Groupthink at school

The trouble with 'Groupthink' in school reform from The Answer Sheet at the Washington Post This reminds me of a phenomenon called "Groupthink." What we are experiencing in education is actually a virulent and coercive strain of Groupthink, and it is harming our students. The value of test data has been inflated way beyond its true worth, in a manner similar to real estate prices during the bubble of the past decade. Once this bubble is launched, many people begin to depend on it for their livelihoods.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-trouble-with-groupthink-in-school-reform/2012/06/08/gJQAywg6OV_blog.html#pagebreak

PR video for Neighborhood Learning Alliance about waterpolo with me, Coach Mark

Let's all go swimming on Thursday, after school is out!

We’re going for a Guinness World Record!

Thelma Lovette YMCA is a host site for…

…and YOU’RE INVITED!

Pre-register NOW for this unique event to be a part of history and receive a FREE swimming lesson!

June 14^th, 2012Check-in: 10-10:30am
Lesson begins promptly at 11 am(must be present for the entire lesson to be included in the attempt)

You will receive an official certificate showing your participation in the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson happening around the entire world!

REGISTER TODAY!

Worlds Largest Swim Lesson, world record. Happens Thursday at Hill District's YMCA. Kids and teachers are invited.

I will try to be there. What about you?

Rivers Casino wants what?

Got an email from Rose that read in part:

So, the what of the Rivers Casino's tax assessment appeal for years 2009-2013 - an appeal that if they win will force the Pittsburgh School District to write a check to the Casino for somewhere in the ballpark of $5 million dollars!

So much for the new Casino benefiting our communities! I would like to have as many community groups as possible sign an open letter to the Casino (that we could hopefully get printed in the paper) to tell them to stop their appeals. This is mostly to shame the Casino - whose owner, Neil Bluhm, is on the record in New York telling investors about the hundreds of millions of dollars they are making at the Rivers just weeks before he testified in Allegheny County tax court that "in 20/20 hindsight he never would've made the investment here" because they've lost so much on their investment(!) - and to scare other major real estate holders and corporations from taking on the same sort of appeals and deprive our schools of even more desperately needed funds. I'll be reaching out by phone about this soon, starting with those of you directly involved with education focused groups, but please, if this interests you, reach out to me now and we can figure out how best to work together on it.

Pitt has Big East flap pulled from Allegheny County to Federal Courts

See the court papers from Pitt about the case.  http://aforathlete.wikia.com/wiki/File:BIG_EAST_COMPLAINT.pdf

Plan A is still Ron Paul pulling off a Tampa miracle. Plan B is Gary Johnson.

Now that's Drama! Pittsburgh High School kids got a taste of bigots in the Culture District

Link to a story in the school newspaper about the CLO treatment of a high school theater group at the awards night.

http://www.obamaeagle.org/top-stories/2012/06/05/obama-drama-voices-protest-over-gene-kelly-awards/

I'm proud that the school newspaper did such an article.

Tweet it!

Update:

A friend posted speculation that this will all be worked out and that the article will be taken down from the website. My reply is different. I said, "No way will the article be taken down from the school paper. That would be more of an outrage than the crap the kids experienced in the Cultural District that day.

Schools are getting an "F" in this graphic.

I didn't create it, just re-posting it. Food for thought. Chew as you wish, mouth open or closed is fine.


Via: OnlineEducation.net

Graduation speech for the kids from Glenbrook Evening High School

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight
you, then you win."

Last night I was invited to deliver the Commencement Address to
the Graduating class of 2012 at my high school.

Consider this a great milestone for our efforts to restore America.

Why?

For years we have fought to make our message part of the American
Dialog using every format we can think of... Websites, films,
news shows, flyers, street actions, elections and more...

Despite the attacks from the establishment against our message the
fact that I was given the podium and able to address the young
graduates is a major victory.

We recorded it for you to see and share. I hope it inspires.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W8Zg_-oDbI


Forever Vigilant for Liberty,

Gary Franchi
RTR National Director

FUD kills nations too

From another source on a web thread:

The concept of "Romney Supporters" is an Oxymoron. So refer to them instead as the (GOP) "establishment".

The establishment's biggest weakness (problem) is that they embrace the culture of FEAR.

Fear is at the root of our country's problems. These fears have been created, nurtured, expanded, and embedded into our very culture by TPTB for the purpose of manipulating the people into surrendering to tyranny and the NWO. (death of Liberty)

Based on my experience, I think they KNOW that our country is screwed, but because they have such great FEAR they fail to take any action - including mentally recognizing the problems, and therefore doing anything about them - (we would call them "asleep" vs. those with less / no fear are "awake").

