Tip of the Spear

Tip of the Spear In the summer of 2005, Pennsylvania state government revealed its seedy underbelly when the General Assembly gave itself and others an unconstitutional middle-of-the-night pay raise.

Is this book on your Christmas list?

Public Comment to the Pgh Public School Board and Administration about the folly they're causing with out schools and children

The city schools have both an enrollment problem and an employment problem.

These are the statements from my son. They were delivered last night to the school board along with 100 other statements from citizens.

Erik Rauterkus

11/27/07

Statement to the Pgh Public Schools Board of Education

Hello, I am Erik Rauterkus. I live in the South Side. I am a 7th grader a Frick ISA, 6-8, a middle school in the heart of Oakland.

At Frick I am a Spanish major.

Last year Frick started the school year with two full-time teachers for Spanish. My teacher was Ms. Layal. Every thing was going fine until the other Spanish teacher left in the middle of the school year. One fix was a combined class, making our class huge. Later in the year Ms. Layal left too. We were left with about 2 weeks of substitute Spanish teachers that could hardly speak the language let alone control the class.

Then a teacher named Ms. Carter came along and she was with us for about 7 or 8 weeks. After that we had Ms. Llayl again for about 5 more weeks. After that we had Ms. Brunet. We had a handful of Spanish teachers.

This year again we have had many other Spanish teacher problems. The students have no clue what teacher could show up in the door the next day. We have had many very unreliable Spanish lessons throughout the past 2 years at a school. Frick has a specialized language program.

Teacher turn-over has been a real concern. Now the French kids have teacher issues.

Teachers have no clue if they will have a job next year. If great teachers are offered a job in a suburban school, they know they will have that job, that building, that program year in and year out.

The students, families and TEACHERS get yanked around throughout the district time and time again.

Who is going to teach at Frick next year?
Who is going to want to teach at I.B. World?
Who is wanting to teach at the Science and Technology school.
Will Rodgers teachers be merged into downtown spaces at CAPA?

Teachers do not know where they will be. Many will decide to go to suburban settings – and so will the students who want a stable school environment.

Please vote NO as to moving Schenley and Frick.

Thank you for your time.

If others wish to share their statements, please email them to me: Mark -@- Rauterkus -dot- com. I'll do my best to make them appear on this blog.

By the way, KDKA Radio is clearly against the citizens on this matter. Its coverage is crooked. The one blurb on the radio news today was a humorless joke. News pointers:

Group Wants Schenley High School To Stay Open
KDKA - Read more in our Privacy Policy Dozens of supporters of Schenley High School turned out as a last ditch effort to save the school. ...

Supporters plead Schenley High's case
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - An overflow but mannerly crowd of more than 200 people asked the city school board Tuesday night to save Schenley High School in ...

Last night's meeting has a couple of sideline fireworks. There were people held at the door upon my mid-meeting departure who where not able to witness the meeting. There were 45 open seats in the main room. Yet, the citizens were being held at the front door by security. Go figure. In another instance, my voice recorder caused a meeting stir.

Cool Schools: Ten That Get It - November/December 2007 - Sierra Magazine - Sierra Club

Cool Schools: Ten That Get It - November/December 2007 - Sierra Magazine - Sierra Club

CMU makes top 10 list of "cool schools" with Sierra Club.org site.

Informed Reform dot com

Informed Reform

Headline: Put the PUBLIC back into our Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Announcer sacked over spoof messages - Yahoo! News

Announcer sacked over spoof messages - Yahoo! News* 'We would like to remind our American tourist friends that you are almost certainly talking too loudly.'

City League Football Championship 2007, Project: PCTV Special Projects

Play Date / Time Channel Project ID 75, Program ID 1924

11/29/07 Thu 9:00 am PCTV
12/1/07 Sat 3:00 pm PCTV
12/4/07 Tue 7:00 pm PCTV
12/7/07 Fri 4:00 pm PCTV
12/8/07 Sat 8:00 pm PCTV

Tune in and watch as to who gets the blame for the turf at Heinz Field.

CNN / YouTube debate to have eight -- not nine -- not all -- not the black "R"

CNN poised to exclude Alan Keyes from last big debate before primaries

Monday night at 11 p.m., CNN Political Director Sam Feist e-mailed the Alan Keyes campaign to inform the campaign — for the first time — that Ambassador Keyes would not be included in the CNN/YouTube/Republican Party of Florida Debate, scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Prior to this notice, the campaign had received no word from the debate's sponsors about their intentions, one way or the other, to include Dr. Keyes, despite several inquires. The most the campaign was able to learn was that the decision was "ultimately up to CNN."

