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Old timers, was it like this 10 or 20 years ago, with such contentious employee relations? With evaluation systems so new, different and untested, additional lawsuits can be expected.
- This article says that only 7 students completed the welding program in 3 years. Why would that be the case- isn't there a fairly strong demand for welders?
Yes, oh yes. This has some real legs to this lawsuit.
Many should be questioning the certification process and the hows of some PPS head Administers acquire their rights to the job title of head of the Department.
We had questions regarding certain candidates in our local University’s Graduate School of Supervision core course classes-and we do not want to be frank.
Certain PPS candidates would be from the Board. Maybe in other non-teaching capacities and be enrolled in our track supervisory programs. They are taken care of by that university particular department without paying thousands and thousands of dollars to acquire a degree, maybe it does not sound cruel to people. But, to the students locked into the degree program-they are disgusted with this posturing. Y4es,just pay and take a course or two,that's all.
Coincidentally, within months, that person is head of department at PPS.
The University Graduate department has another gold star. They have had another PPS Board Administrator sitting at the top taught by them.
This is a sad case for this teacher o get ahead and make a difference.
If he is still employed by the Board, he must have had a tough time getting an attorney in the city of Pittsburgh.
Plus, if still employed –he is going to have a very rough time under the circumstances listed in the newspaper.
Yes, they will go after him like gang busters for unjust causes.
He has to be a saint and not even sneeze. Because they will hit every which way with unfair scrutiny as in warfare maneuvers to tarnish his credibility to be a fit teacher in the classroom though their subjective rating system and biased observations.
Way to go Mr Kirk .They were trying to make this guy look bad for years.anon5:20 he does have an attorney from the well known Pittsburgh firm whome have taken the case and why not its a win,win for him.Thank you Mr.kirk you just opened up a can of worms for the pps and iam just gonna sit back and watch them fall one by one.
I am not at all surprised that Angela Mike got the job. After all, she lives with Jake Wheatley the State Rep. who also happens to be on the A+ Schools Board of Directors. It's who you know, not what you know with PPS.
And speaking of A+ Schools and their rally today against using seniority to furlough teachers - look at their Board of Directors starting at the top with Judy Johnston a highly paid "consultant" to PPS. Talk about foxes in the hen house. A+ is supposed to be a watchdog of PPS. What a joke!
Mr. Kirk has an excellent lawyer who would not have taken his case unless it had merit. I hope Mr. Kirk kept good records of events and his case will expose PPS and how they operate.
When he mentions his department having females at the top, look at the entire PPS regime. You have Lane, Lippert, French, Otuwa, Mike, etc. - all females running the show.
A+ strayed from their original purpose a long time ago, but it should have been expected. It is hard not to look past the useful work they do when so much other stuff seems to be only to shore up the district perspective. When was the last time A+ came out opposed to a pps idea and came up with a better solution or thought?
8:34 is unfortunately right on target with comments about A+ Schools. You cannot be a "watchdog" for children when you are funded by those who also fund PPS. The conflict of interest rules and even a fine line of demarcation cannot be tolerated or funding will disappear. Sad, but that is precisely how it continues to play out.
Is there even one example to the contrary, one that justifies A+ as an outspoken advocate for our under-served students that has reversed the seriously underachieving status of the overwhelming majority of African American students ?
Then why is the urban league jumping on board on this seniortiy issue with Aplus. It seems strange for a group like that to be involved. What do they have to gain?
Just guessing that the Urban League believes that by jumping on the with the "seniority" issue, they will be helping majority Black schools to keep the young teachers who are willing to commit to these schools.
No one has come up with a better plan that allows good teachers to volunteer to move to schools without losing seniority (building and system).
There are multiple better ways to solve the "seniority" problem, but these are not being explored in ways that make sense for addressing the current need for the best teachers to commit to the more challenging placements.
There is fear of the PFT's and PPS's present mode of operation at all levels. TRUST is GONE in the ability to manage the system and the union.
Yes, there is great FEAR and either way the kid will, in the final analysis suffer, especially the most vulnerable.
Why? because none of this is about providing the best education for ALL of Pittsburgh's kids.
And why are some kids more vulnerable? Because the system exacerbates all disadvantages.
There is no real equity or excellence for vulnerable children, because adults are looking for the easy way out of urban teaching and learning. They take the most advantaged kids, isolate them in "special" programs, give them the best in teachers and resources, and bid/fight for placement in those buildings.
The rest can ---------(fill in the blank). So go our PPS educators.
