On another post Anonymous wrote:
"There is an agenda review meeting tonight. (1/15) When one reads the
items up for review, some that call for consultants state that "district
does not have the expertise or capacity to provide these services."
Then why are we paying such high salaries to all the administrative
people at Bellefield? What expertise (besides hiring outside
consultants) do they have for their big bucks?
One item calls for
recently retired Jan Ripper to be paid $650 per day for up to 50 days
to support the Perry principal and school leadership team. She retired
and formed an "educational consulting" firm. Don't we have people we are
already paying in our system who we can send to Perry to help keep
order? No, we need a paid consultant. No wonder PPS is going broke."
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51 comments:
Hopefully the Board will have a discussion- if $650 is to be spent to address problems at Perry, are these services the best solution for the money?
Dr. Pedro Noguera and the Metro Center have been working at Perry since 2012 to effect change. Their contract is up for renewal from 1/14-6/14 for another $163,334. If the Metro Center has been doing such a good job, why do we need Jan Ripper at Perry?
HR needs 2 "pre-screeners" at $6,000 to pre-screen teacher applications. The one is based in New Orleans. HR has a multitude of employees - can't one or two of them pre-screen?
Some of the contracts went out for bid, but interestingly enough, there were no other bids.
Hasn't anyone yet learned that consultants DO NOT and CANNOT solve problems when Central Office controls, manages, and evaluates by a false, flawed and one-size-fits-all standard. If principals and teachers dare to be autonomous or creative or deviate from the scripted curricula in their approach to solving problems they raise the ire of CO and are put on an improvement plan.
PPS needs hire or promote effective educators and let them do their job without CO interference or sanctions. Then, if the task is beyond their capabilities, move them out or to a place where whatever skills they have can move students forward.
Dr. Holley is the chair of the education committee and Sylvia Wilson is the chair of the personnel committee. Hopefully these two will carefully review which consultants and initiatives are really needed.
The PA Department of Ed website reports that in Pennsylvania "2,181, or nearly 73 percent, of public schools received a 70 or higher" on the School Performance Profile scores.
In PPS that means that only CAPA @ 82 exceeded the standard by 12 points; and Sci-Tech @ 73, Allderdice @ 72 and Obama @ 71 met the bare minimum among the 73% statewide who met the State standard.
ALL other PPS secondary school are among the LOWEST 25% in Pennsylvania! And three of PPS schools are at the BOTTOM of the 25% LOWEST in the entire state of PA!
10:11 - NONE of the consultants are needed!
If the Board hires people who are so incompetent that they need consultants; then, it seems clear that they have hired the wrong people. There is no excuse for hiring the wrong people, if the right people are available. Surely with the multi-million dollar cost of consultants in addition to the $215,00+ superintendent salary, PPS can pay top dollar to someone who does not need the consultants. It seems like a 'no-brainer'.
It is reported that "Teach for America" is still on the table and will be reconsidered. Why?
Success Schools is still on the table and will be voted on in February. Why?
And, now the Metro Center is still on the table. Why?
OnHands Schools: Edinsight (4Sight) is still being used in some schools? Why?
The RESEARCH shows that these CONSULTANTS have NOT improved achievement in ANY of our schools. Why?
Why? Why? Why? Why?
So where is the accountability?
How can Pittsburgh improve accountability before
everyone leaves for Charter and the rest of PPS is closed with CAPA, and Sci-Tech as possible exceptions.
Please please board members-- just start saying NO-- no to any more consultants-- if our people cant do the job-- and 500 other districts in PA can-- then lets go study a FUNCTIONING district-- most would answer your question FOR FREE- believe or not folks, in the past, HR was staffed by again-- former PPS educators, who knew the schools and saw perspective teachers as a "match" for certain schools. It worked-- without consultants! Also, "working educators-- teachers and admin" interviewed teachers-- hey, that is the way other districts around here do it
Likewise, I hate to see consultants in city government too.
I did not see TFA in the agenda review. Where did you see this 10:48?
How did PPS function/survive before all these consultants? I believe we did. Do the suburban schools have multitudes of consultants? I don't think so.
Would it make more sense to hire full time employees for everything? A consultant costs much less than an FTE (No healthcare/retirement costs). It seems kind of ridiculous to stereotype all consultants as waste when many of them are probably saving the district money in the long run.
