Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Superintendent's performance priorities

From the PG:

"the board Tuesday night adopted the "performance priorities" of Superintendent Linda Lane, which include the "restart" of Pittsburgh Westinghouse in Homewood in 2012-13. Westinghouse reopened this fall as a 6-12 school offering single-gender classes, but, after a disorganized start and threatened legal action from the American Civil Liberties Union, the board Wednesday agreed to discontinue the single-gender classes by February.

Ms. Lane also is charged with developing a plan by April to decrease racial disparities in the district....

Ms. Lane's performance goals also include improving support for principals, ensuring the budget that provides enough money for a reserve, continuing programs aimed at improving teacher quality, showing progress on state tests, working on high school reform and re-evaluating and refining the career and technology education plan."


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11327/1192006-298.stm#ixzz1eVbux7jO

16 comments:

Grizzled Veteran said...

The PG will laud all of this, of course. I can remember when this newspaper used to question authority. Now, it's just a mouthpiece for PPS's Communications Department.
Education should be for the children. Sacrifices should be made for the children, not by the children.
Administrative staff is out of control.
I am sad to say that Ms.Lane took the coward's way in true ideologue style. Instead of questioning the practices and mindset of PPS over the past six years, she has cut the very people that are the lifeline for our kids in favor of people truly stealing their paychecks at taxpayer expense.
And the PG lauds this.
Shame on the PG, and shame on Linda Lane and members of the school board--save for Mr.Brentley--who continue to put their own interests above the interests of Pittsburgh families.
I'm ashamed to say I am a teacher for these people.

Anonymous said...

And MORE and MORE and MORE (hundredssss of thousandsssss) were approved for PR. It is very, very difficult to comprehend.

Its true that PPS needs it PR; but kids and their education must come first. (Then the PR takes care of itself like in the old days.)

Anonymous said...

Linda Lane and the school board need to take the blame for the mess at Westinghouse. She could not have gone ahead with this if the board did not approve it. They knew last school year that the ACLU would file suit if this happened. I think it is more about the " disorganized start" than anything else.

Oliver Grandmother said...

We are fast approaching the one year anniversary of the Mark Roosevelt farewell tribute at the Carnegie (12/1).

How should we celebrate the legacy?

Randall Taylor said...

With a one day boycott of the Pittsburgh Public Schools

Bulldog Forever said...

That would be fitting - a sit out protesting the now President of Antioch College and the destructive legacy of the Roosevelt/Lane/Fischetti/Weiss administration.

Some hippies somewhere are laughing.

Anonymous said...

I agree anon 2:14-- they are using the ACLU/single gender issue to cover the total lack of administration at the beginninhg of school-- single gender has nothing to do with it-- and with the kinda of complaints she was hearing- Dr. Lane and her top team should have come in immediately and taken over until there were schedules and organization.

Anonymous said...

http://www.examiner.com/labor-relations-in-miami/john-tarka-appointed-administrator-of-broward-teachers-union

Retired John Tarka still getting paid. Read all about how wonderful Tarka and our union were/are in PPS. They helped create the mess we are in!

Anonymous said...

Bulldog Forever,

What oath do Board members take when sworn into office?

Bulldog Forever said...

School Director Oath of Office
24 PS 3-321
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth, and that I will discharge the duties of my office with fidelity.

Dues Paying Member said...

Anon 9:49:

You can almost imagine John Tarka still saying: "the only acceptable number of layoffs is zero."

Is that still true or is 700 ok if the Aspen Institute - funded by the Gates Foundation - recognizes your leadership?

Anonymous said...

Thank you Bulldog.

Anonymous said...

Sunday's KD/PG Edition at 8:30 a.m. has Dr. Lane, Nina Esposito-Visgitis, and Sharene Shealey on talking about the budget. Should be interesting... Of course the PG mentioned that Lane turned down a $15,000 pay raise. They didn't mention that she still makes $200,000.

A Word from Bellefield said...

KD/PG will pitch nothing but softballs.

I remember when Sharene was a fairly Board member and she as my former boss if we could afford the Gates and teachers contract (with associated implementation elements).

The blunt answer she received in writing was the same given to Roosevelt: no and no.

Old Timer said...

Other than Mr.Brentley, the gutlessness of some board members intertwined with the questionable decision-making that borders on corruption of others makes viewing the school board a one word proposition:

hopeless.

I'm sorry that the public views Mr.Brentley and Mr.Taylor (when he was a board member) as rabble-rousers. Nothing could be further from the truth. They simply remember who the schools should be for: not the board, not central administration, not the superintendent and really, not even the teachers...but the kids and their families.

How do you continually justify upsetting the education of our children to save jobs at places like Bellefield Avenue and Greenway?

Amazing.

And as long as there is not a tax increase, it's all okay with media like the Post-Gazette.

Questioner said...

These are goals for 2011-2012, presumably the school year, and they are just now being finalized a third of the way into the school year.