Libertarian Party of PA has candidates in 2010

At the Libertarian Party Convention on March 27, 2010, the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPA) approved the following statewide candidates to run in the 2010 election:

All of Pennsylvania:

Marakay Rogers, Governor, Attorney from York, York County

Douglas M. Jamison, U.S. Senate, Engineer from Nottingham Township, Washington County

While most Libertarian Party district candidates are nominated at the county level and the nomination process has not been completed, the following candidates have been confirmed:

U.S. Congress:

Bill Beeman, 3rd District

Eric Wisener, 8th District

Demo Agoris, 12th District (Western PA)

Scott Pigeon, 18th District (Western PA)

Senator in the General Assembly:

Betsy Summers, 14th District

Representative in the General Assembly:

Michael J. Robertson, 63rd District

Erik Viker, 85th District

Brian Bergman, 119th District

Tim Mullen, 120th District

Commenting on the election:
Candidate for Governor Marakay Rogers said, "Pennsylvanians are angry, and they're not going to take it any more. For many people, the legislature's hijacking of the state budget for half a year was the last straw. They want an alternative to what's been happening in Harrisburg, and that's what the Libertarian Party is offering them."

United States Senate nominee Douglas Jamison observed "James Madison said 'The powers delegated … to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.' Liberty was founded in this state, and I plan to begin restoring the people’s liberties by adhering to the constitution as their Senator."

LPPA Election Committee Chair Susan Haythornthwaite noted "In order for Libertarian Party candidates to appear on the November ballot, Pennsylvania election law requires that Libertarian statewide candidates obtain about ten times the number of signatures on nomination papers from registered voters in Pennsylvania than Democratic or Republican candidates need for their publicly funded nomination. I encourage citizens to support democracy in Pennsylvania and America by signing nomination petitions for Libertarian Party candidates who are willing and able to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania."

The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in Pennsylvania and the United States. More than 200,000 people across the country are registered Libertarians, and Libertarians serve in hundreds of elected offices. Please visit www.lp.org or www.lppa.org for more information.

So sad. Really sad. The cloud of Title IX used as a delay tactic.

The Women's Law Project sent this out via email:

The results are in! This Wednesday, April 7, at 5:30 PM, the auditor who conducted the Title IX audit of the Pittsburgh Public Schools' high school athletics programs will present her findings and recommendations to the board's Education Committee members. After her presentation, the school district will present their plan for implementing her recommendations and ensuring gender equity in their sports programs.
History of the Title IX Audit

This audit was undertaken by PPS after the Women's Law Project met with school board members and counsel to advocate on behalf of female athletes in the school district. At that meeting, the WLP also discussed preliminary findings from Right to Know requests of several PPS high schools, which indicated that girls were not receiving equitable athletic opportunities in their school athletics programs.
Title IX Audit, Recommendations, and Implementation

At this Wednesday's Education Committee meeting, the athletic director and consultant who conducted the audit, Peg Pennepacker, will present her findings. After her presentation, the school district will reveal their plan to implement her recommendations throughout the district.

This meeting is open to the public. We hope you will join us to hear the results of this important audit and hold the school district accountable for providing equal athletic opportunities to all students, regardless of sex.

Education Committee Meeting Details

Where: Board Committee Room, Administration Building, 341 S. Bellefield Avenue (Oakland)
When: 5:30 PM
For further information: Contact the WLP at infopitt@womenslawproject.org

Police asked to look at questionable petitions

Police asked to look at questionable petitions The Allegheny County Elections Division has referred to police questions about ballot petitions circulated on behalf of state Rep. Jake Wheatley.
The referral by Elections Division Manager Mark Wolosik comes after Democratic primary challenger Tonya Payne alleged forgeries on petitions circulated for Mr. Wheatley by city Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle, of the Hill District.
Ms. Payne wrote to Mr. Wolosik calling for an investigation, as did Carla Duncan, a Hill District resident whose name appears on the petitions, and who said she never signed them. The Post-Gazette contacted several other people whose names appeared on the petitions, and some of them, too, claimed they had not signed.
'We referred it to the county police,' said Mr. Wolosik, who has no investigators on his staff. Neither police nor Mr. Wheatley could be immediately reached for comment.

