Breakfast meeting in Oakland with PA Board of Education - March 25 invite

PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FORUM

“Western Pennsylvania Breakfast Series” 

Thursday, March 25, 2010 - 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Holiday Inn Select - University Center - Oakland

FAX RESPONSE FORM - 717-260-9903

(No fax cover sheet required)

__________               I will attend the March 25, 2010 Forum discussing “An Update from the State Board of Education.”                                                                      

Name: ________________________________________________________________

Title: _________________________________________________________________

Organization: __________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Phone: _____________________________    Fax: ____________________________

E-mail: _______________________________________

Seating Space is limited. 

Please confirm your attendance by returning this form via FAX to Mattie Robinson at The Education Policy and Leadership Center at 717-260-9903 as soon as possible.

The Education Policy and Leadership Center

EPLC

    Pittsburgh - March 25, 2010

PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FORUM

“Western Pennsylvania Breakfast Series” 

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                            Date:                            Thursday, March 25, 2010

                            Place:                            Holiday Inn Select – University Center – Oakland

8:00 a.m.               Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m.              Speaker:  Adam Schott
Executive Director
Pennsylvania State Board of Education

                                                        Subject: “An Update from the State Board of Education.” 

      

10:00 a.m.              Adjournment

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Adam Schott serves as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education which has the power and duty to review and adopt regulations that govern educational policies and principles and establish standards governing the educational programs of the Commonwealth, upon recommendation of its councils. The Board has 22 members, ten of whom serve as the Board’s Council of Basic Education and ten of whom serve on the Board’s Council of Higher Education.  Seventeen members are appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for overlapping terms of six years. Four members of the Board are members of the General Assembly.

Adam Schott has served as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education since November 2009.  Prior to his current role, Mr. Schott served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Education from March 2008 to October 2009.  He worked closely with the PA Department of Education’s communications and legislative offices to direct outreach and advocacy efforts in support of the administration’s high school graduation requirements initiative.

Mr. Schott served as Assistant Director of the Massachusetts Alliance for Education from 2007 to 2008.  Prior to that, he worked for several years in the Office of Government Relations in the Pennsylvania Department of Education. 

Mr. Schott holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Penn State and a master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard. He is a member of EPLC’s Education Policy Fellowship Program class of 2003-04.

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The School Finance Project of The Education Policy and Leadership Center is currently supported by generous grants from The Maurice Falk Foundation, Fulfilling the Dream Fund, and the William Penn Foundation.

The Western Pennsylvania Breakfast Series of the Pennsylvania Education Policy Forum

is also supported by additional financial support from the following organizations:

 A+ Schools

Association of Pennsylvania State College and  University Faculties                                         

AFT Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators

Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units

Pennsylvania Association of Pupil Services Administrators

Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools                                                   

Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Pennsylvania School Boards Association Pennsylvania State Education Association

Center for Educational Leadership - University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

Educational Testing Service (ETS)

Fred Rogers' ideas celebrated at conference, museum events

Fred Rogers' ideas celebrated at conference, museum events About 150 people are expected to attend the formal, invitation-only conference -- with the theme of 'Creative Curiosity, New Media and Learning' -- at the college on Monday and Tuesday.

My invite must have been lost in the mail. So sad.

Shady Side senior heads Classic Pennsylvania team

Shady Side senior heads Classic Pennsylvania team: "Shady Side Academy senior Matthew Cunningham is a big fan of the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic.
'I've been going to the classic for years,' said Cunningham, after receiving an invitation to wrestle on the Pennsylvania All-Stars. 'I always wanted to be a part of it. Now I will get that chance. It's a great way to end my high school career.'
Cunningham made his second appearance in the PIAA Class AA finals last week in Hershey, Pa., and won his first PIAA gold medal with a 2-1 decision against Lewisburg's Nathaniel Brown in the 171-pound final.

It is wonderful that wrestling, football and basketball have classic events for high school seniors just after their scholastic season ends. Too bad there is nothing like this for swimmers. It has always been a dream of mine to organize such an event.

Sure, the swimmers do get to go to sectionals and other club meets. That's for the top flight of swimmers. Many don't get to do that. Furthermore, the kids that swim in the PIAA Meet are not a real concern as their experience is impossible to beat. However, many don't get to do that -- and that isn't my concern either.

Stay tuned.

