Friday, October 21, 2011

Why do they talk around the specifics at a public meeting

The agenda review now being broadcast contains a discussion about a contract the district will be awarding for yet another consultant, this time on the budget. The superintendent in discussing this recommendation takes pains to talk around and avoid mentioning the name of the consultant and the amount or other specifics of the contract. Further, nothing is said about accountability on the part of the consultant for performance, and again the Board raises no concerns about accountability.

13 comments:

Questioner said...

At the meeting Dara Allen did note that a member of the consulting team was COO of Detroit public schools. Let's hope the 79 student in a science class incident mentioned by someone on another post was not on that COO's watch!

South Hills Stan said...

Oh Q, that is the least of our concerns.

In Detroit Public Schools there were a series of scandals, including but not limited to, the indictment of 9 executives in 2009.

There was another scandal involving about $150 million in construction funds being paid for some work that should have cost more like $15 million.

If this COO worked in Detroit in the last decade, somewhere there is blood on his/her hands, big time.

Questioner said...

The superintendent also mentioned that this new firm would be replacing the previous firm, which for various reasons the district could not continue with.

Would that firm be Three Bells, the consultant some posters had questions about at the time the firm was hired? Did any Board members wonder what the various reasons might be, or think to discuss how any hiring errors might be avoided? Or ask what the district got for the money paid to the prior consultant on this issue?

Bulldog Forever said...

Yes, Two Bell LLC was the firm that was reported on this blog way back in the spring.

If you remember, they did not file papers to incorporate with the PA Department of State UNTIL the very day they starting working with PPS.

I think by then we had exposed them pretty good on the blog too.

Anonymous said...

Three Bells LLC is it the firm the dist. hired you need to understand one they are a Limited Liability Company meaning a holding corporation they don't have any type of operation(s),activities or any other business just only assets stocks,shares etc. this is all i have to share with you at this point of time basically these people really like to invest money like on WALL STREET now you get it have nothing to do with education or school reform all about the money ok

Anonymous said...

Consultants, consultants, consultants?????

Is there anyone at 341 Bellefield Avenue that knows how to do their job?

Seems reasonable that we hire the consultants and let all of those in position go__fired for incompetence or inability to perform the role and responsibility of the job as described in the posting__if it was posted.

Anonymous said...

Mark Brentley keeps asking the Superintendent to seek information, insight, and advise from former employees or retirees. Seems like a reasonable even wise request. I'm sure they wouldn't charge an arm and a leg; might even help out for the sake of our children without a fee.

It seems that the function of PPS, currently, is to supply positions of influence at superfluous salaries to friends of Broad, Gates and Foundations local and at-large.

Questioner said...

Dr. Lane did say at the most recent meeting she would be willing to listen to suggestions from retirees. While some retirees continue to be involved and have already communicated information, the insights of many others have not yet been tapped. It would be nice to see some new faces.

She did say that she felt the retirees would be no substitute for the kind of services the new consultant would provide. But, the collective wisdom of the community should not be underestimated. If this advice had been considered more carefully, some of the district's greatest recent blunders (and money wasters) could have been avoided.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Lane makes what could be seen as "politically correct" statements all of the time; however, she never follows through on anything EXCEPT where she can involve Broad, Gates, National Networks and Foundations.

It seems that there is little belief that anyone in Pittsburgh, children or adults, have the intellectual capacity to teach, to learn, to advise, to contribute, you name it, there is little or no capacity in Pittsburgh.

Anonymous said...

We are in HUGE trouble if we have Detroit consultants involved here.

Robert Bobb, another Broad Superintendent pretty much destroyed what was left of Detroit Public Schools.

http://michigancitizen.com/dps-l
awsuits-grow-under-bobb-p8997-1.htm

Anonymous said...

My previous link does not work. The vigilant citizen's of. Seattle have been keeping tabs on Detroit. We all have been infected with the "Broad/Gates Virus".

http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com
/2010/10/03/robert-bobb-the-sad-
saga-continues/

Veteran Teacher said...

One can almost hear the wagons circling to protect the Broad/Gates influence and Roosevelt legacy perpetuated by Lane/Fischetti/Weiss.

Recent engagements for this consulting outfit include - SURPRISE - Washington DC Public Schools and Antioch College.

Bulldog Forever said...

Good thing Dr. Lane is bringing in help from Detroit. Looks like everything is going real well there:

Union Survey Finds Overcrowding In Detroit Classrooms.
The Detroit News (10/25, Chambers) reports, "More than 200 elementary and middle school classrooms are over class size limits at Detroit Public Schools, according to a survey by the Detroit Federation of Teachers," continuing to lay out statistics found at various Detroit schools. "Union leaders sent surveys to 127 buildings across the district, asking designated representatives to assess class sizes and report back."

Michigan Radio (10/25, Cwiek) reports notes that the survey found that "more than a quarter of Detroit Public Schools are reporting overcrowding issues in some classrooms," noting that the "union's contract caps class size at 35 students. Some schools reported classrooms with more than 50 students. Some also reported lacking supplies like textbooks. DFT Executive Vice President Mark O'Keefe says the district's emergency manager, Roy Roberts, implemented a budget with deep cuts-but promised to keep class size under 35 students."

Oh yes, and the same firm was involved with Harrisburg. Nice.