Now, because they are driven by their fears, it is much easier for them to "accept" the falsehoods of TPTB and actually embrace evil than it is to "man up" and do what is right. They SUBMIT to SLAVERY because they are COWARDS.

FUD = Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

Israel and apartheid

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Julian P Heicklen" <jph13@psu.edu>
Date: Jun 1, 2012 9:35 PM
Subject: Israel and apartheid
To: "Julian Heicklen" <jPH13@psu.edu>

Hi Tyranny Fighters

I have received e-mails, seen Facebook postings, and videos, where Israel is called an apartheid state.

This e-mail is to clarify this situation.

The world is an apartheid world.  It is sending all of its Jews to live in the ghetto called Israel.

Anti-semitism has grown rapidly since 2000 all around the world.  Jews are fleeing their native countries.

A significant factor driving this is the emigration of Muslims into many world countries, particularly in Europe.

The Muslims are the world's leading zionists, driving Jews into Israel.

As far as I know, there are only 2 countries in the world where the Jewish population is growing.

These countries are Israel and Germany.

Since the second world war, the Jewish population in Germany has grown from zero to about 100,000, mostly emigrants from the former Soviet Union.

Over the same period, the Jewish population in Israel has grown from about 100,000 to over 6 million.

In all of the rest of the world Jews have been sufficiently badly treated that they left their home countries.

All of Africa, except South Africa and maybe Morocco is cleared of Jews.

All of Asia, except for Iran, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and parts of India have been cleared of Jews.

Vast emigrations now are taking place from Western Europe.

Emigrations are increasing from North America.  In Jerusalem, I live in an area of almost total North American Jews.

Please be careful when you use the word apartheid in reference to Israel.  Israel is the ghetto.  The rest of the world is apartheid.

Yours in freedom and justice—Julian

Teachers teach

Bram is diving into education at his blog. He is way out of his comfort zone, and that's okay from time to time.

I posted this at his blog.

---

Here is the deal. Bad teachers should be fired. That needs to happen throughout time.

Good teachers in the wrong settings, perhaps, should be moved to different settings once or twice. But, PPS can't be keeping bad teachers.

There are very few bad teachers, but they are exist.

Furthermore, if we did fire bad teachers, then it would be easy to decide who needs to stay and who needs to go based upon years on the job.

Because some bad teachers have stayed too long, because of failures of middle and upper management, and because of a lack of peer review among teachers, we are in a mess.

Yes, teachers need to watch out for other teachers, helping and otherwise.

I wish there was more peer review and more peer pressure.

First, gang up on the teacher (among other teachers, staff and administration and even trusted parents) so that the challenges are overcome to make sure that the students are getting good opportunities, making progress and successes are delivered.

But by the end of the year, the staff needs to realize that the hand holding can't be forever.

Sadly, when a teacher is floundering, they don't get the help. And in due time, they don't get the next assignment nor the boot.

Bad teachers that linger are hurting public education, PPS and the Teachers Union. IMNH, good and great teachers have to carry some (say 5%) of the blame. The principals get the lion's share of the blame. Central Admin gets some too.

Great teachers know what's going on in their buildings.

Ask how much impact in all the rubics outlined in the blog posting are with peer review?

Heading to Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday

These students get to go to Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday at 10 am to get a Proclamation. Erik Rauterkus (far right) is the Pennsylvania Youth Governor this year.

Flashback: Four years ago, we were getting set for the Olympics in Beijing

We love the Olympics. In 2008, we went to Beijing. Here is a little slide show from then.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0ByN94c3Pp4BpYTYyYTMzMWUtZmM1My00NjIwLWE1YWEtYWY3YTMwZmE5OTdk

John Carlos in the UK, before the London Olympics

My life is not about winning medals. My life is about being a freedom fighter.

It is not about "black vs. white." That is what they want us to believe. It is about "right vs. wrong."

Olympic Project for Human Rights.

I am not afraid to offend my oppressor.

Grant jumps from NA Tigers to Princeton Tigers to get ready for possible JO tournament in California in August

Screen shot.

USA_Waterpolo_Transfer_Grant_May_2012.bmp

So, this summer Grant might play water polo at the JOs in northern California with a team from Princeton. The deadline for switching one's club status is tomorrow. Grant moved from being a NA Tiger to a Princeton Tiger.

This happens all the time. The NA program is going to field teams in other age groups, but not 14-under boys.

