Another view that has been making the rounds:
"A History of Lack of Support at Westinghouse
As someone who has worked very closely with the Westinghouse community and staff, I thought it very appropriate at this time to voice my concern for the lack of support that the board administration has given the school leadership team at Westinghouse over the last several years. The central office administration continues to use the media to give the appearance to the community that the principals’ lack of leadership is the sole reason that the transformation of Westinghouse was not successful. Those of us who are a part of the school community know that is clearly not the case. In a survey given to the parents prior to Abbott and McNeil being placed on leave, only 6% of the parents surveyed felt that the school leadership was poor. The overwhelming majority of both parents and staff that were surveyed understood that the school leadership was working diligently to establish a culture of learning that was quite different than what the students had experienced previously. It is a shame that the board administration not only showed a lack of support for the change that was being instituted at Westinghouse, but placed additional barriers in the principals’ and teachers’ way. It makes us wonder why they would do this. If the administration did not support the change into a single gender school, why allow the principals to open the school as such.
And we all continue to read about the school being unorganized. How much did the district administration contribute to the lack of organization within the school, when construction that was critical to the effective opening of the school was delayed for more than two months? During a time that the use of the school is critical for the effective opening of the school year, the entire staff was unable to have access to classrooms. Four schools were being closed, classrooms moved, materials shipped to a new location. How many additional custodians were sent to support the major changes that were taking place? How is it that all of the necessary books and materials from Peabody High School were delivered to Westinghouse two school days prior to when students would arrive? This was an entire cafeteria full of items that would need to be sorted and distributed. Where was the board administrative team when the staff worked diligently to have these materials in their classrooms and establish a welcoming learning environment for the opening day of school? Who is being held accountable for opening the school earlier than all other high schools, when construction continued to delay the staff from being able to have access to the school?
In preparing for the students, the principals understood the importance of emphasizing academic and behavioral expectations from the start of school. As a community school, the school leadership team requested the opportunity to focus on expectations for the classroom, halls, assemblies, and overall school wide performance. This was to be the focus of the first four weeks of school. Students would receive the necessary guidance in transitioning into the new school. Unfortunately, the assistant superintendent for high schools, Christiana Otuwa, would not allow the principals to have a major focus on these areas. Although the students were coming from many different schools and neighborhoods, the school was supposed to begin like any other school. We see now that student behavior and expectations continues to be a major issue at Westinghouse. When given the opportunity to allow students to see that the entire community supports the change that they are a part of, once again the initiatives of the principals were not supported.
At Westinghouse, there is a level of disorganization that surpasses the authority and responsibility of the principal. On numerous occasions the principals of the Academy at Westinghouse were told that the new scheduling software could handle a trimester calendar. If the system was unable to handle the unique structure of scheduling that was being developed, why would the board administration continue to emphasize a trimester calendar? It was a technology issue that created the inability to have students scheduled properly. Up until the day before school, Principal Abbott was told that the scheduling in Pinnacle was correct. Christiana Otuwa arrived at Westinghouse the second day of school, knowing that the Pinnacle software was not correct and pressured Principal Abbott to print the schedules that were in Pinnacle. Why would Principal Abbott not be allowed to use a hand scheduling method that other schools were using? Schools that did not have a trimester schedule were experiencing the same problems and these schools opened for students more than a week after Westinghouse. Christiana Otuwa showed little regard for the students who would be more frustrated as a result of receiving schedules that were unreadable. The principals should have been allowed by their supervisor to schedule in the manner that would work for the school.
There has been a clear pattern of disregard on the board administration’s part as it relates to the support that has been requested by the principals at Westinghouse. How is it that every year Westinghouse continues to receive a large percent of the displaced teachers from throughout the district? Teachers are placed at Westinghouse that have no desire to work at the school, while those that want to make a difference within the community are assigned elsewhere. In July of 2010 Principal McNeil brought it to the attention of his supervisors that over 40% of the teachers at Westinghouse were coming from displacements. His continued communication regarding this situation that was not equitable was not given the attention that was necessary. Students at Westinghouse should have been afforded the opportunity to be taught by the district’s best teachers, not constantly receiving new teachers that lack the skill set and experience to teach the students in our community. Yet, the principal continued to follow protocol and support the reform agenda that was being proposed by the board administration, hoping that the board leadership would hold true to the promise of hiring staff for the school that would be required to go through an intense hiring process.
