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."

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Alltop - Top Literacy News: "All the top Literacy news."

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?

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."

Active choice for City Council's Special Election

Active choice: Blotzer deserves a seat on City Council She parts company with Ms. Smith on the question of the city's fiscal overseers, and we share Ms. Blotzer's concern that removing the state constraints too soon could imperil attempts to keep reducing the city's extensive debt load."

Too soon!

Pittsburgh is under the thumb of TWO sets of OVERLORDS. They arrived with glee two mayors ago. The city council special election in a few days is for a seat which was filled twice since the OVERLORDS arrived as well.

The Post-Gazette might want the city to be under the thumb of OVERLORDS for a generation or more? When would it be prudent to show the OVERLORDS the door? I understand that Castro is in his first term in Cuba, but how long does oppression need to linger there and here?

Self government works for me -- and it should work for this city. I don't want my kids to grow up in a place where the citizens elect figureheads who don't really have any power. That's called a puppet government.

Those who want the OVERLORDS to stay are against self-determination. The Post-Gazette editorial board is in that camp -- and same too is a women who seeks to sustain the OVERLORDS presence, Georgia Blotzer.

That is un-American. That is anti-Pittsburgh. That is not the way to freedom and liberty and justice for all.

Pittsburgh needs to elect responsible people who are going to be prudent with the public funds and act is different ways from the ones who drove the city to its ruins. We have to build our city and our neighborhoods to withstand the selfishness and the hopelessness. We need to make hard decisions, ourselves, with our own interests and priorities in place.

The OVERLORDS have failed Pittsburgh. They have done nothing. They don't even meet. They are only here to insure that the big finance types do not get burned with a bankruptcy. I don't say we need to go bankrupt -- but -- we need to think again and use all of our creativity to craft solutions that work.

We need to fix Pittsburgh -- and I feel that those who want to hunker down under the umbrella of OVERLORDS are going to shrink Pittsburgh.

The active choice is to expel the OVERLORDS. That's what Theresa Smith wants, as do I. The active choice is about engagement, and that was the mission of the Parents Engagement Resource Centers (PERCs) of Pgh Public Schools. Theresa Smith ran one of the five PERCs in the city, until the new Superintendent, Mark Roosevelt, axed them. Mark Roosevelt wasn't interested in "engagement" nor "active parents" nor "self-determination."

I know that Theresa Smith knows about engagement. The proof is to understand the engine behind the victory of an election(s) of Dan Deasy.

Here is another point about words and the Post-Gazette's editors.

The special election has one candidate who is a Democrat, one who is a Republican and the others who are not Ds and not Rs -- but might be independent. Just to know, there are not third party candidates in this race: No Libertarian. No Green. No Socialist.

PG miss-reports: The abbreviated schedule has not prevented three Democrats from joining the race: Georgia Blotzer, 59, of Mount Washington is a retired special education teacher; Brendan Schubert, 25, of Westwood is a city zoning administrator;

Wrong. Blotzer and Schubert are not Democrats. Not now. Not in this race. Or, if they say they are, they lie. I don't know if they lie and miss-lead -- but I expect that the P-G did.

In a special election, the D party gets ONE SLOT. That slot was earned by Theresa Smith. The others are not Dems.

P-G reported, wrongly again: Ms. Smith has her party's nomination, conferred in a December vote by members of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. Mr. Schubert also sought the party's backing, but Ms. Blotzer did not.

The December vote for the nomination for the special election was not by members of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. Read the by-laws, editors. People in Scott Township, Plum Boro and Hazelwood did NOT vote for the endorsement. The Dems have a committee that lives in the district of the special election -- City Council District 2. That's much unlike what was reported.

Finally, P-G editors. Put the entire audio file of the endorsement meeting online. Don't only put up the 'highlights.' Why try to hide and trick the readers and voters?

Audio Remarks:

G. Blotzer explains she that she is running for public office on a just hatched idea that was recently given to her, with an initial cold reception of the candidate. She fails the "fire in the belly" test. She fails the planning and preparing test too. More than a year ago, people in the district knew that the State Rep was departing and Dan Deasy was seeking that post, hence that there would be an opening in city council.

