Position paper: Alternatives to Fewer Sports

Rauterkus_Position_PAPER_Alpha.pdf - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByN94c3Pp4Bpa085ajlUcVNXQU0/edit?usp=sharing

We are having fun at Water Polo and wish you were there. Join us at 6 pm every Friday at the Thelma Lovette Y

We had another great session at the swim pool tonight. Adults get to learn and play water polo at 6 pm every Friday night. The game ends about 7:15 pm. If you want to swim some laps before or after, that's fine too. The Y closes at 8 pm.

This week was the third week and we had 11 players. Gave was 5 on 6. Worked out fine. The score isn't important.

Out of the 11 players, only two had been there in the past. So, nine new friends arrived. Some of the regulars were on travels and we understand -- it is the weekend. We want a drop in culture where folks can come and go without pressure. But, it would be GREAT if we had another five or six and then we'd be able to have a few subs.

Some fine athletes were in this week two. Two are 09 graduates of the US Coast Guard Academy and have had swimming experience.

Put it in your schedule. Bring a friend or come alone. We're in the water at 6. Come a bit early and check out the Y. It is new, clean, warm enough, and a wonderful asset to the city. If you work in Oakland or Downtown, you don't have an excuse.

The kids play at noon on Saturdays.

Check out our open Facebook group too: Pittsburgh Schenley Waterpolo. That's where I generally post the updates.

Fwd: Register Now for EPLC's 2014 Education Issues Workshops

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From: The Education Policy and Leadership Center <robinson@eplc.org>

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Education Issues Workshops A Non-Partisan One-Day Program for  Pennsylvania Legislative Candidates, Campaign Staff and Interested Voters  Sponsored by The Education Policy and Leadership Center Tuesday, February 25 - Harrisburg - 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. 800 North Third Street, EPLC's 5th Floor Conference Room  Wednesday, March 19 - Monroeville - 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Monroeville Convention Center Thursday, March 27 - Philadelphia - 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3440 Market Street, University of Pennsylvania  Education Issues will be key topics for Voters and Candidates in the 2014 Pennsylvania Campaign.   Are you Ready? Will you be the candidate best prepared to discuss these issues? Will your campaign material and your statements highlight these issues? Will you have the best ideas? Will you be a leader? Will you do your best in this campaign?    Learn More About These Important Education Issues:     Governance of Public Education Special Education Funding Intersection of Local, State, Federal Policy Career-Technical Education Funding State Education Policy Levers Early Childhood Education Changing Demographics Arts and Education Charter Schools and Cyber Schools PA Core Standards and Keystone Exams Overview of State Budget/Revenue Issues Where PA Stands on Student Performance Current 2013-14 State Education Budget Helping Struggling Schools and Students Proposed Education Budget for 2014-15 Teacher Quality, Supply, and Evaluation Equity and K-12 Funding Reform Efforts School Boards and Superintendents School Employee Pension Fund Issues School District Consolidation Property Tax Reform Higher Education Governance and Funding School Choices in PA Higher Education Access and Affordability School Vouchers Q&A Session with a panel of distinguished education leaders and advocates    Register Now! - Space is Limited!     Only $79 for Workshop, Issues Materials, and Complimentary One-Year Subscription to new Pennsylvania Education Letter. (Workshop includes one-hour break for lunch on your own.)  (Campaign funds may be used for tuition and travel expenses.)    Register online or by mail to EPLC, 800 North Third St., Suite 408, Harrisburg, PA 17102    The Education Issues Workshops are led by Ronald Cowell, president of EPLC, a former PA House Education Committee chair, and former member of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.  For additional biographical information, see here.

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School newspaper article: How to save our sports teams?

This article is by high school junior, Lucy Newman, Obama Academy, reporter for the Obama Eagle, January 2014

How to save our sports teams?:

by Lucy Newman

The school board will soon be voting on whether or not to implement
serious budget cuts that could mean the elimination of several sports
from the Pittsburgh Public Schools system. This could include high
school swimming, golf, and tennis; middle school swimming, volleyball,
and wrestling; and all intramural sports including open gym for
basketball and volleyball. Many students of the Pittsburgh Public
Schools are likely to suffer as a result of the cuts, should they be
implemented. According to Ms. Simmons, Pittsburgh Obama's athletic
director, "you can look at study upon study, and they all show the
results. There is a positive correlation between students' involvement
in sports and their health, academic success, and social life." The
benefits of sports clearly outweigh the costs. Fortunately, there are
several ways in which the Pittsburgh Public Schools can endeavor to
keep its sports teams while maintaining a balanced budget.