This is so frustrating. One of those most incensed over the seniority issue should share how the evaluation system should work, not a kid of course, but what does A+envision for this year given the time constraints for example? If a new system is needed take 5 years to design one and make it so flawless it stands up to all scrutiny and is so without ambiguity that no lawsuits would ever result from its operation. Nobody wants to see the loss of a highly effective teacher, not kids, not parents and definitely not other teachers. What is a concern though is that PPS often throws major change at a wall and sees what sticks then scurries to plug the holes of the portions that fell to the floor. This issue is way too big to alter anything now. Not for 2012-13.
Look at the Board of Directors of A+ Schools. The Urban League and NEED is represented. Obviously they are going along with A+'s agenda - back whatever PPS decides to do.
Why is it that no one (besides the Pela principals that were there in the beginning) at a high level is being held accountable for the MESS that took place at Westinghouse? Heads at the upper level should have rolled. It sure wasn't the principals' fault that there were no class schedules or class lists. The Urban League should have been screaming to high Heaven. How can people just continue to accept PPS' spin/cover-ups that they keep putting out there? They play the blame game. At Westinghouse it was the principals. Now it is the "senior ineffective" teachers. Never ever is it someone/anyone at Bellefield. PPS is a travesty and our students are the losers. They must sit up late at night at Bellefield spinning more PR tall tales.
What is PPS doing to avoid such actions? In a relatively older area a plaintiff is likely to find a friendly jury... comprised of retirees or early retirees with time for jury duty.
Someone set a comment today asking why his/her comment about a recent incident involving an adminstrator was not posted. The incident did not take place at school and there are no charges against the administrator; there does not seem to be anything to discuss here.
The time to put a new evaluation system in place is when this contract is up - not fly by night when the Board decides to breach the current contract to save money by getting rid of the teachers at the top of the salary scale. Their new RISE system hasn't been in effect long enough to validate it at the expense of teachers' careers.
I predict that before this is all through, the Board will have many lawsuits to fight over who, what, when and where teachers were dismissed from.
20 comments:
Old timers, was it like this 10 or 20 years ago, with such contentious employee relations? With evaluation systems so new, different and untested, additional lawsuits can be expected.
Tribune article:
http://triblive.com/home/1785134-74/board-welding-department-district-program-claims-comment-director-executive-former
- This article says that only 7 students completed the welding program in 3 years. Why would that be the case- isn't there a fairly strong demand for welders?
Yes, oh yes.
This has some real legs to this lawsuit.
Many should be questioning the certification process and the hows of some PPS head Administers acquire their rights to the job title of head of the Department.
We had questions regarding certain candidates in our local University’s Graduate School of Supervision core course classes-and we do not want to be frank.
Certain PPS candidates would be from the Board. Maybe in other non-teaching capacities and be enrolled in our track supervisory programs. They are taken care of by that university particular department without paying thousands and thousands of dollars to acquire a degree, maybe it does not sound cruel to people.
But, to the students locked into the degree program-they are disgusted with this posturing. Y4es,just pay and take a course or two,that's all.
Coincidentally, within months, that person is head of department at PPS.
The University Graduate department has another gold star. They have had another PPS Board Administrator sitting at the top taught by them.
This is a sad case for this teacher o get ahead and make a difference.
If he is still employed by the Board, he must have had a tough time getting an attorney in the city of Pittsburgh.
Plus, if still employed –he is going to have a very rough time under the circumstances listed in the newspaper.
Yes, they will go after him like gang busters for unjust causes.
He has to be a saint and not even sneeze. Because they will hit every which way with unfair scrutiny as in warfare maneuvers to tarnish his credibility to be a fit teacher in the classroom though their subjective rating system and biased observations.
Way to go Mr Kirk .They were trying to make this guy look bad for years.anon5:20 he does have an attorney from the well known Pittsburgh firm whome have taken the case and why not its a win,win for him.Thank you Mr.kirk you just opened up a can of worms for the pps and iam just gonna sit back and watch them fall one by one.
Do all PPS positions offer lateral promotions? If so is training for these positions paid for by the PPS?
I am not at all surprised that Angela Mike got the job. After all, she lives with Jake Wheatley the State Rep. who also happens to be on the A+ Schools Board of Directors. It's who you know, not what you know with PPS.
And speaking of A+ Schools and their rally today against using seniority to furlough teachers - look at their Board of Directors starting at the top with Judy Johnston a highly paid "consultant" to PPS. Talk about foxes in the hen house. A+ is supposed to be a watchdog of PPS. What a joke!
Mr. Kirk has an excellent lawyer who would not have taken his case unless it had merit. I hope Mr. Kirk kept good records of events and his case will expose PPS and how they operate.
When he mentions his department having females at the top, look at the entire PPS regime. You have Lane, Lippert, French, Otuwa, Mike, etc. - all females running the show.