This is why we need "NONE OF THE ABOVE" as an option on every ballot in the city and county -- if not the state too.

Parking wars - reactions

Bill Peduto used Facebook to link to this article in the Trib. Now it is a 'war.' OMG. Well, the first injury in war is often the truth. So, let's read and react.

Parking wars - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:If Pittsburgh sells its parking system as Ravenstahl has proposed, you can forget about free parking on Sundays or after hours, since any profit-making entity will maximize its revenue from our garages, lots and street meters. It will be a 24/7 operation that will ignore the interests of residents and local and central business districts in the name of profit.

To be certain, Pittsburgh's mayor is not affering to sell the parking system. He wants to lease it, not sell it. I want to sell certain assets. The system is nothing that can be sold unless one wants to sell the whole Parking Authority. That would be well worth the discussion. However, in the plans put forth by the Pittsburgh politicians, the Parking Authority and its system still remains.

As to the 24/7 statement, think again.

I have suggested that the parking meters on East Carson Street be enforced in the evening and night hours. That would be a blessing for the residents and neighborhood too. Cars that are parked in illegal ways would get a ticket and towed, perhaps. As it is now, the city collects NO money from those that park along the busy streets when the bars are booming. Zippo. The meters are not enforced beyond 5 pm. And there are some parking lots where there is some late night enforcement -- but we should do the enforcement at all times. The extra money could go to clean up, for example.

I think that the free parking in 'sparkle season' or on nights or whenever the politicians pass the ordinance to make it free for some political favors that need to be returned -- has done plenty to prevent private developers from building parking in their buildings. Don't put parking in a new department store (i.e. Lazarus) -- let the city build it for you. Don't put parking next to a new office development (PNC First Side) -- rather insist that the city build it for you. Private money never wants to enter the marketplace and compete with government money. That's a risk that won't happen. So, government keeps its monopoly. Hence, Pittsburgh does not fix the problem of downtown parking.

The interests of the residents would include parking enforcement on East Carson Street on the South Side with around the clock enforcement of the meters.

What you don't want to do is create a situation where it's too expensive for people to park. You can actually price people out of coming into the city," Hairston says.

When it is too expensive to park, the people are priced out of their cars -- and put into mass transit. They might not be taken out of the city -- but just out of their car as a way to get to the city. People can walk, bike, bus, or not come if parking is too expensive.

Thousands of unwarranted tickets can be really bad. Who passes out the tickets? Is the government agent there to collect fees for the private operators?

This is one reason why it is important to NOT lease the city streets to anyone other than the city owner / operators. I think it makes sense to keep the city streets and parking on the streets and enforcement of the parking on the streets and at the meters in the hands of the public sector. Sell the garages. Don't sell the street parking. City control of the city streets makes good sense and better government. Priavte parking is a much different matter and should be done within the realm of private ownership and enforcement.

It is always good government to keep local what is local. The local pension funds should be controlled locally. I don't want the state to take over things that the state had no business starting. The folly of the locals needs to stay where it began and where it must end. As a state citizen, I don't want to see the state pick up the city's debt from the pension fund and make a take over.

Behind Ravenstahl's pitch to sell off this valuable asset is his misguided desire to keep the commonwealth from taking over Pittsburgh's defunct pension fund.

Wrong.

The state will find a solution. It will jack up our taxes. The state needs to deal with state matters -- like doing a budget on time for once in a decade.

The pinstripe patronage is not only a matter of local concern, but also of state and federal concern. Just to shift the burden to another segment does not elminate pinstripe patronage. Pinstripers contribue to many campaigns -- locally and beyond. Think again.

And the pension fund is something that he wants to keep so as not to lose all the pinstripe patronage that comes with the appointment of bankers and lawyers to service that fund. Those pinstripers, in turn, contribute heavily to the campaigns of those who feather their nests.