Ms. Simmons proposes that, in order to save our sports program, we
should create a contract with a corporation such as Nike. If we were
to buy all of our sports equipment and uniforms from one company, and
to advertise that we are doing this, that company would likely be
willing to help us out with other budgetary needs. Such an alliance
would benefit Nike as well as us. University and professional sports
teams often have sponsors in this manner; and the amount of students
in the Pittsburgh Public School system is similar to that of a
medium-sized college. Yet our sports budget is far behind what the
average college would give its sports teams.

In taking on a corporate sponsor, according to Ms. Simmons, the
Pittsburgh Public Schools would be able to continue its sports teams
as they are. Sports, she grants, are expensive. Just for swimming, for
example, you need thousands of dollars of fixed costs in equipment,
including starting blocks and a timing system. You also need money to
hire a coach, pay for buses and referees for meets, buy insurance for
the pool, heat the pool, fill the pool, and implement a sanitation
system for the pool, on a continual basis. It is also preferable to
have uniforms or even warm-ups for the athletes. It is likely that if
we were to get a sponsor, they would provide us a portion of these
costs free of charge.

There may be some disadvantages to corporate sponsorship. One
disadvantage is that would limit market competition, leading towards
monopoly or oligopoly in the sports equipment market. We would be
obliged to buy only from one company for a certain number of years,
even if there is a more attractive product from another company. Yet
companies could compete over contracts such that once one companies
contract runs out, we could either keep our business with them or turn
to another company that offers us more or better help than the first
one had.

Further, a corporate sponsorship would create a binding contract
between our school and a company that may not always be in our
interest. In theory, such a contract would be a relationship of
equals: We advertise for them, and they help us out with costs. But in
reality, we need a corporate sponsor more than any major company needs
our advertising, a fact that they may be able to exploit to their
advantage. However, if we ensure that the contract is fair to both
parties, we would likely be able to avoid these issues.

So with our options as limited as they are, the disadvantages of a
corporate sponsor are more than compensated in that it could allow for
the existence success of Obama's sports teams.

Mark Rauterkus, who coaches the Obama boys' swim team and the golf
team, proposes another solution to the sports budget problem in the
Pittsburgh Public School system. Rauterkus proposes that the sports
teams should be absorbed by Citiparks, the Pittsburgh Parks and
Recreation department. Citiparks has a separate budget and a separate
set of rules from the Pittsburgh Public schools. If our sports teams
were transferred to Citiparks, Rauterkus believes that programs could
actually be added and improved. “Then we could have water polo,
triathlons, varsity teams that could compete at the highest level,”
Rauterkus explains. Current budgetary problems have heretofore
prevented water polo and very competitive swim teams, and bureaucratic
red tape has prevented us from holding triathlons. Citiparks would be
more prepared to handle Pittsburgh Public’s sports needs than PPS
currently is.

Further, Mr. Rauterkus proposes that we have community events that
could gain money for the Pittsburgh sports teams. He believes that the
school system could make as much as $50,000 per year solely on Obama's
pool through having community swim lessons and events. This amount
could more than compensate for the annual costs of running the pool.
Further, if this idea were applied to every school pool in the
district, its benefits could be multiplied.

Community lessons and events are costly upfront. For lessons, the cost
of insurance would go up dramatically, as would the cost of
maintenance. Any major event takes money to plan and organize, and to
clean up after. Yet the benefits that such lessons or events could
provide to the schools could be well worth it.

Finally, another idea for helping save the PPS sports is to increase
the amount of tax dedicated to the issue. Increasing taxes is always
controversial. But Pittsburgh successfully applied a similar technique
a few years ago in order to save the public library system. There was
a referendum on the ballot that asked whether Pittsburghers would be
willing to increase the millage dedicated to libraries. The majority
voted 'yes,' and since then the libraries have been able not only to
begin paying off millions of dollars of debt, but also to expand
services and hours.

And, in addition to increasing taxes, if the City were to begin taxing
UPMC at a level appropriate to a company of its size, we would be able
to bring in further revenue that could make a serious contribution
towards the Pittsburgh school system. Classified as a 'non-profit
organization,' UPMC currently pays zero corporate taxes; it also holds
many expensive properties that are not taxed, including the UPMC
building downtown. It seems to be a common sense solution that UPMC
should pay its fair dues, rather than continuing to give its extra
revenue to top executives in the form of multi-million dollar salaries
and private helicopters.

Despite these ideas, the options available to those concerned with
saving PPS sports are limited. The school system does not allow
schools to sign corporate sponsorship contracts; they do not allow for
community lessons or events that would gain revenue on the scale that
Mr. Rauterkus proposes; and increasing taxes is an all but forbidden
topic in politics. Certainly, there is no perfect idea for saving our
school's sports teams; yet all ideas should be on the table at this
point.