The issue is whether the consultants are being hired to do things that employees are already bring paid to do but for some reason cannot or will not do.
Questioner hit the nail on the head. That is the $64,000 question - which employees are being paid to do the job that consultants are also being paid to do?
3:31 - Which of the dozens of consultants brought in by Central Office have "saved the district (any) money in the long run"? If there is only one, can we know who that might be?
If academic achievement has fallen (drastically in some) in our schools and we are facing extraordinary financial deficits, HOW HAVE CONSULTANTS SAVE THE DISTRICT MONEY???????
Unbelievable they are considering paying Jan Ripper $650 a day for 50 days? Do the math thats $32,500 for 2 and 1/2 months work. Lunacy.
There were massive layoffs in the Central Office. Do you think that 100% of that was bloat?
Even if you feel PPS may be heavy in central office staff in some areas, consider that there may be staff shortages in other areas. In many cases a consultant may fill a gap more effectively.
If the same job needed done and PPS posted a full time position with benefits for it, no one here would complain... just sayin'
Having worked at PPS and in many small and large organizations in Pittsburgh, I can assure you that PPS Central Office has some of the hardest working people I have ever worked with. The percent of lazy people at PPS is no different than any other organization. Find me an organization that doesn't hire consultants. It just isn't practical to assume that you can hire a specialist at every position (especially with a residency requirement).
Maybe some consultants are terrible, but does anyone really know? The only metric you can use is school performance, which is declining in urban districts nationwide. Who is to say that consultants haven't slowed that decline rate?
How many high paid employees were laid off at Central office? What is the number of high paid employees now compared to before MR arrived, and the amount being spent on consultants now compared to before MR arrived? These are legitimate questions for the board to ask as part of its oversight of Pps.
And in terms of hard work that may be the case, but hard work devoted to pr and to arguing w the dpt of Ed about ayp results is not work that will help students. And as to urban performance declining everywhere- who is to say that hard working teachers have not actually lessened the decline? Or that overall declines are the result of undue interference by foundations?
Has anyone else heard the rumor that they are going to train another class of PELAs? Another huge waste of money and another reason why people are leaving the district.
Why is it assumed that all central office employees are highly paid?? Most teachers make much higher salaries, especially when you consider that CO employees work longer hours, the entire year, and don't have the opportunity to earn all of the extras like the teachers do. Very few CO employees are highly paid (making 100,00+) like teachers.
Does anyone know of anyway that the grant has impacted children directly? Just wondering.
There doesn't seem to be an assumption that all central office employees are highly paid, just an assumption that the highly paid ones are not the same employees being laid off.
I always wondered how an employee would retire and turn around and get hired as a consultant. If that employee had anything to offer in the first place, he/she should have done it. Does retirement suddenly make you smarter, better? The only thing it does is allow you to earn more money without affecting your pension. Somehow this seems wrong. A teacher can retire and then go into subbing for a limited number of days without affection his/her pension. How does a consultant differ? There should be some rule against it. Just sayin'
As a teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and one who has been at some of the worst schools during the worst of times, let me laugh aloud at the comments from central office types posting here.
Let me also laugh at the comment about "massive layoffs." Where? When? Who?
Education means the students first and those that impact the students directly--teachers, building administration, building support staff. If yoga re going to cut, it is most prudent to look to those positions who have nothing to do with that equation. In this regard, yes, Bellefield Avenue and Greenway are full of bloat, replete with individuals who are scared senseless of the thought of actually being in a school building.
To put forth the notion that somehow, placing individuals who had careers as administrators that were negligible, at best, back on the ledger to affect "change" in our district--when they could not even do so in their own buildings--and thereby pad their pensions--is ridiculous and insulting.
They say that those who *can't* teach and yet, there are a number of teachers who could set this district off in the right direction--and quickly---if put in charge.
That would mean ending the tenure of the worst administration in the history of this city and one of the worst in the nation. It would mean putting a clueless superintendent out to pasture, and would mean pink-slipping an assistant superintendent whose philosophies are so far out in left field that it defies logic.
It would mean getting rid of the old guard who enjoy the perks of retirement and then greatly augmenting their pay through 'consultancy' which is completely clueless as to the needs of the students.
It would mean streamlining the offices at Bellefield Avenue and eliminating positions that we cannot afford and simply don't need.
