On another post Anonymous wrote:
Whoa! Only ONE person negotiates a several hundred thousand contract
for the Superintendent of a 25,000 students school district.
Oh, my goodness!
The Board President just made this statement.
Also, did anyone hear how the State Law was circumvented to allow the Superintendent's contract be renewed?
Oh, my goodness!
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What state law was circumvented?
Ira Weiss stated it, requiring Superintendent contracts to be three to five years. In order to circumvent the law, PPS had to have the Superintendent RESIGN her position in order to go beyond her five years which will have expired.
Mr.Brentley challenged it citing the circumvention as a violation of the "spirit of the law." He was correct.
They did a similar thing with MR, where he had to pretend to resign in order to extend the contract when it was more than a year from being up; but here the new contract is for less than 4 yeats.
Yes, but, if extended, it would constitute more than a five-year term.
So, she had to resign; but there was no separate vote on the resignation it was part and parcel of the (extended) new contract.
I suppose since this "technique", to use Mr. Weiss' terminology,(which he reiterated) was successful with Mr. Roosevelt, they tried it again with Dr. Lane.
No it is different; with MR they were extending ahead of the time frame they were allowed to extend. The LL issue would seem to arise any time a district wanted to have a superintendent in place for more than 5 years. There was a clear legislative intent not to extend contracts more than a year ahead of expiration, but was there any intention to prevent districts from having the same superintendent for more than 5 years?
Someone file a suit!
New Post:
Sto-Rox Superintendent is HONEST as "poor Keystone results" are shared with public and a PLAN is put in place.
What's happening in Pittsburgh? What were the results of the December Keystone exams? What is the PPS PLAN to improve these scores? When will we know?
Today's PG: "Sto-Rox school officials unhappy with test results
Sto-Rox High School students in grades 9-11 did not fare well in the winter Keystone Exams.
Superintendent Michael Panza shared the results last Thursday night with school directors.
"Unfortunately, the results are not good," he said. Here are the test scores:
• Algebra I - Of 184 students, 10 ranked in the advanced level, 31 were proficient, 84 were basic and 58 were below basic.
• Biology - Of 171 students, none were advanced, 17 were proficient, 49 were basic and 101 were below basic.
• Literature - Of 174 students, none were advanced, 57 were proficient, 71 were basic and 44 were below basic.
In each grade, there were students who could have taken the test but did not participate.
The Keystone Exams are a component of Pennsylvania's new system of high school graduation requirements . . .
To address the poor scores, the district plans to add advanced placement calculus and biology next year. Advanced placement literature was added this year."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-west/sto-rox-school-officials-unhappy-with-test-results-681223/#ixzz2Opwghe2U
PPS PARENTS: DO YOU KNOW HOW YOUR CHILDREN SCORED ON THESE KEYSTONES?
BOARD MEMBERS: WHAT ARE YOU ASKING or DOING ABOUT THE "POOR" SCORES IN PPS?
Are AP classes really the best response to these results? Are the huge numbers of basic and below basic students best placed in advanced (college level) courses when they are not proficient at the high school level? Colleges would place these students in catch up classes first.
The parent hotline is 412-622-7920 or call your school today and leave a message that you want to discuss the Keystone results. If the powers that be do not hear form anyone the assumption is that people are satisfied.
Are our students at Westinghouse, U-Prep, Perry and Carrick on-track to graduate?
If these are Pennsylvania's graduation requirements, students, parents, and community must be informed.
How did PPS students score on December's Keystone Exams?
Does anyone know?
That information should be available just as it is in Sto-Rox!
Do we know what courses are planned for basic and below basic in Sto-Rox? The article did not say.
Certainly, districts should add advanced placement classes for the advanced and proficient students!
Yes but in biology there were no advanced students and only 17 proficient so it seems that they should more be talking about what they will do to address the huge number of below basic.
Did the article say that Sto-Rox is putting in an Advanced Placement BIOLOGY course/class?
Yes.