Before eliminating programs that have such direct, meaningful, and
lasting positive impacts on students, it is necessary to carefully
consider, discuss, debate, and compromise, on possible ways to prevent
such cuts from happening. Because it is more than likely that, with a
combination of the ideas presented above and further ideas not
discussed in this article, that the Pittsburgh Public Schools could
find a way keep its sports teams while keeping a balanced budget. All
those concerned with the fate of PPS sports are hoping that the school
board, the city council, and Mayor Peduto, will keep this in mind.

The Post-Gazette Editorial Board just laid a big turd and the teachers resonded

Check out the editorial:

http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2014/01/17/Top-grade/stories/201401150006

The outrage is in the replies after the article. They zing and sting the P-G editorial board. I doubt this will stay live on the P-G site for long. 

More at the Pure Reform site too, https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=49258804305307213&postID=7778478145817566568

Fwd: Commonwealth Court Overturns PA's Voter ID Law- Tell AG Kane not to appeal

From: Michael Morrill <info@keystoneprogress.org>
Subject: Commonwealth Court Overturns PA's Voter ID Law- Tell AG Kane not to appeal

Commonwealth Court Overturns PA's Voter ID Law- Tell AG Kane not to appeal

The great news is that Commonwealth Court Judge Bernard McGinley said the Pennsylvania Voter ID bill is unconstitutional.

He ruled that the law is "invalid and unconstitutional on its face as the provision and issuance of compliant identification does not comport with liberal access and unreasonably burdens the right to vote.

"Voting laws are designed to assure a free and fair election; the Voter ID Law does not further this goal."

Now the bad news.  It is still possible for the law to be appealed.  PA Attorney General Kathleen Kane  defended the Voter ID law before Commonwealth Court.  She may appeal the ruling to PA's Supreme Court.

 If she does appeal, the Voter ID law may be reinstated.

Tell Attorney General Kane that we agree with Judge McGinley.  Voter ID is "invalid and unconstitutional on its face."  Do not appeal Voter ID to the Supreme Court.

Click here to send your message

Water, South Africa, Movie, Freedom

Learn How Nutrition Affects Academic Success

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From: NLA Training Series
Subject: Learn How Nutrition Affects Academic Success

You are what you eat. See how healthy foods create successful students.  Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

The Role of Wellness in Achievement

Free Training on Health and Wellness Friday, January 17th from 9:30am-11:30am at the BGC Activity Center (map) Come and discover how "you are what you eat" applies to our students and what we can do to help them learn about the role that nutrition plays in their academic success. Malcolm Thomas is the Director of the Reaching Back Male Mentoring program at Neighborhood Learning Alliance. His focus on African culture, heritage, and pride is a unique and invaluable perspective in our city's continued efforts to close the opportunity gap for African American youth. Five Nutritional Facts about Adolescents  Benefits of Healthy Eating  Healthy eating contributes to overall healthy growth and development, including healthy bones, skin, and energy levels. Diets and Disease Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult onset diabetes, has become increasingly prevalent among children and adolescents as rates of overweight and obesity rise. A study from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that one in three American children born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime. Obesity Among Youth The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6-11 years has more than doubled in the past 20 years and among adolescents aged 12-19 has more than tripled. Eating Behaviors of Young People Less than 40% of children and adolescents in the United States meet the U.S. dietary guidelines for saturated fat and almost 80% of high school students do not eat fruits and vegetables 5 or more times per day. Diet and Academic Performance Research suggests that not having breakfast can affect children's intellectual performance and the percentage of young people who eat breakfast decreases with age; while 92% of children ages 6-11 eat breakfast, only 77% of adolescents ages 12-19 eat breakfast. For more facts, check out the full article from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Upcoming Trainings January 10th - Active Shooter and Safety Training January 17th - The Role of Wellness in Achievement  February 7th- Engaging Kinesthetic Learners  February 21st- Fostering Leadership Skills in Our Students

Fwd: Schools are the biggest difference between City and Suburban life

My Message to KDKA Radio show with Brian O'Neil and John McIntire,

The hinge is KIDS. 

The opportunities for suburban kids and city students are vastly different.

Now Dr. Lane wants "FEWER SPORTS" -- and is swinging the axe and might cut varsity swimming, golf, tennis and all intramurals. 

Hippsters make babies, if you give them enough years to get it done.

Will those folks reside here and invest here for when they've got youngsters?

On most recent years, 1,000 kids DEPART the ranks of the city schools EVERY YEAR. (Last year it was closer to 350.)

That's 4 football teams, 2 marching bands, 6 water polo teams, 2 debate squads, 3 orchestras and 2 musical casts PLUS another 150 younger siblings. --- GONE --- EVERY YEAR.

We need to teach our kids how to play well with others and then spend some efforts with the people we care about.

Pittsburgh, Community, Water Polo begins in January, for free, for adults on Friday evenings.

Friday evenings:

Adult Water Polo Clinics for Rookies!

