippo.
See a report from Pure Reform on this meeting.
Parade - or Rally?
The parade will be at noon on Tuesday. It follows the traditional St. Pats route.
I call that another lost opportunity.
If I'm in charge, there would be an evening (6 pm) rally at Heinz Field, after a breakfast (8 am) at UPMC's Sports Medicine Facility, lunch (11:30) at South Side Cupple's Field (PPS owned), and happy hour (4 pm) at Station Square with a post-rally evening dance (10 pm) at PNC Park.
Fans would be asked to attend only ONE of the four events.
Players and coaches would walk among the events, using the bike path as desired.
Mini events could be staged at Pitt's Pete, Duquesne Univ.'s Polumbo, Civic Arena, and Island Sports Complex.
All this could happen on Saturday!
I call that another lost opportunity.
If I'm in charge, there would be an evening (6 pm) rally at Heinz Field, after a breakfast (8 am) at UPMC's Sports Medicine Facility, lunch (11:30) at South Side Cupple's Field (PPS owned), and happy hour (4 pm) at Station Square with a post-rally evening dance (10 pm) at PNC Park.
Fans would be asked to attend only ONE of the four events.
Players and coaches would walk among the events, using the bike path as desired.
Mini events could be staged at Pitt's Pete, Duquesne Univ.'s Polumbo, Civic Arena, and Island Sports Complex.
All this could happen on Saturday!
City Council race full of newcomers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
City Council race full of newcomers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A special election on Tuesday pits four political neophytes against one another to fill a vacant seat on Pittsburgh City Council.Don't think a campaign manager for a winning state rep seat is a newbie.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Steelers fans celebrate one for the other thumb
Steelers fans celebrate one for the other thumb: "Earlier, hundreds of happy Steelers fans on East Carson Street showed their passion and potential for rowdiness as the first half of Super Bowl XLIII ended. They were celebrating James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Some of the revelers from the Rex Theatre got a little out of hand, stampeding in front of a 51C Port Authority bus and banging on its windows. One man scaled the bus and celebrated atop it, and about a dozen others followed his lead.
Two motorcycle police officers, showing restraint, coaxed the climbers down and cleared a path for the bus, sending the handful of startled riders on their way.
The police made no arrests, but other officers just down the street made a show of pulling their riot gear from a paddy wagon so the crowd could see what it might be up against."
Saturday, January 31, 2009
By gones
Kevin Acklin, then 30 in 2006, a Squirrel Hill attorney, was seeking the nomination for Dave Fawcett's seat on County Council. He hosted a fund raiser in November 2006 at the Duquesne Club, Downtown.Do you know Kevin? Is he seeking the R nomination for Mayor in 2009?
Acklin co-chaired the Allegheny County campaign of defeated Sen. Rick Santorum. He also operated a local volunteer center for President George Bush's 2004 re-election bid.
Walt Harris possible candidate for local coaching job
Interesting.
I also know that Walt is missed at some Pitt Tailgates on the North Side in certain Saturdays in the fall.
This might be as productive as Montour's stint with #51, formerly of Da Bears. I'm not sure, but it could be similar.
I never did get to watch a single episode of that ESPN show. Was it ESPN? Is it available via NetFlicks?
Walt Harris possible candidate for local coaching job: "Former Pitt football coach Walt Harris might be coaching at a district high school next season.I know Greg Caprera. He hired me once.
Harris is apparently a candidate for the head coach's job at Seneca Valley. Sources said he has talked with Seneca Valley officials about the job.
When Harris was asked yesterday about his interest in the job, he said, 'I have no comment.'
Seneca Valley officials interviewed some candidates this past week and Seneca Valley superintendent Don Tylinski is expected to interview some candidates this week.
Seneca Valley athletic director Greg Caprera said the school board hopes to name a coach Feb. 9."
I also know that Walt is missed at some Pitt Tailgates on the North Side in certain Saturdays in the fall.
This might be as productive as Montour's stint with #51, formerly of Da Bears. I'm not sure, but it could be similar.
I never did get to watch a single episode of that ESPN show. Was it ESPN? Is it available via NetFlicks?
Friday, January 30, 2009
Dear Public School Enthusiasts,
PURE Reform is collaborating with various community groups in the Hill
District, Homewood, East Liberty, Bloomfield, Garfield and Highland Park to
advocate for a coherent, logical plan for east end high schools rather than the
piecemeal approach taken to date.As most of you know, the IB selection committee has recommended putting
the IB program at Peabody high school. What you may not know is that no
input was sought from the Peabody community and no one from that community was
on the IB selection committee. Several meetings have been organized by the
Bloomfield/Garfield corporation to urge the PPS district to include the Peabody
community in discussios and decisions regarding their school and their
students.We are also exploring the possibility of reexaminig the Schenley closure
due to several factors:1) other schools in the PPS have asbestos/plaster problems (Miller, Vann,
McKelvey) similar to scheleys and have been handled in a much more cost
effective manner without displacing students2) there is still no comprehensive plan for East End high schools3) the
district is to receive $24 million from the Obama administration's economic
stimulus program for "shovel ready" bricks and mortar projects. If
realistic estimates foir the Schenley renovation are utilized ($40-45 million as
opposed to the inflated $80 million price tag), this money would easily make
Schenley reparations affordable to the district.If Schenley were open for the IB program, other options for Peabody will
open up that will not require displacing current Peabody students.Please consider attending the next PURE Reform Steering committee meeting
on 2/12 at 7PM. Also, tune in to see PURE Reform steering committee
members on Black Horizons with Chris Moore discussing PURE Reform issues
including sbestos issues in PPS schools and (see times and stations
below).CHANNEL 13 Black Horizons Sunday, February 1, 2:00pm
Black Horizons Wednesday, February 4, 8:00pm
Black Horizons Sunday, February 8, 2:00pm
WQED-TV [D]Black Horizons Sunday, February 1, 2:00pm
Black Horizons Wednesday, February 4, 8:00pm
Black Horizons Sunday, February 8, 2:00pm
WQED: The Create Channel (channel 211)
Black Horizons Friday, January 30, 10:00pm
Black Horizons Friday, February 6, 10:00pm
Remember, GRASSROOTS RULE!-- PURE Reform www.purereform.com
Natalia Rudiak kicks off city council campaign
Natalia Rudiak, Dem, is seeking a seat on Pittsburgh's City Council. She is young, smart and educated. She is a graduate of George Washington University.
Erik, my oldest son, wants to attend G.W. too, by the way. He got to meet her this prior weekend at RootsCamp Pittsburgh.
Here is her kick-off speech. I loved the part about caring for the kids and a mention of the swimming pools.
The City Paper reported that about 75 people were in attendance. I'm sure Natalia knows the difference between parallel and perpendicular.
(TEMP HOLDER... File is going to be embeded here from both Rauterkus.blip.tv and Viddler.com/rauterkus)
Erik, my oldest son, wants to attend G.W. too, by the way. He got to meet her this prior weekend at RootsCamp Pittsburgh.
Here is her kick-off speech. I loved the part about caring for the kids and a mention of the swimming pools.
The City Paper reported that about 75 people were in attendance. I'm sure Natalia knows the difference between parallel and perpendicular.
(TEMP HOLDER... File is going to be embeded here from both Rauterkus.blip.tv and Viddler.com/rauterkus)
Two hour delay chatter
Fred Honz Man, KDKA Radio airbag, is talking about the two-hour delay for Monday morning. The Honz Man and I don't generally agree.
Fred hates the 2 hour delay. I love it. But, when you look at his objections, few hold up.
He said, more productive nations are cleaning our clock due to work ethic. Well, I was in Beijing on 8-8-08. The city and the nation came to a stand still. And, rightly so. The sports event is a time to focus and be in the moment. To be present. These are rare opportunities. And, it is historic.
Sports provides lessons for kids. I'm going to keep my kids up to watch the game, guilt free. They'll sleep a little extra the next morning and then we'll get onto our day and learning.
