Sunday, September 01, 2013
Happy Labor Day to all, and a special shout out to the long, lost net friend, The Mosque Avenger
Speakers notes from November 13, 2007: Statements to PPS Board in public comment
Blast from the past:Statements to the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Ed and Administration on Nov. 13, 2007
Mark Rauterkus
108 South 12th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226
412 298 3432 = cell
Mark@Rauterkus.com
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
I'm a Libertarian who believes in public education.
I understand that people often vote with their feet by moving to suburban Pittsburgh because the opportunities in the city schools are not like what is provided in the burbs.
With me today: Erik, Schenley High School, class of 2013. Grant, Schenley High School, class of 2016.
My personal and professional life has revolved around schools and education. My wife is a professor. My father is a retired Pgh Public School teacher. I coach swimming and have been in many
Should you go down this pathway of consultants, high school reform, and closing Schenley, you'll enter a battle. You will get soundly defeated on an economic front and nailed in political settings, time and time again. We will not forget. Your careers will wane.
This Schenley fight was fought two years ago. It was NOT prudent then. It isn't prudent now.
Mr. Roosevelt felt the wrath of the residents of The Hill communities in the aftermath of his bogus 'rightsizing plan.' Perhaps he felt he needed to toss a crumb off the table to “the hill.” Setting up a new high school in an old, middle school building was thought to be a political win-win. Think again. Folks in The Hill, and folks throughout the city, want Schenley, for all the right reasons.
We all know the top factor in both a child's education and that of a community is “engagement.” Parent involvement is a critical key. We need lifelong learning. We need student, teacher, community, family involvement. We need ownership of the problems and the suggested solutions.
We don't need consultants.
Consultants should not be hired to set in place a plan to destroy Schenley High School.
Rather, consult with us – the voters, taxpayers, parents, stakeholders. We are the customers. We are the ones who pay the bills. We are the one's that empower you. We are the ones that will dash your aspirations.
The first step of so-called “high school reform” was called “The Pittsburgh Promise.” It was a lie. This isn't the first lie. It can't be ignored. Fix it. Apologize. Re-tool the promise so that those that enter Kindergarten have a scholarship fund when they graduate in 13 years.
Hire a real-estate agent to assess, market and sell THIS (BOE) building. If you want cash from property, this is the building to auction and/or sell. Don't sell Schenley. Besides, Schenley has new windows.
Summary:
1.Develop a Vo Tech High School as promised.
2.Advance the discussion and open the Vo Tech High School next, as a top priority. Do the Vo Tech now – before any changes to Schenley.
4.Consult with the people of the city – now, always, and in open ways.
5.Deploy an open source mindset.
6.The asbestos claims are not believed. Publish them. Prove it. Debate plans, don't dictate them. Creditability has vanished.
7.Publish all reports online.
8.Be thankful of news leaks, not vengeful. Understand that this is my district. Not Mr. Roosevelt's. By the way, Mr. Lopez understanding of listening and talking seems to be upside down.
9.Don't rush the board to
11.If necessary, put Schenley's 9th graders in 2008-09 at Frick Middle School. Do a temporary reduction to the student and faculty at Schenley to make room for repairs. Frick has the capacity.
13.Fix the long-standing lie that Conneley Tech would be 'replaced' too.
14.Replicate what works.
15.Fix what is broken. What about the 'drop out factories?'
16.Make a second Rodgers. Replicate it. If you must, move some downtown. But keep an East Rodgers. Make a West Rodgers too.
17.Putting all the IB at Reisenstein is too far away.
18.If you must, move the administration to Conneley or to Resisenstein.
19.If you must, establish a second I.B. Program at Resisenstein, in addition to the one at Schenley.
20.If you must call the second I.B. Program a 'Metro Magnet.' Attract students from Wilkinsburg, Penn Hills, Woodland Hills, Vernona, Shaler, and locally in the city too.
21.A second I.B. Program, as a charter, could attract ESL students from the suburban districts.
22.Understand that afterschool programs, sports, arts and community programs in the district are weak, generally. They need to be factored in the plans. Think about sports and performance facilities now. Those items are expensive, but worthy investments.