The other worry for me is that she wants to be in there to 'legislate.' She hints, again, to the points I've made about over-reaching. Really get in there and legislate. She'll be quick to float folly -- and more of that is what is NOT necessary.

Brenden, 25, is a young 3rd base coach. Meanwhile, Theresa Smith is a league organizer and founder. He has experiences in city planning -- and that department is one of the worst in this city.

Frankly, I don't want to put my health into the hands of a doctor who has suffered from cancer -- and died -- just because he knows the ropes if things take a turn for the worst. Some say the city's planning office shouldn't even exist. Some have taken its steering wheel (Pat Ford) and driven that department within the URA and hit some might big speed bumps. Planning should happen at the county level -- some champion. Planning prevents piss-poor performance. But, Pittsburgh has the later due to bad planning and a cancer-choked planning department. I'd much rather see another from Public Works get elected to council than folks from the planning department.

Brenden might be an angel that emerged from hell. To be sure, he has been around the bases more than just his time in city planning -- but -- not much more.

Chris Metz is also in the race due to recruitment efforts of others. Serving on council may or may not be a passion of his. Politics must be, but holding a local elected office is suspect.

Some recent swim races from the Pgh Public Schools Middle School Championships

200 free. Erik wins!



50 Free. Erik wins!



More to come. Edits happening now.

I.B. High should have a 13th year component. New Prep School options for PPS could do wonders.

A 2008 Schenley grad is now in North Carolina in prep school. (Deandre Kane, Schenley 08, Patterson School in 08-09). He plays basketball. He wants to get a full-scholarship. He wanted to do better in the classroom and in the sports arena. He is taking 13th grade.

Many of the kids who go to West Point and the other military academies also go to a prep school.

The new I.B. High (whatever its name) could provide a 'prep school experience' -- as in 13th grade -- for all the kids who graduate in good standing from any Pittsburgh Public School.

This 13th grade option would help with students who want to get the full IB Diploma, but need more than 2 years to do the work, pass the tests, etc.

The 13th grade option could be for kids who graduate from Westinghouse, Langley, Carrick, Perry, etc, -- who do not want to go straight into college. Perhaps, they didn't get the college of their choice. Rather, these students can take I.B. classes at IB High, save money, yet still get college credit (often) and mature in their book strength and test scores.

The leader of the Pgh Foundation, (Grant O) spoke at a public meeting last year (to Wireless Neighborhoods Annual Meeting) and he said that only 20% of the kids who graduate from college in PPS are able to graduate from college. The greater majority of the few that we do send to college don't succeed there.

I.B. High could strengthen its numbers by offering 13th grade. Kids from suburban schools might choose to go here too. Tuition can be charged to those outside the district, of course.

The PREP experience is NOT like CCAC. Kids who go to CCAC begin the four-year eligibility clock in terms of NCAA sports participation. So, CCAC as a viable option is a problem for a kid who is working to get a sports scholarship. With CCAC classes, those students won't get the sport-scholarship aid nor even be recruited.

The 13th year option would have a wonderful impact with the FOUNDATION COMMUNITY and the Pittsburgh Promise. (It should, in my not so humble opinion.) It is not prudent to send kids to college and have them rack up costly tuition bills only flunk out. That would drain the hope and the limited funds associated with the Pittsburgh Promise. It would be better to pay for the Pittsburgh Public Schools to handle the delivery of 13th grade for some who really want to work at the rigor of the I.B. classes and exams -- and then go to college the following year. Pittsburgh Promise funds could be invested into Pgh Public Schools for this 13th year option as a prep year before college.

We should investigate and discuss and perhaps INSIST that the new I.B.School have a 13th year program.

For the sake of clarity, do not confuse U-Prep with a Prep Year. Pittsburgh Public Schools is opening a University Prep School in The Hill District. It will be a 6-12 school. It has nothing to do with this concept of a prep year at the I.B. High.

Awaiting approval

The following post is waiting for the blog owner's (Matt's) approval in another blog about Georia Blotzer. http://matth614.blogspot.com/2009/01/getting-to-know-georgia-blotzer.html.