Few people make a living at sports as sport stars, so said the Honz Man. I say, some do. Even on the KDKA news just prior the tourism people in Tampa are happy to have a boost of 60% in hotel stays due to the Super Bowl. That is an economic impact, not just from the players on the field. Lots and lots of people are making money because of the Super Bowl beyond the players. The waiters, pizza makers, soda vendors, tourism industry, t-shirt vendors and so on.
I raised the point that Eat'n Park is going to be closed when the game is on. Fine for them. They are able to do as they wish.
Sports are, in part, about relationships. Another part of sports is 'time.'
While I'm strongly in favor of the 2-hour delay for Pittsburgh, I would not be happy with a National Holiday for the day after the Super Bowl.
An email went to the radio station and was read about making it Super Bowl SATURDAY. Wonderful idea. Why not play the game on Saturday, rather than Sunday. Heck, I'd be happy to have a 3 pm or 4 pm game.
Staying up to 10:30 pm is just too late for my kids. Our normal get ready for bed time has been 8 pm. The elementary school kids are not able to check out at 10:30 and be expected to perform on Monday.
Some of the bars on the South Side are going to be closed on Sunday -- so as to avoid the troubles that might follow in the wake of the game. Fine.
Those with regular jobs who can't get extra time and need to deal with the kids have advance warning with this news, this week. The worst is a 2-hour delay with no advance notice.
Fred should worry more about the yahoos that will take to the streets in a drunken rage to celebrate under the nose of the police, helicopters and road blocks. That's where plans and cool is necessary -- as well as an advance understanding. Get naked and streak will get you a lifetime sanction that won't let you be a teacher, drive a bus nor work in a hospital. Ouch.
This is not about making an 'excuse.' Wrong. This is about being prepared, being proactive, being prudent. There won't be any excuses come 10 am.
I've been very critical of Mark Roosevelt and certain elements of Pgh Public Schools in the past. This is one area where I think he and the cabinet have done a great service to the city and the quest for education. Lessons can and should be learned on Sunday night.
A two-hour delay is NOT like calling off for the day. It is a delay. We do want to make sure that Monday is productive, but that it starts later.
What other school districts have called for a 2-hour delay for Monday, Feb 2?
Leave a pointer or comment.
Fred hates the 2 hour delay. I love it. But, when you look at his objections, few hold up.
He said, more productive nations are cleaning our clock due to work ethic. Well, I was in Beijing on 8-8-08. The city and the nation came to a stand still. And, rightly so. The sports event is a time to focus and be in the moment. To be present. These are rare opportunities. And, it is historic.
Sports provides lessons for kids. I'm going to keep my kids up to watch the game, guilt free. They'll sleep a little extra the next morning and then we'll get onto our day and learning.
Few people make a living at sports as sport stars, so said the Honz Man. I say, some do. Even on the KDKA news just prior the tourism people in Tampa are happy to have a boost of 60% in hotel stays due to the Super Bowl. That is an economic impact, not just from the players on the field. Lots and lots of people are making money because of the Super Bowl beyond the players. The waiters, pizza makers, soda vendors, tourism industry, t-shirt vendors and so on.
I raised the point that Eat'n Park is going to be closed when the game is on. Fine for them. They are able to do as they wish.
Sports are, in part, about relationships. Another part of sports is 'time.'
While I'm strongly in favor of the 2-hour delay for Pittsburgh, I would not be happy with a National Holiday for the day after the Super Bowl.
An email went to the radio station and was read about making it Super Bowl SATURDAY. Wonderful idea. Why not play the game on Saturday, rather than Sunday. Heck, I'd be happy to have a 3 pm or 4 pm game.
Staying up to 10:30 pm is just too late for my kids. Our normal get ready for bed time has been 8 pm. The elementary school kids are not able to check out at 10:30 and be expected to perform on Monday.
Some of the bars on the South Side are going to be closed on Sunday -- so as to avoid the troubles that might follow in the wake of the game. Fine.
Those with regular jobs who can't get extra time and need to deal with the kids have advance warning with this news, this week. The worst is a 2-hour delay with no advance notice.
Fred should worry more about the yahoos that will take to the streets in a drunken rage to celebrate under the nose of the police, helicopters and road blocks. That's where plans and cool is necessary -- as well as an advance understanding. Get naked and streak will get you a lifetime sanction that won't let you be a teacher, drive a bus nor work in a hospital. Ouch.
This is not about making an 'excuse.' Wrong. This is about being prepared, being proactive, being prudent. There won't be any excuses come 10 am.
I've been very critical of Mark Roosevelt and certain elements of Pgh Public Schools in the past. This is one area where I think he and the cabinet have done a great service to the city and the quest for education. Lessons can and should be learned on Sunday night.
A two-hour delay is NOT like calling off for the day. It is a delay. We do want to make sure that Monday is productive, but that it starts later.
What other school districts have called for a 2-hour delay for Monday, Feb 2?
Leave a pointer or comment.
Tandem whitewater kayak about to hit the marketplace
Like Batman and Robin, Butch and Sundance and Thelma and Louise, Eric “EJ” Jackson is hoping his newest kayak design could be a memorable hit.
With his new Dynamic Duo, Jackson brings to the marketplace a performance -oriented tandem whitewater kayak. Based on the premise that sometimes two heroes are better than one, the Dynamic Duo is based on the Hero, the river running/creeking model in the Jackson Kayak lineup of best-selling whitewater boats.
Besides pure fun, Jackson sees the Dynamic Duo as another arrow in his quiver of market building tools aimed at growing the paddlesports market.
Jackson said the Dynamic Duo tandem whitewater kayak is the perfect boat for schools and individual enthusiasts to teach others to kayak. He believes that twice as many non-paddlers would be willing to try whitewater kayaking, if they knew their first experience would be in a tandem kayak with an experienced guide.
“The Dynamic Duo will be a great way to introduce Class I or II boaters to Class III water with confidence,” Jackson said. He said he also thinks the Dynamic Duo may prove to be a new way for outfitters to offer a private guided experience to the most adrenaline addicted rafting clients.
Dubbed Africa’s newest extreme sport, a number of outfitters offer tandem kayak trips on Africa’s legendary Class V Zambezi and Nile rivers, pairing experienced kayak guides with “no experience necessary” tourists. The craze has spread to Class V stretches of the Kaituna River on New Zealand’s north island.
Measuring 12 feet by 26.5 inches and weighing 75 pounds, the Dynamic Duo is designed for an optimum combined weight range of 265 – 500 pounds. In its conception, Jackson’s longtime design partner David Knight also tackled the challenge of making sure the boat offers good performance over a wide range of weights and distributions.
The stern cockpit can comfortably accommodate paddlers weighing as much as 260 pounds while the bow can fit those weighing up to 200 pounds and as low as 30 pounds.
Available in standard Jackson Kayak colors, MSRP is $1599. The boat is available for purchase at Jackson Kayak dealers.
For further information about the Dynamic Duo and the complete line of Jackson Kayak best-selling whitewater and recreational boats and a list of Jackson Kayak dealers, visit http://www.jacksonkayak.com .
Jackson Kayak Dynamic Duo
Chad Hermann, madman, wordsmith, DeSantis booster, burnout victim - finished from rehab
A comment at the 2PJ blog says, in part:
Chad Hermann is returning – but not to his old blog. On Monday, he’ll start blogging at www.post-gazette.com. That’s one hell of an audience, and I understand he’s going to cut loose. I am just glad that I’ve always been nice to him.Another escape from the ivory tower.
Short Course Junior Olympics 2009 Championship Swim Meet - Presented by: Southern California Swimming and Golden West Swim Club & www.LiveSwim.net - www.LiveSwim.net
Short Course Junior Olympics 2009 Championship Swim Meet - Presented by: Southern California Swimming and Golden West Swim Club & www.LiveSwim.net - www.LiveSwim.net: "www.LiveSwim.net is please to partner with Golden West Swim Club to provide you with this live look at the Southern California Swimming Short Course Junior Olympic Championships. The younger swimmers will be making a splash January 30th - February 1st, 2009, and the older swimmers will be hitting the water February 5-8th, 2009. Broadcast will begin at 9am and end at 7pm or at the end of the night whichever comes first. There will be replays all night so stay tuned to see it all. After the first day there will be recordings available on demand and the links will be posted. Please tell your friends!