No experience necessary. Shallow and deep water positions.Check it out.

First time in Pittsburgh at the brand new Thelma Lovette YMCA, Centre Avenue, just 5 blocks from the Consol Energy Center.

Co-ed, community water polo is geared to any want-a-be athletes, young adults, triathletes, master swimmers and even non-swimmers, as we'll need shallow end goalies and have liberal play off the bottom in a mostly shallow, friendly pool. Come out for a new winter-time, high energy game. We'll learn new skills, drills and play modified scrimmages and games. Bring your friends and make this a new challenge for the next weeks to come.

The 6:30 pm Friday night open practices are free as an introduction to the sport as we build up for a potential, in-house, water polo league slated for the fall of 2014.

Sign up now with Seth Pfannenschmidt, Aquatics Coordinator, Thelma Lovette YMCA, 412-315-0989.

Lead instructor, Mark Rauterkus, head varsity swim coach and founder of Summer Dreamers Swim & Water Polo Camps. Assistants, captains and volunteers welcomed. Contact: Mark@Rauterkus.com, 412-298-3432 to lend a hand.

Fwd: Community Works Coordinator Position-engaging, enriching opportunity-Share out

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <RFlanag@aol.com>
Date: Dec 24, 2013 11:39 AM
Subject: Community Works Coordinator Position-engaging, enriching opportunity-Share out
To: <rflanag@aol.com>
Cc:

(We are helping people that need help with the Affordable Care Act online application--see attached flyer. Please share out and post.)

_____________________________________________________________

Please share out with friends and peers that are looking for an engaging, challenging, and enriching new job.

 

Job description is also attached.

 

Job Title: Community Works Program Coordinator

Position Overview:

The Community Works Program is a partnership between Neighborhood Learning Alliance, Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, and Pittsburgh Public Schools that provides an academic after school program combined with career education and development activities, real work experience, and post secondary support. The program is designed for primarily 12th grade students. The majority of the students attend Pittsburgh University Prep and Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy.

Work days are Monday thru Friday with evening and weekend hours as needed. The Program Coordinator directs volunteers and support staff that assist with the program's operation.

Responsibilities:

1.      Recruit students and build strong relationships with all participants and their families.

2. Manage all on-site operations of daily programming and off-site trips. This includes managing the site team of support staff and volunteers.
3. Ensure production and distribution of program information documents, including schedules of academic and recreational activities, to participants and their families.
4. Ensure students sign-in each day and that participation in all activities is documented.
5. Build and maintain working relationships with school teachers, counselors, and administrators.
6. Work directly with the school to process teacher referrals and collect data from the school on attendance, grades, standardized test scores, disciplinary actions, etc., to connect youth to appropriate afterschool academic services.
7. Assist in the assignment of participants to worksites.
8. Assist with the implementation of the "Youth Work Ready Certification" competencies: volunteerism, work experience, job shadowing, and assessments.
9. Monitor students' success at their work placement and at the afterschool program site.
10. Assist students with resume writing, interviewing skills, and career choices.
11. Document using a case note format for all student / coordinator interactions.
12. Work as a team with other coordinators.

Requirements:

Experience working with urban high school youth, Act 33/34 clearances, proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel, valid PA driver's license and reliable vehicle.  Familiarity with Pittsburgh Public Schools a plus. College degree highly preferred.

We offer:
 Health, Dental, Life Insurance, and Annual Salary ($30,000 to $33,000) based on experience

TO APPLY: 

Send cover letter and resume to Rick Flanagan, Youth Development Director, to bgcafterschool@aol.com

PPS board sends a wake up call to the PPS Administration. However, the 9 on the board are not the ones who can save the city and District

It was posted in the Pure Reform blog comments,  "Maybe collectively they will be able to come up with ideas about the budget problems, school closings, etc. "

Think again.

Should be, IMNSHO, ... collectively WE will be able to come up with ideas .... 

Sure, the board, on its own, gets to vote. However, if they are the ones to come up with the ideas, we are in deep,trouble, still.

The administration and the board and the citizens are NOT working well together, generally. 

Case in point, in sports, in an area I know about, we had a few months in 2010 when a reform task force with staff, admin, partners and citizens huddled and began to think about global issues and solutions. It was a magical and brief time. The outcomes were equally fleeting. 

Now Dr. Lane says fewer sports and there is no collaboration in recent years. 

All the Kings Horses and all the Kings Men couldn't put Humpty together again. 

Three years ago, and many time since,  I told my principal that we could earn the school $50k a year by holding community programming at our pool that sits idle by their failed design on afternoons, evenings, nights, weekends, holidays and summers. 

Detailed letters with specifics were sent to Dr. Lane in November 2012, after the full school move into Peabody and she can't find the time for more than a year to pick up the phone and call me back. The fix is here, and it seems as if their goals are to be a district of 9th choice without engaged students.