A+ strayed from their original purpose a long time ago, but it should have been expected. It is hard not to look past the useful work they do when so much other stuff seems to be only to shore up the district perspective. When was the last time A+ came out opposed to a pps idea and came up with a better solution or thought?
8:34 is unfortunately right on target with comments about A+ Schools. You cannot be a "watchdog" for children when you are funded by those who also fund PPS. The conflict of interest rules and even a fine line of demarcation cannot be tolerated or funding will disappear. Sad, but that is precisely how it continues to play out.
Is there even one example to the contrary, one that justifies A+ as an outspoken advocate for our under-served students that has reversed the seriously underachieving status of the overwhelming majority of African American students ?
A+'s purpose is exactly what they do -- they provide the district a way to say that parent and community input has been sought and noted.
They are funded by the same foundations/grants as the district. Their purpose is to insure that the plans therein are seen as acceptable.
Of course, the amount of money coming in from those sources is dwarfed by the total budget, but somehow they have more say than taxpayers.
Then why is the urban league jumping on board on this seniortiy issue with Aplus. It seems strange for a group like that to be involved. What do they have to gain?
Isn't the Urban League seeking to have PPS approve its expansion to include high school?
Just guessing that the Urban League believes that by jumping on the with the "seniority" issue, they will be helping majority Black schools to keep the young teachers who are willing to commit to these schools.
No one has come up with a better plan that allows good teachers to volunteer to move to schools without losing seniority (building and system).
There are multiple better ways to solve the "seniority" problem, but these are not being explored in ways that make sense for addressing the current need for the best teachers to commit to the more challenging placements.
There is fear of the PFT's and PPS's present mode of operation at all levels. TRUST is GONE in the ability to manage the system and the union.
Yes, there is great FEAR and either way the kid will, in the final analysis suffer, especially the most vulnerable.
Why? because none of this is about providing the best education for ALL of Pittsburgh's kids.
And why are some kids more vulnerable? Because the system exacerbates all disadvantages.
There is no real equity or excellence for vulnerable children, because adults are looking for the easy way out of urban teaching and learning. They take the most advantaged kids, isolate them in "special" programs, give them the best in teachers and resources, and bid/fight for placement in those buildings.
The rest can ---------(fill in the blank). So go our PPS educators.
This is so frustrating. One of those most incensed over the seniority issue should share how the evaluation system should work, not a kid of course, but what does A+envision for this year given the time constraints for example? If a new system is needed take 5 years to design one and make it so flawless it stands up to all scrutiny and is so without ambiguity that no lawsuits would ever result from its operation. Nobody wants to see the loss of a highly effective teacher, not kids, not parents and definitely not other teachers. What is a concern though is that PPS often throws major change at a wall and sees what sticks then scurries to plug the holes of the portions that fell to the floor. This issue is way too big to alter anything now. Not for 2012-13.
Look at the Board of Directors of A+ Schools. The Urban League and NEED is represented. Obviously they are going along with A+'s agenda - back whatever PPS decides to do.
Why is it that no one (besides the Pela principals that were there in the beginning) at a high level is being held accountable for the MESS that took place at Westinghouse? Heads at the upper level should have rolled. It sure wasn't the principals' fault that there were no class schedules or class lists. The Urban League should have been screaming to high Heaven. How can people just continue to accept PPS' spin/cover-ups that they keep putting out there? They play the blame game. At Westinghouse it was the principals. Now it is the "senior ineffective" teachers. Never ever is it someone/anyone at Bellefield.
PPS is a travesty and our students are the losers. They must sit up late at night at Bellefield spinning more PR tall tales.
The History Center is being sued for age discrimnation:
http://triblive.com/home/1803066-74/center-lawsuit-fired-history-masich-says-ceo-claims-heinz-women
What is PPS doing to avoid such actions? In a relatively older area a plaintiff is likely to find a friendly jury... comprised of retirees or early retirees with time for jury duty.
I posted a comment and it never got to this site. Is this site blocking my comment??
The comment was not rude. I will state it again in hopes it gets posted.
THe head of CTE that Mr. Kirk is talking about was arrested on a workday. Her four month child was with her and it was for domestic violence.
But no one talked about that??
Why???
Someone set a comment today asking why his/her comment about a recent incident involving an adminstrator was not posted. The incident did not take place at school and there are no charges against the administrator; there does not seem to be anything to discuss here.
The time to put a new evaluation system in place is when this contract is up - not fly by night when the Board decides to breach the current contract to save money by getting rid of the teachers at the top of the salary scale. Their new RISE system hasn't been in effect long enough to validate it at the expense of teachers' careers.
I predict that before this is all through, the Board will have many lawsuits to fight over who, what, when and where teachers were dismissed from.
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