23.By the way, the “Rightsizing plan” failed to account for Duquesne schools, as I requested.
25.Don't yank families around any more.
26.Open schools year by year.
1.Start a Science and Tech high school with 9th grade, for example. The next year do 9th and 10th grades, and so on.
27.Close schools year by year as the students depart.
28.High School Reform should start at grade 9 and go to grade 12. Only in Pittsburgh would the high school reform begin with a college scholarship after graduation without any money to provide it.
29.High School Reform is not “middle school reform.” Worry about grades 6, 7 and 8 after the high school problems are addressed. Don't do too much at the same time and continue the folly.
30.The University Partnership School should be on a University Campus. Make the Schenley Spartins the University Partnership program. Make that in Oakland.
31.A Technology School was part of Pittsburgh's recent past – Weil. What happened there? Report upon it. Why was it closed? Why open a new Science and Technology Program after closing one with the Rightsizing Plan? That makes no sense – again.
32.Reform Weil into a Science and Technology Program – again. Or, make the Science and Tech program in Milliones Middle School or Connelley.
Students Outraged At Plan To Close Schenley HS
KDKA - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
Read more in our Privacy Policy Several hundred Schenley High School students, parents and teachers picketed outside the school administration offices to ...
See all stories on this topic100 parents, alumni discuss Schenley High closing
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
About 100 parents, students and alumni of Pittsburgh Schenley High School gathered yesterday at the Cathedral of Learning to discuss their strategy for ...
Aggressive support vowed to save Schenley
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
By Bobby Kerlik Schenley High School junior Sean Thomas said Saturday that closing his 91-year-old school would destroy more than the bricks-and-mortar ...
Officials quash Schenley rumors
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
The rumor began spreading by e-mail Thursday night, after a community meeting at which Schenley supporters denounced district officials for plans to close ...
Schenley High School allies plan for a fight
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
By Bill Zlatos Schenley High School supporters worry officials will seal its fate with a vote Wednesday, despite assurances from the school board. ...
Schenley students tout pride, history
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
By Bill Zlatos Fred Quinn plays volleyball, performs in the school musical and is active in student government at Schenley High School -- and he hopes to ...
Schenley girls kick distractions
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
By Brian Graham The Schenley girls soccer team was able to overcome so many obstacles this season that just playing in tonight's PIAA Class AAA playoff game ...
School officials meeting with Schenley students
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
By The Tribune-Review Administrators from Pittsburgh Public Schools will meet with students of Schenley High School at 6 pm Thursday to discuss their ...
Schenley High School shuttering on the table again
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
By Bill Zlatos Despite the asbestos in the nearly century-old Schenley High School, real estate officials see a market for it as a place to live or work. ...
By Bill Zlatos Pittsburgh's venerable Schenley High School, 91 years old and showing its age, would close in June under a reorganization plan detailed ...