It is really that simple, since previous city administrations would have thrown a party for the Legislature if it had offered to take over the city's pension fund. By turning his back on good management, such as cutting and consolidating and downsizing, Ravenstahl has had to follow one bad decision with another: keep the pension fund and propose a divisive tuition tax or keep the pension fund and sell the parking facilities.

Selling the parking facilities puts an end to the folly. To lease them, as is the real plan, only sustains the folly into the future for generations to come.

Tax-exempt garages and lots will suddenly become taxable and parkers will be required to absorb the taxes on facilities that they have already paid to construct. And the ability of government to use the development of a parking facility to spark neighborhood development or partner with a library or community center to make those projects affordable will be gone forever.

Why in the world do we want to pay more taxes on our homes and less taxes or no taxes on land that is devoted to a surface parking lot. Foolishness in this article is HUGE.

The garages of the Parking Authority are not taxable. We have too many properties in the city that are tax exempt. We want to increase the burden of taxes on all the non taxable locations so that those who do pay taxes, such as home owners, can pay less. So, if the Parking Authority garages are sold, the land will be taxed. We win. That is great. This is exactly what should occur.

What will be gone forever is the need for homeowners to pay more taxes to the city treasury so that suburban parking garage users don't have to pay.

Not only should the tax exempt status for parking garages go away, but as the property changes hands a deed-tranfer tax can be collected too. We win again.

Building a parking garage with pubic funds has sparked neighborhood development -- like with Lazarus Department Store. It had a public parking garage right under the store. Some spark. That was a melt down.

Once the parking garages are sold, private developers can spark neighborhood development. That is where the real spark comes -- from private money, not governement money. Governement money is taken from the taxpayers and presented to others for their profits. That's wrong. Then they leave anyway.

But, regardless, if the city leaders want to build a parking garage in 2012 to spark development, say in Hazelwood, (yeah right), then there is NOTHING stopping them even if the parking garages were sold to private owners in 2010. Under Luke's plan, there would be a moratorium that prevented the building of any new parking structures in the city. That's just stupid to the Nth degree. Scrap that. The city should be free to enter into any deal it wants in the future without being sold down the river by Luke's plan of 2010 and a dumb lease contract.

I don't want to diminish the freedom of the city's residents, the city governement, nor the city's business sector either. Sell the garages. Be done with them. Let the new owners do what they wish. And, let the next administration do what it wishes. And likewise for the next generation.

As for the $200 million Ravenstahl hopes to raise, Chicago provides a cautionary note there as well. The Chicago inspector general said that the 75-year lease of parking facilities there, which netted $1.15 billion, was a lousy deal for the city since Chicago could have netted at least $2.13 billion by keeping and operating the parking over that same term.

So what. The job of city governement is to protect the freedom of its citizens, operate the courts, curb mass outbreaks of disease, maintain the roads.

And the stakes could not be higher.

BS again.

Planning in Pittsburgh

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100405153917/fixpa/images/6/67/PRESERVEPGH_Flyer.pdf

Post-Gazette.com

Post-Gazette.com South Africa's white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche was bludgeoned to death by two of his farm workers Saturday in an apparent dispute over wages, police said, amid growing racial tensions in the once white-led country.
Terreblanche, 69, was leader of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging movement, better known as the AWB, that wanted to create three all-white republics within South Africa in which blacks would be allowed only as guest workers.
The opposition Democratic Alliance party blamed increasing racial tensions for the killing.

Leonard Pitts Jr.: Den of anonymity

Leonard Pitts Jr.: Den of anonymity: "It must have seemed like a great idea at the time.
There was this new medium, the Internet, and newspapers were posting stories on it, and someone decided to create a forum where readers could discuss and debate what they just read. It must have seemed an inspiration kissed by the spirit of Jefferson: a free public space where each of us could have his or her say.

There is a big crock of crap in the den of the watch dog. No joke.

