tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post6654866004393722154..comments2023-08-24T05:24:51.011-04:00Comments on PURE Reform: Peduto appoints task forceQuestionerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04349071186140766778noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-19941969311157566742014-02-28T09:26:25.993-05:002014-02-28T09:26:25.993-05:00Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said this in the...Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said this in the Tribune-Review article regarding PPS/Brentley not pursuing the August Wilson Center - <br /><br />He "hopes his ongoing audit of the school district will help its leaders improve academic achievement and prevent financial collapse." Improve academic achievement? Do you think he's going to recommend doing whatever it takes (raise teacher standards) to continue receiving the Gates' money? Sounds like another hidden agenda to me. As far as financial collapse, I doubt he will look into all the high paid personnel in Bellefield who never see inside a classroom.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-17015907322830964372014-02-28T08:11:30.657-05:002014-02-28T08:11:30.657-05:004:28 You are funny! Each time you out your own nam...4:28 You are funny! Each time you out your own name on anything you create personally, you are memorializing yourself--every paper you've written in school, every report you turn in at work, every committee you sit on that does anything, etc. Putting one's name on the things one does is an everyday practice that us so trivial no one bothers to even notice it. That is unless you are a vindictive person who tries to eradicate the work and existence of others and then claim a higher moral ground. I believe they call that a bully pulpit, bully being the operative word. Please do not fail to consider the history of "great men" overseeing projects and governments to do exactly that. In fact, witness how Roosevelt did exactly that, throwing everyone out and telling the public we had no curriculum and no training--a bold faced lie so big that people thought it was true. Roosevelt was a politician, just like Peduto is, and there is not a lot of thinking or moral agonizing in their part. They just physically try to move everyone or anything that might get in their way out of their way. Do you imagine schools were not named after sitting board members? Do you not recall Jake Milliones was a city appointed board member? Is it any more moral or logical that the boe would name schools after their colleagues? With respect to trash cans, is it fair to say the mayor has no check and balance at all through city council should council wish to pursue it and say no? All I'm saying is that Peduto shows his character in his choices if where he spends his time, and that is how you will know what his future decisions are likely to be. I am not complaining about how the city uses its money. I am simply saying they do not belong at the table with the PFT and the school district over the collective bargaining agreement discussions. That is an invasion into a contractual relationship that no private entity would ever allow, nor would any other public entity by choice and governmental structure. This whole mayor's council thing is a made up and desperate strategy to hang onto an administrative dream that is failing--the Roosevelt reforms. Taking the names of people off things.....yes, I remember the Pinochet regime spent time on that in Argentina. And then there's North Korea and Kiev more recently. As they are in small matters, so they will be in great. Please let us know when you've written the definitive book on how naming rights and fundraising and honorifics all come together in a neat stack, and we will be sure to out it on the shelf reserved for most recommended red herrings to utilize to ensure the public gets lulled into distraction so the bully pulpit bullies can bully their largely uneducated and uninformed way into power and become completely overwhelmed by their own lack of actual competence to do the daily work of running and leading organizations to greater goals.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-14905062306162750442014-02-24T18:37:42.470-05:002014-02-24T18:37:42.470-05:00Over at the pittsburgh comet blog there is a thoro...Over at the pittsburgh comet blog there is a thorough post about the task force formation and there is not a single comment. Does this indicate that the greater population of pgh is not interested in pps? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-42925252040219870512014-02-24T16:05:35.969-05:002014-02-24T16:05:35.969-05:00Mayor does mayor's work!!