I am hopeful that board members Brentley, Holley, Wilson, Falls and others are visionary enough to affect such change.
This is an administration that has conducted business in secret society fashion for too long at taxpayer expense. It has terrorized teachers via a salary dump called 'RISE' so as to protect its own that sit in offices and do nothing. Let's face it....central administration has been a complete failure, but it is quite adept at covering up troubles, enlisting the help of local media and bringing in fat cats to do its bidding.
This entire administration needs to be relieved of its duties....in total.
Why is it assumed that all central office employees are highly paid?? Most teachers make much higher salaries, especially when you consider that CO employees work longer hours, the entire year, and don't have the opportunity to earn all of the extras like the teachers do. Very few CO employees are highly paid (making 100,00+) like teachers.
Exactly! Most CO positions are paid below industry average, while teachers in PPS are paid way above the national average.
I always wondered how an employee would retire and turn around and get hired as a consultant. If that employee had anything to offer in the first place, he/she should have done it.
Really? You aren't permitted to retire? If anything, hiring a person to consult validates the role the person had before they left. If you have gripes about the system, blame PSERS.
As a teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and one who has been at some of the worst schools during the worst of times, let me laugh aloud at the comments from central office types posting here.
Let me also laugh at the comment about "massive layoffs." Where? When? Who?
I seem to remember being laid off in June 2011 along with over 100 over central office staff.
Education means the students first and those that impact the students directly--teachers, building administration, building support staff.
Are you saying that those in Technology, Plant Operations, Facilities have no impact on education? Good luck improving performance with broken computers, crumbling buildings and insects in the building.
The issue is whether the consultants are being hired to do things that employees are already bring paid to do but for some reason cannot or will not do.
When has this happened? Looking back at some recent consultant hires, many have been in Technology. The roles these people are playing are so specialized that no one on the full time staff has the skillsets required. Remember, technology was gutted in the massive layoff, yet the amount of computers and amount of technology used in the curriculum continues to rise. How else would you handle this?
It is not technology consultants who we hear about receiving big bucks- it is more consultants on curriculum and school behavior, areas that full time employees should be able to handle. And experiments in teacher evaluation.
At the education committee meeting which is available for viewing on the district website, at one point Ms. Ripper's name came up during the discussion about Clayton. It was noted that SAC, old Letche, etc had strong track records for success. Students often did not want to go back to their home schools after being in this buildings. I believe it was Dr. Lane who mentioned Ms. Ripper had been principal at the SS building. This was probably noted to support bringing her on as a consultant for Perry. Why does Perry need so much help anyway?
Many of the staff at Central Office were REPLACED by young trainees from Gates, Broad, Teach for America, etc. Check it out!
When I refer to Bellefield's salaries, I am talking about Lane, Lippert, May-Stein, Spolar, etc. I realize that the secretaries, etc. do work hard and aren't paid the high wages. The ones making the big bucks should be held accountable for work to earn their salaries. We have more consultants than Carter has liver pills. With this being said, it would be interesting to actually see a LISTguinnvt flow of the "chiefs" and immediate underlings - and their SALARIES. How do we get such a list?
MR was paying curriculum consultants 9 years ago, and there have been high paid curriculum consultants every year since then. How often does the curriculum need to change? Also, PPS is not the only district in the country. Couldn't Pittsburgh join with similar districts to share the cost of a curriculum that several districts could use? And if PPS is a Broad/Gates district shouldn't Broad/Gates have a curriculum that could be piloted (ie, one grade per year per district) and then applied only if it really works, all at minimal cost to districts?
To 8:26
ARE YOU JOKING!!!??? Technology in this district is pitiful. NO computer labs are fully operational, they have a better Internet connection in the Sahara and try printing to one of those xerox machines! If you got laid off I'm sorry, but your gripe is with the people who laid you off, not us.
A "managed curriculum" script was a requirement to even APPLY for Gates.
Other districts dont seem to want to control everything from classroom script to what is on the walls ( yes they do walk throughs to check on THAT too)
And the techs are hard working and understaffed
Districts USED to look to us for innovative curriculum innovation especially in the area of technology education. Sadly we left that learning for canned materials and test prep.
