Anonymous wrote:
"New Post
Westinghouse/Wilkinsburg Partnership: Educational Malpractice or a chance to take charge of two struggling student populations.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2016/01/10/Forum-focuses-on-upcoming-Wilkinsburg-Westinghouse-merger/stories/201601100168
Taking charge would be refreshing and the community at large will be looking to the Shirley Biggs and the Johnson Martins to do just that. Hopefully, as mentors and vocal advocates/critics and hands on participants.
Perhaps community activist Fred Logan could continue organizing the forum and panel discussion on an ongoing basis with the the same participants much the same as the Broad/Gates people meet with PPS on a monthly basis.
Why not? Give them a 'run' for their money.
As Ms. Biggs eloquently puts it, "We're preparing the keepers of our community. That's really the way we need to be thinking about it."
I'm sure Principal LouAnn Zwieryznski would welcome the expertise and relationship building that comes with such dialogue."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
35 comments:
Anonymous wrote:
"Forum focuses on upcoming Wilkinsburg-Westinghouse merger
January 10, 2016 12:00 AM - Tribune Review
And how about Wilkinsburg, a district who completely gave up on their students and abandoned them by shipping them out to a district with even less success.
Three hours of discussion on Saturday afternoon is reduced to three minutes in this article in today’s Tribune Review.
Many are the "cheerleaders" supporting this decision which is certainly not "evidence-based" as they say is the requirement for decisions."
PDE is looking for this partnership, if successful , to be an evidence-based model that they can point to.
The naysayers have the option to go the path of criminality and the courts and years of litigation. Not sure evidence-based requirement exists for this pathway either.
Obviously, the panel has not even done their research on the recent changes in Westinghouse over the past two years: New technical and career programs, an ongoing culturally-responsive curriculum, a sense of renewed school spirit, and most recently a student council answering the charge to "giving back" by collecting shoes for the disadvantaged. (No other school in PPS followed through on this project.)
Let's support this school that has the ability to rise like a Phoenix with the help of confident, competent, sincere administrative and teacher leadership that can and will focus both Westinghouse and Wilkinsburg students on being successful in life.
If you hold a forum on a topic about which you have no expertise, then all ideas and accusations are simply rhetoric and are null and void!!!
Obviously , 5:29 , you missed the expertise that Ms. Biggs and Johnson Martin brought to the panel.
Shirley Biggs,is a former Public Schools teacher and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education.
Johnson Martin is a former teacher and retired Pittsburgh Public schools administrator.
Lorena Amos, a former educator, spent 43 years in the Pittsburgh school district.
This Partnership is moving forward and any dialogue (pros and cons) is healthy conversation in an effort to get it right for these kids.
This partnership is being handled with great care and the stakes are high as is always the case when our children are involved.
The aforementioned "educators"and/or administrators did little to improve things while they were with PPS. Why would anyone want their input now as so-called consultants? Maybe the district could take all of the money that they pay for these freeloaders claiming that they have the answers and expertise to fix Westinghouse, and make the overdue improvements in school security. (starting with respect and pay for those folks)
We need an African American Principal and African American teachers for our children. My children had Mr. Bivens at Fulton and he knows his stuff- put him in charge. They put a white woman in charge at Allderdice - she does two jobs- he can too- put the best where it is needed.
Dr. Wayne Walters is also serving in two jobs---principal at Obama and Assistant Superintendent. He is a well-educated. an on-the-ground urban educator/leader and independent thinker who knows Pittsburgh Public Schools. Dr. Walters has NOT been a part of the serious mistakes and bad decisions that are being made at Central Office.
To Excel....as alive and human as we all are...
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could re-instate by what we do as parents, grandparents, as teachers,as legislatures...that old noble ambition to ...excel."
4:13 move Wayne Walters - if he did Obama he can do Westinghouse move ms z to Bama we need only the best at the house
Remember please that Dr. Walters is the asst. superintendent over U Prep. Changes have not happened. Keep reading here and think about how awful that school is. Again i feel that if so,ething that bad is under your control, you need to be there until it is fixed. A stroll through hasnt been enough. Is this an example of leadership?
Remember also that Dr. Walters is responsible for a large school where he is Principal. Obama needs to be his priority or it will
go to hell in a hand basket".there are only so many hours in a day. The people on site in a school are responsible for what goes on there and UPrep has many competent and committed individuals. Unfortunately, Central Office is and has been dictating the curricula, organization, structure, rules and regulations, instructional frameworks, theories of action, etc. that the district has decided are "equity" and 'best practice' for "Collective Impact". Folks want to keep their jobs so they walk a very fine line between what works and district demands.
Check the history on jobs lost and the reasons why. The fine line walk is needed or there is no chance at all to implement what works. You have to ask what does Central Office have to lose by implementing 'alternatives" and supplementary support 'systems' to their current "Support Services" and "Teaching and Learning Plan" proposals-past, present, and future?
Dr. Walters should be one of the first considered for Superintendent. There are many people in Pittsburgh that would have Pittsburgh students at heart.
There is also much more commitment and accountability when its where you live and work over many years. It takes too long for outsiders to get up to speed on a place that is not part of who they are or have become over years of building relationships and making decisions.
People selected from national searches do not stay. Selecting the right someone for Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania gives PPS the best chance of getting back on the path to really educating ALL of our children.
Cast a wide net. There are many fish in the sea. As the selection process narrows one can be more discriminating.
Many times a large pool of candidates can 'inform' the search.