But what was the incentive for an effective teacher to come to The Academy at Westinghouse? While the district was promoting the Teacher Academies at Brashear and King as career ladder positions for teachers with monetary incentives, who was busy recruiting teachers for the most important task of creating change for the students of the East End? After all, it was only the closure and consolidation of four low performing schools. The principals were being asked to do this while remaining committed to all the responsibilities of other principals as well. So the principals not only had to advocate for the school and recruit teachers, but initially students had to sign up to attend the school as well. And who was out in the community meeting with parents and families and the community in order to recruit students? It was the principals again who were charged with ensuring that students signed up to attend the school. Yet, given the outright lack of district support, more than 500 parents chose to send their children to the Academy at Westinghouse. They desired to send their children to a Westinghouse that would be designed different, hoping that the district would hold true to their promises. So the principals communicated to parents and students that they would receive qualified teachers who would present an approach to learning that was different than what they were currently receiving. So did the district hold true to this promise? The answer is an unequivocal No.
Out of the 50 teachers at Westinghouse, 21 were placed there without going through the rigorous observation and interview process conducted by the principals. How is it that the district can say that they were committed to making the new school work for the students at Westinghouse when the district continues to display a lack of effort in hiring and assigning teachers to the school? After Derrick Lopez left the district, who was the board administrator who was committed to the work of this transformation? Who would have brought this issue up in executive meetings with all of the attention that was being given to the Teacher Academies? Again, the school leadership and staff were left alone to deal with the results of these poor decisions. The school leadership would have to tell teachers, who were assigned to a school that they did not choose, that the school was designed in a manner that would require them to work additional hours each day. Also, these teachers were asked to report to the school three weeks prior to the opening of the school for training. But somehow, the teachers and school leadership came together for the benefit of the students and 50 – 60% of the staff regularly attended the summer training.
So when the school year began, many people were under the impression that the teachers who were at Westinghouse wanted to be there and were the top candidates. What has not been addressed by the district administration throughout all of the communication with the media is the fact that the principals were told by assistant superintendent, Christiana Otuwa, to place 17 teachers on Employee Improvement Plans. How could the principals, who had personal relationships with parents and students, and had promised the best teachers, now say that 35% of the staff is performing at an unsatisfactory level? Were these same teachers unsatisfactory at their previous schools? Why would these unsatisfactory teachers be placed at Westinghouse, the new school with the greatest need of support? Christiana Otuwa and the board administration did not care about the school climate that would be created by such a directive as this. Placing 17 teachers on an improvement plan in a newly designed and consolidated school would have negatively impacted the entire school community. Teachers were already being required to perform tasks that were new and take leadership roles within the school community. These teachers were putting forth effort to meet the goals being set by the board and school administration. There has not been any principal in the district that was required to address teacher evaluations in such a manner as the principals at Westinghouse. Otuwa’s directive to place these staff members on improvement plans was unacceptable. Were these teachers on plans at their previous school? I applaud McNeil for standing up to a supervisor that attempts to bully people into doing what she wants.
Curriculum implementation has also been a topic of concern, but as I recall the district was to hire a curriculum coordinator for the school. Of course this did not happen as it should have. The district administration chose to hire a project manager rather than someone that could help with the necessary curriculum support. The project manager, that the principals were not permitted to supervise, reported directly to Christiana Otuwa. Why is it that the leaders that are in the school each day, were not able to assign important tasks to the people that were hired by the board administration to perform those responsibilities?
But was there to be a different curriculum anyway? The students were given additional time in the classroom. The emphasis on a different curriculum was not a priority. A theme of leadership was being infused into the curriculum throughout the school. This is another plot to distract us from the true issue at hand, which is the lack of support and true effort that the school district made to ensure that Westinghouse was a success this school year. Many of us communicated that the school should grow by a grade each year like other schools that were new in the district. There is no other school that serves similar students that was approved to open in the manner as Westinghouse Academy.
We are constantly reading reports that the school is better now, but how can that be when the amount of citations issued to students has drastically increased. Teachers are afraid to voice their concerns for fear of losing their jobs or being an eventual target. The district implied that the principals were the issue, so it must be better now. The current school administration that was placed at Westinghouse has been given a new level of support. But what has happened is a decrease in the expectations for students. The school was designed in a manner that required young men and young women to understand the importance of dress. On the first days of school, community members called the school constantly to thank the leadership for the change that was visible in the community. Young men and women were dressed in a uniform that identified them as a student involved in a special movement within their community. Students are no longer required to wear the same uniform dress. Why did we lower the expectation? The students were previously required to submit all electronics/cell phones at the door, prior to entering the school. This is no longer taking place and students have reverted back to having phones and music out as before. Implementing change takes a commitment and focus. I only wish our students had been given a chance to adjust to the higher expectations that were being established.