In the meantime, the campaign contacted numerous Florida party, state, and national leaders, encouraging them to ask CNN to include Ambassador Keyes in Wednesday's debate, so that all nine of the presidential candidates selected by the state for its primary ballot might be scrutinized by voters — instead of just eight.

To no avail.

For reasons evident below, CNN's decision to exclude Dr. Keyes is obviously arbitrary, unfair, and presumptuous — overriding, in essence, the prerogative of the State of Florida to decide which presidential contenders voters have a right to learn about.

The effect of this decision by CNN is far-reaching. Any candidate who does not appear in this nationally-televised debate — the last one scheduled before the primaries — will have little chance of compensating for the damage done to his campaign in the public mind. Note that Ambassador Keyes has already been excluded from two previous national debates on dubious grounds, and as a result, most people are not even aware he is running for president.

Excluding Dr. Keyes from Wednesday's debate will arguably do irreparable damage to his campaign — a result that can hardly have escaped CNN. CNN is playing "gate-keeper," and that is not a legitimate role of the media, no matter how much influence they seek to exert in the political arena.

Read the following exchange, and if you believe an indefensible injustice is about to occur, contact the following executives at CNN and encourage them to reverse their decision to exclude Alan Keyes.

Jonathan Klein, President
jon.klein@turner.com

Rick Davis, Executive Vice President of News Standards and Practices
rick.davis@turner.com

Mitch Gelman, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer
mitch.gelman@turner.com

Sam Feist, Political Director
Sam.Feist@turner.com

Laurel Chamberlain, Media Relations Manager
laurel.chamberlain@turner.com

Lou Dobbs, Anchor and Managing Editor
lou.dobbs@turner.com

David Doss, Executive Producer
david.doss@cnn.com

Wendy Whitworth, Senior Executive Producer of "Larry King Live"
wendy.whitworth@cnn.com

Anderson Cooper, Anchor
Anderson.Cooper@turner.com
Anderson.Cooper@cnn.com

---

Sam,

To clarify — for legal purposes — the criteria established by CNN and YouTube for excluding Alan Keyes from Wednesday's debate, please provide the following information, so the Keyes campaign and its attorneys might assess its validity:

1. Exactly which published FEC guidelines do you have reference to in support of CNN and YouTube's "objective criteria" for excluding Ambassador Keyes? Please cite the publication and page where specific guidelines for televised debates are clearly made public knowledge by the FEC.
   
2. What is the "minimum national polling requirement" established by CNN and YouTube that Ambassador Keyes fails to meet, and what evidence do you have that Ambassador Keyes fails to meet this requirement? Please supply polls that reliably assess Dr. Keyes' actual support among registered Republican voters. To be reliable, these polls must include Dr. Keyes' name and give respondents the choice of expressing their support for him, alongside other candidates listed.
   
3. What evidence do you have of the actual amount of "individual contributions" raised to date by the Keyes campaign, upon which CNN and YouTube based their decision to exclude Dr. Keyes? Please describe the factual basis for identifying this amount, since we have never publicly released this confidential information, and explain how CNN and YouTube acquired it.
   
4. Based on entirely objective, proven criteria — not subjective, speculative, or theoretical considerations — what is the definition used by CNN and YouTube to define a "viable national campaign." Note that this definition must apply equally to a grassroots campaign of the sort Dr. Keyes has undertaken in the past, as opposed to a media-based, high-cost campaign typically undertaken by candidates whose goal is to shape public opinion. In other words, to be valid, the criteria can neither favor, nor exclude, either traditional approach.
   
5. Besides the criteria cited in your e-mail, what other possible basis might CNN and YouTube have for demonstrably damaging the campaign of a presidential candidate certified by the State of Florida as equal in credibility to the other candidates the state has chosen for its primary ballot? In other words, what possible reason does CNN or YouTube have to prevent Florida voters from making an informed choice among all the Republican candidates hand-selected by the State of Florida for its presidential primary?
   
6. How do CNN and YouTube intend to dispel the obvious appearance that their exclusion of Ambassador Keyes from the debate does in fact amount to an attempt to damage the Keyes campaign? In other words, explain why the behavior of CNN and YouTube is not intentionally self-fulfilling — since it presumes in advance that the Keyes campaign lacks viability, and then proceeds to ensure such lack of viability by excluding Dr. Keyes from the nation's consciousness — even though he is the most eloquent and persuasive Republican candidate in the race, a candidate who in 2000 was widely credited with winning the Republican presidential debates and came in third in the primaries, and whose candidacy, therefore, cannot objectively be considered less than viable.
   