We are also pleased to announce the awesome high quality stream. This stream will bring you here to the deck and will give relatives and friends hundreds of miles away an opportunity to see the races of the one they love."
We are also pleased to announce the awesome high quality stream. This stream will bring you here to the deck and will give relatives and friends hundreds of miles away an opportunity to see the races of the one they love."
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Does this look like Big Ben?
Things to do in Florida.
One could step it up and go rasslin' with the birds -- or a gator?
I don't mind as long as he wears a helmet.
One could step it up and go rasslin' with the birds -- or a gator?
I don't mind as long as he wears a helmet.
RootsCamp Pittsburgh wrap up and Dan Onorato's speech
We talked about some interesting concepts:
RootsCamp is a great concept and its first event in Pittsburgh was a fine gathering. Sadly, it was on the same day as the Black & White Reunion. Oh well. I tried to get them to work together, but it could not happen, so I was told.
RootsCamp is to happen on Saturday in Philly. Go if you can.
RootsCamp didn't get a lot of support from certain sectors. It did well with the union groups and some progressives, of course. But there is a lot of people that should gather that was missing. Wish I had seen more from the PodCamp gang, Rustbelt bloggers, the film makers, PCTV, church groups, school advocates and new age plus eco folks. Oh well. We had a nice audience.
Dan Onorato was given the podium at RootsCamp Pittsburgh on Saturday. A welcome would be fine. His was a long welcome. Very long. But, the US Steelworkers insisted he be given the time and they did a wonderful job of hosting. So, host rules.
I flipped on my video camera and got this, in two parts.
RootsCamp is a great concept and its first event in Pittsburgh was a fine gathering. Sadly, it was on the same day as the Black & White Reunion. Oh well. I tried to get them to work together, but it could not happen, so I was told.
RootsCamp is to happen on Saturday in Philly. Go if you can.
RootsCamp didn't get a lot of support from certain sectors. It did well with the union groups and some progressives, of course. But there is a lot of people that should gather that was missing. Wish I had seen more from the PodCamp gang, Rustbelt bloggers, the film makers, PCTV, church groups, school advocates and new age plus eco folks. Oh well. We had a nice audience.
Dan Onorato was given the podium at RootsCamp Pittsburgh on Saturday. A welcome would be fine. His was a long welcome. Very long. But, the US Steelworkers insisted he be given the time and they did a wonderful job of hosting. So, host rules.
I flipped on my video camera and got this, in two parts.
V I C T O R Y looks like this
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Calling for 2 hour delay for Monday, Feb 2"
You got your wish!
City schools to have 2-hour delay day after Super Bowl
Thursday, January 29, 2009
By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delay Monday because of the Super Bowl, Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said today.
Noting that Sunday's big game means a "late night," Mr. Roosevelt said the delay should cut down on student and staff absenteeism.
He said the district operated on a two-hour delay the day after the Steelers won the Super Bowl three years ago.
Bingo!
Triple deities, we've got. We need a wizard with crystal ball
Last night's visitors from Pgh Public Schools central administration at the community meeting hosted by the Bloomfield Garfield Corp ended with a remark by me pointing out that they are much like a triple header. The triadic does fine -- but -- we need vision statements from their boss.
Triple deities - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Triple deities.Meet 'Tetra.' She is mythical.
There was no 'ill will' on my part to the school's administrators. As we concluded the long meeting, we need to understand where the real power resides. Power isn't within community groups, the PPS board, nor high-ranking administrators. It is with the superintendent.
Wikipedia (edited slightly):
Tetra is a young female pirate who causes a start of a journey. She was left to lead the group of pirates. She notices the wielding of the Master Sword. She periodically helps during a quest. Later her true identity is revealed: she is a Princess. Elsewhere, she is taken by the mysterious Ghost Ship, and the king must rescue her.
Tetra is important and we've got three. But golly, let's get the master sword singer as it feels as if we're on a ghost ship ride with Pittsburgh Public Schools.Sorry Sam.
I would never use campaign donations to go to a SuperBowl
I would never use campaign money to go to a SuperBowl. That is wrong.
I would not use tax dollars either. Of course not.
I went to the Beijing Olympics in August 2008. If I had $10-million in the bank from donors, I'd not go there with that money either.
I went to NASA's Florida's Kennedy Space Center in January 2009. If I had $20-million in the bank from tax payers or donors for campaign, then I'd still not go there with those funds.
Then I saw this this:
I would not use tax dollars either. Of course not.
I went to the Beijing Olympics in August 2008. If I had $10-million in the bank from donors, I'd not go there with that money either.
I went to NASA's Florida's Kennedy Space Center in January 2009. If I had $20-million in the bank from tax payers or donors for campaign, then I'd still not go there with those funds.
Then I saw this this:
Mind Bling: Where's Your Spirit Now, Assholes?: "This makes me angry for several reasons. There have been some rumors that you are both using campaign money for this. If this is true, and I sincerely hope it's not, not only do you not deserve your office, you deserve to be tarred and feathered and marched down Grant Street during our victory parade."
The forgotten promise
YES.
We need to get a better look at the use of Peabody as a technical school.
The forgotten promise: "As the former director of career and technical education for Pittsburgh Public Schools, I was instructed to close South Vocational High School. I told parents that we were working on new ideas and promised them that they would have a better program in less than two years.This is a must read for all. I knew of these plans. I heard those promises. I was upset at the closing of South Vo Tech before the other plan had taken root.
We need to get a better look at the use of Peabody as a technical school.
Steeler Nation - Sing Along Contest - Voting
Steeler Nation - Sing Along Contest - Voting: "Click on the media player to listen to the song and then vote for your favorite!"
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Schools meeting at Bloomfield-Garfield Corp concerning Peabody
Just back from a night of talking about schools with some of the top administrators from the Pgh Public School district, a group of citizens and many others from all sorts of sectors (non-profits, politicals, police, students, human services, neighborhoods, bloggers, advocates, etc.).
The three Pgh Public School administrators presented data. They came to facilitate with facts. They delivered the history. They did their jobs. They are like the -- and this got me into trouble, sadly -- the ambassadors. But, something was missing tonight. Something is missing as we try to understand and fix these situations with our schools and the overall district.
For starters, the school board was missing. No board members were present. Oh well. That's okay as next week's meeting is already scheduled and a board member is slated to attend, speak, and reply to questions. Mr. Sumpter is waiting in the wings. So, the board gets a pass for not being at tonight's meeting.
But to be honest, I think I might have seen, out of the corner of my eye, a guy with a frumpy hat that could have been ex-Board President, Bill Isler. He might have even been at the meeting for a while. But, if he was, he didn't speak. Furthermore, another that was seen for sure, and who didn't speak, was former board member and present city councilman, Patrick Dowd, Ph.D.
If the three top administrators in the district are the ambassadors, then Mark Roosevelt, the Pgh Public Schools Superintendent, is the President or "head of state."
To be clear -- and not name call -- Mark Roosevelt is the Superintendent of Schools. The high ranking and fine school administrators are not the Superintendent.
The missing element is big. It goes to some of the major disconnect among various people.
We need a crystal ball that can look into the future. We need a wizard to look into that ball and make sense out of the things yet to come. We need a story to be shared, with various characters, each woven into this fantasy landscape, connected but yet floating deeply into the future. We need some predictive powers and a voice to translate the unfolding, long-term future, into human speech without the educational jargon. This unfolding dream would then be -- not so much announced -- but simply verbalized. This saga of years to come would be an open book and a peek into the open mind of what is possible and practical.
