Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Expansion of summer camp

On the October "Start a new post" Anonymous wrote:

"INSTEAD OF DREAMING OF SUGARPLUMS THIS TIME OF THE YEAR-WE ARE OFF AND RUNNING WITH SUMMER DREAMERS--WHAT ANOTHER WASTED DREAM

ONLY PARENTS COMPLAINED-THE TEACHERS LOVED THE MONEY AND GAVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK TO COLLECT PAYCHECKS. NOT ALL TEACHERS-SOME WANT WILSON GONE-AND WONDER WHERE HIS HANDS ARE TIED TO THE THE PERSON'S WITH THE APRON STRINGS TO KEEP HIM ON--HE DOES NOT EVEN DIGNIFY A SECOND CHANCE-I AM A VERY DISGRUNTLED PARENT AND TAXPAYER.

Pittsburgh Public Schools expand summer literacy, activities camp
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
By Karamagi Rujumba, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Summer Dreamers Academy, a five-week literacy and activities camp the Pittsburgh Public Schools created ...

Pittsburgh Public Schools expand summer literacy activities camp ...
PennsNews provides Pennsylvania news and information and includes features such as important PA links, forum discussions, business listings and classified ...
www.pennsnews.com/index.php?option=com...task...

Another bad survey or interpretative data feedback regarding this well-funded Summer Dreamers Academy.
It appears --- never addressed the issues of the curriculum and the diversification of differentiated instruction for the varied student educational needs/
The civics responsibility as citizenship.
The same leadership Edie Wilson Board -people needed to look at his qualifications and true evaluation of his work from his superiors. He should have been fired for evaluation of his work this past summer.
His chant SHOULD BE THE EXIT SONG AS HE IS KICKED OUT THE DOOR ON HIS DUPA-with the rest of his so-called staff-they performed so bad they should not be given any more chances-let the teachers have chances-change this regime.
THE Kansas City article WITH Roosevelt gave two renowned quotes from an author’s on the spot analysis of this Program from King –two experiences as the article illustrated both were revolting from the filth of a bathroom and students filthy mouth of words given to a teacher in front of an audience.

This was a failure because of the students that quit-more than just that assumption.
This is not about the afternoon activities.
Many of us have sent state legislators regarding the funding of this program. Those were the excuses that the staff gave to keep their jobs for next summer."

12 comments:

Questioner said...

Here is the link to the PG article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10279/1092869-53.stm

It reports that the camp will be expanded to cover K-8 and be an hour longer. How can we afford this?

Is the plan to attract students with the activities, and then over time shift to just a year round school schedule?

bystander said...

Questioner, we can afford this because the money funding is for very specific use, to raise literacy performance. Unless more ARRA dollars are provided, next year's camp/this model will be the last. The expansion is possible becasue we did not spend enough this year based on enrollment most likely. As a taxpayer I won't accept anything less than people getting paid to work hard. I hope that happened.

The post was scathing in its criticism of one of the camp designers/directors and while I did not have a child in the camp, early on when the stimulus money and program were announced I participated in the first concept meetings. As corny as it may sound, I felt it was my duty as an active parent to have input. The design team was comprised of idealistic young adults, none of whom want to fail and probably all want to be a savior of urban education. Now would be the time to reach out to make next year's camp better by participating in any retooling to be done. Call the parent hotline or your board rep to make suggestions for next year.

I may have missed it, but was there any committee presentation or report to the media on Summer Dreamers feedback?

Anonymous said...

bystander said...a lot of comments

The post was scathing in its criticism of one of the camp designers/directors and while I did not have a child in the camp, early on when the stimulus money and program were announced I participated in the first concept meetings

Read more: http://saving17000kids.kansascity.com/articles/seeking-formula-fix-urban-education/#ixzz11aEjwf9t

Leaving the judo lesson behind, Roosevelt walked briskly through Pittsburgh King Elementary. He greeted staff and observed students assembling bikes for a 40-mile ride.

He glared at clocks that didn’t work and then zipped into a student restroom, emerging angry and marching toward a school police escort that took him to the Allegheny River.

“That’s the grossest bathroom I’ve been in”, he fumed. “That was disgusting!”

