From the PG:
"It was an eclectic mix of students that all worked together somehow," said Walter Moser, who coaches baseball at Schenley and has taught history there since 1984. "It was a school you'd be hard-pressed to find today in most cities.""
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11149/1150037-53.stm#ixzz1NiqNaOI6
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Coercing students into single gender?
On another post, Anonymous wrote:
"Please create a new post for this.
The Pittsburgh school district would coerce kids into taking single-sex classes
Friday, May 27, 2011
By Sara Rose
"Build it and they will come." That is what one Pittsburgh school board member said at a recent meeting about the school district's plan to turn Westinghouse High School, one of the city's lowest performing, into two single-sex academies for grades 6 through 12.
But the students did not come.
Read more:
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/11147/1149381-109-0.stm#ixzz1NaBz3PaS"
"Please create a new post for this.
The Pittsburgh school district would coerce kids into taking single-sex classes
Friday, May 27, 2011
By Sara Rose
"Build it and they will come." That is what one Pittsburgh school board member said at a recent meeting about the school district's plan to turn Westinghouse High School, one of the city's lowest performing, into two single-sex academies for grades 6 through 12.
But the students did not come.
Read more:
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/11147/1149381-109-0.stm#ixzz1NaBz3PaS"
Comparison with Duquesne school district
On another post Anonymous wrote:
"How about analysis and discussion of the Duquesne School District based on the PG and Trib articles.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/education/s_739209.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11147/1149500-298-2.stm#ixzz1NXmYjwlr
Can we compare and contrast the issues around poor districts statewide with poor schools citywide?
Can we generate solutions which will solve the lack of excellence, equity, resources, etc. for poor children, black children, hispanic children who have been 'DOOMED' to lives without even adequate educational preparation that would lead them to successful, productive futures?"
"How about analysis and discussion of the Duquesne School District based on the PG and Trib articles.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/education/s_739209.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11147/1149500-298-2.stm#ixzz1NXmYjwlr
Can we compare and contrast the issues around poor districts statewide with poor schools citywide?
Can we generate solutions which will solve the lack of excellence, equity, resources, etc. for poor children, black children, hispanic children who have been 'DOOMED' to lives without even adequate educational preparation that would lead them to successful, productive futures?"
Certain parents, certain neighborhoods, etc.
From another post:
Anonymous said...
"
Pittsburgh is going to lose most of its students because it is incapable of providing a good education for any but those 'designated' as "gifted" in a particular area supported by certain parents and certain others.
Trust me, those kids/parents are fleeing just as fast as all the others.
And don't worry, I did understand the snark behind the remark, so don't feel compelled to add to it!"
Me either.
I just think It is sad that Allderdice is viewed as nirvana or viewed as the creme de la creme. It is a far cry from that. The bar and our expectations have been lowered by PPS and caring parents throughout the city are trying their best to limbo for their kids.
We ALL want our kids to be SAFE and get a decent education. Our kids ALL deserve it.
If Gates and Broad really want to help they would put their money into social work, community, parental education and
early intervention. This is not about teachers, it is about poverty, rascism, and how divided we are. Until people understand that it really does take a village, (sorry Hillary haters, but it is true) to raise a child and to help lift up parents in need nothing will change.
Allderdice is probably the safest high school. Safety should be a given not a luxury. My child is caucasian, gifted and we live in "that particular neighborhood".
May 27, 2011 3:41 AM
Anonymous said...
What is the "snark" everybody is getting from what was quoted?
Sometimes people create problems that don't exist? Minds are a terrible thing to waste.
Solving problems is what we should be doing here.
May 27, 2011 7:34 AM
Anonymous said...
If you don't recognize the "snark" you either don't have any kids in the schools or you are part of the administration!
The snark says that average performing and above white students have parents who are only concerned with their very own little darling and are out to actively ruin the educations of poor, black children.
This gets extended to the idea that *any* complaint about behavior, about curriculum, and certainly about children being bored or not challenged in the least by the curriculum means you are racist and actively working against the district and the goals of education.
It also ignores that *many* of the parents most concerned about the behavior in the schools are not these same parents!
This is also seen in Broad/Gates districts across the country. It's as effective as "No Child Left Behind" was initially as a slogan. If you pointed to weak aspects of that legislation, questions were posed to you that suggested you really did want to leave children behind -- or why would you question?!
It's now moved up to include charges of racism as well -- if you dare to challenge the wisdom of these reforms, you must hate the black children.
This doesn't work well on the black parents, obviously, but since the district is doing an increasingly good job of having segregated schools, that's less and less of a problem. They can be all sickly sweet, we're so concerned about your babies at some meetings -- though the parents I've seen there are not buying the act.
May 27, 2011 8:13 AM
Anonymous said...