To be sure, the crystal ball isn't the key. But the story teller is. The vision needs to be spoken from the perspective of the leader.
Leaders lead. Leaders lead more than just the top administrators who are on paid staff. Great leaders can lead and rally the public, yet alone the boosters, to follow.
Pittsburgh's citizens and parents need a visionary leader to not only chart the course for school reform, but to stand on the helm and feel the spray, wind and ship with observers cheering and jeering.
The captain's game plan -- err -- the Superintendent's course of academic leadership, is taking us all on a journey. We're moving. We're underway and gaining speed. But, we're not certain where we're headed.
There is a visionary leadership void. There are stories that are not being told.
Many of the facts and figures, as well as landmarks, are obvious. Data is important. The school administrators are getting much better grip on those benchmarks. We all agree that the past is the past and there have been some bumpy times. Fixing blame is not productive to a district that has had its superintendent for more than three years now. We all want change.
Furthermore, we all want great schools. Excellence for all is a nice buzz phrase. We all have high aspirations for the academics and the opportunities. Learning excites us. We are hooked on the whole knowledge is power things so we can all have productive lives and a vibrant community with smart, bright, neighbors and fellow citizens.
We're missing the part where we have to connect the dots.
The story of the superintendent -- from his mouth to our computer screens and ears -- has to be told so we can connect the dots to the future, given the present.
This is a burden for the superintendent -- not the elected school board, nor the hired school administrators and principals. The superintendent runs the show here. He has the power as he earned the trust of the members on the school board. The people on the school board are going to give their votes to the superintendent. If the administration wants something, and if the administration works those wants into a position, then the board will grant those powers to the superintendent.
Some on the board are going to grumble. But, by and large, with all the powers of the paid staff at his command, the school board can deliver the five votes for the superintendent.
So, the person at the helm of this district is, without doubt, the Superintendent, Mark Roosevelt.
Pittsburgh people are fine with commanding leaders. We love it when coaches call the plays. We are fine when QBs take charge of the huddle and even switch plays at the line of scrimmage. We are used to company bosses telling union folks this is what is going to happen -- let's make it happen so we can get the jobs done, get home in one piece, and insert value into our lives.
The people of Pittsburgh are, perhaps, some of the greatest boosters the world has ever seen. We are supporters. We'll cheer. We'll watch. We'll dance when it is time to do so.
Pittsburgh can go with the flow too. We know that rivers take turns. We can bend in the wind. We know how to adjust with both large and small shocks to the system. We don't like change for the sake of change -- and we hate bad change. But good change -- that's sweet for us.
The extra effort that we need right now is with both the playbook and the game plan. Its hidden to us, now, sadly. It is somewhere, we expect.
Case in point: Eighth graders now entering their second semester should have a clue as to what's going to unfold for next year -- as in August 2009. Some do. Some don't. The community in and around Peabody High School are wondering if the Pgh Public School's central administration is going to issue a letter next week, or perhaps the week after, that says there will NOT be any new students entering Peabody in the fall of 2009 as 9th graders. Bang. The doors of the school could shut, in a slow death, with the last class to graduate be the one's in 9th grade now.
Well, well, well. What's happening.
This isn't new to us. Pittsburgh has seen many other great things die off. Some naturally. Some by the force of a choke hold. Some by the curse of a rumor that resonates.
South Vo Tech High School was closed after years of rumors about its eventual death. It died on the vine long before the formal vote to close it was taken. Even then, the vote to close the school in August came as late as June. It was a rushed vote. But it was a protracted death. The good teachers saw the writing on the wall. They left earlier, as they could. The wise families knew that South Vo Tech was getting marginal funding and a big crisis loomed large if you put your kid into that school.
Nobody wants to be in a 4-year school and have the floor pulled out from you. Especially a carpenter would know how to judge the stability of the classroom around you and your buddies.
Years prior, people of the eastern part of the city saw how East Hills Elem. School was starved and closed over time. People pulled in. People pulled out. Most of the voting happens with the feet.
Schenley's ordeal is impossible to ignore. But, let's get back to the one missing element, the crystal ball and the vision statements of a game plan and playbook.
How can the I.B. program move into Peabody High School in three years, while the local kids get a fair shake?
How can families plan for schools next year, year after, and so on -- for Joe, Jane, Jack, Jill, James, Jimmy and Jenny. They all are of different ages and they all are from different backgrounds. Plus, they all have different skills and interests.
There are real stories to be told about all of our kids -- fictional or otherwise.
These are the dots that we need to hear are being connected by those who have the rule book, play book and game plans for our kids.
We just really want to cheer the kids and their coaches on to victory. And, we want to have fun -- on the road to the Super Bowl -- err -- on the road to the life with our families, friends, and their buddies.
Here is how it could work. Let's say we, hypothetically, made these adjustments and blah, blah, blah. What do you think? Can it be done? We figure those costs are going to be $XYZ.
Here is another matter in another neighborhood. Are we ...? What are we missing?
The playbook needs to be more revealing than these three plays:
1. Give Sam the ball. (Sam is heading up the new Science and Technology Jr/Sr High School.)
2. Give Cate the ball. (She is heading up the new I.B. Jr./Sr. High.)
3. Stiff arm opposition. (If not running play #1 and play #2.)
Of course Mark Roosevelt's playbook is more than that above. Sure, he has done some wonderful things. The whole Principal training, evaluation and re-do is monumental. Granted. The whole Pgh Promise is way more than the $500 cardboard check that the PFT gave on day one. Whippie! We got a 2-hour delay for Monday, Feb 2, too. Score that as well. But now what?
Peabody, Schenley, Reisenstein are big harry deals. I.B. folks issued their report and we've not heard anything from that missing crystal ball. Where is the wizard? What's he thinking about when it comes to getting these kids around town and into classrooms in six months?
I think that the Bloomfield-Garfield Corp folks have done a wonderful thing to step up and do the engagement efforts for the next looming ax swings. They are going to organize and mobalize in their/our own way at our own pace. The demand includes coolaboration.
But frankly, I think that coolaboration isn't next. The meaningful give-and-take comes after we hear the vision. The guy at the helm (Mark Roosevelt) has to sell the dream of this short and mid-range journey. Dots need to be connected. Then all the dots on the landscape need to be woven on the final canvas. It is a draft. We'll do the coloring, together, later. But, we'd like to know better as to what is unfolding.
Do the ALAs, K-8s, K-6s, 6-12s, boutique schools all work? Do the 'drop-out factories' get an overhaul or not? Unknown questions linger about sports management at Westinghouse. Are you serious? Can CAPA really work as 6-12 downtown, next to the strip club, with yellow buses, with sports teams? What about a public boys school and public girls school (single gender schools) as an option for certain kids so as to have direct competition for Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic. We want afterschool, weekends and summers to be filled with robust programs and challenges for our kids and our communities -- like is the case in suburban districts. Our bands and ball teams and boosters are hurting, and they don't need to be.
Parents are pushy. We don't have a whole career to see this wash out. We don't have test-tube kids who are practice children who can bank upon experimental gimmicks. We'll sign up. We'll enroll. We've done that. We'll stay for a spell. We'll even sign-up to teach and work in the district. Those applications are proven. But we're still waiting for the insights into the waiting list and the actual numbers matched with the slots available. That transparency is playbook stuff that should be part of the game-plan.
Let's overhaul the magnet application for next year next week, not in June. Let's hold a pow-wow on that while it is fresh in our heads and experiences. Don't print the books yet -- but let's edit them and seek additional comments. That's another play from the game-plan.
The stiff arm play needs to turn into a delegation of a project opportunity and effort.
The folks in the stands want to storm the field -- if only to listen to what is being talked about in the huddle.
I'll post some video of the meeting in a day or two. Stay tuned.
The Post-Gazette covered the meeting too and revealed the same need in its headline:
School officials stress fate of Peabody High still undecided: "School officials stress fate of Peabody High still undecided"
They are undecided. The uncertainty is a killer. They won't say. The doubt is a burden. The fear is mounting so as to be a crushing oppression. This is FUD 101. FUD = fear, uncertainty, doubt.
