Sunday, June 29, 2014

"Insiders" needed

Anonymous asked for the following link to be posted:

http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2014/06/27/Give-insiders-a-chance/stories/201406270041

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I respect the thinking of the parent in this piece, but as a couple of people explain below in the comments section, it is clear that like her predecessor Roosevelt, Lane uses the Broad playbook. We all know the game: placate the masses by offering hearing and committees on various items, let the public get it out of their collective system, and then do what was intended anyway.

Look at what happened at Schenley as the clear defining piece in this regard.

Bill Peduto is just another political hack. He flies to Seattle and comes back with this idea. Peduto seems to be unaware that Gates has been a huge failure in Florida, in Colorado, in private industry and indeed, in his own corporation where the rating of employees is concerned. He seems to be unaware that the like minded like Michelle Rhee have been laughed out of districts like Washington DC for misidentifying the culprit in the lack of student achievement.

But no matter, Gates has a group of willing ears here. Lane, Peduto, foundation chiefs, the PG and local media---it matters none to them that Gates money is earmarked to attack teachers and gives nothing to our students.

These folks don't want to hear it. It's $40 million. It's Bill Gates. It's good PR. Let's not upset the charlatan in Seattle.

Never mind that our district scores have gone down during the Gates period. Never mind that we have fired 300 teachers due to budget constraints and hundreds more due to an outrageous "ratings system" that targets veteran teachers--i.e., teachers making the most money--at the hands of incompetent administrators who have come through the 'not ready for prime time players' auspices of PELA.

Never mind any of that. Politicians like Peduto, Lane and Roosevelt have never met a fact that they couldn't spin. They've never met a truth that they couldn't obfuscate.

It's shameful that there are individuals with good ideas for the kids that actually believe they can affect change under the "leadership" of people like this.

The darkest period in PPS. Ever.

Anonymous said...

I see the pft is in Harrisburg today. Does the district still have a lobbyist working on behalf of pps?

Anonymous said...

Maybe there is no need for a new post, since comment #1 deals with Bill Gates. Is there any way to send the info in the new post to Peduto and Lane?