Fwd: DAP Newsletter
From: "DAP" <jayson@diversityinaquatics.org>
Date: Aug 30, 2013 8:33 PM
Subject: DAP Newsletter
To: "Male" <Mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:
|
Golf preview for WPIAL South
From: "Sports Town South Zone articles" <internetdesk@post-gazette.com>
Date: Aug 31, 2013 3:04 PM
Subject: Sports Town South Hills Updates
To: <Mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:
Sports Town South Hills Updates |
- Boys Golf: 2013 South Season Preview
- Girls Golf: 2013 South Season Preview
- Girls Golf: 2013 South Players to Watch
- Boys Golf: 2013 South Players to Watch
Boys Golf: 2013 South Season Preview Posted: 31 Aug 2013 04:15 AM PDT Here is a preview of the South boys golf season. Both Peters Township and Upper St. Clair high's boys golf teams ... |
Girls Golf: 2013 South Season Preview Posted: 31 Aug 2013 04:15 AM PDT Here is a preview of the South girls golf season. Peters Township's girls golf team has yet to taste defeat following ... |
Girls Golf: 2013 South Players to Watch Posted: 31 Aug 2013 04:00 AM PDT Here are some South girls golfers to keep an eye on this season. Lauren Waller, Canon-McMillan, Jr. |
Boys Golf: 2013 South Players to Watch Posted: 31 Aug 2013 04:00 AM PDT Here are some South boys golfers to keep an eye on this season. Thomas Steve, Upper St. Clair, Sr. |
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10 Ways to Collaborate w/ Gov
From: "Steven Clift" <clift@e-democracy.org>
Date: Aug 29, 2013 2:17 PM
Subject: [DW] Fwd: Blog CFA: 10 Ways to Collaborate w/ Gov
To: <newswire@groups.dowire.org>
Cc:
Lots of thought went into this:
http://www.codeforamerica.org/2013/08/29/10-ways-to-collaborate-w-gov/
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "IFTTT Action" <action@ifttt.com>
Date: Aug 29, 2013 1:06 PM
Subject: Blog CFA: 10 Ways to Collaborate w/ Gov
To: <clift@e-democracy.org>
Cc:
[image: Team
Louisville]<http://www.codeforamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/8551745623_4ecd76bab6.jpg>Collaborating
with local government is one of the defining criteria of a Brigade. To
build the most impactful solutions, both government and citizens must have
a seat at the table.
But collaboration isnt always easy. It takes commitment from both parties,
time, and a willingness to walk the proverbial mile in one anothers shoes.
To help citizens get started in their community, weve put together the
guide How To: Collaborate with
Government<https://docs.google.com/a/codeforamerica.org/document/d/1WtoE_Kfqcu73MCUOIXujrzTfqrQAW3DGt0sC8iKJ6Rw/edit#>.
We wanted to share a list of 10 tips for reaching out and collaborating
with government.
10 Ways to Reach Out & Collaborate with Your Local Government
*Get to Know Your City & Local Government*
- The best way to get started working with the local government in your
city is by getting to know it. Do some research, either by yourself or with
your Brigade at a hack night.
- Some useful questions to answer include: Does your city have a strong
mayorcouncil system, a weak mayorcouncil system, or a council-manager
system? Who is the mayor and who is on the city council? Are there any
departments or government employees that would make good allies for your
Brigade?
*Attend City Council Meetings*
- Send a representative from your Brigade to each city council meeting.
They can take notes and report back to your Brigade on the meetings
outcomes, city priorities, and any opportunities for overlap with current
Brigade projects or opportunities for new projects.
- City Council meetings are also great places to advocate for policies
your Brigade would like to see, such as open data or procurement reform.
Theyre also great venues for you to show support for the work your local
government is doing. Its important to recognize when your city does great
work in addition to advocating when you want to see something change.
*Start a Conversation*
- Once youve gotten familiar with your local government, youll
probably get a sense of the department heads, councilors, or executives
whose interests or areas of expertise overlap with your Brigades.
- Ask these folks to meet up for lunch or coffee. Understand what
theyre passionate about. See if theres any overlap with what you want to
do and with technology. The more you meet with members of your local
government, the faster you can learn about their processes, systems,
constraints, intentions, and desires.
*Extend An Invite *
- One of the most important and productive interfaces for collaborating
with local government is being in a room together, collaborating on solving
problems face-to-face. Local government staff might not know about your
group or how they can participate.
- Ask them to come to your meetup or hack night. Invite them to
participate in a Q&A or give casual presentation on their department to
your group.
- As Raleigh, N.C. Brigade Captain Jason Hibbets says, [Having local
government at our events] makes it so much easier because we can eliminate
a lot of assumptions we have about data or programs or how things work in
city government that can help us move the needle faster.
*Find a champion(s) in City Hall*
- As you meet with folks in City Hall and as they come to your hack
nights, its more likely that theyll become engaged and enthusiastic about
your group and the work its doing. As these champions emerge, make sure to
find ways to keep them in the loop on what youre doing and let them know
how they can help.
- As Hibbets also says, Youve got to find the champion. Youve got to
find your city councilor or department head whos into technology, whos
into this stuff. Thats been pretty critical to our success.