The fix is a look into a crystal ball. The solution is a vision story. The dream can be sold, and we'll stay on board as too many have already departed.
Question #1 of 2: Do you feel confident in the vision and dream of "Excellence for All."
This, I expect, would get okay grades. People want "Excellence for All." That is an easy place to get agreement. That would be good to know, in data, however.
Question #2 of 2: Do you confident in the administration's pathway and game plan for our schools and students in leading to a reformed and greatly improved school district?
That's where we've got a gap of understanding. That's our sticking point today in Pittsburgh Public Schools.
This is a situation that is now avoidable. It is time to put it all out there and all the elements on the table. This is the time to sell the dream and then respond to objections in a clear and open way with honest dialog with the superintendent.
He has to get us to a better place by planting seeds of the future in our imagination.
Mr. Roosevelt needs to put on a wizard's hat for a spell. A couple of meetings will seal the deal this winter. And, it can't be with some flunky pseudo journalist like Bill Flanigan or Marty Griffin or Jon Delano. We're not talking about fluff and sugar coated pills to swallow mumbo jumbo. Nor can this be done with a cardboard check of $500 for the Pittsburgh Promise handed over by the Pgh Federation of Teachers. We can't have cronie back-slapping.
Our kids, our neighborhoods, our city -- and our future is at stake. And parents need to know what is really going on. It is time for that tough love talk about the facts of life in the future that is before us.
This 'selling of the dream' is about the future. Since politics is about the future, this is too. This needs to be part political stump speech. This needs to be about a range of issues. This needs to be a state of the union address, blended with a call to action and an ask for confidence and trust because you see the future, and you know how to connect these dots like this, this, and this.
The audience will then shout out some suggestions. Requests. It is going to get messy. Citizens and taxpayers may say that the order is slightly not to our liking. We might say the range and scope is too great in some areas and too tiny in others.
I can't tolerate a year without afterschool activities at any school, for starters. We are not sure about the 6-7-and-8 in the same buildings as high schoolers. The RODGERS and CAPA merger is an uncertain quagmire that might be worthy of testing. But turning back has got to be on the table in due time too. The conditions for evaluation need to be stated in public, now, years before they are needed.
The fruitful back and forth between the superintendent and the city's parents and residents is necessary and it must follow the talk of the revealed vision.
The three Pgh Public School administrators presented data. They came to facilitate with facts. They delivered the history. They did their jobs. They are like the -- and this got me into trouble, sadly -- the ambassadors. But, something was missing tonight. Something is missing as we try to understand and fix these situations with our schools and the overall district.
For starters, the school board was missing. No board members were present. Oh well. That's okay as next week's meeting is already scheduled and a board member is slated to attend, speak, and reply to questions. Mr. Sumpter is waiting in the wings. So, the board gets a pass for not being at tonight's meeting.
But to be honest, I think I might have seen, out of the corner of my eye, a guy with a frumpy hat that could have been ex-Board President, Bill Isler. He might have even been at the meeting for a while. But, if he was, he didn't speak. Furthermore, another that was seen for sure, and who didn't speak, was former board member and present city councilman, Patrick Dowd, Ph.D.
If the three top administrators in the district are the ambassadors, then Mark Roosevelt, the Pgh Public Schools Superintendent, is the President or "head of state."
To be clear -- and not name call -- Mark Roosevelt is the Superintendent of Schools. The high ranking and fine school administrators are not the Superintendent.
The missing element is big. It goes to some of the major disconnect among various people.
We need a crystal ball that can look into the future. We need a wizard to look into that ball and make sense out of the things yet to come. We need a story to be shared, with various characters, each woven into this fantasy landscape, connected but yet floating deeply into the future. We need some predictive powers and a voice to translate the unfolding, long-term future, into human speech without the educational jargon. This unfolding dream would then be -- not so much announced -- but simply verbalized. This saga of years to come would be an open book and a peek into the open mind of what is possible and practical.
To be sure, the crystal ball isn't the key. But the story teller is. The vision needs to be spoken from the perspective of the leader.
Leaders lead. Leaders lead more than just the top administrators who are on paid staff. Great leaders can lead and rally the public, yet alone the boosters, to follow.
Pittsburgh's citizens and parents need a visionary leader to not only chart the course for school reform, but to stand on the helm and feel the spray, wind and ship with observers cheering and jeering.
The captain's game plan -- err -- the Superintendent's course of academic leadership, is taking us all on a journey. We're moving. We're underway and gaining speed. But, we're not certain where we're headed.
There is a visionary leadership void. There are stories that are not being told.
Many of the facts and figures, as well as landmarks, are obvious. Data is important. The school administrators are getting much better grip on those benchmarks. We all agree that the past is the past and there have been some bumpy times. Fixing blame is not productive to a district that has had its superintendent for more than three years now. We all want change.
Furthermore, we all want great schools. Excellence for all is a nice buzz phrase. We all have high aspirations for the academics and the opportunities. Learning excites us. We are hooked on the whole knowledge is power things so we can all have productive lives and a vibrant community with smart, bright, neighbors and fellow citizens.
We're missing the part where we have to connect the dots.
The story of the superintendent -- from his mouth to our computer screens and ears -- has to be told so we can connect the dots to the future, given the present.
This is a burden for the superintendent -- not the elected school board, nor the hired school administrators and principals. The superintendent runs the show here. He has the power as he earned the trust of the members on the school board. The people on the school board are going to give their votes to the superintendent. If the administration wants something, and if the administration works those wants into a position, then the board will grant those powers to the superintendent.
Some on the board are going to grumble. But, by and large, with all the powers of the paid staff at his command, the school board can deliver the five votes for the superintendent.
So, the person at the helm of this district is, without doubt, the Superintendent, Mark Roosevelt.
Pittsburgh people are fine with commanding leaders. We love it when coaches call the plays. We are fine when QBs take charge of the huddle and even switch plays at the line of scrimmage. We are used to company bosses telling union folks this is what is going to happen -- let's make it happen so we can get the jobs done, get home in one piece, and insert value into our lives.
The people of Pittsburgh are, perhaps, some of the greatest boosters the world has ever seen. We are supporters. We'll cheer. We'll watch. We'll dance when it is time to do so.
Pittsburgh can go with the flow too. We know that rivers take turns. We can bend in the wind. We know how to adjust with both large and small shocks to the system. We don't like change for the sake of change -- and we hate bad change. But good change -- that's sweet for us.
The extra effort that we need right now is with both the playbook and the game plan. Its hidden to us, now, sadly. It is somewhere, we expect.
Case in point: Eighth graders now entering their second semester should have a clue as to what's going to unfold for next year -- as in August 2009. Some do. Some don't. The community in and around Peabody High School are wondering if the Pgh Public School's central administration is going to issue a letter next week, or perhaps the week after, that says there will NOT be any new students entering Peabody in the fall of 2009 as 9th graders. Bang. The doors of the school could shut, in a slow death, with the last class to graduate be the one's in 9th grade now.
Well, well, well. What's happening.
This isn't new to us. Pittsburgh has seen many other great things die off. Some naturally. Some by the force of a choke hold. Some by the curse of a rumor that resonates.
South Vo Tech High School was closed after years of rumors about its eventual death. It died on the vine long before the formal vote to close it was taken. Even then, the vote to close the school in August came as late as June. It was a rushed vote. But it was a protracted death. The good teachers saw the writing on the wall. They left earlier, as they could. The wise families knew that South Vo Tech was getting marginal funding and a big crisis loomed large if you put your kid into that school.
Nobody wants to be in a 4-year school and have the floor pulled out from you. Especially a carpenter would know how to judge the stability of the classroom around you and your buddies.
Years prior, people of the eastern part of the city saw how East Hills Elem. School was starved and closed over time. People pulled in. People pulled out. Most of the voting happens with the feet.
