On the U Prep administration thread that is closed due to length, Anonymous wrote:
"Anonymous said...
I would like to know if anyone connected to this site has heard
anything from any community groups or the Administration or even ONE
board member???? What does that tell you????"
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24 comments:
For one thing, the reporter who left her contact information noted that no one is willing to speak on the record. So there is not much the media can do in terms of reporting a problem.
I heard back from hill district consensus group & they were interested in helping. Did not hear back from hill district education group or the PFT. As I mentioned before, Hardy is in HDEC. Wasn't expecting much from PFT, and they delivered.
I don't work at u prep, but I can't believe no one will talk to the reporter. I work down the street and I contacted her several times. At this point, the U Prep situation is a danger to me personally, when students are being shot at while on my way into school.
This is everyone's issue. The issues we all write about in this blog show that all of PPS is in crisis. Anyone of our schools could become the next U Prep. We have seen again and again, how quickly a great school can be ruined (Milliones, Minadeo, Westinghouse)
Our fear and silence is exactly what PPS CO counts on. They do whatever they want because we let them.
When I was at King during the ALA years, I would have given anything for a reporter wiling to get our story out. If we all speak out, there s safety in that. We can't all be fired.
Ms. Nuttall, can't you see from all these posts, that PPS CO is one big PR machine? Reading through these posts is the tip of the iceberg (bogus evaluation systems, out control discipline, covering up crimes committed by students, not reporting shootings or locking down certain schools, massive resignations & early retirements, consultants being paid crazy amounts of money for vague, redundant jobs, EIGHT assistant superintendents for a shrinking district, hiring inexperienced administrators from out of state, the replacement of nearly all veteran principals with PELAS, BROAD infestation, the manipulation and misrepresentation of data and scores, the segregation of schools by race & class, and on and on...
The average Pittsburgher would be shocked & sickened and change would occur. They get away with because they can!!!
They depend on a semi ignorant public who will accept the Post Gazette stories that PPS releases as the truth. They also depend on a silent and fearful teaching staff. If those 2 things change, then PPS will change. Please, let's get the story out and teachers speak up!! Our students depend on us! Our jos and schools will not exist for much longer, if CO is not taken over by competent, experienced, caring, and LOCAL people who are invested in our city!
If we all start talking, many PPS CO administrators will skulk away. Even their PR spin doctors wouldn't be able save them. We all know it's not just U Prep. Speak out and expose these central office charlatans for what they they. When they can no longer cover up, they may leave!
The reporter's problem is that no one is willing to be quoted by name.
So, let's try this; can we get 5 people with personal knowledge of issues to email your names and phone numbers to purereform@gmail.com? Names will not be disclosed until there are five of you verified by PURE, so no one person will have to take all the heat, and names will be disclosed only to the reporter. PURE will report back at the end of the week re: how many people have responded.
Sorry, I know first hand the backlash that could occur should you speak your truth, keep it personal, local and immediate...its a shame that only teachers can accept non-closure and experience discomfort. I saw and witnessed first hand at an institute. Sorry, but I would be afraid to give my name.
Speak out? No way! Then your abused by the entire School District. WE will continue to work in an unhealthy school with an abusive Principal, Vice Principal that lets the kids do what ever they want and a made up Admin that can not handle the job. We are abused by Mr. Hardy! Why can't the board mail a comment questionnaire to all the staff members? You are harassed till no end if you speak out in this district! Reporter we need your help and we can not talk to you because we may get let go or harassed. The best option it to mail a questionnaire. We force ourselves to go to work everyday and get stressed, depressed, abused and so on. HELP!
But the questionnaire would be anonymous, right? Anonymous responses are not given much weight. What if a reporter promised not to reveal names?
The questionnaire would show you that the experience is happening twofold and not just someone out for revenge. Sorry, pps taught me to not trust a promise. The only one looking out for me....is me!! But I am jealous of the ones who will take that leap.
Take the media by your own hands. Use the internet. Write well. Post it. Point to it here and elsewhere. Make up some post cards or mini-handouts and do some footwork.
The loss is already counted if you need the media on this, here, now.
To be one who is beholden to the media is to wear a sign on yourself that says "kick me."
My point is rather than cry the blues about the media, endlessly, (and that pity party is not happening here, really), make your own signals and be the media.
Go for it. Make the messages sharp. Make things better.
Here is one tip: Strike up "PEN NAMES" for teachers who desire such "privacy."