It seems that everyone that was closely connected to the process of transforming Westinghouse has moved on to other positions outside of the district except Principal McNeil. Principal McNeil has received satisfactory performance evaluations and qualified for the principal incentive bonuses both years as Principal of Westinghouse High School, and as recent as October 2011. He received an evaluation from Otuwa in August that was satisfactory. He was then placed on an improvement plan in October 2011 and placed on leave less than four weeks later. Did he even get the opportunity to work towards improvement as suggested? Principal McNeil even questioned the sincerity of his supervisor to support his improvement after she stated in her first meeting to discuss the plan that she was looking to rate principals out. It appears that his job performance is now being questioned to the point that he may no longer hold any administrative position in the district. This is a shame and I am hoping that the school board will correct the negligent actions of the administration that supervises Principal McNeil."
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68 comments:
I'm at a loss to explain how even one teacher was placed on an improvement plan in this environment. It's the closest thing I have heard of approaching Joe Clark's days of taking over a school in NY/NJ and spawning the movie.
Was this school designed to fail?
If so, why?
If not, why was such blatant incompetence allowed past day 1?
In a true corporate setting, a great many administrative heads would roll for such incompetence.
But in PPS, administration protects its own. We see that as it prepares to fire 400 teachers who actually work with kids.
We see that in this sickening story.
PPS was warned about many of these problems and in general about just taking on too much in one gulp (add Peabody area students! add a middle school! add a new schedule! add single gender education! add uniforms! add changes to CTE and the curriculum and the building and the community partners and school leadership and staffing etc etc etc, all at once!). There is a strange disregard for logic and practicalities, as if they are above it all.
How sad is it that, as a PPS teacher, I read this enlightening blog post while shaking my head in agreement, yet lamenting that if the poster is a PPS employee and is ever unmasked, he/she will be positively crucified.
"The other side" is a comprehensively and succinctly written summary of events as they transpired at Westinghouse. It reveal, once again, the ineptitudes of Central Office administrators who have neither the background, experience or problem solving capacities to carve out a path that will allow them to achieve the basic goals of any school or educational system. How many times does a scenario like this have to play out before action is taken to replace the current chain of command?
We need educators with depth of experience in urban education, not streams of consultants hired to advise neophytes who are just getting their feet wet in a system that has lost all of its experienced, caring, knowledgeable leaders and mentors, if you will. Bellefield Avenue administration is way out of their depth and our children are paying a very steep price. The tale told here is replicated across the city in our African American communities. Who can get a grip on this situation? Can Mark Brentley and Regina Holley do it alone? How can we (those who "get it") support our children and the true educators in classrooms and schools who are struggling desperately to survive in this regime?
Well, the foundations got us into this situation. Maybe what we need is to have large numbers of ordinary parents, teachers and community members ask them to get us out of it.
It was ridiculous what the administrators, teachers and staff were asked to do all at once. As someone who worked at Westinghouse, but was transferred elsewhere this year I must speak up for Mr McNeil. He was professional and respectful towards students, parents and staff. He is a decent administrator who was placed at the toughest school in the district. Even though I think he got caught up in the "spin" of the creation of The Academy at Westinghouse, he deserves a second chance at an easier school.
Maybe he needs to request a hearing in public Fadzen-style.
It is a difficult environment. For example the 2 students mentioned here were at Westinghouse when Mr. McNeil was there:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12028/1206607-53.stm
I think we should ask the board to put Otuwa and Dr. Lane on administrative leave while they investigate these claims. This seems only fair considering thats how they did Mcniel, Abbot, Berdnick and Fazden. Lets see if the board has the heart to do it.
It cant just be the Black Board members going against the adminstration and fighting for all kids. Thats too much on them. They need help from white board members as well. Cant we help them by taking to these other board members or are they simply unaproachable and cold hearted?
This is not a black white issue is a all kid issues. So for those who live in the district of the other board members its time to approach them. I mean this blog is great but all talk and no actions is not good. We are one! Time to take them all on, we can do it.
Christiana Otuwa is a hatchet person. Were ever she goes she puts many teachers on improvement plans and administrators. She got rid many teachers and a Principal at King. The only thing she accomplishes is chaos at the school she is at. Otuwa is only good at getting rid of teachers and administrators. She got rid of a teacher I taught as a PPS student. Excellent teacher, but he opened his mouth at a meeting Otuwa was at. He was hired the following summer by a suburban district.
Otuwa spreads a climate of fear when she vists schools.
She should be held accoutable!