Erik dropped 4 seconds in his 500

Whew. Erik got another best time in the 500. He had a 4 second drop. Great experience for him.
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Fw: Google Alert - Rauterkus

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From: Google Alerts <googlealerts-noreply@google.com>

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:52:44 +0000

To: <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>

Subject: Google Alert - Rauterkus

Google News Alert for: Rauterkus

PIAA swimming and diving results Stamford Advocate Erik Rauterkus, Schenley, 1:51.83; 32. Sean battle, North Allegheny, disqualified. 1. Nathaniel Savoy, West Lawn Wilson, 1:49.36; 2. ...

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1.51.83 best time

Yes.
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PIAA swim trip

Easy drive for us as we had AM swim at school and departed at 10 am.

Stop at PSU Creamery for lunch - ice cream really.

At hotel. Dice kids are with us now too. Kids are goofing around outside as the weather is super. Coach G is on a walk.

We check in at 5 pm and can swim at 6.
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Forbes Fund Confab

You are cordially invited.

The Forbes Funds' 2010 Annual Tropman Research Conference will be held on Thursday, April 8, 2010 Please Join Us!Thursday, April 8, 2010 from 1:30-5:30 pmWestin Convention Center, 1000 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222Please RSVP to info@forbesfunds.org (accepting RSVPs by e-mail only.)

Please note in your RSVP whether you are planning to attend a workshop and, if so, which one.

At this event, the results of our annual research studies will be released with a keynote and panel that will respond to the findings and we will highlight additional research and best practices through a series of workshops presented by nonprofit organizations.
1:30 – 1:45 Opening Remarks
1:50 – 3:00 Concurrent Workshops

1) Navigating through Turbulent Times - How nonprofits respond and adjust to their environment.The country, and in turn the nonprofit sector, finds itself in uncertain times that are creating unprecedented demands for services from the sector as a community safety net while posing new funding challenges as government, philanthropic, corporate and individual giving decreases or becomes more limited. It is clear that the nonprofits which survive are those that remain flexible and adaptive first to the clients they serve, second in the way they manage their balance sheet and finally in their ability to do more with limited resources and innovative partnerships. Through this study we seek to understand how a subgroup of the nonprofit sector (human service agencies) is adapting to their environments over time and to provide information that will allow the nonprofit community to remain competitive and relevant in a constantly changing environment.

2) Responding to Demographic Shifts - How the nonprofit sector is adjusting to employment needs and understanding the gaps.As the country prepares for the baby boomer generation's shift toward retirement age, how do we begin to understand the implications for the nonprofit sector and prepare for transition? The question poses challenges at the senior management level as we struggle to anticipate executive transition in the coming years. Similarly, understanding the importance and value placed on procedural fairness by the Gen X and Gen Y population will have significant implications for the workplace. This study is designed to clarify the demographics of our region and those employed in the nonprofit sector and provide information and recommendations that will enable agencies to anticipate and prepare their organizations.

3) Financial Strategies Pilot ProjectThe Financial Strategies Pilot Project was an in-depth, two year study of three unrelated nonprofit organizations that focused on three key concerns:a. How effectively each organization gathered, reported, and utilized financial information.b. Could improvements in the way the organizations gather, report, and utilize financial information positively influence the organization's ability to make management and financial decisions and, therefore, its financial position?c. Could a comprehensive financial assessment and coaching model be developed that would enable organizations to strengthen and sustain their financial viability? This presentation will highlight the conclusions reached from the Pilot Project.

3:10 – 3:40 KeynoteTim Delaney, President & CEO National Council of Nonprofits
3:40 – 4:25 Panel Discussion Moderated by Kevin Kearns, University of Pittsburgh,GSPIAAl Condeluci, UCP/ClassCarol DeVita, The Urban Institute
4:25 – 4:40 Closing Remarks
4:40– 5:30 Reception

Please RSVP to info@forbesfunds.org (accepting RSVPs by e-mail only.) Please note in your RSVP whether you are planning to attend a workshop and, if so, which one. Each workshop has limited capacity so please RSVP soon so that you can get your top choice.We hope you will join us for this special opportunity to explore emerging issues and cutting edge methodologies for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of nonprofit organizations in Pittsburgh.

PPS matters

FYI:

At last night's Public Hearing, there was unified, articulate, often impassioned testimony from about 15 people for the purpose of WAITING ONE YEAR before closing ROONEY and moving forward with reorganization of North Side Schools. There were also a few requests for rethinking Hill District decisions particularly the closing of VANN.

Two common themes in the testimony before the Board and Administration dealt with the following:

1) Improving education and creating quality schools in PPS as the way to stop flight from Pittsburgh Public Schools to other regions, charters, parochial, and private schools;

2) Soliciting input and listening to parent and community perspectives/solutions PRIOR to making decisions.

POINTS WELL TAKEN and certainly applicable across the district.