This is in today'...Mayor does mayor's work!!<br />This is in today's post. The mayor takes control over parking passes.<br />http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/02/24/Peduto-cuts-down-on-parking-passes-for-city-employees/stories/201402240186<br />Parking passes today, school parking lots tomorrow? I wonder if he will charge us to park in the staff parking lots. He can raise a few more $$ for city pensions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-11279168576009828962014-02-24T10:44:03.209-05:002014-02-24T10:44:03.209-05:00You go 7:27 There was a time back in the late 90&#...<b>You go 7:27</b> There was a time back in the late 90's where central administrators went out to the schools and taught a class. One class a week. Many went to schools where they had a friend as principal. Pat Crawford came to Reizenstein. I believe she took on a reading class. Needless to say, this program did not last long at all.<br />As for mark roosevelt, he needed a bodyguard when he went to faculty meetings. Students didn't care about him. He was afraid of the teachers. One bodyguard-driver is now in jail for molesting students. Sadly, the guard commanded more respect than roosevelt. Heck, I won't use capitol letters when writing his name!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-69202322134117311512014-02-23T22:38:05.710-05:002014-02-23T22:38:05.710-05:00Peduto seems like a good soul, on a personal level...Peduto seems like a good soul, on a personal level. I just don't think this is his fight in any way, shape or form. To further politicize this fight over Gates dollars is disappointing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-38664337858932949002014-02-23T21:54:22.800-05:002014-02-23T21:54:22.800-05:00Agreeing with the last two writers-- we no longer ...Agreeing with the last two writers-- we no longer have admin that has walked the walk. Sure we all had our moments of rocky times with principals-- but we knew they could do the job maybe not the content, but definitely walk in and command a room or often a whole school at assemblies. And yes we heard the mantra of "ooo dont you lovee RISE?" and when you said NO,practically in unison, we were ignored. And now, People like Tim Stevens have joined the ranks of kool-aid drinkers. Once again, these "leaders" are believing what the 1% tells them. Sure- AA education is in crisis-- and it is WAY worse than in 2006. This isnt the fault of community this time-- this is a planned take over by the venture philanthropists-- read what has gone on in other cities that drank the kool-aid. <br />We here on Pure Reform see the scam--<br />In your job do you have a 49 PAGE evaluation? Do you constantly have to provide "evidence" of doing your job? These are what's on your student's mind at night-- Not how to get an algebraic concept across to learners.<br />This is all a plan to take over public school system-- seen as a cash cow. They dont care about your kids at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-87175796135433374122014-02-23T21:24:00.561-05:002014-02-23T21:24:00.561-05:00You said it , 7:27. I often think the same thing. ...You said it , 7:27. I often think the same thing. And substitute any of the following names when Peduto is done. Lane, Stein, Otuwa, etc. <br /><br />Most of the people telling us how to do our jobs could not engage our students in learning for one period.<br /><br />I never wanted to work in any other district, but this will be my last year. The fact of the PFT willingly joining this task force instead of fighting to keep the mayor out of PPS is the final straw for me.<br /><br />I am having flashbacks to the beginning of RISE. Remember how we would hear "Don't you just love RISE? Isn't this so great?" from our PFT leaders. I expect soon to hear "Don't you just love this task force?" from the same leaders. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-76456464130570326982014-02-23T19:27:00.119-05:002014-02-23T19:27:00.119-05:00Note to Bill Peduto: you've spent a few hours ...Note to Bill Peduto: you've spent a few hours patching potholes, now let's see if you can spend a few hours with me in the classroom. I'm at one of the worst schools anywhere. My kids wouldn't care who you are. Not for a second. But don't stand with me in my classroom. My kids respect me and actually put forth a bit of effort. No, I want you to go stand in the room of someone they don't respect that much.<br />Let's see it, big man.<br />You want to get a feel for your constituents, let's start at the grassroots level.<br />Linda Lane won't do it. She is clueless about public education although she believes 2 years in early elementary should count. Mark Roosevelt needed a bodyguard.<br />But you, you want to portray yourself as a man of the people. So come on down. You don't need a task force. No PR people. No cameras. Don't even announce you are coming.<br /><br />Your experiences will be all the task force you need, pal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-5812895668661709172014-02-23T17:51:26.036-05:002014-02-23T17:51:26.036-05:00A few years down the road, Peduto will throw his h...A few years down the road, Peduto will throw his hat in the ring for governor. Just watch and see. Mayor is just a stepping stone for him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-7368436874453640762014-02-23T16:28:33.994-05:002014-02-23T16:28:33.994-05:00Really?