Agreed. In fact, after casting a wide net, we will be better able to appreciate what is already here in Pittsburgh or in PA.
The problem might still be "the vote" on the final selection and who values what. And, is the "evidence" presented to meet the criteria validated and confirmed.
How has U Prep improved since Dr. Walters was made assistant super w/ responsibility for U Prep?
Again, no one with full responsibility (PRINCIPAL) for a school as large/complex as Obama, cannot be in any other building during the school day. Walters is NOT the principal of UPrep AND as an Assistant Superintendent he has multiple schools and related responsibilities at CO.
Walters can offer advice to others only when he can absent himself from Obama! You cannot be an Assistant Superintendent for multiple under-achieving PPS Schools and still be keep Obama running successfully. It is NOT HUMANLY POSSIBLE!
Miracle Workers and Supermen/women should be the all of those dozens of people (6 of them with Ass't Super titles) with offices on Bellefied NOT principal in a large urban 6-12 school like Obama!
Who in good conscience would ever assign ONE person to so many tasks and responsibilities as has been done with Wayne Walters and Melissa Frieze. Yes, you can understand why Bellefield. would attempt it. Desperation! Someone else to blame!
There is a whole, large committee of people, chosen by "341" folks that has been called in to work on U Prep this past year, but improvement happens only when people in the school are permitted and capable of being "problem solvers" NOT 341!
So essentially Dr. Wayne Walters is an Assistant Superintendent in name only. Correct 3:06?
6:32 - Are you suggesting that he be all things simultaneously? So, you think he can bring "IMPROVEMENT" to Milliones without leaving Obama or giving up the additional responsibilities that come with Assistant Superintendent across the District as well as attending Central Administration Meetings? Seems like you are expecting Dr. Walters to meet any and all of yours and the districts demands OR you will judge him to be "in name only"? What did he do to you to incur such sarcasm?
Because the time of superintendents and assisted superintendents is always limited, a major responsibility in the time they do have is to hire the right people to get the job done.
On the contrary.
If you are suggesting that Bellefield would attempt to assign one person to so many tasks and responsibilities out of desperation and/or to assign blame,then Dr. Wayne Walters, one would think, in his wisdom would decline such a position.
Leaders are not lead into such 'humanly impossible' situations.
But, Dr. Walters has been given TWO jobs. If Principal at Obama is full-time and Assistant Superintendent is full-time (as it is with Bivins, May-Stein, Ware-Allen, Huguley, Micheaux, and Sims) can you explain how and why Walters and Frieze are expected to run Obama and Allderdice and still do the work that at assigned schools as Assistant Superintendents? And why are the schools assigned to Walters or Frieze, like Milliones U Prep not needing full-time Ass't Superintendent like the other schools in the District?
Something is NOT making sense, comparatively speaking! Why? How can it be explained that Milliones does not have a full-time Ass't Super instead of someone who is already a full-time principal of a large 6 to 12 school?
Maybe, but its doubtful, you could justify it, if it was a school without problems like Sci-Tech?
Common sense would be high on the short list of attributes for the next superintendent.
Where is the common sense in offering an individual two full time jobs with multiple duties and responsibilities with an expectation of 'success' and on the other hand , accepting two full time jobs with the same expectation of one's self?
Touche!
If any of the existing Assistant Superintendents, including Dr. Wayne Walters,have a record of holding leadership accountable and shown the ability to push back when needed, then they have earned a spot on a short list of candidates for Superintendent within the district.
In this posters opinion.
Give us some examples of "holding leadership accountable" when you work in the system. Speak out and you are gone!
Most likely the best you can do is hold yourself accountable in your own space in the system. Even that is risky; but, if you are successful, "leadership" will leave you alone and go after another.
Dr. Walters has a huge task---and Obama's results in this PPS broken system seem to provide sufficient evidence that he does hold himself accountable in his primary capacity of Principal in a "failing" system. Enough said?
What are Obamas results? Strong performance at a feeder school (not magnet) would be a plus for a candidate for superintendent.
12:12 - Only if the "feeder" school encompassed a truly "urban" student population and the greater grade span (6-12) that is struggling desperately in PPS. Feeder schools of the youngest students (K-5) in upper middle class neighborhoods are considerably less-prepared for the challenges in PPS.
11:44AM - Leaders don't fear for their jobs. They speak and move on!
Yes, 3:46, that is what true leaders in PPS have done, while others in leader positions have feared for their jobs and acted accordingly.
If you follow this blog, "fear of losing one's job" prevails, more often than not. And yes, " leaders" speak and move on--to other places and we are left those who "fear" some thing or some person(s).
Schools score on cooperation:http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/highschool/2016/01/29/Sports-co-ops-enable-WPIAL-schools-Quaker-Valley-and-Cornell-to-join-forces/stories/201601290007
Continuing to cheerlead the potential in the Westinghouse/Wilkinsburg Partnership.
"The kids did a phenomenal job from the beginning. They just kind of accepted each other quick, and that's what made the co-op successful."
The evidence is beginning to build for joining forces and helping each other.
Update
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2016/03/15/Wilkinsburg-students-will-start-attending-Pittsburgh-Westinghouse-in-April/stories/201603150194
Informative article outlining a substantive strategy and the means with which to achieve a successful transfer and partnership. Mr Matsook is clearly navigating an important link in the "Chain of Change" for Wilkinsburg.
Update
http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/10216563-74/wilkinsburg-students-schools
Post a Comment