Putting all the faith in the board, and not the administration, is much like being in Poland in 1938 and thinking there are friends to either east or west. 

Think again.

Should be, IMNSHO, ... collectively WE will be able to come up with ideas .... 

Sure, the board, on its own, gets to vote. However, if they are the ones to come up with the ideas, we are in deep,trouble, still.

The administration and the board and the citizens are NOT working well together, generally. 

Case in point, in sports, in an area I know about, we had a few months in 2010 when a reform task force with staff, admin, partners and citizens huddled and began to think about global issues and solutions. It was a magical and brief time. The outcomes were equally fleeting. 

Now Dr. Lane says fewer sports and there is no collaboration in recent years. 

All the Kings Horses and all the Kings Men couldn't put Humpty together again. 

Three years ago, and many time since,  I told my principal that we could earn the school $50k a year by holding community programming at our pool that sits idle by their failed design on afternoons, evenings, nights, weekends, holidays and summers. 

Detailed letters with specifics were sent to Dr. Lane in November 2012, after the full school move into Peabody and she can't find the time for more than a year to pick up the phone and call me back. The fix is here, and it seems as if their goals are to be a district of 9th choice without engaged students.

Putting all the faith in the board, and not the administration, is much like being in Poland in 1938 and thinking there are friends to either east or west. 

--
--
Ta.


Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com  
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim and Water Polo Camp Head Coach
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team

http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://FixPA.wikia.com
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Zone Water Polo

To Pittsburgh Public Schools: Crazy talk and charter schools.

My name Is Mark Rauterkus. My family and I reside at 108 South 12^th Street on thehistoric South Side of Pittsburgh. I have a home on the internet at Rauterkus.com, a Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates Blog and many of my insights are on Facebook too.

I coach PPS athletes in swimming, golf, and water polo as a leader of Summer Dreamers' as an activity partner with the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation and Swim and Water Polo Camp.

Tonight's (December 16, 2013) board conversation concerns charter schools. I have been a big fan and advocate for PPS and Public Schools. I am also a big fan of freedom, liberty and choices for kids and families. In my humble opinion, I think the PPS board should approve these charter requests.

Approve the charters because: The crazy talk in PPS is too great and too frequent.With so much crazy talk and we should add, crazy deeds, it is no wonder that the people of Pittsburgh have been voting with their feet. Enrollment is in decline. If PPS was doing its job well, there would not be a demand from others to open nor attend charter schools.

Crazy Talk sounds like these words from Dr. Lane at her State of the Districtpresentation, "Fewer Sports." Our kids don't need fewer sports. That is the wrong way. I feel strongly that our students need more sports. We need better sports. We need management of sports. We need sports reform. Pittsburgh is a great sports town.

My biggest request is that if you do act to make PPS with fewer sports, then you do so quickly. We need prompt decisions. Make a fast decision. On the chopping block at present is swimming, golf, tennis, and all intramural sports at the high school level. Middle school cuts are slated for volleyball, wrestling and swimming. Uniforms, transportation and other cuts are due too.

We understand that the axe is going to swing in many places. But, you need to know that all are dying now, already.

As Dr. Lane says, "5 to 10 schools are going to close or get realignment" that is code for:

+ I can't make up my mind.

+ Or, I know what's about to close and change, but I am not going to tell you now.

+ Or, We have no clue as to what we are doing.

+ Some decoder rings reveal: We have not yet hired the consultants to crunch the numbers to tell us what schools are the most expensive.

+ Or, to the citizens of the world, the code reads as: “Don't move to Pittsburgh.” And, citizens of Pittsburgh, the classlessness is manifested as: Sign me up for a charter school. Or, it is time to get a home or apartment in the suburbs.

The lack of leadership is both "mean" and it means all schools suffer by way ofstarvation.

I live just 2 blocks from South Vo Tech. Remember South? For 5 years, the standing rumor was that the board was going to close South. South is going to close soon. Teachers bailed. Then word was solid that people shouldn't send their kids to South because the school was about to close. This became a self fulfilling prophecy. Board members and administrators must have had a policy of “Starve em. Wait it out.” Of course we have to close those schools.

Likewise, of course we need to shut down golf, tennis, swimming, and intramurals.Why get devoted to those sports as they are dead end activities. Don't go there. Don't waste your time. You're not valued.

Five to ten schools are in jeopardy, but really, all are frail and falling fast.

Smart move.

About five or six years ago I had an initial meeting with Mr. Gavlik, the over arching Athletic Director for all of PPS. I remember well when he said, "Swimming in the city is dying."