7. Since the lawful role of the media in the electoral process is limited to reporting, influencing, and monitoring that process, by what legitimate means did CNN and YouTube obtain the undemocratic authority to screen from the electoral process a candidate officially chosen by the State of Florida for its presidential primary? In other words, explain to America's voters how CNN and YouTube (and other media or internet giants) have acquired the role of ultimate arbiters in the electoral process. Explain, additionally, how such media control of that process is healthy for America's representative political system.
   
8. Why did CNN wait until there was barely a day left prior to the debate before responding to my inquiry about CNN's intentions regarding the participation of Alan Keyes — and why was CNN and YouTube's basis for excluding him not made known to the Keyes campaign until this late date, eliminating any possibility of including him — if it was in fact the intention of CNN and YouTube to be "objective" and fair toward Ambassador Keyes? Surely, you realize that by utterly ignoring Dr. Keyes until now — and then singling him out for exclusion from the debate despite the fact that the latest Mason-Dixon Florida poll lists him ahead of Duncan Hunter, Ron Paul, and Tom Tancredo — CNN and YouTube have destroyed any claim they might make of objective fairness in this process.
   
9. Finally, what is the position of other Republican presidential candidates toward the candidacy of Dr. Keyes, and have any of these candidates, at any time, expressed to the debate's sponsors a desire to exclude Dr. Keyes from the debate? Bear in mind that this question is fair game in court, as are all the other above questions, and may require the sponsors to testify under oath the truth of their intentions, the basis for those intentions, and their attitudes toward the Keyes campaign and Dr. Keyes himself.

At this late point, there's still time to get Ambassador Keyes in the debate. We request that an invitation be extended to him immediately.

Cordially,

Stephen Stone
CEO, Alan Keyes for President

---

From: Feist, Sam
To: Stephen Stone
Cc: Davis, Rick ; Chairman Jim Greer ; grove@google.com
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 11:02 PM
Subject: RE: Inclusion of Alan Keyes in CNN/YouTube/Florida GOP debate

Dear Mr. Stone,

Thank you for your note regarding Ambassador Keyes' participation in the CNN/You Tube debate on November 28th.

CNN and You Tube have established objective criteria for inclusion in the debate, in accordance with Federal Election Commission guidelines. The objective criteria established for this debate included requirements that a candidate meet a bare minimum threshold in national polling and also that a candidate meet a minimum fundraising requirement.

Ambassador Keyes has not met the minimum national polling requirement. And he has not met our requirement that he raise a minimum of $1million in individual contributions. We believe that this fundraising criteria is an indication of a candidate's ability to run a viable national campaign. These are the identical criteria that CNN used in its recent Democratic presidential debate.

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Sam Feist

CNN Political Director

---

From: Stephen Stone
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 8:19 AM
To: Feist, Sam
Cc: Davis, Rick; Chairman Jim Greer; Delmar W. Johnson, III; Kirk Pepper; editor@youtube.com
Subject: Inclusion of Alan Keyes in CNN/YouTube/Florida GOP debate

Sam,

I'm writing to learn if CNN plans to invite Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes to participate in the CNN/YouTube/Republican Party of Florida Debate, scheduled for Nov. 28 in St. Petersburg.

As you realize, Ambassador Keyes is one of nine candidates chosen by the Florida GOP — as well as the Florida Presidential Candidate Selection Committee — to be in the state's presidential primary.

The complete list of Republican candidates chosen for the primary by party and state officials is as follows:

Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Governor Mike Huckabee
Congressman Duncan Hunter
Ambassador Alan Keyes
Senator John McCain
Congressman Ron Paul
Governor Mitt Romney
Congressman Tom Tancredo
Senator Fred Thompson

To date, all of the above candidates except Alan Keyes have been invited to participate in the debate.

You might also be interested to know that Ambassador Keyes has already been accepted on ten state's presidential ballots; placed ahead of Duncan Hunter, Ron Paul, and Tom Tancredo in the latest Mason-Dixon Florida poll; and was just invited to participate in the Des Moines Register's Republican PBS Debate, scheduled for Dec. 12.