Questioner: The biggest problem in the District is the curriculum! Teachers are educated, trained and professionally developed to design and deliver curricula and instruction that is rigorous, relevant, standards-based and connected to students' developmental levels and inclusive of the skill mastery needed to be able to read, write, calculate, think, problem-solve, create and be productive in college, careers and life.
Consultants can NOT provide any of that to teachers who are hired as prepared professionals!
Let me get this straight, 8:26, central office loses 100 staffers--compared to 300 TEACHERS---and you are going to have the gall to compare?
Listen, a teacher can replace you tomorrow, and while that is not noteworthy, he or she can do your job with a competence that will put the student first.
Let me say that again: student first.
Under the last two administrations, our central office staff has been largely insulated from cuts and from subject "evaluation" systems. In reading inter-office mailings, it would appear that one of your biggest decisions is to go to cook outs down on Bellefield.
The point is...and remains....when cuts are being discussed, central office should be the first on the chopping block. Streamlining central office and reining in both financial considerations and the cavalier mentality should be first on the agenda of the new school board.
When it comes to raising the achievement of our students, you bring nothing to the table. Zero. Your track record is astoundingly abysmal.
Step aside, and let real educators do the job.
I recall an older teacher explaining once. If the principal, counselor, secretary, or nurse is out for the day, they turn out the lights and close the door. When a teacher is out, they get a sub. just sayin'
It's no surprise that such an inane person would be a poster boy for you. Old teacher? That's funny on so many levels, as now your central administration has seen fit to place EVERYTHING on the shoulders of teachers.
School discipline.
Mail out the report cards.
Building administrators have one charge: "evaluate teachers"
Central office has one charge: determine where lunch is.
But I thank you for your smug response. This is exactly the problem in PPS---central administration that does nothing for the kids and gets paid for it. There's a reason this district is in academic and financial trouble--and it is all on Bellefield Avenue.
Anonymous wrote:
"Ripper is needed at Perry because Dr. Jeff Spadafora is a failure as acting principal. There are principals out on leave all over the city, yet Perry High School is the only place that needed to dust the mothballs off of DELETEDt who has NEVER been an administrator at a comprehensive high school. Students want to stay at SAC because the classes are smaller, the work is differentiated and they are usually not carrying a full load of academic work, not because Ripper was a magician. I can't believe that thousands more are being poured in to Perry when the Neuguerro group showed ZERO gains in anything. Not academics. Not attendance. Not behaviors. Parents were hopeful Crenshaw would go in and fix what Spadafora ruined in such a short period of time. What is happening behind those school doors there is a disgrace that some industrious reporter should investigate. Why is it that ineffective teachers are shown the door, but ineffective administrators are promoted and then supplemented with retirees? Here is a novel idea. Hire a principal who can fix it instead of hiring someone to help a man who just can't. It's time for me to stop reading Board minutes, school police reports and this blog. The insanity of what is happening is going to result in my spontaneously combustion.
I have been told that Jan Ripper started something called leveling when she was here as Chief of Student Services. Leveling was described to me as a student behavior system that requires children to wear arm bracelets of different colors--red, yellow green--that show everyone what kind of student they are considered to be. I also was told this is the same system they use in the Shuman Detention Center and that the school district wants to expand this system to all of its schools. Right now, it is only in some schools. I think Milliones is one of them. Does anyone know anything about this? I am very, very shocked to hear students are wearing these bracelets like brands that tell others what to expect from them. This is profiling. The damage this does to a child's feelings about themselves is terrible. Why is this permitted in our schools? This is a terrible, terrible thing to do to anyone let alone a kid.
What's going on at Perry?
11:53 -OMG! Who, in their right mind, would allow this to happen to our young people? And, some wonder why these young people are out of control! Why would they not turn on the adults who put them in such a category?
This practice must be ended now and those who agreed to it must be banned from our school system!
Annon' 11:53 comments sounds like what the administrators are doing to teachers. As long as you're green, it's all good. Once you become a yellow or orange, look out. Your days are numbered once you get the red bracelet in your mailbox.
I do have to admit that I knew Ms. Ripper when she was a supervisor. She always presented herself as a level headed and fair person. She worked many hours trying to improve one teacher who was failing. They did eventually convince her to take early retirement. I wonder who was able to change her? Gates Money, bonuses, Rosevelt?
