Friday, February 24, 2012

PPS plans more cuts

From the PG:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12055/1212297-53.stm

11 comments:

Questioner said...

Tribune article on this topic- Superintendent Lane comments that for the past 5 years PPS has spent more than it was taking in.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_783308.html

Watching from Harrisburg said...

It simply isn't true. Prior to 2011 the results were virtually break-even for the five year period.

Fund balance grew in 2010, just slightly, just as it declined, just slightly, in 2008. Look at the audited financial statements, not the press release.

PPS is in bad enough shape, now they can't even articulate the difference between budget and actual let alone read the financial statements.

Anonymous said...

Cut human resources and assistant Superintendents and directors. We have the administration staff to run a district 4 times the size of ours. Time to start cutting at the top, time for the people responsible for the Westinghouse mess to go. Stop cutting teachers, stop cutting the bottom people. Why do we need people to recruit teachers, we are cutting them. Cut HR back to what it was. We used two have two assistant supers and more students in the district, now we have less students and six assitant supers. Why are we cutting all the people who work with kids and keeping all the administrative staff who do not. Why have a very bloated administration at the Ivory Tower. Two many Generals and not enough soldiers.

Anonymous said...

Too bad that there is not a way to clean house and start fresh. . . . with TRUTH and a focused PRIORITY on EDUCATION for our CHILDREN.

It has been nearly six years since the agenda at 341 S. Bellefield Avenue has prioritized truth and education on behalf of children/students.

Anonymous said...

Assistant superintendents are completely useless. There is no need for them.

Anonymous said...

Are the two Chiefs any less useless? And what about Poncelet? The few people under her who do the work are the only ones needed. And what is the work load, roles and responsibility of the top people in Equity and Curriculum? What do they do all day?

Someone really needs to check the productivity connected to these top positions since they all have staff and consultants to do any work.

Anonymous said...

Where are the investigative reporters? Is this a classic example of payola, or is it representative of the new style of journalism---just read what the district sends in their press releases???
The damage that individuals like Lippert have done to this district is beyond noteworthy. To think that she and people like French and Otuwa would be candidates for superintendent borders somewhere between frightening and disturbing.
The 50% policy forever destroyed the notion of academic integrity in this district. The forced curriculum has failed miserably in providing students what they need for college.
Meanwhile, we have numerous, numerous individuals who have offices in each department who do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. They have meetings. They have lunch. What a great gig!

And we're going to fire teachers and cut student services to preserve these people?

This must be some kind of bad nightmare.

Anonymous said...

So PPS finally comming up with severance packages for high level employees, 3 asst superintendents, a chief, 4 directors, and most vps?

Does anyone have any preference as to who at Bellefield needs to go or who is needed to stay?

Is Dr.lane finally feeling the pressures to cut her girls?

Anonymous said...

http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/

Apparently there may be worse cases.

Anonymous said...

Mark Campbell is another chief that actually costs the district a heck of a lot of money (nobody seems to notice, it is odd.) He has very poor employee retention skills is a very poor leader and clueless about technology.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Lane feels no pressure to cut her girls. Why should she? Most board members are getting what they want in their districts with the exception of Skip, but he could careless. And Shealey acts as if nothing really happened at Westinghouse and she really thought she has made it better. Sumpter is so far gone its a shame. He is only impressed with him self, although Sumpter is begining to give a tiny bit of push back. But this is probably do to the fact that his wife is being asked to retire and his sister at WHS may get caught up in the next reform cuts at WHS.

The only two raising any sort of issues are Mr. Mark Brentley and Dr. Regina Holey. But with only two votes, it will be hard for them to make real change. This is why they must use the court of public opinion to get the storys out. They need to continue to use their voices and microphones at those legislative meetings and agenda reviews. We all may not be there, but we are watching.