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3 lawyers debunk idea to give Pittsburgh garages to pension

Thud.

3 lawyers debunk idea to give Pittsburgh garages to pension: "3 lawyers debunk idea to give Pittsburgh garages to pension"

Meanwhile, my plan, the Mark Rauterkus plan for liquidation of parking assets, is still alive. My plan is legal. My plan is workable. My plan makes sense on many fronts.

Don't give something away yet leverage the maximum value.

Don't give away ownership yet retain public control.

Sell the garages.

By the way -- I say that the city should NOT sell nor lease the on-street parking assets. Those on-street meters and public parking spaces should NOT be owned by anyone other than the city.

I have advocated a sell off of the parking garages owned by the Parking Authority.

Councilman on the hunt for junked, abandoned cars in city

Councilman on the hunt for junked, abandoned cars in city: "Councilman on the hunt for junked, abandoned cars in city"

This is a great job for Mr. Kraus. This is his true calling.

Brain experts develop game plan for football concussions

Brain experts develop game plan for football concussions: "Brain experts develop game plan for football concussions"

Here is a plan. Quit. Or, better yet, don't start. Or, best of all -- SWIM!

The other kick in the head is in the sport of soccer. The rules of soccer need to be changed so that the kids are not allowed to hit the ball with the head. Stop that. Outlaw headers in all youth soccer now.

In football, it would be much better to bring back the leather helmets without any facemasks.

Wolves kill teacher in Alaska - latimes.com

So sad.

Candice Berner, a special education teacher who traveled among several rural schools on the Alaska Peninsula, 475 miles southwest of Anchorage, was attacked while jogging and listening to her iPod Monday evening on the deserted, 3-mile-long road that leads out from the village to its small airstrip.

Wolves kill teacher in Alaska - latimes.comA native of Slippery Rock, Pa., she had been working in Alaska only since August. Her body was found by snowmobilers a short time after the attack. It had been dragged off the road and partially eaten, and was surrounded by wolf prints.

RIP.

Liu makes celebrated, but cautious return - Universal Sports#liu%20returns%20more%20hurdles%20await#liu%20returns%20more%20hurdles%20await#liu%20returns%20more%20hurdles%20await

Welcome back!

Liu makes celebrated, but cautious return - Universal Sports#liu%20returns%20more%20hurdles%20await#liu%20returns%20more%20hurdles%20await#liu%20returns%20more%20hurdles%20await The only thing that mattered Friday night was that the 2004 Olympic gold medalist and reigning world indoor champion was finally back to running before a global audience.

Are you ready to PARTY? South Side is gearing up as it is nearly Pi DAY!

From hex

The public works crews have already put up the white baracades on the South Side on the side of the road at key intersections.

We are getting ready for Pi Day! -- March 14 -- 3.14 -- Einstein's Birthday.

Nerds gone wild!

3-pointers in 3-D may be coming to theater near you

From Chatham-Polo

I saw the 2008 Olympics in Bejing in 3-D.

3-pointers in 3-D may be coming to theater near youThe NCAA announced that it would show the semifinal and national championship games in 3-D in movie theaters nationwide.

This isn't that new. If you want to see a basketball game in 3-D, just go to the games.

From Mark Rauterkus

Another fun way to watch TV at a sports event -- at a CURLING CENTER!

2010 U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN TO OFFER NEW UPGRADED DAILY TICKET OPTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oakmont, Pa. (March 12, 2010) – The 65th U.S. Women’s Open, to be held July 5-11, 2010 at Oakmont Country Club, will offer a new ticket option beginning this weekend. The new upgraded daily ticket option will be released at the Greater Pittsburgh Golf Show, which runs this weekend, Friday, March 12 through Sunday, March 14 at the Monroeville Convention Center.

The new ticket option, individual daily Trophy Club tickets, will be priced at $30 per day for Practice Rounds and $65 per day for the Championship Rounds Trophy Club tickets.

The Trophy Club ticket is an upgraded ticket that provides spectators with grounds access to the championship as well as access into the exclusive and upgraded Trophy Club located on the golf course. This climate-controlled venue includes amenities such as television monitors, computer scoring terminals and telephone access for Trophy Club guests to use. Guests may purchase upscale food and beverages within the Trophy Club.

A variety of other ticket options are also still available, including $20 practice-round tickets, $45 championship-round tickets and group ticket packages.

Tickets to the championship are available online at www.2010uswomensopen.com or by calling (877) 281-OPEN. Kids 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Each ticketed adult can bring up to nine (9) kids.

