Letter to the editor/ parental involvement

From the PG (last letter):

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11059/1128514-110.stm

Toning down

On another post, Old Timer wrote:

Old Timer has left a new comment on your post "Candidates for school board":

"I don't see a link to 'suggest new topics' like I did before, so pardon me for tramping on this thread, but it's surprising that last Sunday's Linda Lane article was not linked here.
I sense a 'toning down' in administrative types over the past month, and I have to think that Dr.Lane is behind this. It's not that visitations are something we eagerly anticipate, but the resulting commentary has not been as rife with vitriol as during the past two years. I guess I'd like to hear what other teachers think."

Candidates for school board

On a "Start a new post," another anon wrote:

"Is there any way PURE might be able to provide any information on possible or declared candidates for school board seats?"

Schenley basketball/ setting sun

From the PG:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11049/1126174-361.stm

Schenley basketball -- enough said.

"I think those words still have magic to them," said Ken Saybel, Schenley's director of athletics the past 10 years....

It does hurt that they're taking down a school that was doing a lot of good for a lot of people," Skrocki said."



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11049/1126174-361.stm#ixzz1EJmuZGGE

List of failing middle/high schools in PA

PURE has been asked to post this list. Formatting is difficult but after the ditrict and school name is the percentage of proficient/advanced students at that school and then the school's rank starting with most troubled.

DISTRICT
SCHOOL
% PROF/ADV COMBINED READING & MATH

PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
LEARNING ACAD NORTH
0.00
1
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
UNIVERSITY CITY HS
5.12
2
EPHRATA AREA SD
WASHINGTON ED CENTER
7.69
3
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
WEST PHILADELPHIA HS
9.64
4
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
GRATZ SIMON HS
10.54
5
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
VAUX ROBERTS HS
10.88
6
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
GERMANTOWN HS
10.95
7
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ROXBOROUGH HS
12.64
8
HARRISBURG CITY SD
CAREER TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY
12.77
9
LANCASTER SD
PHOENIX ACADEMY
13.28
10
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DOUGLAS STEPHEN A SCH
13.86
11
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
JOHN BARTRAM HS
14.89
12
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
OLNEY HS WEST-704
15.40
13
CHESTER-UPLAND SD
CHESTER HS
15.59
14
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA HS
16.05
15
WILKINSBURG BOROUGH SD
WILKINSBURG SHS
16.23
16
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SAYRE WILLIAM L MS
16.84
17
PITTSBURGH SD
WESTINGHOUSE HS
17.26
18
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KENSINGTON INTL BUSINESS FINANCE
17.37
19
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
FELS SAMUEL HS
19.05
20
PITTSBURGH SD
PEABODY HS
20.30
21
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ALCORN JAMES SCH
20.50
22
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
OVERBROOK HS
20.57
23
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KING MARTIN LUTHER HS
20.93
24
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
OLNEY HS EAST-705
21.11
25
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KENSINGTON CREATIVE & PERF ARTS HS
21.46
26
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
BLUFORD GUION EL SCH
21.92
27
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
LAMBERTON ROBERT HS
21.99
28
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DUNBAR PAUL L SCH
22.12
29
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE
22.22
30
PITTSBURGH SD
OLIVER HS
22.22
31
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
FITZSIMONS THOMAS ACADEMY
22.54
32
HARRISBURG CITY SD
HAMILTON SCH
23.05
33
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KENSINGTON CULINARY ARTS
23.31
34
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
JONES JOHN PAUL MS
23.38
35
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
FRANKLIN BENJAMIN HS
23.43
36
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HILL LESLIE P SCH
23.79
37
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
FRANKFORD HS
24.15
38
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
EDISON HS - FAREIRA SKILLS
24.18
39
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
LINCOLN ABRAHAM HS
24.27
40
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
RANDOLPH A PHILIP AVT HS
24.53
41
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DAROFF SAMUEL SCH
24.80
42
HARRISBURG CITY SD
HARRISBURG HS
25.72
43
DUQUESNE CITY SD
DUQUESNE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL
25.95
44
CHESTER-UPLAND SD
COLUMBUS EL SCH
27.08
45
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
STETSON JOHN B MS
27.18
46
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SMEDLEY FRANKLIN SCH
27.42
47
HARRISBURG CITY SD
STEELE SCHOOL
28.23
48
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DOUGLASS FREDERICK SCH
28.25
49
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ALLEN ETHEL DR.
28.77
50
HARRISBURG CITY SD
MELROSE SCH
29.35
51
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
BARRY COMM JOHN SCH
29.81
52
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
CLEMENTE ROBERTO MS
29.87
53
HARRISBURG CITY SD
ROWLAND SCHOOL
29.95
54
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
CLYMER GEORGE SCH
30.04
55
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
GILLESPIE ELIZ D MS
30.17
56

PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SWENSON ARTS & TECHNOLOGY HS
30.20
57
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KELLEY WILLIAM D SCH
30.46
58
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
POTTER-THOMAS SCH
30.56
59
HARRISBURG CITY SD
CAMP CURTIN SCH
30.99
60
CHESTER-UPLAND SD
THE VILLAGE AT CHESTER UPLAND
30.99
61
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
PASTORIUS FRANCIS P
31.24
62
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
STANTON M HALL SCH
31.43
63
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DOBBINS MURRELL AVT HS
31.52
64
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
WALTER G SMITH SCH
31.71
65
WILLIAM PENN SD
PENN WOOD SHS
32.37
66
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HARRISON WILLIAM SCH
32.39
67
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
CLEVELAND GROVER SCH
32.55
68
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HARRITY WILLIAM F SCH
32.83
69
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HARDING WARREN G MS
33.67
70
YORK CITY SD
WILLIAM PENN SHS
34.07
71
ALIQUIPPA SD
ALIQUIPPA JSHS
34.15
72
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
BARRATT NORRIS S MS
34.29
73
READING SD
READING SHS
34.39
74
HARRISBURG CITY SD
SCOTT SCHOOL
34.50
75
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
PRATT ANNA B SCH
34.55
76
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
PENNELL JOSEPH SCH
35.12
77
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
MCMICHAEL MORTON SCH
35.28
78
PITTSBURGH SD
PERRY TRADITIONAL ACAD HS
35.58
79
PITTSBURGH SD
NORTHVIEW EL
35.59
80
HARRISBURG CITY SD
LINCOLN SCH
35.94
81
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
REYNOLDS GEN JOHN F
36.14
82
PITTSBURGH SD
HELEN S FAISON ARTS ACADEMY
36.38
83
PITTSBURGH SD
PITTSBURGH UNIVERSITY PREP
36.41
84
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
CREIGHTON THOMAS SCH
36.45
85
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
WRIGHT RICHARD R SCH
36.66
86
WILKINSBURG BOROUGH SD
WILKINSBURG MS
36.78
87
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
WHITTIER JOHN G
37.02
88
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
GEORGE WASHINGTON HS
37.09
89
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
VARE EDWIN H MS
37.52
90
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ELKIN LEWIS SCH
37.54
91
SOUTHEAST DELCO SD
ACADEMY PARK HS
37.61
92
PITTSBURGH SD
KING M L EL SCH
38.08
93
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
MCKINLEY WILLIAM SCH
38.10
94
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HARTRANFT JOHN F SCH
38.15
95
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
EDMUNDS HENRY R SCH
38.25
96
PITTSBURGH SD
ROONEY MIDDLE SCHL
38.27
97
STO-ROX SD
STO-ROX HS
38.31
98
LANCASTER SD
MCCASKEY CAMPUSES
38.60
99
PITTSBURGH SD
LANGLEY HS
38.63
100
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
BIRNEY GEN DAVID B SCH
38.80
101
HARRISBURG CITY SD
DOWNEY SCH
38.85
102
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
STEARNE ALLEN M SCH
38.94
103
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
MORTON THOMAS G SCH
38.98
104
HARRISBURG CITY SD
FOOSE SCH
38.98
105
YORK CITY SD
HANNAH PENN MS
39.06
106
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
STEEL EDWARD SCH
39.07
107
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SHERIDAN PHILIP H SC
39.15
108
ERIE CITY SD
WAYNE MS
39.29
109
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SHEPPARD ISAAC SCH
39.43
110
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HOWE JULIA WARD SCH
39.48
111
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
MIFFLIN THOMAS SCH
39.49
112
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ANDERSON ADD B SCH
39.64
113
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DUCKREY TANNER SCH
39.89
114
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DREW CHARLES R SCH
39.94
115
WILLIAM PENN SD
PARK LANE EL SCH
40.21
116
READING SD
GATEWAY SCH INTL BUISNESS & WORLD LANG
40.30
117

Full $40k Promise scholarship contingent on Advanced PSSA or 600 SAT's

See this link:

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/The-Pittsburgh-Promise-Board-prnews-1825794155.html?x=0

The link is a "press release" style announcement that the Promise board has approved doubling the original 20k scholarship to 40k contingent on certain requirements. However, the increase to 40k was announced some time back, and the Promise website just lists the requirement for receiving 40k rather than 20k as passing the state graduation exam.

