Bonus pay for Pgh Principals gets some attention and heat

Where is the Act 47 to control the spending of the Pgh Public Schools asks a caller to the KDKA Radio show with Marty Griffin.

My message to him:

Pgh Public Schools' troubles spring from the other end of the spectrum. Bonus blahs for me.

Poor performing principals (and teachers, etc.) need to get the ax more quickly.

Downgrades and 'no pay' options need to be on the table as well.

Finally, Fed $ is still my taxpayer money.

Mark Roosevelt, superintendent of Pgh Public Schools, said that the bonus money was not taxpayer money. But, it is, as the host pointed out. The money is from a 'Federal Grant' so Roosevelt said.

Tranditionally, the problem has been with poor performing principals and other laggards in various roles. They have been allowed to stick around.

This gripe about poor performing teachers and principals are long-standing ones that might be less of a pressing problem now. I'm not sure how many bad performers are in the system this year. Pittsburgh schools could have a perfect staff in place this year where every employee is in a perfect role for his or her talents.

Often a failed teacher and/or a failed principal is a sign of a poor deployment -- not ill will on the part of the individual caught in a situation where there isn't a good 'fit' -- or else worse, in a no-win situation.

The deployment of the teachers, staff and principals needs constant evaluation and management. I've seen some movement and 'musical chairs.' Great. I hope that the moves are made for the right reasons. And, I hope that the right people are being supported in the right jobs.

The radio report says that only five principals got no bonus money. The majority of the principals got a bonus.

Punch her and catch a bullet

Wouldn't it be great if all bullies faced a similar fate.

I'm glad she turned herself in and I'm especially glad the police quickly let her depart.

WPXI is reporting the story as this:

Road Rage Incident On Parkway West Ends In Shooting

Sunday, October 19, 2008 – updated: 10:43 pm EDT October 19, 2008
PITTSBURGH -- Police said a man threw a punch and a woman turned the tables, pulling out a gun during a violent road rage incident on the Parkway West.

The woman, 24, of Pittsburgh, was pulling onto Interstate 376 from Route 28 when police said she cut off another driver.

Officials report the other driver, a male from Ohio, reacted by speeding in front of the woman and halting traffic, causing her to stop.

State Police said the man walked on foot to the driver's side of the woman's car and punched her in the face.

That is when authorities said the woman pulled out a licensed firearm and shot the man in the stomach.

The woman turned herself in to police after the incident. She has since been released.

The man drove himself to a nearby hotel, where he was transported to Allegheny General Hospital.

Officials have declined to name the parties involved until after the district attorney has reviewed the case.

Time will tell if this is the real story, or not. Hard to get too overblown as the names of those involved are not being released and being a bit skeptical is always prudent.

Since burnout hit Prof Madison and Pittsblog, here is something that he might have posted about:

Thornburgh Family lecture series

DisabiliTy law & Policy

presenter: I. King Jordan, former president of Gallaudet University

October 30, 2008 at Barco Law Building, Teplitz Courtroom, 1–2:30 p.m. with Reception to follow.

I. King Jordan was the first deaf president of Gallaudet University, the world’s only university with all programs and services designed specifically for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Jordan’s historic presidency came after a student-led protest in 1988 that today is called Deaf President Now (DPN). DPN was a turning point in the lives of deaf people worldwide, and Jordan’s term as president was a beacon of self-
determination and empowerment for deaf and hard-of-hearing people everywhere.

In addition to holding positions as professor, department chair, dean, and president, Jordan holds 11 honorary degrees and has been the recipient of numerous awards, among them the Presidential Citizens Medal, the James L. Fisher Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the Larry Stewart Award from the American Psychological Association, and the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Association for Community Leadership.

For more information, call 412-648-1373.

Lecture is open to the public.

The Thornburgh Family Lecture Series in Disability Law and Policy was created through the generosity of Dick and Ginny Thornburgh. As 2003 recipients of the Henry B. Betts Award, the Thornburghs donated the proceeds from the award to the University of Pittsburgh to establish this lecture series. The fund has been supplemented by grants from the Office of the Chancellor, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and School of Law.