I said, "No way. Swimming in the city is thriving. Oakland Catholic had just won the state Championships. It is hard to find an extra minute in any suburban school swim pool. The Pitt Christmas Meet is big time HUGE. Swimming is suffering in the citybecause PPS has done plenty to try too kill swimming.

Mr. Lopez at the Homewood Children's Village is saying that swimming is going to be a part of their educational mission. For that alone, I would vote to approve that charter.

Above script are the speaker notes for the PPS Board Hearing slated for today, Monday, Dec 17, about three charter school applications. 

The gang mentality works....

This article just showed up online.... Urban Media Today.

http://urbanmediatoday.com/news.html

"The gang mentality works."

I think we would just rather have young people in gangs we control like swim teams and orchestras than street gangs."

So says Mark Rauterkus, a South Side resident and activist who serves as swim and golf coach for Pittsburgh Obama, as he reflects on Pittsburgh Public Schools' recently announced consideration of further cuts to sports teams and arts-related programs.

Pittsburgh schools, facing declining enrollment and financial woes that could land the district in bankruptcy  with a deficit of $49.6 million by 2016 unless drastic changes are made, have been the subject of a $2.4 million study by consultants FSG and Bellwether Education Partners  paid for by grants from the Fund for Excellence and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The results of the study indicate that cost-cutting is required, and Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Linda Lane says that school closures, consolidations and reconfigurations, along with longer cleaning and sanitation intervals for schools, reduced transportation costs by using Port Authority buses for high schoolers and staggered schedules to allow for multiple routes per bus, eliminating staff positions and reducing the high school day from nine periods to eight daily.
Lane also suggested the district could save as much as $600,000 yearly by eliminating intramural sports; the middle-school volleyball, swimming and wrestling teams, and the high school golf, swimming and tennis teams, and another $400,000 by spending less on athletic transportation, uniforms and equipment.

"Sports and intramurals are very important to young people," Rauterkus says. "When you go to suburban districts, their facilities are buzzing with conditioning and off-season practices, but here in the city, you go to any of our schools and they are closed. In return, people look at that and say, 'Oh, look at the marching band over there,' or 'look at the sports opportunities there,' and they pack up their households and they go."

"The outward migration in the city is huge," Rauterkus says. "The city has almost turned the tide, and young people are staying here, but they will not stay if there is not a place for their kids to go to school, with the opportunities that are matched 3 miles or 8 miles away in Bethel Park, or Shaler or wherever."

Rauterkus says sports is one way that PPS can show it can compete with the suburban districts, and wonders whether Lane realizes the importance of sports and other "extracurriculars" to the lives of students and their families.

"She will mention 'teamwork' in a lot of her talks, she talks about students being 'Promise Ready,' but if you are interested in teamwork, you don't cut teams," Rauterkus says. "Colleges look for scholastic kids who are into athletics."

"Our city kids aren't as aware of the whole process. When our kids go to college, I want them on a team," Rauterkus says, referring to the large number of Promise Scholars who may be the first in their family to attain post-secondary education. "I want them to be surrounded by other kids, and another adult, who are going to help them get through the college experience in a positive way."

Rauterkus says that at Swarthmore, where his son, 2013 PPS grad Erik, attends, participation in varsity athletics is 55 percent. 

"At Washington and Jefferson, 45 percent of the students are varsity athletes," Rauterkus says. "Being on a sports team gives you a support group, you learn time-management, and it makes you more attractive to possible employers."

Rauterkus admits the high percentages "don't hold" at larger schools, but says "kids on a team have instant friendships. They watch out for each other, and watch they stay academically eligible and on the straight and narrow."

The sports being cut, says Rauterkus are "lifetime sports. When they are 20 or 30 or 40 years old, they are not going to pick up a tennis racket or a golf club or learn to swim. They can't go to the beach or holiday on a boat if they can't swim."

Rauterkus says the cuts mean the loss of life lessons for kids, but also, "sports are a way for a lot of these kids to get their exit ticket punched, to be able to do better for themselves."

The school population has declined consistently over the last 10 years. This year, PPS enrollment from K-12 is 24,525, while the number of school-aged residents (4-17) has declined from 52,000 in 2000 to 37.000 in 2010.

"To turn that around, we need to invest in these things that are rooted in the communities," Rauterkus says. "Kids need to make 'buddies,' not just the kid they sit next to in Math class."

Rauterkus says even he, who has been "rah-rah for Pittsburgh schools all along," would consider moving from the district to keep extra-curriculars available for his younger son, Grant, a sophomore.

"No matter what Bill Peduto does, it will fail," he says, although he does hope that the new administration can come to some sort of agreement through the Department of Parks and Recreation to share school facilities outside of school hours.

"A lot of communities do that. It happens with our charter schools here," he says, citing Urban Pathways' use of the Thelma Lovette YMCA in the Hill District for physical education facilities.