Visit the U.S. Women’s Open booth (#203) at the Greater Pittsburgh Golf Show this weekend. Golf Show visitors can enter a drawing for a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The contest winner will receive two (2) weeklong Trophy Club tickets, week-long VIP parking, a $50 gift card to the merchandise tent and a round of golf in the Championship Invitational. The Championship Invitational will be played at historic Oakmont Country Club on Monday, July 12, 2010 and will be played from the final-round tees and hole locations.

Also at the Greater Pittsburgh Golf Show, World Golf Hall of Fame Member and Women’s Open General Chairman, Carol Semple Thompson, will be live on air at 10:20 a.m. on Fox Sports Radio 970AM– The Golf Show With Gerry Dulac on Saturday, March 13. She will also be at the Women’s Open booth from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. WTAE-TV Anchor Sally Wiggin will be at the Women’s Open booth on Saturday, March 13, from noon until 1 p.m.

About the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open
The 2010 U.S. Women’s Open will bring a field of 156 of the world’s best professional and amateur women golfers to Oakmont Country Club. It will be the second time the Women’s Open will be contested at Oakmont. Patty Sheehan won the 1992 championship in a playoff over Juli Inkster after finishing at 4 under par for 72 holes of regulation play.

About the USGA
The USGA is the national governing body of golf in the USA and Mexico. The Association’s most visible role is played out each season in conducting 13 national championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open. Ten additional USGA national championships are exclusively for amateurs, and include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, funds research for better turf and a better environment, maintains a Handicap System and administers an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program, which has allocated more than $65 million over 13 years to successful programs that bring the game’s values to youths from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.

Contact:
Lindsay Weber – 2010 U.S. Women’s Open – lweber@2010uswomensopen.com - (412) 828-2010

Bob L's True and False quiz and my reactions

1. True or False: Over the past 50 years Pennsylvania lost nearly 1/3rd of its seats in the US Congress to faster growing states and is losing clout at the federal level.

True. But, I'm a tad more worried about the federal government growing it overall clout and less concerned with the share of clout that is for any one state. Smaller states have 'clout.' The number of seats in the US Senate does not change even if everyone moves out of the state.

2. True or False: Pennsylvania has an aging population because the state keeps losing our young people to other states; our retirees also leave, often because they can no longer afford Pennsylvania's school, county and municipal property taxes.
Part of the aging population problem is that senior citizens don't make many babies. And, another part of the problem is that we don't have lots of incoming imigrants. The lack of immigration into our neighborhoods might be a problem for some and a blessing for others.

We do have a problem with the retirees in that we don't make it easy for them to relocate. Many senior citizens are stuck in their present homes that served them well when they had a house full of kids. Seniors should have a much easier time being able to downsize. One of the big sticking points to keep people from moving to either larger or smaller living quarters is the deed transfer tax. Pay that a few times in each decade and lots of personal wealth vanishes.

3. True or False: Abolishing all three property taxes--school, county and municipal-- on primary residences would make Pennsylvania more attractive for young families to establish their homes here, and more attractive for retirees to move here or remain here.

This is STOP's (Bob Lowes) main mission, the elimination of all property taxes.

The attraction for home owners is obvious. But, that means a shift has to occur to income taxes and sales taxes and VAT taxes (on manufactured goods and services). Those other taxes are going to make the attraction ugly.

As a Geo-Libertarian, I rather like to tax real property and land so as to keep government small and accountable with local control.

4. True or False: Increasing our population would result in more new businesses, more customers for existing businesses and more jobs. Also an enlarged worker pool.

Increasing population means strains on schools too. If thousands move out of McKeesport and into Pine Richland, then the local money for local schools would have a balance.

5. True or False: Current homeowners would be more likely to improve their current homes if those improvements would NOT mean higher assessments and higher property taxes. And in investing in upgrading their homes would generate a sizable volume of economic activity.

Current homeowners are penalized greatly when they get building permits and do home fix ups. This is exactly what should NOT happen. The tax policy is messed up, for sure.

Present tax policies reward those for messing up their buildings. Hey, I've got a bad sidewalk, porch is falling down, a new roof is needed and the paint is peeling = lower taxes.

The solution I think makes more sense is to tax only the LAND and not the building. A land value tax means that those who let their property trun to blight pay the same as the neighbor on the same size plot of land in the same neighborhood who fixes up the house into a palace.

6. True or False: More individuals and families, including women and minority citizens, could afford to buy homes if there were no real estate (property taxes) on primary residences and no property tax escrow payments as part of a mortgage.

Well, the big hit is in the deed transfer tax. Annual property taxes are large, no doubt. However, to pony up an extra 5% at the time of closing for the deed transfer tax takes money out of the pocket for those who save up and try to make a downpayment.