Since Dr. Keyes hasn't yet received an invitation to join the eight other recognized candidates in the upcoming Florida debate, I would like to know the basis for his apparent exclusion.

Please let me know ASAP the position of CNN in this matter.

Note that if Dr. Keyes is excluded on grounds that are self-evidently arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair, the campaign will of course review its legal options. Dr. Keyes' civil rights, and the integrity of the electoral process, require CNN to show clear impartiality in the selection of the debate's participants.

The just and reasonable thing to do would be to include Dr. Keyes alongside the other candidates chosen by the State of Florida to appear on its Presidential Preference Primary ballot. Certainly, Florida voters have an interest in seeing and hearing all the GOP presidential candidates.

Best regards,

Stephen Stone
CEO, Alan Keyes for President

Massive Homework! Thanks!!

Our house has been getting an internal and external facelift. Lots of clean up. Today, we made headway! Going room to room has been like putting 10-pounds of junk in a 7-pound sack.

In the process, the internet connection is down.

But, thanks to Andy's party at CyberConnection -- I'm checking email and blogging. This is a cool place. I'm okay at StarWars Battlefront II -- but NOT with these kids. Ouch.

Don't expect to see much of me on the blogs for a few days.

Tuesday night we'll be going to the rally and public school board meeting.

Last night's Penn Hills High School 30th reunion was fantastic too. More blogging about that will come later.

Students praise Schenley's offerings - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Students praise Schenley's offerings - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "they savor the student body's unique mix of diverse cultures that somehow blend and, for the most part, get along.

Schenley's 91-year run could soon end. The city school board will vote Feb. 27 whether to accept Superintendent Mark Roosevelt's recommendation to close the Oakland building because of asbestos problems and an aging infrastructure that would cost $64.4 million to fix.

Allegheny County's top GOP job - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Roddey to run for top GOP job - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review His announcement occurs at a time when the local GOP has been on a downslide, failing to recruit challengers in key elections, losing at the polls, sinking into debt and sailing without a captain.

The mind leads and the body follows.

For many years, Jim Roddey was the one that said that the city could NEVER elect a Republican. He made sure it didn't happen with his statements. If he couldn't do it -- then it couldn't be done, so he thinks.

I'm with Bob Hillen on this.

I think that the Republicans in the city won't be in a good position with Jim Roddey as the county's party chair.

If you want to be part of an opposition movement in the city -- join us, the Libertarian Party of Allegheny County! We are also looking to establish some teamwork in the city with other political parties. I'm sure that day is speeding ahead now that Bob Glancey has departed the scene.

Thankfulness

I'm thankful for a lots. Plenty. Here are just a few, in no particular order.

Broadband.

Cheaper prices for blank media, i.e., blank DVDs and blank CD-ROMs.

Open source software.

Open source ways, thinking and styles of being.

Public domain goodies and creators who have a clue about it as well as Creative Commons designations.

Liberty, freedom, democracy, constitutions, the founding fathers and our legacy of rich common ground.

People who are respectful.

Those who sign a petition without thinking twice.

Blip.tv and other v-cast (video casting) sites such as YouTube.

The widespread reach of the English language.

The arrival of open water swimming as Olympic medal races (5K and 10K swims).

Public comment periods at governmental meetings.

Historic buildings that are still standing and others that are still in reside in our memory.

Pittsburgh Podcamp and BootCamp and the dozens of organizers that gave of themselves to make those events flourish.

Citizen courage for past, recent and future "running mates." Many of whom I've yet to meet.

Pedestrian lifestyle. Walking to work. Walking to school.

Ian and Mark at FreeTalkLive.com, my favorite podcast.

The Republicans | See you in Iowa | Economist.com

The Republicans | See you in Iowa | Economist.com

A New Recipe -- Turkey Talk with a political twist

A New Recipe to Reunite Our Country | Unity08 What would Thanksgiving be like if we cooked the same turkey over and over, year after year, and served it bland, tasteless, and downright inedible?

Well, it would be kind of like Politics-As-Usual, which has been feeding us that turkey for many years now.

It's time to cook up a new way to lead the country, as you well know, and Unity08 has the recipe. Please review the cooking instructions below.