Fw: PMA Newsflash!

------Original Message------
From: pma1996@aol.com
To: pma1996@aol.com
Subject: PMA Newsflash!
Sent: Apr 3, 2010 8:54 AM

FREE MUSIC TOGETHER CLASSES THIS WEEK!

If you have a child age birth to 5 years old, or if you know someone in
that age group who would enjoy 45 minutes of musical fun, please come
to one of our free classes this coming week at our school in Carnegie.

Monday, April 5, 6:30 - 7:15pm

Wednesday, April 7, 11 - 11:45am

The classes are a prelude to the new Music Together session which
begins on April 12.



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squad of AMS.jpg

You have a Picture Mail from cpalmer245@pm.sprint.com

Message: View Entire Message Send and receive Pictures and Videos through Picture MailSM. For more information go to www.sprint.com/picturemail.

Please be aware your friends can forward your picture, video, and album share invitations to others or post the unique Web link to your share invitation on any number of sources (e.g. blogs), through which others could also gain access to your online photos. If you have private or sensitive photos you are sharing, please share them only with those you trust.

© 2010 Sprint. All rights reserved.

Polling and school leadership in Rocheser, NY

Okay to publish as letter to editor.

Mayor control of the public schools does not happen with board appointments by the mayor. A board still has the policy role. That board still gives the mayor cover. If the mayor wants to control schools, ask about all the past policy suggestions already offered. Pressure and especially solution suggestions are never silenced even from "outsiders."

To be a real school leader then resign as mayor and get hired as superintendent. Or, win a seat on the elected school board by being voted into that position.

Our democracy is fragile. We need more voting and less hand picked authority appointments without accountability.

And the bickering about the polling is trash. Real polling in the USA happens at the ballot box. Do a couple of non-binding referendums on the next election day.

The mayor could put questions to the voters if he really cared about teaching a civics lesson.

Mark Rauterkus
Rochester visitor from Pittsburgh.

412 298 3432

PS. We enjoyed the Webster Aquatic Center and all the locals.
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52.47 for 100 by Erik

Nice.
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Quiz - Sweepstakes - smart sportsfolks??

Here in Rochester, the buzz is about the Final Four. Why? I bet you can't guess. Enen on the front page of todays paper that I picked up at hotel before we headed back for last day of Zone Swim Meet. Hint: Trivia answer has nothing to do with swimming. Final Four???

The first one to reply with the correct answer does not get an iPad.
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Envy over Dippy puts Big Boy in Schenley Plaza. Carnegie Library to turn into parking lot for cook and wait staff.

A 14 foot tall statue of Big Boy is going to grace the historic Schenley Plaza in Oakland so as to be on scale with Dippy the Dino statue that has sat outside the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

In other news, in a bold cost saving measure and to provide the necessary number og parking places for the short order cooks, smile cookie bakers and waitress staffers -- yet alone customers seeking the early bird senior discounts -- the existing Library will be made into a parking lot. Books will be put in many of the booths and at the counters rather than the wooden triangle golf tee game now sold exclusively at Perkins.
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Day 1 with one best time and another to not talk about.

Erik finished day 1 of swimming at Zones. His 100 breast was 1:11. That is way better that seed of 1:17 or his HS best of 1:14. The 200 was 15 min later and he was dead from the prior event. sorta stunk in last 100. On Fri is his 50 and then much later the 500.
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PPS and new afterschool efforts -- FAQ w As

At each of the regional meetings, there were questions, ideas and concerns raised by staff and board members of after school programs. Below is a summary of these questions, ideas and concerns grouped by topic.
APPLICATION

Q: Is the application form on the PPS website?
A: No, it is not on the website right now, but it will be posted when it is released.

Q: Is there a deadline for applications?
A: Yes, but it has not been determined. It depends on the release of the application. Groups will have approximately 3 weeks to complete the application.

Q: Is there an application for each site or each agency?
A: There is an application for each agency, but the agency will need to indicate all the sites.