You are right 2:35, it should be an all kids issue; but, what we are seeing is the protection of kids in majority white communities and the neglect of kids in majority black communities. The white board members get very quiet, very non-responsive and fail completely to be advocates or cast votes that are beneficial or come close to equity and excellence for students in schools in black communities. It is a fact. Do white Board members ever vote in the affirmative for the issues that Mark Brentley or Regina Holley bring forward as problematic? We won't use the "r" word, but what other word explains it?
Christiana Otuwa is clearly not qualified for the position she holds. In Pittsburgh she does not have a record of success or of making good decisions in any of the positions that she has held. It would be interesting to have information on her positions and records of success before coming to Pittsburgh. Does anyone have work history or performance recommendations from her previous positions? What are her areas of certification? What are her professional qualifications?
Otuwa has to bring the "fear" factor, since she cannot bring the knowledge factor. Bad and Sad!
I wonder if Otuwa will be sharpening her teeth and digging with her bare hands to discover the identities behind the comments here? God forbid she ever gets anywhere in that vein, as she is vicious, self-serving and mean as a snake. She spreads fear and loathing and can bring both principals and teachers to their knees when she's angry. I have shed my share of tears at her hands. I wish with all my heart that she would finally be held accountable for the cancer of division for which she is responsible. It's in with the new and out with the old in respect to teachers and principals. She now has an entire battalion of fresh-faced PELAs waiting to be told exactly what to do and when to do it.
Dear Heaven! First it was the destruction of the poor so-called ALAs which remain, after five years, among the 10 lowest achieving K-8 schools in the District. And, now its the poor high schools who were even lower-achieving than the lowest elementary! Does anyone ever look at the PDE data? (Not PPS and A+Schools)
Shame, shame to be so afraid of one person, one who is this weak?
The methods described here are NOT philosophically and NOR psychologically sound. Education 101 courses provide the research, in depth, that counters the approaches described here again and again by PPS teachers and administrators.
4:13 asks about Christiana Otuwa's qualifications and certifications which is a good question. She is from Georgia, right?__so it would be interesting to know the stats for that state as well as certification requirements. One also wonders how Pennsylvania and Georgia compare in terms of "education" generally.
The Pennsylvania Performance Rank is #5 in the Nation.
The Georgia Performance Rank is #27 in the Nation.
So, the question becomes WHY does Pittsburgh Public Schools ran so LOW in Pennsylvania? In fact, PPS ranks extremely LOW in PA. PPS is one of the lowest achieving of the 500 districts in PA. Its in the 470's? Or worse?
Could the negative results in PPS come from the Georgia influence? I don't know. . . just asking?
Corrected:
The Pennsylvania Performance Rank is #5 in the Nation.
The Georgia Performance Rank is #27 in the Nation.
So, the question becomes WHY does Pittsburgh Public Schools run so LOW in Pennsylvania? In fact, PPS ranks extremely LOW in PA. PPS is one of the lowest achieving of the 500 districts in PA. Its in the 470's? Or worse?
Could the negative results in PPS come from the Georgia influence? I don't know. . . just asking?
Curious?
Was Christian Otuwa ever a teacher? If so, where did she teach? What did she teach and at what level? And for how long?
We know that Jeannine French was a psychologist, not a teacher?
and Jeri Lippert was a physical education teacher, right?
Was Linda Lane a teacher? What level? How many years? When? Where?
This Westinghouse situation is such a major problem that the board needs to take action against all responsible, particularly Otuwa and Lane. We must think outside the box.
Lane's unwillingness to work with the Homewood community and Alumni has hurt Westinghouse tremedously. She has gone all around the Alumni advocates and relied on people like otuwa and lopez and look what happened? Lane wake up the Aumni predicted this issues under your plans and told you of all these issues a year in advance. Lane needs to fess up and apolgize and beg the ALumni and Homewood community to come back to the table and help her.
Look at what has happen while trying to get around the community. So far there has been 8adminstrators assigned to Westinghouse, Mcniel, Bailey, Abott, Taleferro, Crenshaw, George, Moore and Varlotta. Oh and sometimes Otuwa. This is crazy. Would someone please ask the Westinghouse alumni to come to the rescue.
Otuwa was a teacher.
Lane was a elementary school teacher and later worked for the district in adminstration as an asst superintdent. She worked with the finances. She worked in Iowa and never in a urban setting. She has not worked with large minority populations was passed over for superintendent
otuwa authorized the students to carry light weapons in order to keep them from transfering schools to keep the numbers in Westinghouse up. The prinicpals used to take the weapons off of students as they enter the school or when the found them. After a parent complained that her daughter was scare to attend WHS without a weapon, Otuwa told the Principal to give the student back her weapon as she understood her fear.