Schenley's ordeal is impossible to ignore. But, let's get back to the one missing element, the crystal ball and the vision statements of a game plan and playbook.
How can the I.B. program move into Peabody High School in three years, while the local kids get a fair shake?
How can families plan for schools next year, year after, and so on -- for Joe, Jane, Jack, Jill, James, Jimmy and Jenny. They all are of different ages and they all are from different backgrounds. Plus, they all have different skills and interests.
There are real stories to be told about all of our kids -- fictional or otherwise.
These are the dots that we need to hear are being connected by those who have the rule book, play book and game plans for our kids.
We just really want to cheer the kids and their coaches on to victory. And, we want to have fun -- on the road to the Super Bowl -- err -- on the road to the life with our families, friends, and their buddies.
Here is how it could work. Let's say we, hypothetically, made these adjustments and blah, blah, blah. What do you think? Can it be done? We figure those costs are going to be $XYZ.
Here is another matter in another neighborhood. Are we ...? What are we missing?
The playbook needs to be more revealing than these three plays:
1. Give Sam the ball. (Sam is heading up the new Science and Technology Jr/Sr High School.)
2. Give Cate the ball. (She is heading up the new I.B. Jr./Sr. High.)
3. Stiff arm opposition. (If not running play #1 and play #2.)
Of course Mark Roosevelt's playbook is more than that above. Sure, he has done some wonderful things. The whole Principal training, evaluation and re-do is monumental. Granted. The whole Pgh Promise is way more than the $500 cardboard check that the PFT gave on day one. Whippie! We got a 2-hour delay for Monday, Feb 2, too. Score that as well. But now what?
Peabody, Schenley, Reisenstein are big harry deals. I.B. folks issued their report and we've not heard anything from that missing crystal ball. Where is the wizard? What's he thinking about when it comes to getting these kids around town and into classrooms in six months?
I think that the Bloomfield-Garfield Corp folks have done a wonderful thing to step up and do the engagement efforts for the next looming ax swings. They are going to organize and mobalize in their/our own way at our own pace. The demand includes coolaboration.
But frankly, I think that coolaboration isn't next. The meaningful give-and-take comes after we hear the vision. The guy at the helm (Mark Roosevelt) has to sell the dream of this short and mid-range journey. Dots need to be connected. Then all the dots on the landscape need to be woven on the final canvas. It is a draft. We'll do the coloring, together, later. But, we'd like to know better as to what is unfolding.
Do the ALAs, K-8s, K-6s, 6-12s, boutique schools all work? Do the 'drop-out factories' get an overhaul or not? Unknown questions linger about sports management at Westinghouse. Are you serious? Can CAPA really work as 6-12 downtown, next to the strip club, with yellow buses, with sports teams? What about a public boys school and public girls school (single gender schools) as an option for certain kids so as to have direct competition for Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic. We want afterschool, weekends and summers to be filled with robust programs and challenges for our kids and our communities -- like is the case in suburban districts. Our bands and ball teams and boosters are hurting, and they don't need to be.
Parents are pushy. We don't have a whole career to see this wash out. We don't have test-tube kids who are practice children who can bank upon experimental gimmicks. We'll sign up. We'll enroll. We've done that. We'll stay for a spell. We'll even sign-up to teach and work in the district. Those applications are proven. But we're still waiting for the insights into the waiting list and the actual numbers matched with the slots available. That transparency is playbook stuff that should be part of the game-plan.
Let's overhaul the magnet application for next year next week, not in June. Let's hold a pow-wow on that while it is fresh in our heads and experiences. Don't print the books yet -- but let's edit them and seek additional comments. That's another play from the game-plan.
The stiff arm play needs to turn into a delegation of a project opportunity and effort.
The folks in the stands want to storm the field -- if only to listen to what is being talked about in the huddle.
I'll post some video of the meeting in a day or two. Stay tuned.
The Post-Gazette covered the meeting too and revealed the same need in its headline:
School officials stress fate of Peabody High still undecided: "School officials stress fate of Peabody High still undecided"
They are undecided. The uncertainty is a killer. They won't say. The doubt is a burden. The fear is mounting so as to be a crushing oppression. This is FUD 101. FUD = fear, uncertainty, doubt.
The fix is a look into a crystal ball. The solution is a vision story. The dream can be sold, and we'll stay on board as too many have already departed.
Pittsburgh Public Schools officials last night said they hadn't decided whether to close Pittsburgh Peabody High School, a school beset with dwindling enrollment and low achievement scores.The survey of parents should ask what I'm asking too.
The officials' words offered a ray of hope to community members who want to save Peabody High in East Liberty or at least have a voice in deciding what to do with students in Peabody's feeder pattern.
"There's a lot of creative ways we can cut this," said Rick Flanagan, youth development director for Bloomfield-Garfield Corp., which called last night's community meeting in Garfield.
About 50 residents, city officials and representatives of civic groups attended.
A "site selection committee" appointed by district Superintendent Mark Roosevelt last month proposed making the Peabody building the permanent home of the new International Baccalaureate magnet.
The school board still must vote on the recommendation, a point Mr. Flanagan repeatedly emphasized.
The IB school will open in temporary quarters next school year and would, under the site committee's proposal, move to the Peabody building in East Liberty in 2012. The IB school eventually would serve 1,050 students in grades six through 12.
The committee didn't address the fate of Peabody High, fueling concerns that the district will close it and reassign students to another building, perhaps Pittsburgh Westinghouse High School in Homewood.
Officials last night insisted no decision had been made and said they're willing to consider the community's input.
"There has to be engagement of what people would want," Cate Reed, a school district project manager, told the gathering.
At the same time, however, the district put certain limits on the discussion.
Nancy Kodman, the district's executive director of strategic initiatives, said the Peabody building isn't big enough to accommodate Peabody High and the IB school. That raised the specter of at least a change in buildings for Peabody High.
Enrollment has dropped from about 710 students in 2003-04 to the current 489, and the number is projected to drop to 168 by 2014.
Officials said dwindling enrollment has made it difficult to offer a healthy mix of programs, and Ms. Kodman said the school's racial achievement gap and scores on state reading and math tests also are unacceptable.
Mr. Flanagan suggested that impending commercial and residential development in East Liberty, combined with a marketing push by the school district, could boost enrollment.
Bloomfield-Garfield Corp. will hold another community meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at its community center in Garfield. Mr. Flanagan said he also wants to take other steps to find out the Peabody community's demands.
"We need to survey parents," he said.
Question #1 of 2: Do you feel confident in the vision and dream of "Excellence for All."
This, I expect, would get okay grades. People want "Excellence for All." That is an easy place to get agreement. That would be good to know, in data, however.
Question #2 of 2: Do you confident in the administration's pathway and game plan for our schools and students in leading to a reformed and greatly improved school district?
That's where we've got a gap of understanding. That's our sticking point today in Pittsburgh Public Schools.
This is a situation that is now avoidable. It is time to put it all out there and all the elements on the table. This is the time to sell the dream and then respond to objections in a clear and open way with honest dialog with the superintendent.
He has to get us to a better place by planting seeds of the future in our imagination.
Mr. Roosevelt needs to put on a wizard's hat for a spell. A couple of meetings will seal the deal this winter. And, it can't be with some flunky pseudo journalist like Bill Flanigan or Marty Griffin or Jon Delano. We're not talking about fluff and sugar coated pills to swallow mumbo jumbo. Nor can this be done with a cardboard check of $500 for the Pittsburgh Promise handed over by the Pgh Federation of Teachers. We can't have cronie back-slapping.
Our kids, our neighborhoods, our city -- and our future is at stake. And parents need to know what is really going on. It is time for that tough love talk about the facts of life in the future that is before us.
This 'selling of the dream' is about the future. Since politics is about the future, this is too. This needs to be part political stump speech. This needs to be about a range of issues. This needs to be a state of the union address, blended with a call to action and an ask for confidence and trust because you see the future, and you know how to connect these dots like this, this, and this.