Q: Where is the SPARC database?
A: http://www.swpaafterschool.org/

Q: What about programs that serve PPS students in the same group at non-PPS students?
A: If the program is serving PPS students, the organization should apply.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Q: How long will the partnership last?
A: The partnership will be one year – approximately August 2010 to July 2011.

Q: Are you trying to create a shopping list of programs?
A: PPS is creating a "shopping list of programs" that are willing to go to any school in the city for principals to select from (examples could include groups like Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts), but programs that are neighborhood based or work with one school will not be included in the "shopping list."

Q: How many groups do you see applying?
A: Turn out at the meetings has been very high. There are between 45-50 organizations that operate in PPS building that are required to apply and there are about 150+ off-site organizations that could apply as well.

Q: Is this only for organizations providing services in schools?
A: No, it includes organizations that operate off-site as well.

Q: If I have a new program that wants to target specific schools or students, should I apply?
A: Yes. If you expect the program to launch in School Year 2010-11, you should apply even if it doesn't start at the beginning of the school year.

Q: Do we need to provide after school programs daily to be partner?
A: No.

Q: Can the MOU process include a letter of support from the Superintendent for organizations that receive EITC funding?
A: This is something that PPS will look into.

Q: What could cause a group to be declined?
A: There is a rubric and applications will be evaluated based on the rubric. Specific examples could be groups that do not do clearances for staff; groups that do not have annual audits, groups that do not evaluate their program with rigor or groups that do not use curricula.

Q: What about programs that do not provide direct service, but that partner with organizations?
A: This is an important issue and there will be another meeting with these "non-traditional" after school programs think through how the application process applies to them.

Q: Can we partner with another organization?
A: Yes, but details on who would be the approved provider will need to be discussed further.

Q: Can you differentiate how this is different from what we are already doing?
A: We want to formalize the partnerships with after school programs through an MOU. Currently there are some programs have MOU's based on funding (i.e. SES or 21st Century), some have building permits and PPS wants to incorporate the entire agency. Also, groups that don't receive funding from SES or 21st Century do not have a way of officially partnering with PPS.

FUNDING

Q: Will there be funds to support this initiative?
A: No, not initially. This is a non-monetary partnership.

RELATIONSHIP WITH SCHOOLS & PARENTS

Q: Will principals be the group to approve the programs?
A: No. The applications will be reviewed by an internal team and then will be matched with the schools where the principals indicate that they want the program and/or a service (e.g. an arts program).

Q: Does this benefit after school programs for elementary aged students in any specific ways?
A: This is targeted for students attending after school programs at all grade levels. One of the goals of this process is to make sure that more students, including elementary aged students, have more after school opportunities.

Q: What if the principal says "no" to a program?
A: The principals will be able to decide what programs they want to operate in their school buildings. There are a lot of factors that a principal will consider such as the needs of the student population, transportation, number of PPS programs such as sports, EAP and school clubs. By having a "menu" of programs willing to operate in any school for principals to select from, PPS is hopeful that the matching process will ensure that programs are located in schools with supportive principals.

Q: Will this process help with the buy-in from principals?
A: Yes. There are a lot of principals that want additional after school resources for their schools and this will definitely help. As for an overall understanding about the importance of after school, it will be a lot easier to talk about after school and its importance when we have numbers of students enrolled, opportunities available, needs to fill, etc.

Q: Are you embracing the teachers in this process?
A: Teachers are very important, but at this stage we are working with principals and counselors, as we want teachers to focus on classroom instruction and their other obligations through the end of the school year. Teachers will be a part of this process over the long term.

Q: What type of initiatives are planned to reach parents?
A: There are a lot of plans to reach parents with this information. The "menu" of options will be available on the PPS website on the community resources link for each school. It will also be a part of the community resources guide. Mark Conner, Director of Family Engagement, has already heard the after school needs from parents and is developing a strategy to inform them about the after school options once the partnerships are in place.