Okay, I'll keep explaining to you h...Really? <br /><br />Okay, I'll keep explaining to you how things get named. Public schools are named after public figures. Sometimes nationally famous, sometimes locally famous. It's usually reserved for after their career or even after their death, but not always. There are not monetary donations (Obama didn't contribute to our PPS school named after him.) <br /><br />The difference is that they didn't name it after themselves! Sure, mayors *can* put their name on things, but the question is whether or not they should. If there's a new development that they've had a hand in developing, sure, put the names of (all of) those responsible while it's being constucted. Maybe even a plaque on or in the building after completion. <br /><br />Can you not see the differences between public and private, between honoring and buying and between both of those and self-aggrandizement of putting one's name all over a city's property? <br /><br />If you can't, that's fine. Most people will be able to, however. <br /><br />I'm guessing that there's a budget line for maintaining garbage cans -- were you complaining about wasted dollars when they were painted with the name? Now they're repainted, likely when they would have been anyway. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-53399544972147435202014-02-23T15:05:50.736-05:002014-02-23T15:05:50.736-05:00The comments are not nonsensical. Naming in return...The comments are not nonsensical. Naming in return for donations or the bringing in of donations is common or the creation of items is common, raven stahl by all acounts was not a strong mayor, granted. The point is why would anyone take the time and use taxpayer money, which is arguably donated, to send workers out to do such a petty task? Why of all things would this be on his mind? Bill cowher has a street named after him. Did he donate money to get that? No. Did Half the schools in pottsburgh named after former principals or board members get named because of money being donated? No. In all examples, those were named in recognition of service to the community, and that is a common action. Your argument bases naming solely on donations. If tats the case, then the Pittsburgh schools, for instance, should be renamed right now the Gates district. Money is not the point. The point is where a person's attention is being placed--insignificant matters that no one really cares about or larger matters that actually affect people? I'm glad you are such a Peduto fan. I hope he loves you right back still after the honeymoon is over.and I hope he names a park bench for you too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-75957446677471066332014-02-23T14:49:02.164-05:002014-02-23T14:49:02.164-05:00@2:32 I don't think that Peduto nor his task f...@2:32 I don't think that Peduto nor his task force will be helpful to the PPS. So, we agree on that. <br /><br />However the rest of your comment is nonsensical. First of all, Ravenstahl didn't donate money to the city to have his name on all those things -- he was an elected official, paid by us, the taxpayers. Same for Peduto. At least Peduto understands that HE doesn't own the garbage cans or have some sort of personal naming rights by virtue of being elected. <br /><br />Those buildings you refer to? CMU did receive money, lots of money to name them. And so it did. CMU didn't just decide to name buildings after their highest paid administrators. Do you see the difference there? <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-42636708439017057682014-02-23T14:32:23.854-05:002014-02-23T14:32:23.854-05:00Anyone who takes the time to eradicate the names f...Anyone who takes the time to eradicate the names from others off trash cans based on his perceived idea that naming/dedication of objects is morally wrong is a person who is extremely conscious of his own perception and legacy. Anyone that self conscious and self focused and so self indulgent as to engage in such a petty activity is never to be fully trusted. It is a wonder that he does not object to Cmu naming buildings after Tepper and <br />Heinz because by his own measure, neither of those buildings should be named that way, especially Heinz who was alsp a public official. Time will tell the true character of the current mayor and if he runs others or is being run.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-19290381999920148242014-02-23T14:26:51.627-05:002014-02-23T14:26:51.627-05:0011:10 - Excuse us, BUT, Jessie Ramey is NO Mark...11:10 - Excuse us, BUT, Jessie Ramey is NO Mark Brentley. Please, let's not get confused here. Mark Brentley is one of a kind. Others can only ride on his coattails----or react from positions of envy at his courageous actions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-48950054565511283222014-02-23T14:19:03.654-05:002014-02-23T14:19:03.654-05:00Peduto is pretty much committed now to not putting...Peduto is pretty much committed now to not putting his name on anything. It is not clear why ravenstaals name was ever connected to the pittsburgh promise.Questionerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04349071186140766778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-69484303306713326342014-02-23T14:06:08.228-05:002014-02-23T14:06:08.228-05:00Well, the beauty of it is that neither the distric...Well, the beauty of it is that neither the district nor the PFT have to even acknowledge the mayor's attempt to convene them. There is no legislation now that makes this a legal