An educated person is not going to, IMNSHO, write that she'll be beholden to my constituents and only my constituents.

Sorta like saying a teacher is beholden to the students and only the students -- yet not the facts of history.

It sounds (to me) to be very similar to what Kraus might say. It is a similar theme that hits to the over-reaching of members of city council for the past decades. Kraus said the same because he didn't know of the purpose of government and its oaths -- so as to uphold and defend the constitution.

One with a masters degree should know better. Kraus can be educated and he, I dare say, won't repeat the same goofy statements while on the campaign trails again.

That's why I offer the call out.

Recent example: One of the words in 56 point type (+/- X pts) in the P-G headline on Obama's oath days was "Purpose."

City council can't be about $1-M neighborhood needs slush funds any more. That's what got the city into such a hole it finds itself in today.

Call that 'tongues', and name-call if if makes you fell better -- but I call it typing the obvious and hitting upon issues.

Four running for Deasy's council seat

I've taken these issues and try to show them for what they are worth.

Four running for Deasy's council seat Ms. Blotzer, a retired special education teacher, said the city should 'try to help property owners stay in those properties' that are at risk of going vacant and steer empty buildings into the hands of community groups.

Empty public buildings should be a prime worry of government. Empty schools should be a focus. Empty URA properties.

However, we do not need to take any empty buildings owned by others and put them into public control nor nonprofits.

We need to steer the empty buildings owned by the URA into the hands of taxpayers, not nonprofits, by and large.

The best way to help people keep their buildings is to lower the deed transfer tax. Eliminate that tax so folks can easily upgrade and downgrade without a lot of fees.

The next best way to help people keep their buildings is to go to a land-value tax. Allow for property upgrades without increases in taxes. People should not be penalized for fixing their homes and investments.

Super Bowl Ads. Let the games begin with a marketing blitz!

Sanjay from Retrevo.com, a product review search engine focused solely on electronics, has a cute tie in to the Super Bowl and buying the right HDTV.

http://www.retrevo.com/content/blog/2009/01/seven-super-bowl-hdtv-mistakes-you-can-avoid

Favorite podcast, Free Talk Live, gets running mates with network

These guys are expanding in a big way.

Thanks to the AMPlifiers, now FTL is helping promote other great liberty-oriented shows via the Liberty Radio Network! Please help support FTL and Liberty Radio Network by joining AMP at http://amp.freetalklive.com.

Now you can listen to the best liberty-oriented shows on the internet all in one handy live stream! Introducing The Liberty Radio Network - 24/7 streaming of the most recent episodes of great programming like Gardner Goldsmith's Liberty Conspiracy, The Lew Rockwell Show, Freedomain Radio, Antiwar Radio, Complete Liberty, Free Minds Radio, Bureaucrash's Podcrash, and of course, FTL. Plus, you'll also hear live programs originating from our studio in Keene, New Hampshire when they happen! Listen in 64k broadband or 8k dialup at LibertyRadioNetwork.com.

FYI: The Liberty Radio Network streams are in addition to our existing FTL 24/7 streams. If want you want is FTL virtually anytime, just tune in at http://listen.freetalklive.com ! Additionally, we have tweaked our streaming bitrates. Our low bandwidth / dialup stream is now 8 kbps in streaming .mp3 instead of .aac and our broadband stream is now 64 kbps.

If I could only get Ron Morris and these FTL guys hooked up, I'd be in heaven.

Black Pee. No longer red.

Speaken me pirate... black "P," mind ya, yinzers.

Pirates unveil new uniforms for 2009 | pirates.com: NewsThe new black alternate jersey, which will be worn on select home and road games, is adorned with the classic gold 'P' on the left chest. The Pirate 'P' is making a return onto the jersey for the first time in 74 years. It was back in 1935 that a 'P,' which was red and located on the left chest, was last found on the jersey.

School Web Sites -- promises and planning

After my rant in Thursday's email about the Schenley web site that has no information because the district had locked out the school's web masters, I sent an email Friday afternoon to Mark Conner, director of Family and Community Engagement for the PPS district. Mark's office is the one responsible for the Parent Engagement Tuesdays and the Excellence for All Steering committee of which I am one of Schenley's 4 reps.

