Monday, February 23, 2015

PPS still trying to reduce suspensions

Anonymous wrote:

"New post please: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2015/02/23/Pittsburgh-schools-work-with-groups-to-reduce-suspensions/stories/201502230005 
"

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

It would be interesting to see where these suspensions are occurring. It would also be interesting to see who the principal is. Is he/she black or white? A PELA/Broad grad? If the black students are suspended at a higher rate and the principal is a black PELA woman, could it be the student? If so, could the same not be true of a school where the principal is a white male, non-PELA
I have been following this site for some time now. It sounds like the students at U-Prep are out of control. (With a black man) We have not seen similar reports at Perry, even though that principal has a reputation as a bully. (White man) We don't hear much static about Brashear or Carrick. What are the stats from those schools? What is the make-up of their administrations?

Anonymous said...

1:03 PM I like your perspective also we need to know what areas meaning a breakdown on the reason we have high suspension(s) rates and categories with the most suspension(s) I know the school should have that data oh
Also what are the numbers at CAPA just curious we all know who has the highest numbers of suspension(s) by race and gender african american students

Anonymous said...

Please remember that there ARE alternative schools SAC, Clayton for disruptive hs students. No one wants to admit that students younger than 6th grade have serious mental health issues. They also have great variation in ability,and act out when stressed. When we "right-sized" we did not add behavioral specialists, counselors, etc. Many programs to help students require parents' signatures-- and parents of younger students don't want to face major mental health issues in the home.
It isn't just a matter of really caring about the kids-- the teachers care-- but they care about ALL the kids-- the quiet ones who sit through the disruptions deserve care too.

Anonymous said...

Do not compare the principal, Mr. Chakey, at Perry, to Hardy at UPrep. The former knows that discipline, routine, and adults running the building( not the students) are the answers, and have always been the answers to running a school. However, the latter bases his principles(irony) on having his browbeating gaggle of toady teachers torment the ethical teachers, while simultaneously urging his students to roam the building, torment the teachers(except his gaggle), not carry any materials, and miss school every other Meanwhile, he tries to hid everything(except not knowing how to run a school. Oh, he makes really mean faces(they are funny).

Anonymous said...

7:31, I was not trying to compare them. Rather, I only wanted to point out both ends of the spectrum. I have only heard the stories about Mr. Chakey. I know Mr. Hardy. They actually fit nicely into a Venn Diagram. Both have individual traits, while, sharing so many things in common. Mostly the mean spirited behavior towards the teachers. Both have their favorites. Both are disliked by many. One encourages poor behavior, the other tolerates it. The effect it has on the building is the same. They both grind their axe on the same wheel, they just swing it a little differently.

Anonymous said...

7:54, you are right in some ways,but very misguided regarding the fact of the matter. The fact is the district sent Shakey over to Perry to control an out of control school, which he is doing. There are probably young teachers at Perry who think they are the PRC champions of the world. Now they are angry, because they have found out that it takes years to become a teacher, not a certificate and pathetic, PELA principals urging them on.

Anonymous said...

Wow. The last poster is either completely misguided or, worse yet, delusional. Talk to any school police officer and he/she will tell you that Perry is a disaster. There are daily altercations with students, and the teachers have been bullied into submission. Teachers are so terrified of Chakey that one male teacher has admitted to having to urinate in a bottle in his back room to avoid being written up for being late to his duty because nature called. The bathroom issue extends to students. As the restrooms are closed for the majority of the day, one child left the building in a panic and squatted between two cars in front of the magistrate's office to relieve herself. You want to talk about suspension rates? Perry leads the district in sheer numbers as well as the rate of Af. Am. male suspensions relative to the population. At Oliver, if you were an Af. am. Male, you had a 98% chance of being suspended. Perry is following suit. I fail to understand why, if things are so wonderful there, that one science teacher, two art teachers, one special Ed teacher, one English teacher, one phys Ed teacher, one math teacher and a cadre of others are out on leave. Subs have been removed from the building because they dared to stand up to the principal, so the sub shortage has led to teachers having to cover classes in addition to teaching their own. For a faculty (that at one time felt secure enough to offer push back when they disagreed with policies) to be brow-beaten into sick leave, retirement and resignation is beyond immoral. I hope no one is surprised when this year's test scores reflect the profound lack of leadership at Perry. I also hope that those beating the Chakey drum then realize that they've been led astray by a man who has a track record for breaking tenured teachers, particularly women, and disrespecting minority students, before leaving a building in a heap of ashes.

Anonymous said...

i am trying to follow the ongoing reporting and letters-to-the editor about reducing suspensions. isn't something really wrong with the code of conduct if it isn't clear enough to prevent suspensions for minor misbehaviors? How about some anecdotal evidence from both sides of the debate? if a kid puts a hand on another kid or a teacher is it minor unless somebody ends up on the ground? if a kid walks out of a class to go for a quick stroll that is a minor misbehavior to me if it happens only once; regularly is another story.

Anonymous said...


To the poster who posted these comments: "If and when children are being EDUCATED to levels of competent and "proficiency" schools are good places, even great places, for kids to be. When they are surrounded by chaos, failure, disruption, fear, incompetence and being accused by adults as the reason for all of this "mess",they act out. Kids rebel against the people and the institutions that require them to be in such a confusing and hostile place."

There is a NEED for such commentary to challenge the current "Letters to the Editor" in today's PG ( 3/10/2015