This must be how they do it in the country in which she comes from. Would someone remind her that this is american and we do not operate this way.
This can be verified by simply asking the principals that were there in september and october.
Five of my fellow teachers have resigned from Westinghouse under Otuwa's reign and since Crenshaw has became principal. Its really bad here at Westinghouse. Help us please.
oh wow. I didnt think they resigned yet. I thought they were thinking about it. Do you know which ones did? I know of the one that got hired by the imagin eviromental charter school, but what about the others?
If this is true cant they put Crenshaw on Adminstrative leave to see what is happening or is PPS happy becasue its 5 less teachers they have to release?
Well I do know of staff members as well that have refused to work for her. The secretary left, the Nurse left, and the vice principal left. They all said Crenshaw was too rude and disrespectful and said the working conditions under her stressed them out. And as a result of her behavior they all took a medical leave.
This is all verifiable and Otuwa has done nothing about it. However Otuwa does not like Crenshaw but Lane does. However Crenshaw has lost respect for lane now because she sees now that lane lacks an understanding on what it takes to run a school like Westinghouse. They have also had words. Lane would actually let Crenshaw go at this point but would be too embarssed to say she sent the wrong person back over to WHS. So what she did was send Varlotta over there to watch her.
Next year Crenshaw will be gone from WHS and possibly out the district. The new principal projected to come to take over WHS next year is comming from Oliver. He does not want to come either, but he may not have a choice. Do you blame him?
Anon 3:20:
You couldn't fill a post-it note with Dr. Lane's expertise in school finance. Her promotion track in Iowa was through Human Resources.
Crenshaw was so bad that her vice prinicpal Brandon george faked like he was sick and refused to go back. When the real reason was she stressed him out so much that he couldnt take it any more. When the district was going to force him to go back he said he would take FMLA to care for his sick mother.
But after the realized it was Crenshaw they told him he could go back to Brashear. He suddenly got better and his mother was doing much better as well. wink wink. He starts back at Brashear this week after Feb 1.
This are all the games that people have to play to get around Dr. lane's failed policys and decisions regarding the placement of admistraitors and teachers. I know Dr Lopez is laughing at her and the board now real loud. He is saying I told yall you should have hired me as your superintendent.
What grade did Dr. Lane teach? How long was in teaching before she went to human resources? Also what kind of reputation did she have in Iowa and why did she leave there to got to Broad and taken a lessor posititon here in pittsburgh.
We also know she didnt sell her home in Iowa or cut ties there. She plans to go back and enjoy or tax payed for pension and laugh all the way to the bank. She out smarted the board members from day one, and out smarted the african american comunity by putting her hair in locks. Im suprised that the community would go for that trick, but they did, sorry to say.
Lopez's "strategic initiatives" or whatever he was in charge of didn't work out- U Prep, single gender educations, big plans for a Gateway center at Oliver (a school which is now closing), "Big Picture" at Langley (which is also closing), CTE "triads"; losing some state funding is not enough to explain how an administration can go from these grandiose plans for schools to closing them entirely and abandoning the proposals that took so much of everyone's time and attention.
Please, let us RALLY around students and educators at Westinghouse. What is happening there is criminal.
Chester Upland is suing the state of PA for what has happened there. It would seem that the Westinghouse might pursue legal action against the District.
Can the ACLU and/or the Education Law Center advise the community regarding a course of action that will remedy the situation at Westinghouse post haste!
The right people, doing the right thing for the right reasons could turn this around overnight! (Believe it or not!)
PPS would not risk putting another PELA at Westinghouse- it would make the PELA program look bad if it didn't work out.
Who is the lawyer suing the state for Chester upland? I think its time we give him a call for Westinghouse and consider suing the district or the superindent Linda Lane. Lopez was let go from the district over 8 months so going after him would be worthless.
The situations are not comparable. Chester Upland is a district suing the state. A school cannot sue its own district, and there is no one who would be authorized to sue as "Westinghouse." And no indication of anyone willing to pay the fees.
I know its different. But couldn't a student or a parent as a tax payer sue the district for failing to educate its kids, or treating them differently than they have any other school in the district? Also couldn't a lawyer take the case for a contingency fee if she felt comfortable the case would bring about a winning result.
Here's what lawyers.com has to say- see the sections on "Florida- Failure to Educate" and further down, "Catch 22- To Sue or Not to Sue" and "Questions for Your Attorney."