The audience will then shout out some suggestions. Requests. It is going to get messy. Citizens and taxpayers may say that the order is slightly not to our liking. We might say the range and scope is too great in some areas and too tiny in others.
I can't tolerate a year without afterschool activities at any school, for starters. We are not sure about the 6-7-and-8 in the same buildings as high schoolers. The RODGERS and CAPA merger is an uncertain quagmire that might be worthy of testing. But turning back has got to be on the table in due time too. The conditions for evaluation need to be stated in public, now, years before they are needed.
The fruitful back and forth between the superintendent and the city's parents and residents is necessary and it must follow the talk of the revealed vision.
Official Google Video Blog: Turning Down Uploads at Google Video
Official Google Video Blog: Turning Down Uploads at Google Video: "In a few months, we will discontinue support for uploads to Google Video."In a few months. What about today?
Google Video is good as you can easily put it into an embed within the wikia.com wikis. YouTube does it too, but YouTube has a 10-minute limit.
The Internet Archive titled 'Dan Onorato, part 1, RootsCamp Pittsburgh' is now available from http://www.archive.org/
Pittsburgh Peabody Stakeholders Meeting at 6 pm tonight
Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 Time: 6:00 pm
Location: BGC Community Activity Center
113 N. Pacific Avenue (Garfield)
Yes, We Can! Educational Change..
Whether you’re a parent, a banker, an economic development/ social service agency leader, a funder, a government employee, a student, a school district staff person, a community member or a civil rights leader you need to yell out--- Yes ---we can restructure the educational system in the East End in order to better serve all children! Especially for those children whose current educational status leaves them unable to effectively compete in the new American economy.
This is an historical time in the East End and a major restructuring of the public educational system needs to occur. Your time and input is critical to the creation of a positive outcome that is a win-win for all.
In collaboration with Pittsburgh Public Schools there will be two critical meetings, one on January 28th and another on February 4th. The agendas for the meetings and the January 7, 2009 meeting notes are included with this mailing.
We ask that you attend these meetings and --- listen and provide input.
President Obama has challenged us to hold the government accountable. This does not necessarily mean taking on an oppositional or critical nature. Accountability (on the matter at hand) should relate to the public engagement of the Pittsburgh Public Schools in a collaborative, trusting, and partnering manner. When this occurs, great things can happen.
Call (412-441-9833 ext. 10) or email Rick Flanagan (Rflanag@aol.com) to confirm your attendance and to ask questions.
Pending agenda for the Pittsburgh Peabody Stakeholders Meeting slated for tonight:
Location: BGC Community Activity Center
1. Welcome
2. Information item- Director Thomas Sumpter Jr., District 3 School Board Member, acceptance of an invitation to meet at the BGC Community Activity Center on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 6:00 pm.
3. Overview of the January 7, 2009 meeting notes (see below)
4. Pittsburgh Public Schools sharing of the International Baccalaureate plan, the roster list of the committee members and the data that the International Baccalaureate committee utilized to inform their decision. Other relevant PPS data will also be shared
5. Parameters that guide the work of the Pittsburgh Public Schools and how they relate to the Pittsburgh Peabody Community discussion process.
6. Creation of a collaborative planning process that engages the Pittsburgh Westinghouse, Pittsburgh Peabody, and International Baccalaureate Working Groups
7. Timing and communication with families and community members
8. Concrete next steps to the planning process.
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED THE PITTSBURGH PEABODY STAKEHOLDERS MEETINGS. THIS INFORMATION WAS GATHERED FROM TWO MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009
8:00AM MEETING NOTES
SPECIAL GUESTS from PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
Nancy Kodman (On board since 12-18-2008), PPS – Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives (Former principal at Allegheny Middle School)
Sam Franklin PPS – Program Director of Science and Technology Academy to open in Sept. * Focus on getting more students into math and science curricula; former teacher in Oakland, CA.
Nancy Kodman gave a brief overview of where things stand, in terms of determining the future for Peabody High School:
> “Need to look at the big picture, in terms of all of the city’s high schools”
> “One thing can’t be done in isolation from another; the plan for Peabody needs to be integrated into those that are developed for other schools”
> “First priority for district: high-quality, educational programs for all students”
> “IB program can’t be situated in new quarters without resolving the future of Peabody”
> “Importance of working with others in the community that Peabody serves is critical”
REQUEST OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
* Ask District to Setup a Series of Meetings w/Stakeholder Group
QUESTIONS From Audience about Peabody: “Do problem kids at other high schools get sent to Peabody?”
Answer: Only if Peabody is the original feeder school for that student or those students.
SUMMARY OF PEABODY AND STUDENTS
Melissa Friez, the principal at Peabody, was asked what she uses as a thumbnail description for her school. Her response was as follows:
“It affords a good opportunity for the faculty to get to know students, since there are just 500 students at this point.”
“And it’s a school that is progressing in terms of student achievement”
PRIMARY ISSUES/CONCERNS for a future STAKEHOLDERS’ GROUP:
* Voice for People From the Community Served by the School
* Find Way to Keep Tension Level Down
8:00AM MEETING NOTES
PRIMARY ISSUES/CONCERNS for a future STAKEHOLDERS’ GROUP:
* Post-secondary outcomes are important – Is there a value to internships, career counseling, etc. that can help ensure all students find their way into the workforce?
*Safety- Muzz Meyers feels Westinghouse is a much nicer facility - parents have to feel their kids will be safe, which is not in Westinghouse’s favor at the moment.
* What will success look like at Peabody? Knowing the student body intimately can be a key to success. If a school can be more successful w/400 kids as opposed to 800 kids, then there should only be 400 kids.
* Peabody needs to offer something more for its students than what is now the case. (This comment from a parent w/2 kids @ Peabody)
* Melissa Friesz – “We don’t have music or other programs that would give students a more well-rounded education.”
* Nancy Kodman – Programs beyond academics are critical to sustaining student interest, including band, sports, and other extra-curricular activities.
* What kind of constraints already exists? Example: The district previously promised that the IB program would not be based at a “neighborhood school”, (i.e., schools that draw their students from the general population).
* Is a themed school right for everyone? Many students need a comprehensive educational program.
* Court-based programs can be integral to changing outcomes for many of the so-called “troubled” students. (This comment from Rick Cokley, director of the county’s intensive juvenile supervision program in Garfield)
* Need statistics that are current and understand how they’re compiled.
* Need to look at achievement gap by race as it applies to IB and non-IB students
* Build a sense of ownership among community stakeholders through an open, well-managed process.
* How do we determine what constitutes a low-achieving school, then set a series of benchmarks by which improvement can be attained?
6:00PM MEETING NOTES
SPECIAL GUESTS from PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Nancy Kodman (On board since 12-18-2008) PPS – Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives (Former principal at Allegheny Middle School)
Susan Chersky PPS-Communication & Marketing
Sam Franklin PPS – Program Director of Science and Technology Academy to open in Sept. * Focus on getting more students into math and science curricula; former teacher in Oakland, CA.
Nancy Kodman gave an overview of the district’s intentions at this stage:
“Supt. Roosevelt will make no recommendations to the board on the IB Program without community input.”
PEABODY STAKEHOLDERS GROUP - POSSIBLE COMPOSITION:
* Parents
* Interested East End residents and business owners
* Non-profit agencies and religious groups
* Community organizations
PRIMARY ISSUES/CONCERNS for a future STAKEHOLDERS’ GROUP:
* After-school programs, better athletics, band program, etc. need to be part of the planning for a better Peabody
* Why are students being told that Sept. ‘09 freshman class will not be at Peabody?
* Parent’s comment: School needs to develop better communication network and tools with parents, students, and other stakeholders
* Suggestion: Letter be sent immediately from Supt. Roosevelt to parents clarifying where things stand with Peabody at this stage.
* Need to set standards for what a” full-service” high school would look like at Peabody.
* Safety of students needs to be paramount.
* Jobs and career development need to be integral part of school’s program.
