Friday, November 14, 2014

Wheatley letter

On another post Anonymous said:

"New post please

http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2014/11/14/Together-we-must-ensure-that-we-have-schools-that-work-for-all/stories/201411140097

Jake Wheatley, U Prep is one of your schools and the clearest example of the inequity you speak of. What are you doing to directly address that issue? This letter is vague and pointless talk that also appears to promote charter schools. I guess you are part of the PPS PR department too. Anyone in any position of power (especially a black man) who allows U Prep to continue as is, should be charged with civil rights violations and possibly child abuse at this point. "

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

is there any unused space at UPrep? Move all top central administrators there to work. Just having them moving around the building should improve behaviors. (facetious)

the trouble with these panels and meetings is the focus is so broad nothing gets fixed. heck, you have to talk specifics (incidents, administrators, practices) and correct each item.

Anonymous said...

10:26, that's a great suggestion! Put the central asdministration offices in the schools, especially in the troubled schools.

Just a walk to the cafeteria at lunch time would really open their eyes.

And let me add throw out a suggestion of my own: Require each union staff member to substitute teach a couple of days a month in a troubled school.

Of course, our worthy leaders would never agree to any of that. They talk the talk, but will not walk the walk.

Anonymous said...

Get rid of the PFT completely. For the amount paid in dues and little return in services, they are useless. Custodians and clerical workers do not have a union hall. Yet, they still manage to represent the membership.
Teachers instead could be represented by United Steel Workers of SEIU. At least they would have the courage to fight central admin.
PFT has clearly demonstrated they don't need officers on staff. V.P. and Secretary were never given full time staff status. They continued to work at Carrick. Why cant the rest of them do that.
Get rid of them, get rid of them all!

Anonymous said...

When the MR/LL administration first closed 22 schhols, I and others suggested that they sell the administration building in Oakland.
Admisistration of a district does not need such a building=there were many unused school buildings at he time and there still are. That idea was never even given any consideration nor did the union push for anything so sensible. I don't think they wanted to drive to work everyday in be in neighborhoods that we worked in and our students come from.

Anonymous said...

It is an excellent idea to get rid of the union and be represented by the Steelworkers or another union. The results couldn't be much worse than those spineless, useless and unresponsive members of the PFT.

Anonymous said...

the idea has been around for a while, at least 10 years ago it was suggested when my kids were in elementary school. move admin into buildings.
aren't contract negotiations about to begin? create a provision stating that union execs must have XX number of hours in the classroom per semester in order to qualify for a full-time paid position. otherwise they forfeit their position.

as far as the admin building goes, i am surprised it is not full of asbestos so maybe it should be sold before somebody discovers some hazard.

and another thing, the parent hotline is useless. i suggest everyone who reads this blog call or email the hotline to just see for yourself. it is a glorified switchboard or completely unresponsive.

to me, it seems the only group held accountable are the teachers.

Anonymous said...

The district doesn't own the admin building. From what I understand it is leased for $1, from someone' trust. So, getting rid of the building isn't smart. Not a bad idea to have admin in the building, but it would scare the crap out of teachers. All teachers, good and bad. You would feel that you were constantly being watched and evaluated. Remember, anything bad that happens in a school is blamed on the teachers, even if they did what they could to fix it.

Anonymous said...

Annon 1:00, Teachers are already being constantly watched and evaluated by administrators. How would this be any different? Most central admin. don't have the power to do anything. About all they can do is sit back, relax and watch the show. They don't hire, they can't fire. That deed is left to the principals and the evaluation process. Add to the mix of a little back stabbing and lies from the union and there you are. Get rid of full time PFT officers. Please though don't put PFT secretaries in that same category of useless, "talent"

Cindy Austin said...

I have not been really following ed reform as I should have, but I was given a book called Breaking the Silence by M. Shannon Hernandez, and the look she gives into the classroom and the struggles of students and teachers really got me thinking a lot more on reform. If nothing else we need change for our kids. www.myfinal40days.com is Hernadez' site, worth a look, a great read on this.