Thursday, July 6, 2017

District communications

Anonymous wrote:

"New Post: Hamlet's congratulatory letter to distinguished teachers contains one of the most egregious errors in English: the dangling participle. The first sentence in paragraph two is the culprit. However, despite a district laden with distinguished teachers, the odds are 99-1 that anyone will find it. I'm the one, so don't bother looking. The scarier issue is that Hamlet has to have editors. Do I need to say anything else? I will anyway. This sums up the district:lazy, incompetent, and insincere. "

11 comments:

Questioner said...

Standards for grammar are definitely being relaxed. There are notably more grammar and other errors in the Post-Gazette, for example- proofreaders must not be considered worth the $ anymore.

Anonymous said...

Please show us the sentence you are writing about.

Anonymous said...

Grammar issues in communications to the public has been an issue forever. I feel more frustration that we celebrate a one year anniversary and fail to celebrate any evidence of the success of initiatives like restorative practices, innovative curriculum, etc. I have no skin in this game at all, not a teacher, no kids in school, but interested in why years of work have netted limited results.

Anonymous said...

Hamlet's sentence reads verbatim: "As a teacher who performed at the Distinguished level this school year, I'm confident that your students..."

Anonymous said...

Restorative practice celebration? Does everyone invited have to get into a circle? Innovative curriculum? The curriculum may be the worst in the annals of education.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I just received my letter. I mean, he's congratulating distinguished teachers with a letter that sounds like he's distinguished.

Anonymous said...

The district obviously has funds to print several thousand glossy brochures that will later be used to line waste baskets. However, I have to collect $5 from each kid to pay for transportation to an educational field trip. Horn blowing trumps actual accomplishments. It feels like the guy is in perpetual campaign mode. He should hire Molly Born as his manager.

PPS teacher said...

Hamlet's glossy brochure was very impressive. And it was also completely worthless. There is nothing of value in it. It's all propaganda, and a waste of money. Every teacher I've talked to has already thrown his/her copy away.

What we are seeing here is the beginning of a cult-of-personality campaign. Mark Roosevelt ran this scam when he was the PPS superintendent. And now Hamlet is doing the same thing. Focus on the superintendent! Focus on all his fancy promises! And when those promises fall short, round up the usual suspects (the PPS teachers).

I've been a PPS teacher long enough to have had the privilege to work under Dr. Helen Faison. She was a no-nonsense leader. The emphasis then was on the kids, and on those who worked with the kids. No self-promotion. I miss her very much.

Anonymous said...

totally agree with 11:58- Dr. Faison had a way of talking to various groups of teachers and charge the with going forth and bringing out the best in students. She believed in real professional development where students and teachers could grow. Meeting with her was never indoctrination, but real learning.
Dr. Hamlet could have-- without the glitzy brochure, given the community real information- we are getting more nurses, more librarians, and these will help teachers meet student needs.
Dr. Faison didnt need watchdogs--they wanted to communicate to teachers what they had been told so all could move forward. Dr. Faison gave everyone the impression that she wanted to hear their opinions-- and in return, even when doubtful, administrators and teachers had a "let's try it " attitude-- and often they were pleasantly surprised, as with technology initiatives.
Dr. Hamlet did work in the last year on listening-- always good-- but now- he must take what learned from teachers and students and communicate how to implement this-no mid-level watchdogs- no brochures- talk to your principals, get them on- board, and charge them with
leading their profesionals.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Questioner said...

Thomas Paine sent a corrected post:

"Remember, the guilty ilk here is the triumvirate of fools running the union. Don't ever blame the district. They are like the hundreds of students in the district who are coddled and catered to daily. In other words, the district is expected to act like this, but those cowards on the South Side ate the villainous traitors. They are the scurge. I personally believe that any teacher who never speaks out against this trio of flotsam (Esposito, Heilman, and Grant),deserve the worst, and rest assuredly, they will get just that. Has anyone looked at the wage theft that has occurred through the PNC pay card, during sabbaticals, or for maternity leave employees? No, I thought so. Then, don't you dare cry when you don't get your step increases, and don't you dare cry when the circle of traitors tell you what other unions don't have, and don't you dare cry when the unctuous walk-,throughs trample your spirit. Don't you dare cry because you are the Espositos, the Heilmans, and the Grants: traitorous, weak, and stupid. You, like the treacherous trio are now the ninth circle, the circle of traitors. Dr. Hamlet, did you learn what a dangling participle is yet?"