"We could sell an 'athlete pass,' where we could do clinics for kids all year and use CitiParks facilities and PPS school facilities," Rauterkus proposes. He believes there is enough interest to make it financially viable because of his involvement with the district's "Summer Dreamers" program, where the demand for programs such as swimming and water polo were nearly four times the number of children who could be accommodated. "Scholarships could be made available, but some people could pay, and it could pull its own weight."

"Suburban schools are beginning to charge participation fees to help cover costs, but it's very difficult in the PPS to even have a booster group," he says. "It's hard to have an ongoing viable group to support the 'extras' the programs need."

In light of Lane's proposed cut of classroom periods, Rauterkus suggests that after-school athletics could take the place of physical education classes, including practices for cheerleading, marching band step-dancing and other dance teams. After school athletics could also solve transportation problems, particularly at schools with combined middle- and high-school populations.

"The middle-school kids go until 4 o'clock, and the high-school kids go 'til 3 o'clock," Rauterkus says, so athletic facilities are still in use by Phys. Ed. classes for an hour after the high-schoolers are done with the academic day.

"Shady Side Academy mandates that every single one of their students participate on a team," he says. The Pittsburgh-area private school uses the athletics programs to meet state Phys Ed. requirements, and mandates that teachers take on a team as a part of their employment. Sports include everything from backpacking to dance to ice hockey in the Senior School's ice arena.

"Everything is confounded by the budget," Rauterkus says. "CAPA ran out of paper for the art students in December. Ten schools are going to close, but they are going to fight to save three of them. No one likes the uncertainty, and every school is in decline. The district is being hurt through the lack of clarity, and people don't want to be part of a sinking ship."

"They are at a permanent disadvantage, and people vote with their feet, and they leave."

"We need to make another arrangement that is strong enough, and attractive enough, to keep families from moving," Rauterkus says.

By Nancy Hart, nancy@urbanmediatoday.com, Twitter: @nhart543

PPS Sports

Sports Mixed Signals with Recent PPS Decisions

By Mark Rauterkus, PPS Coach

This article was sent to The Thomas Merton Center for possible publication in The New People newsletter.

Some historic adjustments in the city sports landscape are expected in the 2014 sports seasons with Pittsburgh Public Schools, but conflicting currents are clashing as recent board votes are at odds with suggestions from the superintendent in the State of the District address. 

In football, the Westinghouse Bulldogs are to jump out of the City League and into the WPIAL. This league realignment is akin to Pitt's departure from the Big East and entry into the ACC. But other teams have been give the okay from the school board to depart the city league too, including the boys and girls volleyball teams at Obama Academy as well as the swim teams at Brashear and Carrick. 

Different, sports ending clouds are hovering over PPS as "fewer sports" are being suggested by Linda Lane, Ph.D., superintendent. The axe may fall upon swimming, wrestling, tennis, golf, and all intramurals at the high schools and middle school cuts to swimming and volleyball teams. 

These spots ramifications could prove to make an impact on the lives of youth in Pittsburgh and the greater community. Thousands of additional students could be departing the district in the season to come as for better opportunities at suburban and charter schools.

The Westinghouse coaches and school officials pushed the plan of switching to the WPIAL through a positive vote of the PPS School Board in October. This makes the first migration beyond the city league for any PPS school in football. 

Every basketball team in PPS, both boys and girls, remain in the City League, also known as PIAA Section 8. 

In the fall of 2012, a select group of sports teams from PPS migrated into the WPIAL. The boys swim team at PPS Obama Academy claimed the first and only WPIAL section title among PPS schools with an undefeated season in class AA. The squad beat foes of Carlington, Montour, Cornell, South Fayette and Bishop Canevin. At Obama Academy, the only previous sports squads to go into the WPIAL are in swimming and soccer, now volleyball seems likely.

Allderdice has the most number of teams in the WPIAL including swimming, golf, cross country, and baseball. Dice adds field hockey to the WPIAL in 2014. 

Baseball had more teams go to the WPIAL: Carrick, Brashear and Allderdice. Hence, a small schedule remained among Perry, Westinghouse and Obama. 

The sports team coop among UPrep, Obama and SciTech is to continue through the  2016 season. Students from those three schools generally combine to form one team. In football, the team is often called USO. 

Pittsburgh Public Schools is at the heart of a great sports town, but PPS has not been offering sporting opportunities to its students to the same degree as those found in suburban Pittsburgh. 

Missing opportunities for the city kids have had ramifications. School spirit suffers, mentoring doesn't happen, petty turf battles fester. Coaching helps kids learn how to "play well with others" or else violence escalates. Sports skills are transferable as athletes learn about devotion, focus, training, teamwork, and rule following. Athletes and teams develop an awareness of relationship with self, with others and with competitors in sports' high-intensity settings that thoroughly engages. 

