The Board agreed 5-4 to again accept proposals for Schenley. The PG article is strangely worded, "School Board votes to sell former Oakland High School," when the vote was apparently just to accept proposals for review. All four African American Board members voted No.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/school-board-votes-to-sell-former-oakland-high-school-654979/#ixzz27dYfhT4L
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5 comments:
More accurately worded article on the same vote from the Tribune:
http://triblive.com/home/2675111-74/building-district-schenley-board-bill-facilities-inadequate-million-sale-2008#axzz27do8CJGx
i have no real knowledge of anything, but it seems things started to sour around here when Schenley was closed.
I am nothing more than an observer but education seems to be full of egomaniacs who can't ever believe they are wrong about anything.
It's true, that is when things started to sour, because that is when the Roosevelt administration realized it was being given a free pass to do anything no matter how unpopular or illogical.
The Schenley situation should have never come to this. The Roosevelt administration kept documents regarding asbestos removal costs hidden from Board Members to review. Without those documents in hand, Board Members blindly followed Roosevelt's recommendation to close Schenley down. Schenley students were moved to Reizenstein which was given a 10 million dollars make over to accommodate high school students only to sell the school for 1.1 million dollars to a developer a few years later, then PPS spent more money to renovate Peabody to house Obama students. We as taxpayers should be outraged! Roosevelt should be held accountable for lying to the public by failing to disclose all documents.
Now we have yet another division. An Equity plan is on the table and PPS staff has been immersed in Equity training. To this observer, it appears that Board Members failed to receive any training as indicated by the 5-4 vote split last evening to sell Schenley.
The AA Board members realize that the students of the Hill have just lost access to a top notch building rich in history, student successes, and physical education facilities that are conducive for high school students. Instead our Hill District students will continue to be housed in a school designed to serve middle school students. Brentley called for at least a review of the hidden Roosevelt facilities documents before voting on the measure to place Schenley up for sale. At the very least, this request should have granted to review all of the data.
We must demand more of our Board Members. Giving a free pass to the administration tells this taxpayer that the persons elected failed to read all of the documents and ask important questions. They just fell in line and voted yes at the expense of our Hill District students.
You make a good point 9:30 PM. Since the district has been focusing on Equity and Race Relations with its staff, it would appear that at least one of the White Board Members would have re-thought their position about placing Schenley up for sale until all documents could be reviewed.
Since all four African-American Board Members voted NO in placing Schenley up for sale and since it is a school that is in a community that serves predominantly African American students one would think that the other Board Members would have been sensitive and reflective before casting a Yes vote.
Remember what the consultants say, "It's all about race." In light of this vote, the Board members need more training on race relations.
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