Of course a school can't sue its own district! The word community, parents, guardians was missing. Sorry for the confusion. What is the purpose of the Education Law Center if it cannot make a case against failure to educate, especially on such a significant scale as a whole school?
Good attorneys could make the case! And if its about who would pay, shame, shame, shame!
Where are our heads? How do we think? What do we care about? What are we willing to do as a community? As parents? As advocates for ALL children?
Have you tried calling the Education Law Center with your concerns?
Many, many, many are concerned without being parents of children at Westinghouse. We would be unable to bring suit without being part of the 'injured' group, right?
We were under the impression that Pure Reform had legal expertise or direct access to such. Perhaps were were misinformed. Sorry for the imposition.
You would need a litigator with experience in the education field, and yes you would need "standing" to sue; it could be difficult or impossible for concerned community members to establish standing.
What is happening at Westinghouse is a disgrace and a crime against the students, teachers and the community. When will it stop?
Concern community members would be able to sue if they are property owners in the city. That is tax payers standing.
I believe each superintendent we have had in my time as a parent entered the office believing they were the savior of education and the one person others would point to as the example to follow nationwide. Thompson, King, Roosevelt, Lane. The crisis in education and the constant comparisons to other nations may have created the environment of grandiose ideas and poor planning. The decrease in funding and the development of new evaluations systems collided to give us this ugly situation we have now. Parents hear words like "career ladders' and we wonder, "what the hell do we need those for?" Is there nobody who will lay it on the line and say we need to redirect our energies and here is what we have left of your grant money back.
Like the Schenley debacle, the closing of schools and the idea to fire 400 teachers, PPS simply takes a page from the Roosevelt playbook where this issue is concerned:
"Let them gripe and complain. It will quickly pass and all be forgotten."
Expect to see and read all kinds of propaganda from PPS until this issue "fades away." If nothing else, Roosevelt taught this crew how to work around troubles and garner general public support.
The thing that is of great concern, with very little discussion here, is the comment here by someone from the Board revealing that they were asked to alter PSSA scores.
Could that be true?
That charge has been going around for a couple of years, along with reports that the unnamed person went on to a consulting job, but no one has ever come forward with any personal knowledge to substantiate the story.
" The decrease in funding and the development of new evaluations systems collided to give us this ugly situation we have now. Parents hear words like "career ladders' and we wonder, "what the hell do we need those for?" Is there nobody who will lay it on the line and say we need to redirect our energies "
Know wise parent, that your teachers spent today hearing alot about how they would be measured, and not word ONR about what's school is about- teaching students, helping students who may not "get it" on the first bypass -- that was what inservices used to be about. Their whole day was spent with NO mention of ...students
You can measure how much students are valued as individuals by what happens to them when their program is discontinued.
Word is that Peabody robotics students were tossed into the general Allderdice engineering program (the one that usually doesn't admit students after 9th grade).
Also know, dear parent, that teachers were apprised of incentive pay that come from a concocted VAM (value added measure) that comes from, yes you guessed it, another company sucking down Gates money, Mathematica.
For the record, teachers will be judged against all other teachers in the state in the areas of math,communications and science. Teachers are told that hey, trust us, it won't be part of your overall rating via RISE.
Just as the students at Westinghouse, their parents and the staff have been abused so have the teachers of PPS. Central administration cares nothing about students. They only care about protecting their jobs and getting rid of teachers.
What will they do next year when Gates money runs out?
As someone who has worked at Westinghouse, the majority of the teachers there have such a strong LOVE and greatest wishes for their students. The current environment is driving those professionals out who were there for the right reasons. Most of the parents that I have worked with are willing to fight for their children and do what needs to be done to help the teachers. They also have stated that the only regular, consistent lines of communication they have received has been from the teachers. My hope is that the parents and teachers are able to get the help and support they need to assure the success of their students! These young people have such heart and care for others and deserve the best education and leadership out there. Unfortunately, they are currently being set up for failure.
And, Mr. McNeil definitely deserved better. He had the right vision for the students at Westinghouse.
I heard Mr. Mcniel was let go from the school district is this true. If so this is so so wrong. He was truly being used as the scape goat.
The only people who should be made to leave the district have offices on Bellefield Ave.
Anon 7:05 am:
They ran the last guy that told them not to take either Gates money or TIF grant out of town.
This years debacle is Westinghouse, next it will be the Perry/Oliver merger.
Private message to 9:55 not posted OK, thanks!
I have recently retired from PPS.