For your own health, our meal is pork-barrel and mud-slinging free.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Our Country (divided)
• 1/2 teaspoon of American Values (hard work, ingenuity, inspiration)
• 1/2 teaspoon of New Technology
• 5 cups of Crucial Issues
• 1 box of Questions to Ask the Candidates
• 1 handful of Candidates (formed into teams)
• 1 Online Convention pressure cooker (the largest you can find)

Instructions:

1. Boil Politics-As-Usual, pour it out, and start anew.
2. Combine American Values with New Technology (stir vigorously).
3. Sift and rank Crucial Issues.
4. Mull over Questions to Ask the Candidates.
5. Place Crucial Issues, Questions, and Candidate Teams into Online Convention pressure cooker.
6. Reduce to Unity Ticket.
7. Serve hot and complement with election of the next President of the United States.

See more at the site. Clever cooking!

Covering Cost Over Runs in Schenley's Refirb

Some nameless and faceless poster asked about the cost over-runs that would come with the remake of Schenley High School. What is $64-million last week and $42-million this week could be, golly, $70-million in a few years and with dozens of change orders later.

How true. That is something to think about -- long and hard.

The folks who send their children to Schenley or to any of the Pittsburgh Public Schools are the ones who pay for them too. We are taxpayers. We are not interested in breaking the bank to pay for public education. By all means, we know better than any that the taxes in the city are too high.

Furthermore another big message that was delivered to many cheering peers came from a parent who said that we worry greatly about the other schools in the district. What about Oliver? What about Peabody? What about Carrick? We don't want the school district to focus all its attention and energy on new programs for the I.B. program and continue to neglect the rest of the district. Building a 'flagship program' isn't what we want if and as it comes at the expense of the other kids -- our neighbors -- and our other children.

But, the cost-over-runs are something to watch and contemplate. But, cost-over-runs are not nearly as bad as what we've already got in the district in various situations.

What is way worse than cost over-runs is making an investment in a building, paying for the cost-over runs, and then not utilize it to a fraction of its capacity.

Westinghouse High School is a beautiful building. Major investments were pumped into Westinghouse recently. Modern lab spaces, wonderful classrooms and an excellent building for learning has been built. It costs tens of millions of dollars to fix up Westinghouse. Who knows the real price tag?

And, who knows what the budgeted amount was contrasted with the actual amounts?

But today, Westinghouse High School, a 'drop out factory', is way under capacity.

Some in high places have been saying that the administration and district power brokers have starved Westinghouse of the necessary programs, teachers, and overall "software" that is deployed at Westinghouse High School. The hardware of Westinghouse is great. The software is in need of an overhaul.

So, what is going to happen there?

Why would they want to re-do Frick Middle School and turn that into a "Science and Technology School with students from grades 6 to 12" -- breaking a middle school that is working -- and still NOT fully deploying the prior investments that were poured into Westinghouse.

Make WESTINGHOUSE the home for the new Science and Technology 6-12 school! Make Westinghouse a city-wide magnet school.

Cost over-runs are but pimples when they seemingly squander the past upgrades and investments.

Even at Schenley High School -- they upgraded all the windows to the entire building just five years ago. The taxpayers made a major investment into Schenley recently. Now they want to close it.

Unreal.

District presses to close Schenley - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

District presses to close Schenley - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "'I'm very concerned about the deteriorating condition in the building -- particularly the asbestos,' Patil said. 'The amount of monitoring and dollars it takes to keep it safe is almost unbearable.'"

Unbearable = Being left in the dark + Having no voice + Alternatives that won't work + Alternatives that are MORE expensive + resegragation of the community - (minus) - all colaboration.

I've come to understand that asbestos is NEVER used as a binding agent. If Mr. Roosevelt had attended one or two of the meetings that I've been too, he'd have heard of that fact. And, in turn, he'd begin to change his tune.

There is a dance that is going on and the administration is way out of step.

Last night, the $64-million price tag was used again. Now the price for the fix up is in the $40-ish M zone. They need to 'rehash' and 're-tell.'

It takes two to tango. Get in step PPS Administration. It is a crying shame, bitter shame, when the citizens are able to out-flank them. But, with folly, it is easy to do.

School Board Superintendent Says Schenley Health Hazard To Students - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

School Board Superintendent Says Schenley Health Hazard To Students - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh School Board Superintendent Says Schenley Health Hazard To Students

I talked to a person in BBI today about this mess. BBI is Breau of Building Inspection. I think a building inspector or three should be called on the scene. We pay a number of these folks to make sure that the buildings are safe.

Furthermore, I think that the mayor could instruct BBI to check out all the buildings from the same era. What confirmations and studies have been done to prove to us that the other schools in that class are not just like what we face today (lies) are 'isolated.'

What about Oliver, Langley, Milliones, -- for starters.