Focus of school board efforts

From the PG:

"Carey Harris, executive director of the Pittsburgh educational advocacy group A+ Schools, wants lawmakers to help, too. She asked them to revise portions of the school code that require boards of education to approve routine transactions that distract them from important policy decisions.

Pittsburgh officials should be addressing dropout rates, the achievement gap and providing guidance counselors, she said. Instead, she said, they are spending their meetings voting on whether to buy hand sanitizer, approve field trips and accept donations."


Read more: http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/11045/1125395-100.stm#ixzz1E0DvYNIH

Potential cost of vouchers

From the Tribune, "Public school districts brace for the possibility of vouchers":

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_722902.html

- An estimated cost to PPS is discussed.

Changes to AP offerings and CAS

From the PG:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11045/1125265-298.stm

The article seems to say that only CAS students have been eligible for AP courses- but haven't AP and IB courses long been open to any student who wants to try them?

The article also reports a change to CAS:

"Students who are not identified as gifted can be admitted to the CAS or AP courses if they meet certain requirements, including a 3.0 grade point average and 90 percent attendance.

They also would have to have a track record of performance in the particular subject area. In certain situations, principal or teacher recommendations would be considered."

- So instead of eliminating CAS, the plan seems to be to open it to students with a 3.0 GPA.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11045/1125265-298.stm#ixzz1DxDgijEY

Elimination of dual enrollment

On another post, Mark Rauterkus wrote:

"Different topic: Did you hear the "dual enrollment" has not been funded for the past two years? The "dual enrollment" is what they call it when a kid in high school, generally seniors or juniors, get to take one CCAC or college course per semester while in high school."

Additional Promise dollars

On a "Start a new post" hmmmm wrote:


"A post card came in the mail. The first paragraph reads:

The Pittsburgh Public Schools Class of 2012 will be the first to be eligible for up to $20,000 in additional scholarship dollars from The Pittsburgh Promise, by scoring "Advanced" on this year's PSSAs and meeting the other eligibility requirements for The Promise.

Several things are stunning about this, but I will allow others to comment with their thoughts."

On-line credit recovery

Article about on-line credit recovery and the need for continuing teacher involvement:

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/09/tech-high-computer-no-substitute-for-a-teacher/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk2%7C200443

Although there doesn't seem to have been much public discussion, PPS is moving toward greater use of online credit recovery. The extent of teacher involvement in PPS is not clear.

"Pathways to Prosperity"

Link to a new Harvard study about guiding students to the right course of post-secondary study:

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/features/2011/Pathways_to_Prosperity_Feb2011.pdf

Confusing article on education funding

On a "Start a new post," aparent wrote:

"http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11036/1123276-454.stm

How does the line go? Something like explaing it to me as though I am a 4th grader? Too much reporting on education leaves the door open to either spend a lot of time speculating or cause the reader to toss up his hands and move on to the magazine section. Can anyone help explain what to expect based on the thoughts in the article above? Same amount of money but with different/new restrictions on how to spend it? Might that be a good guess?"

Here's what has worked for Mike Tomlin

As we look toward the Super Bowl:

http://www.newsweek.com/2009/01/30/the-president-and-the-coach.html

Foregone conclusions in NYC

From the NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/05/nyregion/05winerip.html?_r=1


The article describes how 2,000 people attended a hearing on school closings even though "the outcome was never in doubt." The chancellor, deputies and mayor "seem to share a sureness they are right." NYC continues a push toward small schools even though "studies indicate the size of a school is no guarantee of quality" and toward charter schools despite "a national study that 17 percent are superior to traditional public schools; 37 percent are worse..."

Shortage of counselors and social workers

On another post, Anonymous wrote:

"Let's get back to the discussion of Anonymous January 27 6:37: "How many counseling positions have been added?". Counselor and social worker positions are being eliminated like never before to the detriment of the students and parents. Peabody still doesn't have a counselor. Langley, Science & Tech, and Obama still don't have a social worker. Everyone admits they are needed, but the PFT ignores the issue and the principals disregard the problem. Meanwhile, the counselors and social workers "actually interact with students and stuff like that" every day all day when principals are nowhere to be found. Everyone comes to the counselor/social worker for practically everything and they are completely overworked and under appreciated."

Environmental Charter School expands

On another post, Anonymous wrote:

"EAST END CHARTER SCHOOL - 2011 - 2012

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/education/s_720861.html"

Use of Pittsburgh Promise

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


"Let's move to a new subject is there any ball point numbers on how many PPS student who will be potential candidates to use the Pgh
Promise scholarship for a 4 year college,2 year college,trade school,business school etc.
let see out of this year graduation class to see how many students that PPS prepared for life after High School!!!!!!!!"