Once there was no real estate taxes and no property taxes then there will be a lot of landlords that are able to land-bank properties. If grandma passes and the house sits vacant for 1 to 5 to 15 years -- who cares. No big deal. Don't turn the house to others who would like a good place to live.

Big developers would really make out and become rich in short time once there is no property tax on their holdings.

Apartment rents will go much higher too. Generally there could be a one house per one citizen property tax exemption. But that would not apply to an apartment building full of renters. Rents for young people would increase greatly. Same too for seniors.

7. True or False: The 8 Billion dollars currently held in Pennsylvania NON-interest-bearing, property tax escrow accounts as part of most mortgage obligations, would generate more economic activity and jobs if tax escrow accounts weren't required and instead the money was injected annually into the Pennsylvania economy.

Why not allow the property tax escrow account be interest bearing?

Lots of other tax shelters are hatched up for those with lawyers and accountants and money so as to not part with it to the government. And, the rich get richer. It is hard, if not impossible, to hide land. Taxing land is easy and fair as it can't be hidden. Cheating is harder if the tax is on land as opposed to income, transactions, or services rendered.

8. True or False: All this economic activity including more jobs occurring via the abolishment all property taxes on primary residences would generate additional tax revenue from EXISTING state income, local earned income, sales and use, mercantile, gasoline and other currently collected taxes.

The economic boom is suspect. When a tax shift occurs, it is generally good for some and bad for others.

9. True or False: Deteriorating tax bases in many of our city, suburban and rural communities would begin to be reversed with this increased economic activity described above meaning more services and a better quality of life.

10. True or False: Collecting 100% of the base year assessed valuation taxes (the year the law is passed) plus annual cost of living escalators, and continuing to receive property taxes from a growing commercial and industrial sector, would generate more net revenue than the current costly-to-collect-and-enforce, corrupt property tax system--from which taxing bodies collect only from 70 to 90% of what is billed.

11. True or False: Fewer properties would be abandoned.

12. True or False: Since 3/4ths to 4/5ths of all properties in the state would no longer be assessed or reassessed, the savings to counties (and ultimately the taxpayers) would run into the tens of millions of dollars each year. The size and cost of government would be cut, and homeowners would no longer be required to fight to protect their homes from inaccurate property assessments and excessive property taxes.

Summary: Pennsylvania's economy and that of many of her counties, school districts and municipalities needs a major boost. A proven, fiscally-viable plan that cuts the size of government, boosts the economy, revives our municipalities and counties, generates more net tax revenue, creates thousands of private sector jobs, and makes our state much more attractive for individuals and families to want to live in without any added bureaucracy...deserves discussion and hearings.

Why are our legislators afraid of this plan? Why won't they even allow it to be discussed in committee...or presented at hearings? Ask them to be specific with the responses. Their silence so far has been deafening. --Bob Logue, STOP Primary residence protection plan. Learn more at http://www.undercoverclub.net hit on the STOP page. www.grandoldusa.com My e-mail is ucblogue@verizon.net My mailing address is Bob Logue, Box 306, Fairbank, PA 15435-0306

Prototype $200 Tablet Runs Android, Chromium OS, Linux - PCWorld

Prototype $200 Tablet Runs Android, Chromium OS, Linux - PCWorld $200 tablet PCs have been something of a pipe dream. There was the Crunchpad, which was supposed to be $200, but that didn’t last very long, coming out as the $400 Joo Joo. If what Freescale showed off at Mobile World Congress becomes reality, though, the dream may finally come true.

Perhaps I should go back into the workforce and be a programmer and market applications for sports and fitness applications that run on phones and tablets.

Post-Gazette Varsity Notebook: Schenley Makes a splash.

In today's P-G.

Varisty Notebook: Mt. Lebanon's 2 teams magnets for crowds at Palumbo: Schenley makes a splash
When Schenley won the City League boys' swimming championship Saturday, it marked the first time since 1998 that Allderdice did not win the title. Twelve years ago, Brashear won the title. Allderdice was second this year.
For a school that will be around for only one more year, Schenley is enjoying plenty of success. In the fall, Schenley won City League football, girls' soccer and boys' soccer championships.
Schenley was led by freshman Erik Rauterkus, who won the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events, and also was on two winning relay teams.
Another freshman was a standout in the girls' City League meet. Allderdice's Leah Furman won the 200 and 500 freestyle events and was a member of two championship relay teams.

Both Erik and Leah are swimmers with the JCC Sailfish and both played water polo last year. And, both are going to the PIAA Meet (High School States) next week.
The girls relays from Dice also established new city records.