I've asked Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to assign some of our building experts -- on our payroll -- to enter into the situation, urgently.

Some of the plaster has fallen. Granted. We agree.

The article reports this quote: ... "there's the potential release of asbestos," Roosevelt said. Bull. There is asbestos in the floor tiles and it is impossible to make that material jump out from that embeded state to prove a health hazard.

Roosevelt does not trust the health of the building beyond this school year. I don't trust the stewardship of the administration and the school board. They are pulling a quick one. Rushing. Haste makes waste. The plans need buy-in, input, and must evolve.

The present 8th graders at Frick all HATE the plan, we learned tonight. They were not asked.

Consult with the citizens first.

Additional coverage:

kdka.com - Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt Explains Why Schenley Should Close Another member of the 'Save Schenley' parents, Jet Lafean, says he believes that Roosevelt is getting bad information and that the parents committee will prove that it is more than feasible to keep Schenley open for far less money.

---

Update from others follows:

Note from amy moore: I know that a good number of people are on both lists but I don't want to take anyone off the IS/IB list which I plan to keep using after this High School (and Frick) Reform mess is over.

Welcome to all the new names I added to my list tonight. This is just an attempt to gather basic information of concern to PPS parents about Schenley and high school reform. If you don't want to be on this list, please let me know and I'll get you removed asap. I plan to only email once a day or every other day. This is only day two -- I'll put day one's missive at the very end of the email for anyone who missed it and can't live without it!

Only one and a half days left to sign up to speak at the special hearing on the 27th! The people answering the phone are friendly, so don't be shy. I signed up today just before 5 pm and am #60. How high can we go? If you don't want to speak, but do want to be heard, you may also submit written testimony to the board until 5 pm on the 27th (publichearing@pghboe.net or fax comments to (412)622-3624).

Letters to the editor can't hurt either.

******************************************************************

Derrick Lopez talks in the Post-Gazette today about what High School reform will look like:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07323/835193-100.stm

Mark Roosevelt has a press conference about the Schenley building this morning, looks like we got some of the documentation we've wanted? Links at the PPS website: http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/pps/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=281011

We look forward to some word on what we've got there from some of our engineer/architect/contractor/generally smart people in Save Schenley.

******************************************************************

Looking for a way to take some action? There are petitions available, targeting voters. Basically all this petition says is that we'd like this process to slow down so it can involve the public in a meaningful way before any more money is spent implementing it.

Please consider taking a list of names and spending an hour or two of the long weekend talking about saving Schenley and school reform. It was actually kind of fun and I'm someone who hates knocking on doors and chatting up strangers. If I can do it, you can do it! Contact sjantonucci@gmail.com for more info.

******************************************************************

Continued discussion of Save Schenley as the sole name vs. Save Schenley as one (strong and founding) part of a forming alliance that is not only concerned with saving Schenley, but concerned about the way HS reform is being presented *and* how every decision made now may affect not only Schenley's future, but the schools as a whole.

Maybe it would be an umbrella group about informed school reform that included and supported both efforts to save Schenley, but also addressed concerns about school reform, spending, etc. across the district.

Discuss among yourselves. ;-)

******************************************************************

Report submitted by Kathy Fine:

The meeting on Saturday (Nov 17th) was a meeting with attendees from across the spectrum of the Save Schenley organization, including the members from 2 of the committees that grew from the 1st "save Schenley" meeting at the CL, Shawn Carter from the "Save Schenley" organizing group, Carey Harris and Celeste Taylor from A+ schools, and parents from Point Breeze, Homewood, Highland Park and other neighborhoods, all with the common goal of distilling the information about the proposed PPS High School Reform and starting a constructive, open dialogue.

Alternative Reform Committee (Committee of Save Schenley)
Summary of 11/17/08 meeting

In attendance: Sue Mietzner, Nick Lardas, Nic Solic, Jet Lafean, Celeste Taylor, Muzz Meyers, Michelle Meyers, Terri Bishop, Jen Lakin, Shawn Carter, Carey Harris, Brenda Smith, Jill Weiss, Mel Hubbard El, Michael Pogue-Guile

Remediation committee is in the process of obtaining reports on Schenley repairs from 2 yrs. ago, report from consultants from this summer and EPA documents. After receiving this info the committee will review documents and request walk through of facility.

We agreed we need more representation from Hill Community/parents.