We know the Promise is great-- and we are advertising it to encouraqe non public school students to join us in PPS-- Do these people have ANY idea of how a school looks with the labels on kids? This is bullying pure and simple-and the overtones of Nazi Germany are NOT missed by thinking Pittsburghers. Who in their right mind would send their student into this mess?
I find it laughable that Anonymous wrote January 16th at 9:19 P.M. blaming the problems at Perry on Dr. Spadafore who was only named acting principal in November 2013. Test scores have been declining at Perry for much longer than that, according to scores posted in the Post-Gazette. Perhaps the principal who preceded Spadafore should accept responsibility!
The leveling system at Perry was created by Nina Sacco's team, then enforced in ridiculous fashion by Ms. Sacco. The idea itself is good, it was the implementation that was harmful. It wasn't bracelets that Ms. Sacco insisted upon, it was lanyards. The lanyards have been done away with since her departure. Just one of many great things that Dr. Spadafore has implemented. He is doing a fantastic job at Perry. Anyone who says differently is simply afraid of change or had so much unnecesary power under the previous administration that they are going crazy now that they are being asked to do their actual job. Additionally, Ms. Ripper is an added support to Dr. Spadafore, and a positive one at that. Again, to be disgruntled by Ms. Ripper's presence, one would have to be quite worried that they were about to be told to do their job. I can see how that would be stressful and cause someone to lash out on here or at others in the building. Oh, and why is there a need for Ms. Ripper? Because the building was in disarray after the tyranny that it functioned under with the past administration. It is not a reflection on Dr. Spadafore; it is a reflection on the prior administration.
Tyranny? Under a PELA? No. can't be. These are the chosen few. They have all the answers.
Thanks for just adding another brick in the wall.
Whether it's Perry...or Westinghouse....or myriad other schools....PELA was a complete waste of money and placed unprepared individuals in positions of leadership.
Horrible program. Horrible administration. No matter how much money you throw at this district's initiatives, they still smell very bad.
You state that Jeff Spadafore's reign has lead to all of the problems at Perry. I strongly disagree. He has been in charge for a few short months and I have heard from many staff members and student body that Perry is finally starting to feel like school again. The problems were there prior to his tenure as principal maybe you should take a look at previous administration. He has inherited these problems and trying to his best to change the backstabbing, chaotic, fear based, coverup everything at all cost climate someone created. Just a thought.
Today's Post-Gazette article titled, "Wilkinsburg consultants may be out," is interesting because it states that it was the Post-Gazette who obtained the invoices and bills through a Right to Know request. Why isn't the P-G this vigilant and inquiring when it comes to PPS?
The climate in the building has NOT changed, if anything it has become worse. Central office is not helping the students and staff by bringing in consultants. Students are uncertain of the changes that are happening and same goes for the staff. The issues at Perry are not a Nina Sacco, Jeff Spadafore, or staff issue, it is much higher. Perry has changed from a magnet school to a comprehensive high school. That change alone has brought issues and concerns that Perry has not seen or dealt with and Central Office does not know what to do.
Central Office and Jan Ripper believe that Perry can again be what it used it be. What is that? How can that be measured? How can it be the same with all of the changes that Central Office throws out to the staff and pulls out of?
Oh, by the way "Good morning"
The "key" statement (in 10:39) is that "Central Office does not know what to do" and that is the root cause of PPS problems far and wide and deep.
Consultants, no matter how good they are thought to be in their own worlds, CANNOT confront Pittsburgh many, many issues that are the result of Roosevelt, Gates, Broad, Lane, Lippert, Otuwa, Ware-Allen or May-Stein. Central Office is way out of its depth and that cannot be changed. Conflicts and blame are pervasive regarding curricula, instruction, teacher-training, administrative experience and expertise, respect for students, parents, "Central Office does not know what to do".
Is that the fault of the CO individuals? Probably not. When they are hired for positions that are beyond their capacity, they are forced to reach out to consultants; but, if they can't understand the foundational problems, it is even impossible to seek the right consultant so you look for someone anyone with a national reputation, and then everyone blames the consultant (who is all over the country) and cannot be tuned in to the intricacies of the problems in any one place.
PPS needs to hire hometown experience, commitment and expertise!
Have Perry's problems worsened since Oliver's students were placed there? That would seem to be a significant change to work through.
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