obligation for the district or PFT to listen to him or do anything. But they're voluntarily agreeing to do it, and not just staff but Pgh board of Ed members giving their own power away like lambs led to slaughter. So no, there is no legal action to take. They're volunteering, not being compelled. And if an emergency is declared eventually, then governmental entities have a history of "temporarily assuming power" to control and re establish order. No one gets an opportunity to vote for that. And opportunists like Tim Stevens, whose job is mostly to call attention to things be talking loudly and often about why whatever is under scrutiny needs to be called an emergency, act as the pr channel for making the whole takeover thing acceptable to the public, especially non parents and others who do not have children in school. Tim let's himself be used in this way because he thinks he is reaching a goal he believes in as an activist. He is not. He is helping someone else realize a goal that conflicts with what he really believes in. The whole thing will work out great for Peduto because most of the public does not care about what happens in schools but does care about the value of their homes and who their neighbors are and how safe and secure they are physically and financially. So this makes it easy to change government power when you play on people's fears and claims about what they believe in. You challenge their personal identity that way. This is a long standing tactic of brutality used by many rulers across history. So after all the former mayors' names have been removed now from every bench, trash can and room they can find, you can look forward to Peduto's name being added to everything around the city in four years time instead. Wondering if the Richard Caliguiri statue will even still be where it is now by then. The names change but the behavior never does.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-64888949970046165712014-02-23T13:17:50.506-05:002014-02-23T13:17:50.506-05:00You ask why does Nina not object to any of this. S...You ask why does Nina not object to any of this. Simple. In Peduto's <i>New World Order</i> there is a place for her. The task force will also recommend other folks to fill the spots vacated by Brently, Holly and the rest. More consultants on the way. Bellefield will need a bigger parking lot.<br />What I find funny is this. So much time and energy are put into the argument that there is a separation of church and state, but, there are two clergymen on the task force. I find that to be odd. Someone earlier asked if the task force were city residents. I want to know are they being or will be paid? There is always a money trail somewhere. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-83933831061353489842014-02-23T12:20:02.310-05:002014-02-23T12:20:02.310-05:00Here's a good question:
Once this task force/...Here's a good question:<br /><br />Once this task force/mayor advises we need an appointed school board (and assuming we then get one because the public would have to vote on it - after a big PR push advocating we need it of course), the PFT is forced to accept the effective teachers' higher standards so Gates' money stays in play, the PFT loses out in contract negotiations, Lane is succeeded by another Broad superintendent, TFA is brought in, more of our current teachers at the top of the pay scale are deemed unsatisfactory and replaced by TFA/other $4,000/month teachers, BUT scores do not go up, the achievement gap doesn't change, WHO are we going to blame then??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-37205237737912049442014-02-23T11:51:21.336-05:002014-02-23T11:51:21.336-05:0011:10, I 100% agree!!! Honestly it's like you ...11:10, I 100% agree!!! Honestly it's like you read my mind. Peduto is even more fame obsessed than Tarka. I don't get Nina or Jessie's willingness to engage with this. Does any one know the legality if any of this. Are there legal grounds to oppose mayoral involvement with the school board. If so, who can invoke opposition? I don't know why the PFT or Ms. Ramey aren't opposing this? It is very obvious where this s all headed. This task force exists to eliminate a free thinking school board, to continue the PR attack, and a back door way to pass Lanes cut scores. This will be the end of any kind of union. There needs to be a STRIKE. The school board should be trying to appease the PFT, NOT the other way around. When I read the PG article announcing the task force, I started looking for another job. The sad thing is, I wasn't really surprised. I knew as soon as there were board members ready to stand up for teachers, they would somehow be silenced. I know there is no way I will return next year. Finally we had some hope, but it didn't last long<br /><br />Help us Nina!! Don't negotiate with these people, please! If Peduto has no legal right to insert himself in this task force, then stop him! Let the public know what the day in a life of a teacher really is. Tell Lane and company where to stick it, we can STRIKE, we have the POWER here. For our own sake, don't let the mayor in, his goal is to keep Gates happy. The cut scores will stay, the union will be gone, and our kids will be even worse off.