Great! Students will have a chance at performing well. Kids are capable of much more than we think. They do not need remediation as much as they just need to be taught the content being tested. Taking it up a level or two will be a great strategy!
So then why don't colleges take kids with poor high school grades and test scores and put them in regular college classes?
pps students do not fare well in sciences in high school because the science programs at the elementary and middle grades was so poor for many years. we do however seem to be blessed with awesome teachers in the science department in our high schools. if you get some recent grads together and listen to them talk you might begin to think the chem, physics and bio teachers walk on water.
That depends very much on the HS. Some HSs seem to have great science teachers. Others seem to have a cadre of great Social Studies/History teachers.
But at most of these schools there is not strength across the board. You "pay" for your excellent /insert one subject/ teachers with your not up to par /other subject/ teachers.
Great input! Do your comments include the very low-achieving high schools previously mentioned?
"Walking on water" is just an inspiring image if the students are not proficient in all of our schools, rather than just those that admit only the students who have met already high criteria of one sort or another.
That means that PPS has an "equity plan" only for those who have a certain background and that IS NOT EQUITY!
Hey, out there! Any African Americans listening? Let's get behind Linda Lane and push, push, push for improving education for Black children in Pittsburgh Public Schools, not just the Urban League Charter and others who take in a select few. We need PPS to do the job it is there to do!
African American across the city supported Linda Lane, a few publicly and outspokenly, others by their presence, and still other SILENTLY (because it would be traitorous to do otherwise). The Superintendent wants to be a good super. She wants African American children to learn. She simply does not know how to do that! If we have supported Linda Lane by our actions or lack thereof, she should be indebted to the community! Gather, publicly or privately, but gather, with the purpose of showing her how to get the job done. WE know how to do that! It is being done every day by those who know how! Gather, far and wide, formally and informally, fortuitously, and forcefully to share
that knowledge, that research, that insight, that experience, but gather purposefully to execute with fervor a well-conceived and detailed excellence with "equity plan"!
Don't just hand over the task at hand to an administration who has not the critical capacity to move, even incrementally, forward!
Interesting comments! Someone out there gets it!
I wonder what the response will be?
Or will there not be any?
One wonders how PPS central office administration feels about "opting-out". It sure does take them off the hook for not teaching the skills, routinely, day to day, in ways that allow success on the yearly state test to see whether or not they have done their jobs.
Actually, it is schools, not students, that the state holds accountable for these once a year results.
There would be no pressure on kids if schools were doing their jobs, routinely, honestly and in preparation for students' success in the world.
But really, how will the state hold districts responsible- it does not want to take over a big district like Pittsburgh.
You are correct, the State cannot and will not take over a District like Pittsburgh. They do not even want to take over Pittsburgh, believe it!
More oddly, if you will, the State is thinking of turning over Duquesne to Pittsburgh (where it is being considered!?). Pittsburgh and Duquesne are among the six lowest achieving districts in the state!
If my kids were in Duquesne, I would object mightily! What on earth is the point of these considerations?
Money? You got it! When and where will the education of children become the priority?
Certainly, not in the Corbett Administration!
It looks like Pittsburgh will take the Duquesne students K-8. The PPS schools within 10 miles include Greenfield, Mifflin, Colfax, and Minadeo.
The approved appointed "receiver" Paul Long is engaging with Ira Weiss and Linda Lane & Co. to finalize the plans. Ten other surrounding Districts refused to take the students from Duquesne.
Colfax will pick up zero.
Why will Colfax pick up zero?
Is it something around which parents have an opportunity to weigh-in?
Colfax is insulated, they do not play by the same rules. I am not anti Colfax. They have a strong parental, economic and political presense. PPS will not mess with them.
The rest of us live in real PPS-LAND.
How do students go to one district for elementary school and then move to a different disdtrict(s) for hs? Gee PA, thats a great idea!
And honestly, long bus rides of students does contribute to those students having behavior issues at the elementary level-- take your kids on a long car trip everyday
And what happens when they miss the bus?
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