MONEY was never a motivating factor to me. We all need money, for sure, but it never was the reason I was a teacher. I enjoyed the children, loved learning and teaching others about the world, and enjoyed my colleagues. Most all teachers do their jobs not because of money, but because of kids.
I have to feel bad for Abbot on both a personal and professional level. She was placed at Peabody and told to clean house. She became the "bad guy" because she believed if she did what she was told and carried out District directives that she would, in turn, receive some sort of loyalty in return. I honestly believe she thought she was doing the right thing. She put an inordinate number of teachers on plans there (again, a District directive) and targeted teachers who were hand picked by those at Bellefield for a plethora of reasons. Her reward, supposedly, for cleaning the hallowed halls of Peabody, was a great job at the brand spanking new Westinghouse program. How sad that she was led to slaughter and became the scapegoat for Otuwa's ineptitude. They threw her to the wolves as soon as things began to go south. I can't help but think that if she isn't completely bitter, she should be!
Is Bellefield just handpicking the senior teachers, or is there some other criteria?
I think the problem is multi-faceted when it comes to who has been targeted. For many years, some of the teachers in our District were simply left to their own devices. They weren't necessarily monitored, and it took a boat-load of paperwork to issue a non-satisfactory rating. So principals would complain among themselves and check the "satisfactory" box when it came time to issue ratings. Now enter RISE. Suddenly teachers who have been maybe on the fence as far as performance are suddenly being told they are horrible and need to shape up in a ridiculously short period of time. Being on a plan means that for an entire year, your professional life is under a microscope. You can't have a bad day, take a "mental health" day if it gets to be too much, and God FORBID you don't implement whatever suggestions are made IMMEDIATELY. The "supports" these teachers are offered are full of finger pointing and half-hearted suggestions, and any attempts on the part of the teacher to comply are met with head-shaking and more work for said teacher who was probably overwhelmed in the first place. Some teachers who have been the topic for back-room "OMG is he BAD" conversations are now outwardly being told they may not be cut out to teach--TWENTY SOME YEARS AFTER THEY STARTED in the profession! When is it that the teacher became ineffective? Shouldn't someone, early in that teacher's career, have told him/her that he/she wasn't towing the line? We waited, in some instances, TWENTY YEARS?? I think the District, in these cases, has a responsibility to accept some culpability and help to either rehabilitate that teacher or help him/her to find another career in which to spend his/her final years until retirement.
On the other hand, some teachers who are outspoken about the ridiculous nature of managed curriculum and poor decision making in our district have also been targeted. Many teachers who see that we are NOT doing what is best for kids, and who have spoken out, have found themselves targeted and put on a EIP in an effort to "adjust" their attitudes. These are the workhorse teachers who have been with the District for their entire careers and who tend to champion the idea that we are here for the kids in the sense of the WHOLE kid, not just the test-score generating body that sits at a desk. New teachers who are thrilled to have a job are far less likely to question Board policies when it comes to instruction than those who have been in the trenches and know, first-hand, what generally works in individual classrooms for individual students. It is for this reason that the vast majority of plans are written for those with a great deal of seniority. They are the voice of reason and sanity and as such represent a threat to the status quo of controlled curriculum and mass instruction that, while claiming to be differentiated, is simply a bum rush to the PSSA table.
While I agree that the assistant superintendent should be made to resign for gross negligence in regards to ensuring the education and safety of students at Westinghouse, I feel no pity for any administrator in PPS. None.
These people have been indoctrinated in the ways of PELA, whether they are actually PELA grads or not. PELA philosophies are not the guiding force behind administrative methodologies within our schools and are symbolic of what Gates/Broad is all about: the dominance, submission, tyranny and mutation of teachers and curriculum.
It's hard for me to fathom that a billionaire collective's mantra would be pushed within a public school system with the help of $40 million dollars, as the very foundation of education entails the imparting of knowledge without the undue influence of a third party and yet, this is what we have in PPS. Central administration either knows this and consciously proceeds within the context or is so brainwashed that it does not dare to ask questions and also proceeds.
And principals simply do the bidding of their superiors. They may be threatened, but you don't see them resigning or saying they'll return to the classroom and be a conscientious objector to the brainwashing that comes at principal meetings.
Name a principal not focusing or firing teachers. I dare you.
That a school that has been completely out of control--with numerous schedule changes for students, no rosters for teachers, no apparent discipline policy for students that has allowed them to roam halls at all hours and ignore staff that tries to direct them--still finds a way to target 17 teachers for improvement, tells you all you need to know about principals and central administration.
But "feel bad" for a principal? You must be joking.
