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!

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.

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."

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.

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.

Do you know Kevin? Is he seeking the R nomination for Mayor in 2009?

Walt Harris possible candidate for local coaching job

Interesting.

Walt Harris possible candidate for local coaching job: "Former Pitt football coach Walt Harris might be coaching at a district high school next season.

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 know Greg Caprera. He hired me once.

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?

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 students

2) 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)

2-Hour Delays slated for Feb 2 at these districts

* Pittsburgh Public Schools

* Penn Hills

* Rumor: Johnstown = closed.

Where else?

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.

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."

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.

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.

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:

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.

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!"

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.

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 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.

The survey of parents should ask what I'm asking too.

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.