Beyond email messages, blog posts, tweets, facebook pages, public comments, letters to the editor, PCTV21, and newsletters, people could turn to the others beyond the P-G and Trib. There are dozens of local newspapers: Courier, Biz Times, City Paper, Pitt News, 1410 AM, South Pgh Reporter, BGC's, Green Tree, etc.
The staff are writing the district about their concerns with their names anonymous.
I have sent out over 20 copies of this blog to officials, including Nina Espisito, Peduto, Linda Lane and Bill Gates. Lets see what happens. If the situation continues to be ignored then you know there's a cover up. It is my understanding that Mr Hardy is reading this blog. Despite all of the posts, his abusive ways continue. There is something seriously wrong when an administrator thinks bullying is a leadership skill. It's nothing but cowardice.
I will,personally hand deliver copies of everything written to Dr. Holley. She's one of the last people left in this district who really cares about the kids.
6:39 it would help to know what behavior you are concerned about, since "bullying" is just a label. And Mr. Hardy is unlikely to hash the issue out in this forum.
When Mr. Hardy was taken out of Vann and put in UPrep he went into a bad situation where the school was set up for failure when it opened and then expanded. It ended up being a dumping ground for kids who were smart and very verbal but had behavioral issues. He was never given the supports that he deserved to assist with giving the school a chance. The staff at Vann loved working for him and he was happy. I am sure there are issues where he could improve, but blame the school board and central administrators for messing up a school that had potential.
October 5, 2014 at 5:43 PM What does anything that you said have to do with the staff being bullied, abused and now having mental disabilities. When harassed by a principal your not going to give the school your best because you cant. Your depressed and afraid. You feel like a failure because of the way the Administrator! We have a principal that lets the kids run around swearing and doing as they please and then the other is just down right abusive! These Administrators want the staff to control the kids! Hello, that is why your the Administrator making the money that you do! Principals get bonuses for the hard work that the staff does! How unfair! The district is damaged because the employees are being damaged!
Mr. Hardy was given "supports" many of which were outrightly rejected and/or subverted or sent packing. His choices, related to how he utilizes "supports" (of all kind) are less than admirable to put in kindly.
Uprep needs leadership---leadership that knows how to bring "supports" together as a TEAM with the students at the heart of their daily work. There are "supports" available with all of the skills necessary to make Uprep a great school. Its not too late for Mr. Hardy to use his intelligence and considerable skills to pull it off! Let's hope he seizes the opportunity and the day!
Kids are not the root problem; its adults with super egos who put Uprep students at risk.
5:43-U Prep's principal has had more SUPPORTS at his disposal than any other principal in the entire PPS system!
What kind of support do you think he needs that has not been there for him?
October 5, 2014 at 9:20 PM What don't you understand the staff are emotionally bullied and abused! He needs fired not support! The staff need support! Why give someone that abuses staff support? He has his staff for support if he had not abused and damaged them! We need a professional kind principal. He is abusive so please no more what can we do for the poor administrator! What about the employees that are damaged by this man? Where is their support?
Your anger shows your unprofessionalism. I was just pointing out that there is more to the story. You should be offering him your help, not your anger.
A "professional" who tells students to boo teachers is beyond help and support. This is the definition of workplace bullying.
October 5, 2014 at 10:38 PM Let someone talk to you like a dog and abuse you. Sure he needs help by a professional not staff!This is not because he needs help at the school, he seriously abuses us!
If you think they are getting support from their Union you better think again. Since they plugged in to this administration from the start, they can hardly act like anything is really wrong. That would implicate them.
These teachers are on their own. I would like to see the teachers turnover rate? That is something we will NEVER
find out. So much for transparency.
If you track the personnel legislative reports every month, you can see the turnover at any school.
It is clear as can be which schools have little or no turnover and which schools have sometimes as many as 20 teachers turning over every year.
UPrep has more turnover than any school including Westinghouse. Allderdice and CAPA have almost no turnovers
There have been as many as 20 TURNOVERS at Uprep IN ONE MONTH!
We hear that there is ONLY ONE African American teacher at Uprep. If this is true, WHY?
Over the years, there have been as many as 20+ Black staff members at Uprep at the same time. What happened?
What will the CO, PFT, and Community do to address the problem?
Surely, they cannot deny that there is a problem!?
UPREP has had three kids murdered in less than a year! UPREP is very unsafe and no Officers with guns are their to protect these kids! Did everyone see Hardy's fake tears in front of the big shots from central? He did not cry for the other two students. I do not know why people are writing so much on here. Central will not move Hardy. They always do the opposite when staff cries out and this is why we have a failing district!
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