*Find quick wins*
- Is there a city project that has an easy technical solution? Are there
city officials or departments interested in learning more about open source
and open data?
- Finding quick ways to prove your skills and the value your group can
bring, whether theyre developing technology or helping your local
government better understand your community, is one of the easiest ways the
garner support from them.
*Meet in City Hall*
- If 80 percent of success is really just showing up, showing up and
meeting at City Hall can go a long way. Brigades such as Open Oakland
(Calif.) and Code for Kansas City hold meetups in City Hall. In Virginia
Beach (Va.), the Captains have earned a hall pass badges that let them
meet with city staff where they work on the municipal campus.
*Collaborate On A Project or Co-host An Event*
- Once youve established relationships with those in your local
government, start working on something together. Whether its collaborating
on an app or co-hosting an event, producing something together is rewarding.
*Keep the Dialogue Going*
- As you build more and more relationships with local government, make
sure to keep your contacts in City Hall in the loop. Continue to invite
them to your meetings, make sure theyre aware of whats happening and of
your objectives.
- And dont get discouraged if you hit roadblocks or go through periods
where there are lulls. As Raleigh, N.C. Brigade Captain Chad Foley says,
Be patient. Its going to take time to establish and build those
relationships.
*Join Citizen Advisory Councils*
- If there are commissions or councils in your city that overlap with
areas your Brigade is working on, join them! In Austin, Texas, Brigade
Captain Chip Rosenthal is the Vice Chair of the Community Technology and
Telecommunications Commission.
- Conversely, invite interested local government employees to be your
Brigades municipal sponsor or co-captain. Open Asheville, N.C. is lead by
city staff in the GIS department with the support of the CIO. Code for
Raleighs (N.C.) Chad Foley works for the city and co-captains the Brigade.
Do you have tips from experiences collaborating with your local government?
Share them with us! Hit us up @codeforamerica<http://twitter.com/codeforamerica>
.
via Code for America
http://www.codeforamerica.org/2013/08/29/10-ways-to-collaborate-w-gov/
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Group home for Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire:
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Replies go to members of Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire with all posts on this topic here:
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Fwd: 2013-2014 HDCG Planning School "The Greenprint: A Walking Tour"
From: "Hill District Consensus Group" <hdcg@wildapricot.org>
Date: Aug 30, 2013 10:33 AM
Subject: 2013-2014 HDCG Planning School "The Greenprint: A Walking Tour"
To: "Mark Rauterkus" <mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:
|
Public School Teachers Paid More Than Most Households
Despite the clamor about low teacher pay in America, the average teacher in a taxpayer-supported public school earns more in base salary alone — with summers off — than the median U.S. household earns in an entire year.
According to a new report from the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average base salary for a full-time public school teacher in the 2011-2012 school year was $53,100.
The Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in the United States was $50,054 in 2011, the latest year for which figures are available.
The income earned by public school teachers is also significantly higher than the base salary of the average private school teacher, $40,200 a year, according to the NCES.
Many public school teachers earn more than their base salary. For example, 41.8 percent of teachers receive additional income to work in extracurricular activities in the same school system; 4 percent earn additional compensation based on students' performance; and 7.3 percent receive income from other school-system sources, such as state supplements.
On top of that, 16.5 percent of public school teachers have another job outside the school system.
When all sources of income are included, the average public school teacher earned $55,100 in the school year studied.
Teachers at public high schools earned even more: $57,700 in 2011-2012, and teachers at schools with at least 1,000 students made $59,100.
In contrast, teachers at private elementary schools earned just $38,400 that year, and those who work in a community classified as a "town" earned only $31,200.
Footnote: The NCES figures for public school teachers do not include their often generous retirement pensions.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Fwd: Hill Dance Academy Theatre's First Gala Fundraiser
From: "Hill District Consensus Group" <hdcg@wildapricot.org>
Date: Aug 31, 2013 3:07 PM
Subject: Hill Dance Academy Theatre's First Gala Fundraiser
To: "Mark Rauterkus" <mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:
|