Throughout the years, much of the outward migration of students from Pittsburgh Public Schools could be attributed to the bare bones sports programs within the city. The city kids played against other city schools and few had chances to face WPIAL competitors. Sure, exceptions exist among the schools and the various teams. Back in the day, the city league was a splendid, robust pursuit that energized the schools and district. 

In recent times, with the changing of high schools and the shrinking school budgets, PPS sports teams might not operate at all. 

To further discuss sports and fitness opportunities in the city, all are invited to attend a session at this year's Summit Against Racism at East Liberty Presbyterian Church on Saturday, January 25, 2014. Or, call or email, Mark@Rauterkus.com.com, 412-298-3432.

Post-Gazette does what the P-G always does: Sleeping and enabling the Pittsburgh Public Schools fumbling leadership

Seems to me that a "comprehensive plan" would be comprehensive and not vauge. The talk about closing or reconfiguring goes to 5 or 10 schools. Well, are they closing schools or going to reconfigure? Are there five or ten? And, most of all, what schools? None are named.

What 10 schools are running at less than 50% capacity? Not said in the comprehensive plan.

The devil is in the details and this has NONE.

Pittsburgh's school age population is falling sharply because Pittsburgh Public Schools has leadership issues that are not friendly to families, not friendly to students, not friendly to communities. People vote with their feet. The people that can often depart the city schools. Hence, the population decline.

Doctor Lane and her staff have NOT looked into every part of the PPS operations trying to save money. That is the biggest lie of them all. I asked for a meeting in November 2012 as Reizenstein had closed and we were at Peabody High School. I told her of 30 or more points that were specific to these facilities and programs at the pool and how many of them were flat out illegal. Some still are. She sends the email to a staff person and I might get one conversation with that person. Then, generally, that person departs the district too. No serious care nor concern about fiscal responsibility, security, and making the district a place where people want to be -- staff nor students.

Furthermore, for three years I've told our principal, and for more than one year I've told our superintendent that the swim programs could make money. But, they can't seem to find it in their comprehensive review to take 30 minutes and meet so PPS and the school can get $50,000 a year.

The school district has much to learn about community partnerships. But, they get an A+ when it comes to hoodwinking the Post-Gazette and having a few uber boosters and consultants blow enough smoke around with PR glitter. The people that go to school know better and those that have to make those decisions every semester know better too.

Rough road: Pittsburgh’s schools have tough choices to make
December 10, 2013

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent Linda Lane doesn’t sugarcoat the problems confronting her district.

A comprehensive, two-year planning report she released last Wednesday said that, although more city high school graduates are heading for college than five years ago, academic performance has declined in the last two years, 10 of the district’s 50 schools are running at less than 50 percent capacity and costs must be cut by nearly $50 million by 2016.

As Ms. Lane has done throughout her tenure as head of the district, she prepared a plan to attack the budget while implementing measures to improve student achievement.

The report, “Whole Child, Whole Community: Building a Bridge to the Pittsburgh Promise,” includes ambitious goals for transforming the district. Under her sound approach, many of its details will be worked out during consultations with the community and the school board. The document includes a range of options, particularly dealing with finances, and there the school board will need to be particularly aggressive.

The topic that always draws the most fire is the possibility of closing schools. As had been discussed previously, Ms. Lane makes a convincing case for closing Woolslair K-5 in June because its tiny enrollment means per pupil costs are double the rate of other Pittsburgh elementary schools. That alone won’t be enough.

Pittsburgh’s school-age population has fallen by 29 percent since 2000 to 37,431, the district has too many buildings that are under-utilized and its student-teacher ratio is lower than its peers in other Pennsylvania cities. Under the report's most ambitious option, closing 10 school buildings by the fall of 2015 would save as much as $5 million.

That would move the district in the right direction, but other elements of the plan could generate even larger savings. Eliminating classes that are too small, changing the high school schedule from nine periods to eight and reducing library services could save as much as $14 million. Reducing central office personnel and spending could reduce administrative costs by $6 million.

Deferring technology purchases and reducing student athletics — intramural sports; middle school volleyball, swimming and wrestling; and high school golf, swimming and tennis — could save $2 million. Maintenance costs could be lowered by $7 million if facilities were cleaned and disinfected less often. Having most high school students travel on Port Authority buses and realigning start times for other schools to cut down on school bus trips could save another $3.5 million.

Ms. Lane and her staff have looked into every part of the operation for ways to cut costs, without losing focus on the district’s fundamental mission of preparing its students for success in both higher education and the workforce. There is a lot of work to do.

The school board and its community partners now have a road map that can move Pittsburgh Public Schools toward the fiscal stability the district needs to fulfill its goals.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2013/12/10/Rough-road/stories/201312060034#ixzz2n4mioG00