This course has been approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board for one and one-half (1.5) hours of substantive credit. Register at the door.

Richard sent a message about a techie gathering. Open Street Maps visits Pittsburgh

Email message says:

I'm organizing an OpenStreetMap mapping party for Pittsburgh on or about the weekend of the 15th or the weekend of the 22nd of November. And I need some local Pittsburgh knowledge as a reality check.

Can you tell if there are any advantages / disadvantages of the two dates in terms of Pittsburgh events that would conflict or enhance the event?

And could you suggest a venue for the event? Ideally we like to have a public-ish venue with free wifi and close to public transit and something cool to add to the map.

Do you know of some local technology sites / blogs that would be interested in promoting the event?

Can you tell me of any local cycling, hiking, mountain biking, running groups that might be interested?

And if you would like to help me organize the event beyond the very helpful answers to my questions, I would be thrilled to co-host with you.

Best regards,
Richard Weait.
==

You can also read the message at http://www.openstreetmap.org/message/read/22243
and you can reply at http://www.openstreetmap.org/message/reply/22243

Chill out. You didn't miss the 3rd party debate. We get to watch game 7 without feeling guilty

Game 7 of a baseball series is tonight. It is do or die for both the Red Soc and Devil Rays. But for the 3rd party candidates for US President, it is like a snow day. They've seen their final exam washed out and have an extra week to cram before the big show.

Free and Equal: "Presidential Debate Rescheduled for October 23rd in Washington D.C.
The Independent/Third Party Presidential Debate to have been held in New York at Columbia University on Sunday Oct. 19th has been rescheduled, and will occur on Thursday evening at 9pm EST, October 23 in Washington DC.

Powell, Colin, not David, gives more than thumbs up to the Senator from Illinois

Post-Gazette NOW Powell endorses Obama, chides McCain campaign

David Powell, the chair of the Libertarian Party of Allegheny County, spoke last week and said he might have been able to vote for the Obama of 2005, but not of 2008, due to his votes on a few key issues in recent years. However, the other Powell, a guy who doesn't give endorsements, until today, had things to say.

I didn't watch the show, but my wife and mother-in-law did. She had it on tape and they rushed to see it after church this morning.

My wife said that there wasn't one thing from Colin Powell that she was in disagreement with. Wow. She said that what he said on Meet The Press was just what she has been saying for many months now.

It's over for McCain. The only thing that Obama needs to do from today forward is keep playing the statements from Colin Powell. Those are her reactions.

For me, I'll watch on Monday after I cool down from Sunday night swim practice with the Phillips kids and Podcamp Pittsburgh, PCPGH3.

Working on my PodCamp Pittsburgh PCPGH presentation

From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events

I'm slated to speak tomorrow, Sunday, at Podcamp Pittsburgh. I'm working on the photos and slide show now. Should be fun.

From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events

It is a small world.

From people & vips

Guess where we are when this photo was taken? (Find the answer in the comments.)

From people & vips

Print your badge, yet? Tonight's social on the South Side for a kick-off.

I'll be on the South Side for a PodCamp kickoff party tonight, after swim practice, of course. It is at AlphaLab (2325 East Carson Street, 15203). Called the official icebreaker. Tonight, on Friday, Oct 17, from 6–8 PM. Enjoy appetizers, drinks and the opportunity to meet your fellow social media explorers, all under the roof of ittsburgh’s new incubator for tech startups.

Still to Come, the Third-Party Debate - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

Interesting.

