On another post Anonymous wrote:
"
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2014/02/21/Peduto-appoints-task-forc/stories/201402210147
The mayor appoints a task force to study PPS and their financial problems, etc.
The article states that he considers himself a "mediator" when the PFT contract comes up in 2015.
I hope this task force works objectively."
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51 comments:
On another post Anonymous wrote:
"ere is the latest from the Post. http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2014/02/21/Peduto-appoints-task-forc/stories/201402210147
This 21 person committee includes parents, clergy, school board, city council, etc. He sees himself as a mediator in upcoming negotiations. I guess we are now to the point we don't need a board anymore. Probably can do away with the union too. The mayor might return some lost revenue with strings attached Who does he think he is? Bill Gates! Mr. Mayor, stay out of the schools business."
No the task force includes a parent. One parent.
Hopefully times and places of meetings will be announced so the public can observe. This seems to be a situation where media attention will be welcome so it will most likely be open.
Questioner, as you noted at 2:29, it's important how the meetings will br conducted. They should ALL be opened to the public. Anything less would be suspicious.
And as a side note, since the mayor has decided to look into school district business, perhaps the school board should appoint a committee to look into how the city is run.
I took a look at the task force membership list and noticed something interesting. There will be more student members on the committee than parents and teachers combined!
Three students, ONE parent, and ONE teacher. And the teacher representative is the PFT president. She is a functionary, not an active teacher.
Wow. I sure hope they allow for major parent and teacher input at their meetings. Otherwise, this seems like just another PR stunt to me.
Unfortunately, in too many cases, those assembled to address issues absolutely lack the expertise necessary to solve all of the issues, simple ones as well as the more complex intricacies embedded in the issues being examined in order to produce solutions!
These are not easily solved problems, particularly without the skills and experience.
Those who might productively contribute are not invited, eliminated, marginalized, or outright kicked to the curb. OPEN the process!
What is also needed is a commitment of participants to really attend the meetings. The facilities committee ended up with more shut out observers than people at the meetings. Because the people who are most committed are not invited to attend.
This a monumental waste of time. We know how we got to this point(although with out the wasted $150-$190 million the last 7 years the District may have had options).
We know what must be done.
Layoffs, expanded class sizes, diminished educational and extracurricular activities are not solutions. They only doom the District to a slow death.
Always remember the city raises parking rates and various fees when they need to raise revenues, the School District is limited.
Keep in mind any growth the city is seeing will not help because tax breaks are still the norm.
The question is that of a new or increased revenue stream, just like the Port Authority just recieved.
The task force will find out the truth right after the introductions.They will find what is needed is courage and will, and not more meetings.
Randall, while I commend your comments here and the work you have done as a member of the school board, teacher layoffs have been the norm for the past few years. No one has ever questioned why this district needs to have all of those people on Bellefield Avenue, Greenway and other offices on the payroll INSTEAD of teachers. I am hopeful the new school board will stop this lunacy but I am not holding out hope.
And I am not holding out any hope for Mr.Peduto who apparently is seeking to be all things to all people. It would seem to me that Peduto is another individual who likes style over substance and as such, has this appreciation of Bill Gates and his outrageous philosophies. Like an average Pittsburgher, he seems to be a guy who gets all wobbly-kneed when a 'name' like Gates wants to throw money at our city. Don't worry about what the money is for. Don't worry about what it might do to the district. It's Bill Gates.
But then again, even the editor of the PG almost pees himself at the very name of "Gates."
It's a sad time for teachers and students in Pittsburgh Public Schools and sadly, I don't see the cavalry coming over the hill anytime soon.
Couple big money with the worst administration ever in the history of our city--and one that sold its academic integrity for a few dollars more---and add in a complicit media that we don't even see in countries led by dictators, and there you have it.
actually there are at least 3 parents represented on this panel: In addition to Betsy Magley, Jessie Ramey is a PPS parent, Hazel Blackman is a charter school parent, and
Correction two Pps parents who are on the panel bc they are parents rather than as representatives of the school board, A Plus, etc.
How is it possible for Linda Lane to sit on this committee and another committee for the mayor and still run the school system? How will she gave the time? Peduto has no legislative power to appoint a committee like this over an organization he does not run. What next? A committee to oversee UPMC? This is complete nonsense.
She can hire consultants to pick up the slack?
http://dianeravitch.net/2013/05/24/anthony-cody-who-supports-mayoral-control/
Mayoral control of districts is the Broad/Gates legacy. The future path of PPS is set...unless there is a major uprising. It's time, folks.
Checking District News on the pps site and so far there is no link to any story about he task force. What happened to the press releases that used to be available on the pps site that sometimes served as the basis for the media to begin a story? That is where I would expect to see a complete list of task force members.
