How we got where we are Part XXXI (June 2009)

On another post Anonymous wrote:

"How we got where we are, part 31, June 2009

June 24, 2009: With enrollment continuing to decline, the Roosevelt/Lane/Fischetti/Weiss administration was determined to not let something as simple as supply and demand for school administrators stand in the way of the venture philanthropist agenda for the PELA pipeline.

The Board enters “into a contract with the Coro Center for Civic Leadership as part of year 3 of Pittsburgh's Emerging Leadership Academy...Coro is dedicated to providing unique, experience-based programming to cohort 3 in order to enhance the PELA residents' team building and facilitating capabilities, as well as to further develop their role as cultural builders and community leaders (collective results).”

Who can stop at just one PELA contract?

The Board also enters into a contract with Dr. Judy Johnston “as part of year 3 of Pittsburgh's Emerging Leadership Academy....to provide up to 50 days of training for Pittsburgh's
Emerging Leadership Academy Cohort 3 2009-2010. Dr. Johnston will provide no less than 50 days of onsite supervision, evaluation and training to the PELA residents from July 2009 through June 2010. Dr. Johnston will work with PELA residents on program competencies at their assigned school specifically around effective teacher observation and conferring skills, learning walk protocol, and effective and coherent professional development. Dr. Johnson will confer monthly with Dr. Jerri Lynn Lippert and the Lead Principal, Kellie Abbott on PELA resident needs to inform the professional development training component of the program. Dr. Johnston will be supervised by PELA program director Dr. Jerri Lynn Lippert. Dr. Johnston has been selected as a trainer due to her expertise in learning theory and curriculum, successful national urban principal training through the Institute for Learning, and demonstrated expertise in training Pittsburgh principals through the Leadership Academy. Through Year 1 and 2 PELA program evaluations, Dr. Johnston's work is invaluable to the development of instructional leadership.”

But why stop there?

The Board enters “into a contract with International Center for Leadership in Education as part of year 3 of Pittsburgh's Emerging Leadership Academy....to provide training to the emerging leaders in Cohort 3 2009-2010 of Pittsburgh's Emerging Leadership Academy....Managing change at the building level is one of the most crucial, and challenging, aspects of school administration. Building administrators must be prepared to serve as instructional leaders while creating a culture focused on preparing students for the world in which they will live and work.”

Clearly sensing an urgent need to create more school administrators at the same time the Facilities study's demographic data was making clear that we would have fewer children to educate in fewer schools, Mr. Roosevelt also recommends a $165,540 contract for PELA with the Duquesne University School of Education, with the agenda item proclaiming that “The partnership between DU and PELA will yield a true academy for aspiring school leaders driven by research on real problems in urban schools and developing urban school leaders who are research practitioners.”

And yet with large, no-bid professional services contracts to be handed out, what month would be complete without the Institute for Learning? For $541,000, the Board authorizes “a contract with Institute for Learning...to support a fourth and final year of support to complete the development of a rigorous core curriculum.”

Pay for Performance takes a step forward with the Board approving the School Administrator Evaluation Rubric and corresponding Achievement Bonus Formula.

The financial statements again warn that “Significant efforts must be made to reduce operating costs.”

Both Mr. Brentley and Mr. Taylor take note, voicing strong concerns over the PELA program, given the array of already available, experienced and certificated professionals in the district."