Still to Come, the Third-Party Debate - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com Still to Come, the Third-Party Debate
By Leslie Wayne
If you haven’t gotten your fill of presidential debates after watching the McCain-Obama match-up this evening, mark your calendar for Sunday night.
That’s when Free and Equal.Org, a group formed to encourage third-party candidacies, is promoting a debate at the Columbia Political Union at Columbia University in New York for all six candidates seeking the presidency. The group is pretty much resigned to the fact that neither Senator John McCain nor Senator Barack Obama will be there.
But, others will show, they say. Amy Goodman, principal host of “Democracy Now!” a program of the left-leaning Pacifica radio, will host the event. C-SPAN will also be there to record it. Ms. Goodman, in a recent syndicated column, called for opening the current two-party debates, to more candidates. “It will not only make for better television,’’ said Ms. Goodman in her column, “it will make for better democracy.”

Just exactly who will be there is still murky, since certified letters have just gone out to all candidates, say event organizers. Ralph Nader, who is on the ballot in 45 states as an independent candidate, has indicated he will show up. Cynthia McKinney, former member of Congress from Georgia and the Green Party candidate, will also be there, according to her website. Ms. McKinney is on the ballot in 30 states. Also invited is Chuck Baldwin, running on the Constitution Party ticket in 35 states.

Mr. Baldwin is perhaps the least known of the group. He’s an evangelical minister and hosts a conservative talk show in the Florida panhandle region. He also has gained the endorsement of Ron Paul, whose bid for the Republican nomination garnered a loyal and enthusiastic following.

The only question mark is Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate. Mr. Barr has made it clear that he will only debate Mr. Nader and no one else.

Christina M. Tobin, an event organizer and a Nader campaign staffer, said that she “challenges” Mr. Barr to show up.

“Let him show that he is a true Libertarian,” said Ms. Tobin, who grew up in a prominent Libertarian family. “This is a golden opportunity to get exposure and for people to hear his views. For him not to show up would be denying his Libertarian principles.”

Ms. Tobin added that if this event, which will be held at 8 p.m. is successful, her group plans to hold another one a few days later.

If Bob Barr does not show up to this event, he'll be a jackass in my book. Of course he'll be there. Of course he is just inserting a little drama into the event. Of course he is not going to sink his and our principles and be cowardly.

It would be a hoot and a winning move if either Obama or McCain showed up for these debates. One could go on Saturday and then the next would need to be there when this was a success.

I can dream, can't I?

Bob, pack your bags.

Catherine's Cover Story has hit with the release of The Hearing Journal

Catherine and crew at UPMC/Pitt have a cover story in a professional journal that is now hitting mailboxes and the web (with a PDF).

Cover Story: Is it Real? Research Evaluation for Audiology Literature Catherine V. Palmer, Elaine Mormer, Amanda Ortmann, Dvid Byrne, and Lindsey Keogh October 2008 The Hearing Journal: "Cover Story: Is it Real? Research Evaluation for Audiology Literature
Catherine V. Palmer, Elaine Mormer, Amanda Ortmann, Dvid Byrne, and Lindsey Keogh

Cover Story: Is it Real? Research Evaluation for Audiology Literature
Catherine V. Palmer, Elaine Mormer, Amanda Ortmann, Dvid Byrne, and Lindsey Keogh

The cover illustration look sharp.

Nutshell without even reading the article: Modern life is about being a continual learner and critical thinker. Both are necessary for success.

Trust isn't a slam dunk as it once was. People can gobble up a bunch of mush and not have the skills, capacity nor value for the critical thinking and they'll be lost at sea, rudderless.

The sidebar of the article by Gus talks about how Catherine has been able to shape the field. Catherine's insistance that the product manufacturers present data with study design and depth not expected before -- shall we say -- raises the bar for the profession.

Critical consumers are great, as are critical voters and 'thinking again.'

Good giggles

Part 1:

Part 2:

Could this be Podcamp Pittsburgh

From Tech Pointers of Mark Rauterkus

They'll be huddled around some computers this weekend, just as they were in Beijing to watch and witness.

Dave Copeland is coming home

Running Mate News!

Dave Copeland: "Other news: I booked a flight and a hotel with plans of running the resurrected Pittsburgh Marathon on May3, 2009."

Great news David.

Plus, the trip to South Africa sounds great. You know, the football world will be in South Africa too. When is the world cup matched with your visit there?