<br /><br />New school board members, please help us if you can! If there is a legal issue with the mayor and this task force, then try to stop him please.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-79499270126070037962014-02-23T11:38:34.842-05:002014-02-23T11:38:34.842-05:00Since we already know the district is "so out...Since we already know the district is "so out of order," the correct thing to do is start cutting at the top - Lane and on down. Unfortunately you are right, a not so hidden agenda is in play to get an appointed school board to keep Gates/Broad rolling. And don't forget also, teacher contract negotiations should be coming up soon and Peduto sees himself as a "mediator" in that process also.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-26976159118222700592014-02-23T11:35:16.932-05:002014-02-23T11:35:16.932-05:00I wish I could disagree with 11:10 and say that th...I wish I could disagree with 11:10 and say that they are paranoid, but I can't. <br /><br />Philadelphia is far further along in the destruction process (otherwise known as reform): http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2014/02/colonial-philadelphia-or-colonized.html<br /><br />But it's all heading in the same direction. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-65776226785416059012014-02-23T11:29:17.595-05:002014-02-23T11:29:17.595-05:00And, 11:10, smaller school systems that do not get...And, 11:10, smaller school systems that do not get as much press coverage for reforms like the bigger systems do won't attract as much publicity for the city and its desired economic and infrastructure goals. So that makes it harder to attract employers, families, and events to the city to build an economic future, Goals for kids and learning? Not so much. That's why teachers have to be beaten into submission and silenced. They're always going to talk about learning and studying and kids. The kind of stuff that requires personal instruction and relationships with students and families. Those teachers need to stop talking and start doing things we can see and count so we know we're getting our money's worth out of them is the thinking there. Instead, the goals will be to sort kids into groups and train them to work in areas where others think they will fit. That is job training, not education. Tough choice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-24588485369878480532014-02-23T11:10:35.372-05:002014-02-23T11:10:35.372-05:00The task force was planned obviously well before P...The task force was planned obviously well before Peduto was elected, well before any conversations with AWC.Peduto traveled to Seattle with district officials, as stated in the news, while he was still only a city council member. The task force has only one desired outcome--to declare the district to be so out of order that the mayor must step in and appoint a new board of school directors.Parents, you lose your voice and power at that point. It's already been lost. Jessie Ramey will be portrayed as ridiculous and delusional in all discussions--the Mark Brently figure for the committee. Her recommendations will be so rashly different from the agenda of the city's upper echelon to grow the city to be a New York or LA that she will look like someone completely out of date. All her arguments will lose power that way. This is what ruthless power and manipulation look like in committees like this. None of the people on this too big committee are going to engage in flexible thinking. They will be stuck at a standstill rehashing the same conversations they've been having forever that already have led to nothing., and the message will come back "We did everything we could. Looked at this from every angle. The problem is too much infighting and personal agendas. No option left but to appoint a mayorally controlled board. " That language, pretty much verbatim, is bound to appear somewhere officially. Probably before the end of July and the start of the new school year, you will see this happen. Linda Lane has a contract only through the 2014-15 school year. They will want a new mayoralty controlled board in place before she goes. It's their only opportunity to achieve this. The current board will not pick a Broad successor to <br />Lane. This is part of the reason for the committee to be formed now, act now--to keep the Broad/Gates reforms in place over time and to stay in the ranks of LA NYC schools instead of falling back into the ranks of Cleveland and other smaller city systems that usually do not get attention for bigger reform programs and federal, private funding.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49258804305307213.post-27055707828346350192014-02-23T08:47:16.264-05:002014-02-23T08:47:16.264-05:00Hope they understand that the way to really help t...Hope they understand that the way to really help the kids and the PPS is with dynamic after school programs. That is a domain that Citiparks needs to get serious about. And the blueprint for this is in my position paper:<br /><br />http://CLOH.wikia.com/wiki/Fewer_Sports_AlternativesMark Rauterkushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17157914569686528007noreply@blogger.com