Well anonymous 3:41, if we could only explain why the "funders" have not reached the conclusions you have we might get somewhere. I get tired of any arguements where stones get thrown at "that particular neighborhood" and wonder how nobody notices the decades of parental engagement of the highest level. And I am not from "that particular neighborhood."
Anonymous said...
"
Pittsburgh is going to lose most of its students because it is incapable of providing a good education for any but those 'designated' as "gifted" in a particular area supported by certain parents and certain others.
Trust me, those kids/parents are fleeing just as fast as all the others.
And don't worry, I did understand the snark behind the remark, so don't feel compelled to add to it!"
Me either.
I just think It is sad that Allderdice is viewed as nirvana or viewed as the creme de la creme. It is a far cry from that. The bar and our expectations have been lowered by PPS and caring parents throughout the city are trying their best to limbo for their kids.
We ALL want our kids to be SAFE and get a decent education. Our kids ALL deserve it.
If Gates and Broad really want to help they would put their money into social work, community, parental education and
early intervention. This is not about teachers, it is about poverty, rascism, and how divided we are. Until people understand that it really does take a village, (sorry Hillary haters, but it is true) to raise a child and to help lift up parents in need nothing will change.
Allderdice is probably the safest high school. Safety should be a given not a luxury. My child is caucasian, gifted and we live in "that particular neighborhood".
May 27, 2011 3:41 AM
Anonymous said...
What is the "snark" everybody is getting from what was quoted?
Sometimes people create problems that don't exist? Minds are a terrible thing to waste.
Solving problems is what we should be doing here.
May 27, 2011 7:34 AM
Anonymous said...
If you don't recognize the "snark" you either don't have any kids in the schools or you are part of the administration!
The snark says that average performing and above white students have parents who are only concerned with their very own little darling and are out to actively ruin the educations of poor, black children.
This gets extended to the idea that *any* complaint about behavior, about curriculum, and certainly about children being bored or not challenged in the least by the curriculum means you are racist and actively working against the district and the goals of education.
It also ignores that *many* of the parents most concerned about the behavior in the schools are not these same parents!
This is also seen in Broad/Gates districts across the country. It's as effective as "No Child Left Behind" was initially as a slogan. If you pointed to weak aspects of that legislation, questions were posed to you that suggested you really did want to leave children behind -- or why would you question?!
It's now moved up to include charges of racism as well -- if you dare to challenge the wisdom of these reforms, you must hate the black children.
This doesn't work well on the black parents, obviously, but since the district is doing an increasingly good job of having segregated schools, that's less and less of a problem. They can be all sickly sweet, we're so concerned about your babies at some meetings -- though the parents I've seen there are not buying the act.
May 27, 2011 8:13 AM
Anonymous said...
Well anonymous 3:41, if we could only explain why the "funders" have not reached the conclusions you have we might get somewhere. I get tired of any arguements where stones get thrown at "that particular neighborhood" and wonder how nobody notices the decades of parental engagement of the highest level. And I am not from "that particular neighborhood."
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Pittsburgh Promise article
From another post:
"Pittsburgh Promise in PPG
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11146/1149254-455-0.stm"
"Pittsburgh Promise in PPG
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11146/1149254-455-0.stm"
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The other side of budgeting
The complement to cost cutting is revenue raising. It will be more difficult, but it would be great if community members could come up with even a short list of ways to raise revenue.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Behind "grass roots" advocacy- Gates
On a "Start a new post," Anonymous wrote:
"In 2009, the foundation spent $3.5 million creating an advocacy group to buttress its $290 million investment in programs to increase teacher effectiveness in four areas of the country: Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., Pittsburgh, Memphis and Los Angeles.
A document describing plans for the group, posted on a Washington Post blog in March, said it would mobilize local advocates, "establish strong ties to local journalists" and should "go toe to toe" with union officials in explaining contracts and state laws to the public."
Remember how NO ONE in the media would report on the incident at UPrep? Notice how NO ONE writes critically about Gates/Broad initiatives? Let's all take a moment and acknowledge how compromised Eleanor Chute clearly is.
Long but good article:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11142/1148445-298-0.stm
"In 2009, the foundation spent $3.5 million creating an advocacy group to buttress its $290 million investment in programs to increase teacher effectiveness in four areas of the country: Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., Pittsburgh, Memphis and Los Angeles.
A document describing plans for the group, posted on a Washington Post blog in March, said it would mobilize local advocates, "establish strong ties to local journalists" and should "go toe to toe" with union officials in explaining contracts and state laws to the public."
Remember how NO ONE in the media would report on the incident at UPrep? Notice how NO ONE writes critically about Gates/Broad initiatives? Let's all take a moment and acknowledge how compromised Eleanor Chute clearly is.
Long but good article:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11142/1148445-298-0.stm
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