Monday, October 1, 2012

Excessively long bus time

From wpxi, a piece on an 8 year old who whose bus time is being lengthened to 2.5 hours per day:

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/mom-says-8-year-old-son-rides-school-bus-25-hours-/nSQzf/

17 comments:

Mark Rauterkus said...

So much for neighborhood schools.

Anonymous said...

You want to send your child to a charter, that's the free ride you can expect.

Anonymous said...

the quote was attributed to Fred Bigelow, named as Dir of Transportation, PPS. Could that be right?

Anonymous said...

Fred Bigelow's title is: Supervisor of Private/Parochial/Charter Schools/Clayton Academy

He would be in charge of this route because it involves a charter school.

Anonymous said...

Thanks anon 1:31. I don't get Mark's neighborhood schools reference. I am having a rainy day in my head.

Anonymous said...

I get it-- everybody complains about bussing, and public schools and yet-- they are willing to take a long ride to a charter-or a bus ride in the suburbs .

Anonymous said...

Two and one/half hours per day for an 8 year old to be bussed to a public school?

That's crazy, pure and simple!

No one does that, not even charter and private schools where the intended escape from a "failing" school might be worth it!

Mark Rauterkus said...

People move to a neighborhood with a good school. Generally that is out of the city. North Side to East in times of school is hard if it is not direct.

If we had more quality neighborhood schools, we would need less busses. Of course.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Tonight (Thursday) is an Excellence for All meeting at Sci-Tech and Dr. Lane will be there, so she said last night.

Last night was a cinema showing with A+ School of the movie, "Don't Back Down," -- an artistic story filmed with many Pittsburgh landscapes / settings.

Anonymous said...

Does the meeting start at 7:00?

Anonymous said...

Mark, I didn't see anything about the movie on A+'s website. Where was the screening held, and how was the movie received? (If you were there?)

Anonymous said...

Yes, A+ Schools, PPS Board and Superintendent were planning to attend the movie last evening (with a reception before the movie).

Does anyone know who planned and facilitated the event? Who was invited? What was the process and purpose?

Was there a debriefing session following the movie?

Anything good, bad, or indifferent come as a result ofG the event?

Anonymous said...

I got an email. I can't for the life of me recall who sent it. It came several weeks ago.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Email was used to communicate. I think I signed up at the A+ site.

I went. Ate hummus and chicken tenders. Saw the typical crowd of teachers and parents as well as 3 board members and Dr Lane.

Discussion after. Lots of Qs on cards and few answers.

Theme , movie was art, just set in Pgh.

Theme, to wait is to say no. Waiting is not good enough. Justice delayed is justice denied.

I think we should build and deploy a wait ticker.

Anonymous said...

Typical spinning of info occurred. Dr. lane thought it was a good concept but now says "real" transformation often takes years in the making...well i guess we would hear that since every initiative that is implemented seems to turn back progress in this district...i mean culturally relevant pedagogy and getting the most effective teachers with the neediest students has caused major decline in performance at the districts "premier" centers ..errrr...experimental schools.

Anonymous said...

Now their asking for "just two more years" for the equity plan to begin to take hold. lets get real folks they have had the past seven years and what improvements have occurred....decline and more decline, increased gaps between groups, and no real plan to effectively help. king, brashear, and faison, westinghouse, all huge declines from the "reforms" they put in place...next disaster Langley k-8. when will these people with phd's get some common real world sense. this chain of fools or i mean Progressive broad brainwashed leaders need to move on. they can continue to try to believe if they say it, it is true, but the average citizen is not as dumb as they believe.

Anonymous said...

Seems as though the Board is "as dumb as they believe" and there is no evidence that the "average citizen" is any different.

The people in central office are good at one thing and that is PR.

Everyone is "brainwashed" or impotent.