Q: Is PPS addressing the issues with teachers and principals about homework?
A: Yes. PPS has a new homework policy that was approved by the Board in September 2009. The policy outlines the requirements for each grade level. PPS knows that there is a lot of work to improve homework assignments and it's a key part of the Pathways work.

CLEARANCES

Q: Which clearances are required?
A: All providers and any employees of providers who will have direct contact with children must complete three required clearances:  the Act 34 (Criminal Record Check), the Act 151 (Child Abuse History), and the Act 114 of 2006 (FBI Federal Criminal History). The fees to complete the clearances are to be paid by the provider.  

Q: How often will clearances need to be submitted? How long are clearances "fresh"?
A: This question has been sent to the legal department for an answer.

Q: There are two FBI clearances – DPW and Dept. of Education. Which one does PPS accept?
A: At this point PPS accepts both.

DATA COLLECTION & DATA SHARING

Q: In terms of data sharing, is there going to be a form that needs to be signed by the program or parents?
A: The parents will need to sign a FERPA form created by PPS. The organizations will be held to confidentiality standards that will be outlined in the MOU.

Q: Would there be anyway that we could have a FERPA release form that we could insert into our application, rather than a separate form?
A: No, we will need the PPS FERPA form. We will try to get it to organizations as soon as applications are approved so they can be distributed with registration information.

Q: Will assessment information be included in the data exchange, not just the scores?
A: We are still working on the details on information and format of the data-sharing. Please attend any of the data committee meetings held by APOST/United Way if you have specific ideas and needs.

Q: Will you have small working groups to help develop data sharing reports?
A: Yes. There is a question on the application that allows groups to volunteer for a committee.

Q: Will you be tracking if students are in more than one program?
A: Yes, we will have a program code for every program so that students can be matched with the program(s) they are participating in.

Q: Will parents need to fill out a FERPA Form for each program?
A: Yes.

Q: How will organizations feed data to PPS?
A: This has not been determined yet because we do not want to add a burdensome process. Until we have an IT system, everyone will need to be patient and flexible.

Q: Will there be a standard format to report attendance?
A: Yes.

Q: Will PPS require that programs submit names of participants at the beginning of the year?
A: Yes.

PATHWAYS TO THE PROMISE

Q: When does "getting ready" for college start?
A: PPS is focused on 4 primary check points for Pathways to the Promise – K, 3rd, 6th and 9th Grades. PPS is striving to create a robust "college-going" culture and needs the support of the entire community in this effort.

Q: Are the principles of Pathways to the Promise built into the application? Will there be professional development on these principles?
A: Yes, there is an opportunity in the application for groups to indicate in general terms the ways that their organization / program supports Pathways. For example, there are questions about homework and college preparation. In terms of professional development, PPS will assess the needs of the CBO's/FBO's. PPS is in the beginning stages of developing Pathways and we expect to have professional development opportunities in the future.

FUTURE PLANS

Q: Are you looking at partners with MOU's to give them training or access to software?
A: There is no doubt that a city-wide software system and / or a PPS software system for after school would have a lot of benefits. PPS is in the early stages of overhauling its IT system and there is discussion about how to incorporate sports, after school programs into the type of system that is developed. This will not happen in year 1, but it is expected soon.

Q: Will there be some dialogue around CBO's capacity? For example, they only serve X students, but with X valued added, they could increased by Y.
A: Yes, and this application process is the first step in understanding capacity.

Q: Will PPS share citywide best practices on recruiting students and serving schools?
A: Yes, this is a great idea and we will do this. There will be quarterly meetings where we can start to gather this information.

Q: Could this become a volunteer clearing house for programs?
A: Need more information, but yes, it could be a recruitment tool.

Q: Do you expect over time to help programs find where their particular program would be more impactful?
A: Yes. This is a first step in that process.

Ideas, Comments & Concerns:

▪ This seems like a great opportunity so that principals will know what is happening and what is available.

▪ All providers face the same issues – transportation, getting data, etc. – hopefully, this process will be a stepping stone to a better partnership with PPS.

