Monday, January 10, 2011

Updated plans for single gender academies

From the PG:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11010/1116840-53.stm

15 comments:

Questioner said...

Tbe article notes that each grade in each academy is expected to have 50 students- so even if the HS portion is fully enrolled there would only be 400 students.

The position of the district and facilities consultants has always been that a high school must have at least 600 students to support a full range of sports, electives and activities. A reason for closing Peabody was that with about 500 students options would be limited. With a maximum of 700 students (an actual enrollment most likely lower), there will also be quite a bit of excess, unused capacity in this building intended for 1000 students.

Anonymous said...

Single gender academies is does not make since to close a school due to lower enrollment yet you are starting a academy which will have a lower enrollment in which you had close down a school why hire a consultant if you not take his/her advice this ludicrous!!!!!

also for my understanding that the dist is trying to force students to sign up for this single gender academy am i correct please confirm.
if so this violates a student 14 amendment meaning they have a right
to express oneself on chosing under the Equal Protection law base
on the US Constitution Law meaning
this has to be govern by voluntary
action and can't be force upon a student choice

lol said...

Questioner including the 6-8 numbers would get the grand total of kids closer to the suggested minimum and then the levels could share teachers and further denegrate the quality of the product (education). This makes it look like a consultant was useful. Why not ask teachers to get multiple certifications by grade level and help them attain those via a teachers' academy program? Could it be possible that spending only $1M on facility upgrades will be enough? The grant money may not dry up but unless the initiatives are an unqualified success the dollars will decrease, don't you think? Before long the 10 year string of not raising taxes will end and any increase will cause polulation loss as baby boomers move to nice one-story housing or senior living facilities just outside the city. Damn...I didn't mean to share my plan with you.

Anonymous said...

The 50 number may just be a way to get people to sign up- only 10 more slots and then you'll have to trek up to that problem school in the Hill! The number of spaces can always be increased later since there is plenty of room.

Anonymous said...

700 students is the 6-8 included number, if it fills entirely.

100 per grade, 50 boys, 50 girls, grades 6-12.

Questioner said...

But of course 6-8 can't play high school sports or take high school electives. So in terms of offering "the full range of sports and activities" the high school portion will be pretty much at the same number of students it has had over the past several years, with lower enrollment than Peabody.

not-lol said...

Questioner, since you mentioned sports I just like to ask if anyone from the athletic reform committee has presented anything that might resemble what a schedule will look like once PPS is WPIAL-ized? I do not have a kid who will be impacted right now but there is some concern about increased travel times causing delays to being promise ready. It would also be a load off a lot of minds to know the bus rides will include a catered dinner for games that require departure at or before dismissal.

Anonymous said...

How can the students have 3 weeks off for Christmas and 3 weeks off for Spring Break. Sounds like a way to bribe children. It sad the district has to do this to attract students. Some mentioned the ambssadors a few weeks ago on this blog. A Bribe.

What a joke. The have to do something because of NCLB laws. Changing Westinghouse is like starting over. Because Westinghouse has been corrective action for such a longtime.

a-okay said...

At least one or two local charter schools (possibly three) have trimesters. The academies seem to be adopting this practice. This could be a back door to year round school. Don't worry though, with all the teacher academy grads needing positions eventually, staffing should not be an issue.

Smart change is good and trimesters could be smart change for PPS. The calendar could work for many veteran teachers. Delivering the plan without snake-oil salesmanship is always helpful.

Questioner said...

This schedule already seems pretty close to year round school- the end of the year is July 27 and then students start back less than a month later. Teachers have training/development starting in the beginning of August.

Again, a danger is that kids take the 3 weeks in December, take the 3 week spring break, and then in the summer say they are in the Wilkinsburg or Penn Hills district. Or miss time because they need to care for younger siblings.

Anonymous said...

Now this makes sense!
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2010/05/stephen_krashen_fix_poverty_an.html

Anonymous said...

What, specifically, will be different about the Westinghouse 'academies' besides time, space, and 'modified' gender separation?

Anonymous said...

WHO and HOW 'they' will select, "train" and essentially equip teachers for a DIFFERENT and SUCCESSFUL experience that truly EDUCATES Westinghouse students___ during less than one month prior to the opening of a school year?

Anonymous said...

WHO and HOW will 'they' select, "train" and essentially equip teachers for a DIFFERENT and SUCCESSFUL experience that truly EDUCATES Westinghouse students, and do it during less than one month prior to the opening of a school year?

Anonymous said...

Smoke & Mirrors