* Neighborhood dynamics vary widely from neighborhood to neighborhood. Homewood’s atmosphere is different from Garfield and East Liberty.
* Administrators and faculty at Peabody don’t have intimate knowledge of the neighborhoods that the students come from.
* Crossing neighborhood lines poses creditable safety threat for students.
* African-American population needs to be a prominent part of this process.
* What will happen to specialized programs already at Peabody (e.g. Robotics) – How will program quality be sustained?
* How will Peabody become a high quality school serving the entire East End?
* What is a realistic timetable for the decision-making process to unfold- can one be developed?
* Competition from charter schools is robbing board-run schools of students “Divide and conquer” strategy, it seems, on the part of the system.
* Letsche School in Homewood is drawing students from across the city without incident (Comment from Rick Cokley, C.I.S.P. director in Garfield).
* What curriculum will be offered at each high school in Fall 2009 – info needed now!
* Parent’s concern: Don't ignore larger regional trends affecting city high schools as a whole.
* Target board members for direct contact and involve them.
* What assurances will any stakeholder group receive from the Supt. and the Board that the Peabody Stakeholder Group’s input will be heard and incorporated into the final decisions made by the board about Peabody’s future?
* Keep an open mind – also keep an eye on the IB committee’s deliberations.
Parents, please take action to maintain free lunches
Source in the P-G.
This school year, the Pittsburgh Public Schools began offering free lunch to all students in select schools. But as they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Parents must do their part. They have to send in their child's lunch application so the program can continue in their child's school.Published in a letter to the editor.
Last month, two of my co-workers and I stood out in the cold in front of four schools (Pittsburgh Peabody, Pittsburgh Oliver, Pittsburgh Morrow and University Prep) to urge parents to return their child's lunch applications. Only one school out of the four got enough applications in to take it off the list for possibly losing the free lunch program. That school was Pittsburgh Morrow. The other three schools still need more applications to keep their free lunch for all students program going.
With the economic crisis worsening, we can all use a little help stretching our dollar. If you can save $270 a school year, wouldn't you do it? So why is it so hard for Oliver, Peabody and University Prep's parents to get their applications in?
There's still time, but time is short. Parents, please get your child's lunch applications to their school immediately. You only have to do one application per family.
SHAUNA PONTON
Child Nutrition Advocate
Just Harvest
South Side
Deed transfer tax is why we cling to our homes here.
I deposited this comment at the Pittsblog 2.0 site as they looked at the constrast of Pittsburgh and Pheonix.
What is the deed transfer tax rate in Pittsburgh (city is more than burbs) vs. Phoenix?
So, if you buy a $100,000 home, how much is paid in fees and taxes, upfront. Those fees/taxes deliver no value to the homeowners. It amounts to a penalty to transactions. And, it comes off the nest-egg for a down payment.
So, if you've saved $10,000 for a house, and you need to shell out $8,000 of that for taxes, just for the opportunity to own the house, then the down payment / equity contribution is hardly even equal to the first months mortgage.
That's the why behind those stats.
Would love to know if there is such a thing as a deed transfer tax in Arizona.
I say it is no wonder folks stay in their homes.
Shell out $10,000 or more three or four times in the prime of your life -- and you've paid for your kids to get a college education.
Update:
Arizona has a state deed transfer tax of $2.00 per deed. That's it, so far. Is this correct?
What is the deed transfer tax rate in Pittsburgh (city is more than burbs) vs. Phoenix?
So, if you buy a $100,000 home, how much is paid in fees and taxes, upfront. Those fees/taxes deliver no value to the homeowners. It amounts to a penalty to transactions. And, it comes off the nest-egg for a down payment.
So, if you've saved $10,000 for a house, and you need to shell out $8,000 of that for taxes, just for the opportunity to own the house, then the down payment / equity contribution is hardly even equal to the first months mortgage.
That's the why behind those stats.
Would love to know if there is such a thing as a deed transfer tax in Arizona.
I say it is no wonder folks stay in their homes.
Shell out $10,000 or more three or four times in the prime of your life -- and you've paid for your kids to get a college education.
Update:
Arizona has a state deed transfer tax of $2.00 per deed. That's it, so far. Is this correct?
Literacy centres helping families in Canada
London Free Press - Local News- Literacy centres helping families: "Ealing's family literacy centre is one of four in the Thames Valley District school board system. The centres held official openings yesterday to coincide with Family Literacy Day."
Alltop - Top Literacy News: "All the top Literacy news."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Twitter / Mark Rauterkus: Pittsburgh Public Schools for Feb 2 starting = +120 mins
Twitter / Mark Rauterkus: Pittsburgh Public Schools ...: "Pittsburgh Public Schools will have a -- READ THIS EXACTLY -- two hour delay on MONDAY, Feb. 2, 2009. The AM after the Super Bowl = 120min"
Roosevelt rallies school district employees on in-service day
If it has taken more than three years to get together with the teachers, is it going to take 30 to get with the parents and taxpayers?
Do students get to guess on their tests in school?
Too bad the entire city wasn't invited to the event. I had pondered going in with my video camera. But, I've been tossed out of too many meetings in the past years to fuss with that.
Would be nice to see or hear the audio of the entire speech however. Anyone? P-G?
Getting together with people seems like a good 'people person activity' for -- say -- a people centric activity.
The district does not have the resource to make an academic revitalization -- unless it couples with the parents, residents, citizens, voters, taxpayers -- and the rest of the world.
Doing the Pittsburgh Promise, but excluding the rest of the world, is one way to make it fail.
Holding meetings with only teachers and not the rest of the city is another way to make it fail.
All the king's horses and all the king's men won't be able to put Humpty together again. However, it will take everyone's insight and help. And, he won't look just like he used to.
The brawn of courage is often displayed at the time of invitation. That's the brawn of recruitment. With enough leverage -- anything is possible.
Roosevelt rallies school district employees on in-service day: "'I guess I'm apologizing that I haven't done it before,' Mr. Roosevelt said of the joint meeting.Jeepers, what where you waiting for? And, why are you only going to 'guess' about apoligizing.
Do students get to guess on their tests in school?
Too bad the entire city wasn't invited to the event. I had pondered going in with my video camera. But, I've been tossed out of too many meetings in the past years to fuss with that.
Would be nice to see or hear the audio of the entire speech however. Anyone? P-G?
Getting together with people seems like a good 'people person activity' for -- say -- a people centric activity.
The district does not have the resource to make an academic revitalization -- unless it couples with the parents, residents, citizens, voters, taxpayers -- and the rest of the world.
Doing the Pittsburgh Promise, but excluding the rest of the world, is one way to make it fail.
Holding meetings with only teachers and not the rest of the city is another way to make it fail.
All the king's horses and all the king's men won't be able to put Humpty together again. However, it will take everyone's insight and help. And, he won't look just like he used to.
The brawn of courage is often displayed at the time of invitation. That's the brawn of recruitment. With enough leverage -- anything is possible.
Gambling in Pennsylvania has become a sitcom. Are you watching/
Good quote.
Felon's casino work to resume on court order - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The board banned the company in December, citing Tomko's felony conviction, two weeks after the Tribune-Review reported he had one.
But Tomko's former lawyer, Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb, said he told the board's former executive director, Anne Neeb, about the conviction more than a year earlier.
'The gaming board knew of his conviction. It was disclosed from the beginning,' Lamb said.
Neeb and Mark Miller, the board's vendor certification section manager, 'encouraged the company to apply' for vendor certification despite the conviction, saying the rules on felonies aren't as strict for vendors as for casino owners and key employees, according to the Commonwealth Court's findings of fact.
After filing an application to become a gaming board-certified vendor in November 2007, in which Tomko disclosed his conviction, the company was allowed to start working at The Meadows. The board has not ruled on that application.
'Gaming in Pennsylvania is becoming a sitcom,' said Rep. Mike Vereb, R-Montgomery County, a member of the House Gambling Oversight Committee."
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