Preliminarily identified these questions for submission to district, some of them have been addressed but we would like comprehensive plans or details:

a. What is the rational for massive movement of students? Why can’t problems be addressed with students staying where they are (increasing professionals and paraprofessionals in the classrooms, putting reforms in place there)?

b. What is the plan for the rest of the district?

c. What is the research/rationale for 6-12 configuration?

d. What is being done at the pre K-8 levels to address needs of at risk students? How effectively are those needs being addressed?

e. How will the transportation issues of moving students from the Hill to Reizenstein as well as future high school choice be resolved?

f. What will be the mechanism for the High School Choice component of the reforms? Will parents be involved and when?

More to come after committee reviews reform plan.

******************************************************************

Ready to learn more about High School reform? Today's link: District Improvement Plan (Final 11/16/07)

For instance, on page 56, the first two points are pretty well defined. However, points 3 through 5 aren't described at all, even though they discuss redesigning the magnet enrollment procedure, the concept of district-wide choice and the planning and designing of improvement strategies for the 8 high schools they don't mention in points 1 and 2.

I confess to not having gotten through all 200 pages yet. If you find anything interesting, let me know and I'll point people toward it.

I'll try to have a different Schenley or reform-related link each day. If you're poking around the PPS site and find anything interesting, please send me the link.

******************************************************************

Mark Rauterkus' blog has some Schenley morsels (he's a PPS parent). If you know of any other Pittsburgh blogs/bloggers covering the Schenley issue, let me know!

******************************************************************

A meeting will be coordinated for after the 27th -- to look at what we think still needs to be done, get organized in smaller working groups, etc. But first, we must all have a Thanksgiving holiday!

That's all for tonight, since the clock says it's already tomorrow --

Jen Lakin

Yesterday's blast:

Hi all,

This is my first attempt at throwing out some gathered-together information, please send more stuff my way:

--Reminder: Special Hearing about Schenley is Tuesday, November 27th at 6 pm at the Board of Education building. There is confusion (caused by the PPS website) about the sign-up deadline for speaking. To be on the safe side, sign up by noon on this Wednesday, the 20th. Even if you don't want to speak, please support us with your presence and in writing: Persons wishing to submit written testimony in lieu of appearing at the special hearing may send it via e-mail to publichearing@pghboe.net or by faxing comments to (412)622-3624 no later than 5 p.m. on November 27, 2007. (from the PPS website)

--Assuming students can organize and rally again (at 5 pm?), can we organize food/snacks and water to have there? As much as I hate plastic bottles of water, if we brought big blue recycling bags, I guess I could stand it. Or water coolers? Any volunteers to head that up?

--There were at least two smaller group meetings this weekend, I'll send out reports of those meetings as I get them from participants.

--On the Save Schenley website there is now a section where you can post your planned or already given testimony, letters you've sent to the editor, etc. Check it out for ideas or inspiration!

--My email seems to have been mangled and I'm only getting secondhand reports from some email lists. What I can figure out from my end is that there was a question/concern about the Save Schenley name and consideration of either changing or adding a name to describe what we've grown into more fully. I think, don't quote me on that!

There is concern that while other district parents are sympathetic to the Schenley cause, they're not planning on being active (and that the mysterious $64M figure is pretty scary to taxpayers). I think it's a great discussion point -- how do we get the word out about how there are many big district changes slipping by the public, in part hidden by the Schenley discussion and still keep the focus on saving Schenley?

It doesn't seem that the two can be completely disentangled, if only because they are completely enmeshed in the District Improvement Plan voted on last Wednesday. If I've seen anything over the last week, it's that you can't separate politics from this, even though it sure would make it easier! Here's hoping that we get so many people involved that we need lots of group names?!

--If you're not on Facebook, consider signing up (much to your child's horror). There are several Schenley groups out there and it's another place where some information may show up that doesn't show up elsewhere.

Wow, for not having much to put in here, I went on and on. Please send me submissions (links to articles, meeting summaries, ideas), so that *I* won't do that anymore!

As always, please contact me to be taken off the list if you don't want these emails. Please send me emails of people who might like to be included on this list or have them email me at jendo89@aol.com

Thinking about 1977, again. As we tune up for the 30th High School Reunion

I've been working for a number of months with a small crew of other high school classmates. The Penn Hills High School 30th reunion is slated for Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. More than 300 will gather in a ballroom at the Monroeville Expo Mart - Radisson.

So, let's turn back the clock.

Another on the committe pulled these images from an old catalog from that period.