▪ Providers need 3-4 weeks to complete the application.

▪ Many programs need approval from their boards to proceed. A one-pager, a copy of the application and an outline of the requirements would be enough information to approach boards.

▪ Submitting monthly attendance without providing funds will be an extra burden

▪ There are a lot of deliverables (attendance reports, meetings) and benefits are not as clear.

▪ The county requires that programs submit attendance.

▪ Let's hope this helps with transportation.

▪ Autonomy as a cultural institution with academic requirements (NOTE: at this point there are not any academic requirements)

▪ Concern that PPS is trying to make all programs into the same type of program, which has happened in Pittsburgh before, not with PPS, however. (RESPONSE: PPS is not trying to make all programs the same. PPS does want a level of quality across all partner organizations.)

▪ Some programs have relationships with schools, but need permission slips from parents, which are difficult to obtain. (RESPONSE: A lot of programs have an application that parents fill out at the beginning of the year that has blanket parent permission.)

▪ SPARC database is difficult and it doesn't allow partners to remove information that is outdated or incorrect. (RESPONSE: 3rc has made the form easier. 3rc will delete or correct any information that is outdated, but programs need to contact 3rc directly.)

▪ Once we get families engaged, there needs to be additional incentives for parent involvement.

▪ There is a need for after school "booster" groups to interface with the community. Perhaps via conference calls.

▪ PPS needs to visit programs. There is a huge variety of quality and it's a concern – especially for parents.

▪ The formal partnership gives parents confidence about programs that are approved.

▪ Career exploration and employment programs can provide valuable data to help PPS improve its goals around 11th grade PA Academic Standards for Career Education and Work

▪ We need to figure out a way to incorporate a feedback loop for students' interests beyond principals' input and decisions.

▪ There is not a plan for student voice and choice

▪ This is anther data report and multiple are already being filled out.

▪ Link approved programs in PPS parent handbooks

▪ Create an on-line survey to get input on program they want or want to learn more about.

▪ This is exciting and we are glad that after school is being addressed by PPS

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Fw: Follow up from PPS Meetings re: After School Process and Application

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---

From: "O'Donnell, Holland" <hodonnell1@pghboe.net>

Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:57:13 -0400

To: Rawlings, Dione A<dir10@pitt.edu>; Damon Bethea<damon@winnets.com>; <jonluc@gmail.com>; <rking@urbanyouthaction.org>; <moturnerjr@aol.com>; Larry Berger<larry@slbradio.org>; <jeff@slbradio.org>; <bnovak@gswpa.org>; <tmoss@thesca.org>; <nshaefer@thesca.org>; <myochum@swsg.org>; <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>; <nlozear@andrew.cmu.edu>; <radzilowiczj@carnegiesciencecenter.org>; Karen Dreyer<kdreyer@pittsburghproject.org>

Subject: Follow up from PPS Meetings re: After School Process and Application

Hi After School Providers,

 

As you know, the Pittsburgh Public Schools recently hosted four regional meetings with community-based and faith-based after school programs to present and to receive feedback on the proposed centralized after school partnership process starting in School Year 2010-2011.  The meetings were held on March 17^th at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, March 23^rd at Northshore Community Alliance, March 24^th at the Hill House and March 26^th at Brashear Association.  A special thanks to all of those organizations for hosting the meetings.  Ninety-nine people from seventy-five organizations participated in these regional meetings.  This was an amazing turn out and it indicates the importance of and possibilities for building a city-wide after school network for youth.  Thank you for attending the meetings, as your input and feedback was extremely helpful.

 

A one-page overview of the process, the powerpoint presentation and a summary of the questions / ideas / issues raised are attached to this E-mail.  I expect the application to be released in early April.

 

Please contact me if you have any further questions, ideas or concerns, 412-622-3926 or hodonnell1@pghboe.net.

 

I thank you for participating in the meetings and I look forward to working with you. 