Read more: http://saving17000kids.kansascity.com/articles/seeking-formula-fix-urban-education/#ixzz11aEjwf9t
L
ike Gene Walker, 34, who escaped a tough neighborhood and now works for The Pittsburgh Promise, standing on stage, hoping to take all that theory and put it into motion.
W
hich starts by reaching kids.
Which starts, early on this morning, with this speech to middle school students

As Walker wound down, three boys who’d been snickering all along grew bolder.

“Be respectful,” a teacher snapped.
A mumble from one of the boys.
“What was that?”

The boy turned away from Walker and his words and stared at the teacher. Then his answer rang out, a reminder of how different ground-level reality looks from high-minded theories.

“Bitch!

Read more: http://saving17000kids.kansascity.com/articles/seeking-formula-fix-urban-education/#ixzz11aFua7aA

bystander said

The design team was comprised of idealistic young adults, none of whom wants to fail and probably all want to be a savior of urban education. Not at taxpayer collars-they get be saviors with a PR machine behind them sitting in warm offices now collecting paychecks-while we pay for it.

They are not teaching or in the Daily trenches bystander said
but was there any committee presentation or report to the media on Summer Dreamers feedback?

AS USUAL, NO DATA DRIVEN FEEDBACK-JUST THE GIGGLY BOARD- accepting another year-monitor and adjust-rehire a new team that is not dreamers as bystander calls “idealistic young adults, none of whom wants to fail and probably all want to be a savior of urban education.’

Remove all your descriptive words-the answer IS ADULTS-WANT URBAN EDUCATION-APPLY FOR JOBS-THAT IS THE JOB. We will have a better staff-young-that is so discriminating of a term.

I think they should each teach a nine-week assignment in an ALA CLASSROOM OR SUBSTITUTE TEACH IN DAILY DIFFERENT assignment as my neighbors have echoed-and look at what it is like in daily teaching assignments.

THIS IS A PARENT THAT CALLS THE HOTLINE AND IT IS not the people monitoring the hotline-they just do not have the person to send you to for answers.

If Roosevelt leaves-the two quotes from this article are compelling and very human-it gives a real backstory-a look at his true feelings about this job. He has feelings-maybe it is another venue for him to remove from the PPS.

bystander said...

My point about the design team was only meant to explain that the team could easily create an astounding career path for themselves if the camp was successful. Feel free to edit "young" from my statement.

Anonymous said...

I didn't opt to work one of these "camps" despite the money this year because it was a recipe for disaster. Yeah, you're trying to turn kids on to reading by making it into summer camp. Problem is, you not only brought in kids who want to learn but a great majority who don't or whose parents wanted nothing better than to dump them somewhere.
Uh, I'm one of the city's best teachers, but I'm not going to try to do it with an arm tied behind my back.

Anonymous said...

Yesterday one of the big shots came to U PREP Summer Dreamers and the Director and Leaders showed off - that was the first time they went over anything! The classrooms have like 45 kids per class and the staff is stressed, how can a teacher handle 45 kids - their are only a couple of aids! There is over 860 kids and one security guard and no school police. The custodians are doing what they can! The staff members are just walking off the job! As always the leadership team does nothing but barks out orders!

Anonymous said...

At U PREP the staff in the office are always eating chicken and talking about staff - their has been a girl break her leg and a sexual assault.

Questioner said...

Was the broken leg the fault of the school or staff in any way?

Anonymous said...

No, I guess it is normal for a camper to break their leg.

Anonymous said...

Guess what happened at U Prep Summer Dreamers today? A staff member did a skit in front of the kids in the Auditorium, she came on stage saying that she had a fake weave on cause she was poor and she had a baby doll in her arms and said it was ugly and could not grow hair and after saying all kids of horrible things she said bye to the kids because she said she had to go get her welfare check - then she put on a second skit where a student was suppose to be smart mouthing the Pittsburgh public school security guard and then the student hit the guard and the guard beat the student up on stage! The staff was so offended they were walking out asking why leadership left her on stage. They did not fire her, all she had to do was say sorry, REALLY! Dr.Lane was in the building too bad she did not go see the skit!

Questioner said...

What kind of staff member was this, and were things always this strange at PPS?

Anonymous said...

Today two staff members brought their kids to the camp and guess what they were caught stealing money out of purses!