Liberty Decides: Quest for the Libertarians for the office of President of the United States

FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY:
Dear Libertarian,

Want to send a message to the men and women who will select the next LP presidential candidate?

Now you can!

This past Friday, we launched an exciting new program, Liberty Decides '08. The program is a bold one, as it establishes a competitive process for our pre-nomination presidential candidates.

The rules of the program are pretty clear. To participate and be considered a Liberty Decides '08 "qualified" candidate, individuals must meet three criteria:

They must be constitutionally qualified and be willing to accept the LP nomination per our national bylaws.

They must have filed with the Federal Election Commission.

They must have raised at least $5,000 for the LNC or for one of our state affiliates for ballot access purposes.

Once qualified, candidates will be promoted through the Internet, mail and within our publication, LP News. Qualified candidates will be ranked in the order of the funds they have raised for the program.

Additionally, 40% of funds raised through the program will be set aside for 2008. Once our delegates decide the presidential candidate in our national convention next year, the funds will be used for promotion and media in coordination with our presidential nominee.

If all goes well with this program, we'll have a small chest of funds set aside to be used as soon as our presidential candidate is chosen. I'm excited about this, as we'll be able to kick-start the campaign on our own, since we know the mainstream media won't do it for us.

Liberty Decides '08 is a win-win for our delegates, the LP as a whole and our candidates.

• Delegates will benefit from this "interview process" and will be able to make a deeply informed decision. A significant reason why we run a presidential candidate is to grow the party. This is done by fundraising and attracting new members to the LP. Liberty Decides '08 tests the skills of our candidates BEFORE our national convention.
• The Libertarian Party will benefit as state parties and the national party will receive fundraising and recruitment assistance from the field of candidates. While 40% of the funds raised for the LNC will be set aside, the remaining 60% will go toward "core functions" such as ballot access, media and new member recruitment.
• Our presidential candidates will benefit because they are now in a transparent, competitive process that Libertarians can get excited about. Candidates qualified for the program will receive more promotion and, if they win the nomination, their campaign should get more help than ever before from the national party.

Please take the time today to visit the Liberty Decides '08 page on LP.org. You can find it by navigating to www.lp.org/libertydecides. Once there, show your support for a pre-nomination presidential candidate by making a donation to the LP. You can donate by clicking on the candidate's photo on the page or on their custom donation link.

Now, due to the quantity of respectful e-mails, letters and phone calls that I receive from our own members, even if I tried, I could not ignore the fact that many Libertarians are excited about the candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul for the Republican nomination. In no way, shape or form, can I ignore the positive impact Dr. Paul's campaign is making on America. I'm not asking you to do that either.

If you are a supporter of the Paul campaign and you want to send a message to the delegates of the 2008 Libertarian National Convention, you have the option to do so with this new program. If you are hopeful that Ron Paul (or another candidate) will seek the LP nomination, even as a "Plan B," you can make a donation to show your support for a future/unannounced candidate (please include your preferred candidate's name in the comment box when donating). Also, if you feel that the LP should not run a presidential candidate in 2008, you can put your support behind NOTA (none of the above).

Either way, your funds will be used to support a party that has served as a champion of Liberty for over 35 years.

Please be sure to check the Liberty Decides '08 page frequently, as results will change regularly. Any contributions that you can make to the program will be deeply appreciated.

Also, I'll send you a note later this week to announce a Web chat with one of the three candidates currently qualified for Liberty Decides '08.

In Liberty,

Shane Cory, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

Rendell allies look west for 2010 heir | Philadelphia Inquirer - Talking about Dan Onorato

Rendell allies look west for 2010 heir | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/18/2007 Some of Gov. Rendell's top Philadelphia-area fund-raisers are backing a Western Pennsylvanian for governor in 2010, hoping to avoid a protracted battle for the Democratic nomination.

While the governor has remained neutral, allies as close as David L. Cohen, once Rendell's mayoral chief of staff, will host a reception today for Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato.

Isn't it great how Allegheny County is now is such wonderful condition. It we all knew it would have been this easy to fix, we could have put up Onorato for the Gov's mansion a long time ago. Well, but I guess he wouldn't have been able to take credit for fixing up things as the County Controller or as a city council member.

Perhaps we should get Mark Roosevelt to run for the US Senate to fill in after Snarlin Arlen retires -- then we'll have all the schools in tip-top shape too.

Facebook | Save Schenley

Facebook | Save Schenley: "Save Schenley "

UPDATE: The link is gone as of 2010.