 

Best, Holly

 

 

Holly O'Donnell

After School Manager

Office of Student Services

Pittsburgh Public Schools

341 S. Bellefield Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

P: 412-622-3926

F: 412-622-3916

E: hodonnell1@pghboe.net

 

Thomas Merton Center - history

Changes at TMC April 16 is the last day of work for the Thomas Merton Center's current staff. This calls for changes in some of our activities.• We will no longer be accepting interns or volunteers at the Center.• An April-May 2010 issue of The NewPeople will be published April 16. After that, publication of The NewPeople will be suspended until further notice.• The TMC Weekly E-News and the Peace and Justice Calendar will continue, as will plans for the New Person Awards program on May 18. Watch the TMC website and Weekly E-News for more details. In addition, staff e-mail addresses will no longer be valid after April 16. For information or questions regarding TMC administration, projects  and TMC events, e-mail info@thomasmertoncenter.org. To send information for the TMC Calendar or E-News, e-mail news@thomasmertoncenter.org
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One in nine are neither R nor D in PA

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, one in nine Pennsylvania voters are registered with neither the Republican or Democratic Party. The numbers are growing elsewhere.

I am one of those elsewhere voters. I left the old parties to join the Libertarian Party.

Why did I leave?

After decades of the Republican/Democratic Incumbent Party in power, I finally asked myself "How's this working out?"

Despite their rhetoric, both old parties have expanded the size and scope of government at all levels. Both parties have participated in the creation of massive entitlement and spending programs leading to massive deficits (currently over $30,000 per citizen) that will haunt our children and grand-children. Both parties have allowed special interests to take precedence over the interests of the people. Both parties have supported nation-building around the world and have cooperated to restrict the freedoms our founders and others fought and died for.

Why did I join the Libertarian Party?

I believe in personal responsibility and individual liberty. I want a government that is limited to protecting the rule of contract, protecting us from criminals who would steal my property or harm me or my family, and that will defend our country from foreign aggression. The Libertarian Party shares this view of the role of government.

I am not alone in my libertarian beliefs. A 2009 Gallup poll found that 23 percent held libertarian views. A Zogby poll found that 59 percent considered themselves "fiscally conservative and socially liberal," and 44 percent agreed that they were "fiscally conservative and socially liberal, also known as libertarian."

Since the days of our country's Founding Fathers, Americans have had a distrust of government. Wall Street bailouts, government's takeover of healthcare and this latest severe economic downturn has brought this distrust into the limelight.

It is no wonder that over the past year the number of registered Libertarian voters is up while the number of registered Democratic and Republican voters is down in Pennsylvania.

If you believe in individual liberty and personal responsibility, I urge you to find out more about the Libertarian Party at http://www.lppa.org/ or http://www.lp.org/.

S. Douglas Leard, Media Relations Chair, Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania

Pirates to put pitcher in batting line-up in 8th position. Traditions shatter all around town.

From Grant

Sports Briefing - Baseball - Pirates to Bat Pitcher Eighth - NYTimes.com Pittsburgh Pirates Manager John Russell plans to begin the season with his pitcher hitting eighth and shortstop Ronny Cedeno batting ninth, a move that will shift Andrew McCutchen from leadoff to second in the batting order. Russell said second baseman Akinori Iwamura would now bat leadoff. The Pirates had a 13-20 record in 2008 and a 2-4 mark last season when Russell batted his pitcher eighth.

In other news of change, the Libertarian Party Candidate is the front runner for the special election for the PA House seat that covers the North Side and other parts of Pittsburgh -- a spot once held by Don Walko.

Yes we can!

What other cow jump over the moon instances are now in full view?

How about, Pittsburgh Public Schools sees enrollment increases at Brashear High School.

Comments welcome.

NCAA:Career Center - posting for Duquesne University

NCAA:Career Center: "Duquesne University Athletics seeks qualified applicants for a 10-month Graduate Assistant position in the area of NCAA Compliance. This"

Why not have a men's swim team at Duquesne?

Why not give that post to the now fired members of the baseball coaching staff?