Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Vann and Rooney to close

From the Tribune Review:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_673283.html

14 comments:

Questioner said...

The article mentioned that asbestos is a concern for Vann.

It is not clear why asbestos is any more a concern at Vann than it is at Miller (formerly McKelvey).

It is also not clear why asbestos is any more a concern at Vann now than it was two years ago.

Questioner said...

Article from the PG:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10084/1045546-53.stm

Much of this article sounds as if it could have been written by the district.

Questioner said...

For example, the article states that Milliones is "being touted as the premier public school on the Hill." But- for grades 6-12 it will be the ONLY public school on the hill.

It also mentions that the idea behind Milliones is to offer "a world class college preparatory program." What exactly is a world class college preparatory program? Is the Milliones program expected to be better that the preparatory program offered at Perry, or at Brashear, or will all Pittsburgh public high schools be offering a "world class college preparatory program"?

Old Timer said...

Questioner, if UPrep is going to be "elite", then some force is going to have to go in and rein in the students. Report after report states that the school is something more along the lines of an ALA than an "elite" school.
More propaganda brought to you by a corporate driven school district that would much rather lie to you than provide the transparency it promises.
No matter. Mark Roosevelt could care less about what you think.

Anonymous said...

It must be springtime so its time for Mark Rossevelt to tamper with the schools of the Hill District. The PG article even shows closed, reopened, expanded contracted, closed because building in bas shape, kept open of academic progess. Vann and the other school's population fell because Milliones was re-opened. Somehow, Someday, Some way, Mark Roosevelt must be forced to develop a comprehensive, strategy, long range planned school plan. Until this occurrs communities will have to go through this over and over again. STOP MARK ROOSEVELT BEFORE HE CLOSES, RE-OPENS, EXPANDS, OR CONTRACTS YOUR SCHOOL AGAIN! administration somehow

Questioner said...

The strange thing is, all the 6-8 graders together at Milliones wasn't working so Milliones was closed and K-5's were expanded to K-8. Now a couple of years later we have the 6-8 graders back at Milliones again, joined by grades 9-12. There does seem to be a need for a consistent, well reasoned long term plan.

Anonymous said...

Mark Roosevelt will call back to Boston, and ask the Broad foundation what to do, or maybe he ask Bill Gates

Anonymous said...

It's the teachers fault

Anonymous said...

Perhaps if the board member that represents the hill would stop abstaining from votes and DO something....then a plan could develop.

Questioner said...

What specifically should he do? So far he has proposed a one year period for community input before further closings, requested but not received information, held neighborhood meetings, and helped form an open panel to make recommendations for east end schools (parallel to a closed district panel).

Anonymous said...

Board members can accomplish nothing on their own. They represent one segment of the whole. Working in collaboration with 4 other members at the minimum, would be the way to get something done for his district.

Anonymous said...

We are in the time of Glasnost within the board. It was one thing to vote along racial lines in years passed, but to sign off on anything that the superintendent deems proper seems to me to be unconscionable.

Anonymous said...

The Board itself has no power. MR and company are running the show.

Have you ever watched an agenda meeting or legislative meeting on tv? It is the dog and pony show. I wonder if board meetings in other districts are like ours? We don't need the PFT OR a Board. Neither work for the people they are supposed to be representing.

Anonymous said...

it's the parents' fault. No wait...that was a while ago...whose turn is it to be at fault?