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The board spent more than a million in 2010 getting the school ready for bids then a year later decided to cancel the project. Where oh where is the long range planning in PPS? This is just another example of our money wasted.
PURE urged the board 3 years ago to take charter schools into account in its planning, pointing out that the enrollment declines projected by the facilities consultant were mainly due to anticipated charter growth.
Also, factor in low PSSA scores caused academic warning alarms causing the school a designatednon-AYP elementary. Thus, a mass exodus of Northview students to schools that had lower enrollment and AYP as Woolslair and Spring Hill. This created a long bus ride from Upper Perrysville Avenue residence to Bloomfield.
And, do not forget that Northview was one of the formerly much touted ALAs!
Is there not one shred of accountability at central office for the havoc they have wrought on our Pittsburgh schools?
One by one these schools are failing and falling to the closing ax. How many are remaining and what will soon become of them.
Rooney, Northview, Fort Pitt have been CLOSED. And King has brought in Success Schools to control the students. Among the ALAs with African American student populations, only Weil remains open.
I don't think you can point to Colfax as a huge success for African American students, for one, and I wouldn't use it as an example of how the ALA model outperformed "ordinary" schools either.
Imagine that, a principal who could not devise a plan to improve African-American achievement in his school is appointed as an Assistant Superintendent. Why not, considering that Lippert and French were also appointed to Central Office and neither of them brought any consistent data of improving student achievement when they served as principal. Then again, how could they since both of them had but one year of hands on experience as a principal.
The moral of the story is if you have minimal experience as a school principal or if you have no success in promoting the achievement of African-American students in a school, it is highly likely that YOU too will get promoted to a Central Office Administrator position who has the knowledge and insight to counsel other schools on how to be successful. REALLY?
What on earth are the criteria for prmotion to central office in this district?
Its not just the former Colfax principal and Lippert and French, but how about Otuwa who is not from Pittsburgh and failed with the elemntary ALAs and then gets promoted to Secondary Schools. Where was Ripper a principal?
Roosevelt wanted people who knew less than he did and that didn't take much, but why has Lane continued down that road?
Lane listened to Roosevelt (they knew he was leaving and she was taking over *months before it was public)
Lane and Roosevelt are both Broad graduates. She is following the same path because that is how they were trained. This is not rocket science.
*Roosevelt had his Pittsburgh house on the market a year before he left, did not send his preschooler to PPS and he was outed as a finalist for another superintendent position in the media months before he got a raise and bonus. I apologize, I do not recall the district.
13 comments:
The board spent more than a million in 2010 getting the school ready for bids then a year later decided to cancel the project. Where oh where is the long range planning in PPS? This is just another example of our money wasted.
PURE urged the board 3 years ago to take charter schools into account in its planning, pointing out that the enrollment declines projected by the facilities consultant were mainly due to anticipated charter growth.
Also, factor in low PSSA scores caused academic warning alarms causing the school a designatednon-AYP elementary. Thus, a mass exodus of Northview students to schools that had lower enrollment and AYP as Woolslair and Spring Hill. This created a long bus ride from Upper Perrysville Avenue residence to Bloomfield.
And, do not forget that Northview was one of the formerly much touted ALAs!
Is there not one shred of accountability at central office for the havoc they have wrought on our Pittsburgh schools?
One by one these schools are failing and falling to the closing ax. How many are remaining and what will soon become of them.
Rooney, Northview, Fort Pitt have been CLOSED. And King has brought in Success Schools to control the students. Among the ALAs with African American student populations, only Weil remains open.
Please do not forget the only successful ALA was Colfax----still going strong.
Weil has gone all over because the Board's replenishment and dismantling of the Hill District zip codes.
Do you believe it was the ALA part that made Colfax a (more) successful school?
I can give you a list of reasons that school attracted white, more demanding parents and the extended day/year, ALA designation aren't it.
Also, have you looked at the score breakdowns by race for Colfax? (Note: Colfax is 30% free/reduced lunch, FAR below district average 74%)
Score for 3rd-5th grade Reading:
Black: 61.8% Basic & Below Basic
White: 11.4% Basic & Below Basic
Score for 3rd-5th grade Math:
Black: 53.6% Basic & Below Basic
White: 4% Basic & Below Basic
Scores for 6th-8th grade Reading:
Black: 46.6% B/BB
White: 9.6% B/BB
Scores for 6th-8th grade Math:
Black: 52.7% Basic & Below Basic
White: 10.9% Basic & Below Basic
Let's see...Greenfield with same basic racial breakdown BUT twice as many poor kids (60% free lunch):
Score for 3rd-5th grade Reading:
Black: 39.3% Basic & Below Basic
White: 31.4% Basic & Below Basic
Scores for 3rd-5th grade Math:
Black: 28.2% B/BB
White: 17.3% B/BB
Scores for 6th-8th grade Reading:
Black: 29.2% B/BB
White: 22% B/BB
Scores for 6th-8th grade Math:
Black: 48% Basic & Below Basic
White: 17.3% Basic & Below Basic
I don't think you can point to Colfax as a huge success for African American students, for one, and I wouldn't use it as an example of how the ALA model outperformed "ordinary" schools either.
Thank you for pointing out the problem at Colfax of NOT educating African American children.
The achievement gaps at Colfax are wider than at any other school and have been for years.
But, the principal was promoted to Assistant Superintendent. What does that say about what we need in leadership at central office?
Name just one ALA tha "outperformed" the top 40 of PPS "regular" elementary schools.
Imagine that, a principal who could not devise a plan to improve African-American achievement in his school is appointed as an Assistant Superintendent. Why not, considering that Lippert and French were also appointed to Central Office and neither of them brought any consistent data of improving student achievement when they served as principal. Then again, how could they since both of them had but one year of hands on experience as a principal.
The moral of the story is if you have minimal experience as a school principal or if you have no success in promoting the achievement of African-American students in a school, it is highly likely that YOU too will get promoted to a Central Office Administrator position who has the knowledge and insight to counsel other schools on how to be successful. REALLY?
What on earth are the criteria for prmotion to central office in this district?
Its not just the former Colfax principal and Lippert and French, but how about Otuwa who is not from Pittsburgh and failed with the elemntary ALAs and then gets promoted to Secondary Schools. Where was Ripper a principal?
Roosevelt wanted people who knew less than he did and that didn't take much, but why has Lane continued down that road?
Roosevelt got rid of people that tried to do the right thing.
Lane listened to Roosevelt (they knew he was leaving and she was taking over *months before it was public)
Lane and Roosevelt are both Broad graduates. She is following the same path because that is how they were trained. This is not rocket science.
*Roosevelt had his Pittsburgh house on the market a year before he left, did not send his preschooler to PPS and he was outed as a finalist for another superintendent position in the media months before he got a raise and bonus. I apologize, I do not recall the district.
* found it.. Roosevelt applied for the job in Austin, TX as the school board was licking his feet.
http://www.austinpost.org/austin-news/who-else-tried-be-aisd-superintendent
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