8:53 p.m. Feel bad for Abbott? You got to be kidding. She did a terrible job at Peabody and then was assigned to open a new school at The Academy at Westinghouse. She didn't think she needed a counselor to do scheduling at Peabody and said she would do all the scheduling. As a result students did not have all the course requirements they needed to graduate. Students had holes in their schedules, double study halls. Then she went and did the same thing at The Academy at Westinghouse. The counselors at UPrep and Westinghouse (and other high schools) are still cleaning up her mess by fixing students schedules to ensure they take all necessary courses for graduation. It is believed she allowed students to graduate from Peabody without having all graduation requirements on student transcripts. It has been reported she failed to have even one meeting with her Student Services team at The Academy at Westinghouse prior to the first day of school or ever during the first quarter! How does a principal open a new school without meeting with the Student Services team to go over scheduling, etc.? This is gross incompetence. She is responsible in large part for the failure of The Academy at Westinghouse. The judgment of those who gave her the position is also questionable.
As for Randall Taylor's comment about lack of good teachers at The Academy at Westinghouse. There are a lot of excellent teachers there, but they have received no support or leadership from the principals. I take offense at the teachers always getting the blame for the lack of effective leadership.
The adminstration ignored the community and Homewood's board representative, Sherene Shealey did not advocate for Homewood.
Where were Homewood's leaders in all this? Did any groups or leaders come out to question the school district's actions?
Heads should roll at the adminstrative level. But since PPS found their sacrifical lamb in the WHS principal they are resting easy. But not so quick, rumors has it that Crenshaw is documenting the stuff on Otuwas failed supervision and Dr. Lanes lack of skill to lead in this area.
Crenshaw has made in known that if Dr. Lane does not give her the extra money that she promised her, she will no longer keep quiet. So pay her Lane or you will be revealed.
While I would appreciate Ms.Crenshaw's efforts as described in part, I'm not a fan of the blackmail you write of. There is a great amount of dirt around this district and a great many skeletons, from the top levels of administration on down to the schools.
Just when can we remember that education is supposed to be about the kids? Where Westinghouse is concerned, it would appear the children are consistently forgotten thanks to power struggles, blame games and now it appears, one-upsmanship.
I know the Alumni was involved trying to tell Lane it was not going to work. Mark Brentley told her to slow it down. Lane did not lesson to them. SHe relied on Fichetti who was only concern with get a marking contract for her old employer and promting a dream that would never happen at Westinghouse.
If she dont pay you get her Crenshaw! You need to out them all. Otuwa and lane both must be held accountable for what happen at westinghouse. Lane got rid of Lopez for his inabilty to do anything with Westinghouse. Now its time to get rid of Otuwa too, then the board needs to put lane of Adminstrative leave and eventually fire her or ask her to leave.
This whole Westinghouse thing is a criminal, and would have never happened in any other school, or any other neighborhood. Why arent other communities and parents outraged? This situation alone is enough to get rid of lane. As lopez said Mark Rossevelt wasnt even this bad when it came to Westinghouse.
The BOARD put someone on leave? The Board do something/anything? The BOARD is a puppet of Lane and company. You might as well talk to the wall as to the BOARD! Good luck.
You ask why other communities aren't concerned or involved. Isn't the answer simple? This is the way things go in America now. Every individual is out for himself. Every community is out for itself.
Roosevelt knew this, of course. So does Lane.
Nothing is going to cause the parents of 25,000 kids to march on Bellefield Avenue at one time. Heck, nothing is going to get a tenth of that number to march on down at one time. As such, the logistics are always clear:
whether the outcry
publish propaganda pieces.
We saw this with the closure of the Schenley building and the death of the Schenley name.
Why did it have to be?
We saw this with Peabody.
We've heard it from Langley.
The cavalier attitude of central administration is startling and also representative of how they treat teachers.
We're going to fire 400. We're going to fire countless more via RISE.
We'll count on the idea that the PFT will not stage walk-outs and mass protests.
And it always works like a charm, friends.
This all comes from the Roosevelt playbook, and it still works today. PPS banks on the idea that the voices of anger will slowly fade away.
This includes how teachers treat themselves-- no not the Westinghouse teachers- but all union memebership should rise up against this crminal behavior related to Westinghouse. In the past, many grievances were filed on behalf of situations where the students were suffering, and this was the way teachers had to solve things. But now, many teachers voted for this contract, and this leadership when the whole method of business results in what happened at Westinghouse. Much of what happened-- no class lists, no schedules, no curriculum would have been grieved in the past- when teachers banded together got themselves and the students.
We have no Union, they sold us out
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