Fwd: Raising money for Obama music programs -- by baking! (PSO concert too)

From: Jean Siegel <jeanmsiegel@gmail.com>

Hi PPS Parents,

Would you please help earn money for PPS Obama Academy's music
programs -- by baking?

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is returning to East Liberty
for a fifth annual Community Engagement Concert at East Liberty
Presbyterian Church on Saturday, June 2nd at 7:00 p.m.

ALL proceeds from the concert will benefit music education programs at
Pittsburgh CAPA, Pittsburgh Dilworth, Pittsburgh Obama, and Hope
Academy of Music and the Arts.

Helen Blier is again running the bake sale after the event, once
again, the proceeds will support the music programs at the 4 schools.
She's a little stricter than I am baking for teachers -- she asks
folks to make something, and to individually wrap the items, so they
can sell them a piece at a time.  Please contact Helen at   pacem1
-at- gmail -dot- com. Also, Helen would appreciate one or two
volunteers to staff the bake sale as well.

If you're interested in the concert itself, here are the details:
(please buy your tickets at the school from Mr. Schrader, because then
we keep all the money)

Tickets:

$10 - Adults

$ 5 - Students & Seniors 60+

FREE - Children and youth 18 and under with adult

SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICALLY IMPORTANT: The proceeds from tickets we sell
at the school before the concert, we get to keep, completely. That's
100%, as in all (A-L-L) of it!

Tickets are available for purchase at the school from Mr. Schrader.

Tickets are also available online at Brown Paper Tickets
www.brownpapertickets.com (online sales will be split between the four
participating schools).

There will be cash sales at the door the evening of the performance
(door sales will also be split between the four schools).

THANK YOU for your support.

Fwd: Car Wash / Bake Sale

We are sponsoring a car wash, bake sale with kettle corn, apple crisp.

Busy Beaver - Crafton/Ingram shopping center from 9 to 3 pm on Sat.
May 26, 2012.

Come and let us wash your car and have some apple crisp or kettle corn
while you wait.

From Coach Mike Schneiderlochner

Fwd: Heicklen flees U. S.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Julian P Heicklen <jph13@psu.edu>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HEICKLEN FLEES UNITED STATES

Julian Heicklen arrived in Israel on May 22, 2012 as a political exile.  He was granted Israel citizenship at customs.  

There is a warrant for his arrest in Santa Ana, CA  because he distributed pamphlets on the sidewalk in front of the U. S. District Courthouse in Santa Ana.  Also he was arrested for the same offense, but the cases were dismissed, in Springfield, MA, Newark, NJ, and 11 times in Manhattan, NY.  However the Department of Homeland Security refuses to return his confiscated property.

He was tortured 7 times in 3 New York hospitals and once in a Springfield hospital.  He was dragged out of his bed at home  at 6:00 am by 11 law enforcement officers and placed in jail in the federal courthouse in Manhattan.

He was arrested by New York City police for standing on the sidewalk in front of the Isaiah wall across from the UN building in New York City and holding two signs which read STOP HATING JEWS.  As a result he was incarcerated for two weeks in the Riker's Island jail before his case was dismissed in the interest of justice.  However New York City refuses to return his confiscated property.

He has been convicted for criminal contempt of Court in Orlando, FL and sentenced to 145 days in jail for distributing jury information on the sidewalk connecting the county courthouse to the parking lot. The conviction has been appealed, though Heicklen already has served 22 days in the Orange County (Orlando) jail.

In Manhattan, NY he was on trial based on a grand jury indictment forged by the U. S. Attorney.  Title 18 USC § 3161(c) states: "In any case in which a plea of not guilty is entered, the trial of a defendant charged in an information or indictment with the commission of an offense shall commence within seventy days from the filing date (and making public) of the information..."  

Judge Kimba Wood colluded in the forgery by purposely violating 18 USC § 3161(c) to give the U. S. Attorney time to produce a witness.  On at least 2 occasions, undercover agents posed as jurors to entrap Heicklen into jury tampering.  Both attempts failed.   Heicklen has copies of the recordings.  After 18 months with no success, Judge Wood dismissed the charges on April 19, 2012.

THE PRICE OF JUSTICE IS ETERNAL PUBLICITY

The situation described above is the 21st century version of the Watergate scandal of the Nixon administration.  Yet the U. S. and world press mostly have ignored this story and refuse to publicize it.  Without publicity there will be no justice.

All of the above happened because Heicklen told the truth.  The United States is now Nazi Germany of the mid 1930s.  Hitler is in the White House.  The press is afraid to report the news.  The American people are in denial.    The United States is the number 1 prison state in the world.  The mass executions are still to come.