If you are going to be there the same time, expect to pay about a zillion times more for hotel and air fare. Well, not a zillion, but five times at least.

What are you doing Sunday afternoon? Hope to see you at Pgh Art Institute.

This Sunday, I'll be presenting at Pittsburgh's Podcamp. One session is going to talk about this. The other will be more localized and talk about politics. Hope you can be there. See the link to the upper left side of this blog. PGHPC3.

City Paper covers the Rev Burgess, now on council

A big feature in Pgh City Paper covers a member of Pittsburgh's city council, Rev. Ricky Burgess.

Practicing What He Preaches - The Rev. Ricky Burgess tries to heal the wounds of District 9 - Main Feature - Main Feature - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh Practicing What He Preaches
The Rev. Ricky Burgess tries to heal the wounds of District 9

My thoughts soon enough. What do you think?

Groups can't challenge Stadium Authority land sale, lawyer says

Residents don't have standing, so they think, unless they're already purchased and know their role as part of the status quo machine.

Groups can't challenge Stadium Authority land sale, lawyer says The city's Stadium Authority is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by two groups challenging the sale of land between Heinz Field and PNC Park for a proposed hotel development, claiming both lacked standing to press their claims.

This isn't a case of every night being a potential nightmare. No way. Rather, we want to save hopes of brewing a nightmare for government trasactions whenever it acts on behalf of special interests to rip off taxpayers.

Local government has too many bits of property. Much of this needs to be sold. However, it can't be done at prices that make the rich richer.

Insanity is selling property at $8 when it should sell at $58.

"It is outrageous for the Stadium Authority to claim there is no public right to question whether they are serving the public's interests," he said in a statement.

From Peking Duck to Chicken Licken -- or Chicken Little

I guess Chicken Licken is the UK bloke's name. We call him "Chicken Little" don't we?

BBC SPORT | Olympics/Paralympics blog From Peking Duck to Chicken Licken in just two months. No wonder the mood was a little muted.

The mood of the Olympics has shifted now that the world's finance crash has come.

See the link on this page: Uploaded a simple PDF slide show from our Beijing visit.

More to come.

Victory on the parking give-a-way

This is good news.

No Free Parking For Downtown Holiday Shoppers

PITTSBURGH -- There will be no free parking this year for shoppers in downtown Pittsburgh, according to the Tribune-Review.

Last year, free parking was available on weekends during the holiday season.

However, the parking authority will not be offering free parking this year due to increased budget costs.

For years, wrongly, the city has been giving away parking to a select few.

It is not good public policy to use bribes to get people to visit, come nor stay in Pittsburgh. Sweeten this and you still get this, if you know what I mean.

Trash day was this morning, but there is no pick-up for recycling until NEXT WEEK

In the South Side, we've got dozens of folks who put out the blue bags for trash pick-up for recycled waste on the wrong weeks. I'd hate to see you get a $500 fine.

Other areas of the city are catching up to us in other areas too, it seems.

Citizen alert:

Criminal mischief in the East end
Over the last several weeks we have had a large number of reports on someone damaging flower pots, trash cans, breaking into cars, and stealing from peoples homes. Please remember that there are few tips you may want to try;
1. Always remember to check your doors on your car to make sure there locked before walking away.
2. Remember not to leave anything that criminal might want in plain view. This small mistake could lead them to break into your car, and then to something more valuable that you may have hidden.
3. Leaving items on your front porch either secured or not, is not a good idea. these criminals are willing to take the risk of stealing off of your property.
4. Finally, look out for you neighbors and hope they will do the same for you. Become a part of your neighborhood blockwatch, or if you don’t have one call your zone Community Relations Officer to start one.

Internet Archive Link of Bob Barr

The 70-minute video of Bob Barr speaking at CMU has been posted to The Internet Archive:

http://www.archive.org/download/Rauterkus-BobBarrSpeaksAtCMUInPittsburgh924/Rauterkus-BobBarrSpeaksAtCMUInPittsburgh924.wmv