7:57 is EXACTLY right--while I have great esteem and faith in some of the members of the task force- they are in for a rough time. If you have been following Broad from 2006 this is part of the plan. When the school board changed direction and Gates feared losing control, he invited Perduto to Seattle to tell him the plan: make a committee, let them talk and talk-- let foundations pay the piper,(see A+ schools) and then have them "decide" to end elected school boards. Why would any sane city want people APPOINTED instead of elected-- well then you can stop unions- remember Perduto is keeping the oversight to.. stop unions. My prayers are with the good honest members of this task force-- it will be an uphill battle. Terry Kennedy is right-- it still has to go back to the board- but the PR game they are playing to manipulate the citizen is rough
This task force should have included some recent college grads who could be very clear about their college experience and how they were prepared for the rigors of post-high school education. Who better to evaluate the system?
Is there anything that would prevent any member of the task force from convening mini-meetings for information gathering purposes?
Twenty-one is a lot of people. How many PSCC meetings have there been in your school where that many people attended? Maybe we should pick a name from the task force's membership list and make it our business to present our greatest concerns now before the work begins.
Yes 10:20 you are right. The fox is already in the hen house. I said as soon as Peduto started talking about getting involved with PPS - and now this task force - his goal is to get an appointed school board. Then look at the politics and control that will involve. We finally have a school board who actually thinks for themselves and doesn't rubber stamp everything that comes out of Bellefield's mouth. And you are right, that is when this PR blitz and Peduto's involvement began. We can only hope our school board stays the course and down the road the wool isn't pulled over the public's eyes to vote for an appointed board.
The City of Pittsburgh has its own problems aside from the PPS issue. Our school board should form a task force to investigate and try to help them... Peduto needs to settle into office and try to not bite off more than he can chew all at once. He's starting off with his hands in too many pies.
And this from the mayor who has a woman whose residency is in question and a fella whose taxes are not in order? The mayor needs to stay out of education BEFORE he gets one. His job is to oversee the city, Period. Not to tie the hands of another elected entity. Give this new board an honest chance to make the right choices and changes.
The residency was found to be valid and the tax guy withdrew, but the new board should be given a chance to work things out.
No, the residency was NOT found to be valid. What was found to be acceptable was the woman's story---that her husband would move into the city after daughter graduates this year.
This makes perfect sense to the Peduto camp, of course. Hire your cronies, make exceptions that aren't in place for others and then meddle in school board issues after shmoozing with Bill Gates. This is just another politician, plain and simple.
I wonder how Pittsburgh police officers feel, in knowing that there is a separate code for "Friends of Peduto." All this proves is that the man is willing to do some back room wheeling and dealing.
He, Lane and her assistants will get along just fine.
She bought a home in the city and sleeps there. It doesn't matter if her husband never moves.
She is renting.
The Trib says it was a purchase:
She and her husband, Robert, purchased a condominium in Shadyside for $111,000 on Nov. 18, according to Allegheny County real estate records. Sanchez Ridge said she eats dinner with her family but spends nights and weekends in Pittsburgh.
Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/5499614-74/ridge-sanchez-burgess#ixzz2u61fR7uo
Honestly, I can't imagine anyone forcing their child to change HS in the middle of their senior year unless there was absolutely no other way around it.
I've known families who have let their child live with another family to finish school (which was probably not actually legal!) and families who have maintained two homes for a senior year, with one spouse shuttling back and forth, just to allow the child to graduate.
Since we have gone off topic a bit let me go a little further. Is it any wonder a task force was formed? Two things; the pps board wading into the AWC issues when we will be broke before long and keeping Woolslair open with too few students. Dr. Lane did not handle the Woolslair issue very well. Did she not listen when Mark Roosevelt spoke? It is okay to close a school if the new destination is pretty damn awesome!! Trouble is, we don't make the destination school awesome.
Is everyone on the task force a city resident?
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:
http://CLOH.wikia.com/wiki/Fewer_Sports_Alternatives
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
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.
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.
I wish I could disagree with 11:10 and say that they are paranoid, but I can't.
Philadelphia is far further along in the destruction process (otherwise known as reform): http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2014/02/colonial-philadelphia-or-colonized.html
But it's all heading in the same direction.
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.
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
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.
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.
Here's a good question:
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??
You ask why does Nina not object to any of this. Simple. In Peduto's New World Order 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
@2:32 I don't think that Peduto nor his task force will be helpful to the PPS. So, we agree on that.
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.
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?
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.
Really?
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.)
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.
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?
If you can't, that's fine. Most people will be able to, however.
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.
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.
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.
Let's see it, big man.
You want to get a feel for your constituents, let's start at the grassroots level.
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.
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.
Your experiences will be all the task force you need, pal.
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.
Most of the people telling us how to do our jobs could not engage our students in learning for one period.
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.
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.
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.
We here on Pure Reform see the scam--
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.
This is all a plan to take over public school system-- seen as a cash cow. They dont care about your kids at all.
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.
You go 7:27 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.
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!
Mayor does mayor's work!!
This is in today's post. The mayor takes control over parking passes.
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/02/24/Peduto-cuts-down-on-parking-passes-for-city-employees/stories/201402240186
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.
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?
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.
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said this in the Tribune-Review article regarding PPS/Brentley not pursuing the August Wilson Center -
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.
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