About 30 minutes after I sent the email, at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon, I received a phone call from the PPS. Typical parent of a teenager, when I saw the number on caller id, I had a moment of panic (my son was skiing with the Schenley ski club). As my good Aussie friend always says, "No Worries!" It was Mark Conner who thought a direct phone call would be more efficient than sending emails back and forth. We talked for at least 15 minutes; he listened to my frustrations with the district's horrible communication with parents and told me of the new system that is now ready for use. And of course got me to vounteer to help with the implementation! More meetings?!?!? I don't know if things will be better but at least I truly felt that someone was listening and would try to help.

I am hoping that at the very least we can have a calendar on-line that has ALL school activities. It would be nice to know ahead of time without having to dig through layers on the board web site that there is no volleyball open gym on Wednesday because there is a girls' basketball game. Mr. Conner also said that they will have something to replace the old Dashboard system that will be easier for the teachers to use. Those of us who were at Frick really appreciated the information that was available on dashboard.

Just wanted to share my positive response.
amy moore

We'll celebrate after the fix is live. And, with Dashboard, there was a fix that is now broken again. Dashboard worked in many settings, but not any more. So, this is two steps backwards.

The best thing that could be done with the calendar effort is Google Calendars. The district can use them. They are mission critical, open, free and robust. Each school can have its own calendar. The each parent can subscribe to the calendar from each school. Likewise, central administration should have its own calendar. Then that can be subscribed to as well, if those are interested.

Give edit capabilities to the calendar to dozen of people, from principals, to secretaries, to board members, to teachers, athletic directors and even coaches. Same too with the super-volunteer parents. If they miss-use the calendar, or if they don't use the calendar well, nuke them from user status.

I wish that those on Grant Street and the city's clerk office would use a Google Calendar. I've got a public events calendar. If others want to subscribe to it, feel free. It is at the left hand side of this blog. And, if you'd like to be a contributor / running mate, just comment or send me an email. Then your events can go right into that calendar. But, the best thing might be to open your own calendar and then i can click and copy the events in an easy way into my public calendar.

Mr. Orr of Framingham, Mass, runs up against the man, in an NPO suit

This was shared on E-Democracy.Org public list. Interesting. (Tiny edits by blog editor)

In the sleepy little town of Framingham, Massachusetts, the biggest social service agency (SSA) in the town, sued the town and 13 of its town officials. I'm one of them. This all started in Nov '07. The officials were sued both in their official and in their individual capacities. The suit is available at

http://smog.org/

This town is massively overrun with SSAs and their associated programs. A few raw numbers: Based on population size, by proportion, we should expect to see about 45 programs, 7 agencies and 3 Level 3 sex offenders. Instead we have ~250, 48, and 28, respectively. SMOC is the biggest of the big three in this town and they are a $60M/year operation. They are the ones suing us in Federal Court. (Have you ever heard that old expression, "Don't make a Federal case out of it."?) The suit is totally ridiculous.

Also, a big part of the problem is that SMOC is structured in such a way that they bring people into the town from outside the region. Their clientele is largely based on violent criminals and drug addicts. And, their system is designed with what they call the "Continuum of Care", which keeps their clientele in their programs (and by implication in Framingham) till they die (or until they get better?).

The charges include:
* Conspiracy to create an atmosphere of discrimination against the
handicapped.
* Libel.
* Violation of the Fair Housing laws.

etc...

All news articles since it started are available at

http://frambors.syslang.net/smoc/articles/

So why am I bothering you poor people with this nonsense? I'm one of the people being sued and part of the reason they're going after me is because of the mailing list I run in this town. The list is open to the public, but there is a strong sentiment against the agencies that has been expressed by people, and this includes myself. SMOC would love to shut this list down, the same way that they are demanding that the whole town be placed into receivership.

There's a lot here and I could go on for many hours, but the gist of things as I suspect is relevant to this group is here. And BTW, they're not doing very well. They never expected that we'd actually try to defend ourselves, and because the town's liability policy kicked in, they're being forced to spend about $1 for every $.15 that we spend.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Steven Orr, Framingham

Rec Report hits upon the two guards parable

Love the parable.

