Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Extension for Mayor's task force

On another post Anonymous wrote:

"The Mayor's Education task force gets 3 additional months to conclude its work.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/07/29/Mayor-s-task-force-on-public-schools-gets-three-more-months-to-complete-work/stories/201407290210

There is a paid mediator also."

PPS allowed to continue its own evaluation system

On another post Anonymous wrote:

"
** New Post**
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/07/29/State-leave/stories/201407290204

State granted PPS 3 year waiver to continue use of the evaluation system that is more rigorous than the state evaluation system. The contract is almost up. The time to strike is now.

The PFT is a laughingstock to the Board. Linda Lane believes she can do whatever she wants, BECAUSE SHE CAN!!! Who is going to stop these charlatans from getting rid of experienced teachers and principals while central office laughs all the way to the bank.

They are not accountable to the children or parents. You are a joke to them, the teachers are a joke to them, the taxpayers are a joke. But we all let them get away with whatever they want while they keep cashing in.

How can Linda Lane NOT be on an improvement plan?? Where is the EVIDENCE she met any of her performance goals!? District of first choice? The district is a laughingstock."

Monday, July 28, 2014

Security guards lack of raise

On another post Anonymous wrote:

"POSTING PLEASE

Will the Security ever get a raise?
Security work so hard. Security are hands on in the schools and make so much less than School Police. School Security make a huge difference in these schools and are not noticed. If their are lazy guards fire them. For the ones that put their life in danger daily(good job)and you should be making more money for the stress,counseling students,bruises,injuries,calming the staff down, breaking up fights with multiple students at one time, controlling irate parents, danger they are in, drugs you find, guns that you stop from getting into the schools and so much more. If their were no guards the police would have to handle the job. By the time the police get their the kids are calm and separated in rooms. We respect the Officers because by law they do have arresting powers. Security are never noticed or rewarded in any way. They keep the schools safe and deserve to feel appreciated and that they are not looked at as a dumb security guard."

Monday, July 21, 2014

Proposed revision in Code of Student Conduct

On another post Anonymous wrote:

"new topic please--revision in Code of Student Conduct:
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/2014/07/21/Proposed-changes-in-the-Student-Conduct-Code-emphasize-progressive-and-positive-discipline/stories/201407190129

So an ASSAULT isnt criminal and we will allow "discretion"? Read back through this blog-- this is how we got to the place where "good" elementary schools-Minadeo- are written up as "out-of-control" and children in fear. The problem is that there are NO consequences for actions of young children that would BE criminal out in the street. Do you all trust the PELAs and the various consultants when your child is injured in school?
Obviously alot of people don't and they are expressing this by leaving schools perceived as dangerous. The biggest thing ALL parents want is safe students-- we are united in this. So now nothing is concrete. Look at what has happened with this thinking- without the change in the code.
These principals will do anything-- as the article implies-- to KEEP students in the classroom-- no matter what has happened. And yet, YES great teachers deal with it and well-- but how much time is your student observing these behaviors around them--disruptive or not-- instead of learning skills. When middle school teachers tell you the kids are coming with less skills-- look how long these students watched various performances, interventions, etc."

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Pressure to cheat

On another post Anonymous wrote:

"
This article in the current New Yorker shows where high stakes testing can take you. I do NOT condone cheating, but can understand why these teachers felt they had to.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/07/21/140721fa_fact_aviv
"

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Furloughs

On another post Anonymous wrote:


"Furloughs? (new topic)
Does anyone have details about the upcoming furloughs? Is it by hiring date--or specific category-- i.e. language teachers? Does this seem -out-of-the blue?"

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Hand picked teachers but nothing changes

On another post Anonymous wrote:

"New post

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2014/07/08/President-wants-needy-schools-to-get-good-teachers/stories/201407080086

When is someone going to ask questions about our Gates-funded initiative that put our district's "most highly effective teachers" at Brashear and King and nothing happened to test scores? And I don't use those quotation marks sarcastically. I know many of the CRIs that moved into these positions and they truly are really good teachers. But NOTHING positive happened with their test scores. I think they worked their butts off -- as did the colleagues who were hand-picked to work in those schools -- but nothing changed. Isn't it time we ask what this means?? "

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

"Faced with the Gates of Hell"

On another post Anonymous wrote:

"NEW POST

"Facing the GATES of Hell"

Gates Foundation Protest in Seattle

"Teaching in the shadow of the Gates Foundation is an ominous and treacherous endeavor. Everywhere you turn there is another so-called “expert”, funded by the Gates foundation–with very little, if any classroom experience—who believes that their dollars have given them sense.

Gates believes in the right of the rich to control the schools and even the very idea of what knowledge is. We believe that education and knowledge should be democratic pursuits and that only through collaboration—not market competition—can we fully become complete human beings.

Gates believes the intellectual and social-emotional processes can and should be reduced to a test score. We believe standardized testing can’t begin to quantify the things that matter most in education: imagination, collaboration, civic courage, empathy, and creativity.

The problem for us is that Gates has a few more dollars than we have . . ."