Citizens for Legitimate Government: "Imagine two doors, as in Kafka's 'Before the Law.' The first door is guarded by a big bad mean old guard, who says you cannot go into the chamber to confront the law. But, he tells you, if you do get through this door, the one he guards, then you will be confronted by another guard at a second door; this second guard is even more resolved, five times stronger, and more intent on keeping you out than the first guard. This is what the first guard tells you of the second. And the first guard is right.

This is a parable. The first guard is the Republican Party, the Old Garde. This guard will not let you by him, but if you do manage it, you face the real obstacle to change. The second guard represents the Democratic Party, the Avant Garde (from the perspective of the moment). This second guard is the real obstacle to change. This guard has the system's well being at stake every bit as much as does the first guard. Only this guard isn't seen by most people as a guard, because he's only an obstacle if one gets past the first guard, and actually demands to get past him as well, which seldom happens.

Hate the conclusion.

Fishermen and Fishers of Men.

Two Burmese survive month at sea in an ice box - Yahoo! News Two Myanmar fishermen have survived for almost a month in shark-infested waters by floating in a large ice box after their boat sank, rescue officials said.

In other news, the final service at Grace Memorial Presby Church with Johnnie Monroe is today. May his retirement be fruitful and full of peace -- and activities!

Calling for 2 hour delay for Monday, Feb 2

Monday, Feb 2, 2009, Pittsburgh Public Schools should have a two-hour delay. This delay should be announced on Wednesday, at the latest.

Sunday, Feb 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the SuperBowl, of course.

On Monday, Feb 2, a two hour delay would be most welcomed.

By the way, there is no school on Monday and Tuesday of this week. These days were slated to be without students as the yearly calendar was released. They are in-service days.

So, what do you say? Agree? Mr. Roosevelt, make it so.

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As of Tuesday, we lear that Western Pennsylvania's Eat N’ Park Restaurants Will Close Early On Super Bowl Sunday http://www.wpxi.com/tu/5E8FAMfx3.html

Some notes from Libertarian Party meeting

Dave Powell, Libertarian Party Chair, stated that our priority now should be to recruit candidates for the local elections this coming November. Petitioning to get on the ballot will begin soon.

Dave Eckhardt suggested that we arrange a showing of the movie, IOUSA, for a combined meeting of the Pitt and CMU libertarian groups. He also suggested that we look into speakers for our student chapters since funding may be available from the Leadership Institute. Ron Paul would be a big draw if we could manage to engage him.

Dave Powell reported on the Pa. Ballot Access project. The Voters Choice Act will be reintroduced this session in the state Senate by Senator Fulmer, along with several other cosponsors. It is hoped that more senators can be induced to sign on as cosponsors in order to give the bill more visibility in the legislature.

Dave Eckhardt discussed the latest developments in the effort to demonstrate reliability of the electronic voting machines in Allegheny County. The failure to do so
may be good ammunition for the VCA.

There was some discussion of developing a platform for our chapter that would cover issues in Allegheny County.

Pittsburgh Schools Volunteer For Audit - Sports News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Schools Volunteer For Audit - Sports News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh: "But a recent investigation by the Women's Law Project of Southwestern Pennsylvania High Schools found a problem.

'It looks as though two out of three high school athletes in southwestern Pennsylvania are male. And that for every dollar spent on athletics for boys, only 69 cents is spent on athletics for girls,' said Sue Frietsche of the Women's Law Project."

City Parking Authority needs council appointee, Dowd says

City Parking Authority needs council appointee, Dowd says: "'This is hundreds of millions of dollars at question here,' Mr. Dowd said, after sending a letter to Mr. Ravenstahl urging that council be brought into the process. 'You can't make that decision without collaboration, consensus, and without a duly constituted board with clear membership.'

Dowd has a clear mandate to lead the urban youth / recreation committee. We're holding out hope for collaboration and consensus with how to better play with our kids in our public facilities.

Good to poke the mayor with his duty to keep the authorities at full membership.

Sell off the parking authority assets. Liquidate. Don't lease.

Furthermore, let's have retention votes for every authority member. Then we'll have some accountability.