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Your point?? This happens every day somewhere. Don't worry I'm sure their PBIS was put into effect. Heard Dice is a mess and veteran teachers who once thought they had it easy are ready to leave. Kids are all over building doing as they please because there are no consequences. Heard there is video of the kid and the window incident, I never saw it but my kids (another PPS HS) knew about it.
I saw that video the fight at Dice notice a strange thing no security and teachers was around to help stop the fight I hope it not do to fact a communication breakdown .There is a big problem in all PPS Schools students in HALLWAYS !!!!!!!!need to be more monitoring in HALLWAYS .i hope this situation don't escalate later down the road to some serious violence.PPS should employ outreach workers in their schools to monitor students behavior to prevent or intervene with these type of problems at this point of time will be hard for students to learn in this type of environment
The suggestion of "outreach workers" is just the right concept! Many of us remember the "grandmotherly" women who served as "security guards" in our schools. These were elderly, gentle but firm, warm-spirited, wise, comforting but always respected, obeyed and loved by students (and staff). Two such wonderful ladies were the heart and soul of Allderdice and Milliones. These women dramatically changed school environments with a very different kind of 'spirit'.
YES! Ms Clausell and Ms Mary (Harvey) will long be remembered and revered. As "outreach workers" in security guard suits, they were the epitome of success in schools, with all students and staff!
The "grandmothers" referred to earlier were actual "security" with uniforms, etc. Not to take anything away from "hall monitors"; but, to be official and paid as security was more than appropriate given the results. In the past, experience, expertise, gentle firmness, wisdom and common sense worked wonders and were VALUED in the PPS system.
The PPS mindset now is young, not old; ignorance, not experience, beginners, not experts, punitive/authoritarian/domineering, not gentle firmness; and, ‘by-the-book’ not common-sense!
Children, believe it or not, respond “in-kind” to the environment that envelopes them.
Why not surround them with an environment to which they CAN respond positively and productively 'in-kind'.
Outreach workers that come to the schools are prejudice of the white kids, only helping the black kids! Guess what PPS the white kids are leaving and have fun! You did not meet the white kids needs!
Outreach workers in the PPS are prejudice! The white kids are leaving and the PPS School Board has failed us! DO YOU WANT CHANGE?
THEN PUT A CITY COP AT THE FRONT DOOR! HAVE TEACHERS MONITOR OUTSIDE RESTROOMS. HAVE A GUARD AT EVERY DOOR THAT GOES OUTSIDE! HAVE GOOD ADMINISTRATORS AND FIRE THEM ON THE SPOT!
THEN GET THE STAFF HELP TO RECOVER FROM ABUSE FROM THE PPS AND KIDS! THEN THAT IS A START. THE ADMINS ARE LAZY! HAVE THEM AT THE DOOR IN THE MORNING OR IN THE CAFETERIA.
No, we don't PUT anyone where they do not want to be? That is the problem!
Consider the possibility that there are 'grandmothers' out here that believe in the children, believe in themselves, believe in transformation when are all of the right people are in place. A grandmother (even a great-grandmother) who believes that she is right for the situation and that the youth will respond to what she brings CAN and WILL show those who are "send"ing too many of the wrong people and programs and policies!
The grandmothers that were named in other posts PUT themselves where they knew they could help. They were NOT afraid of children or young people. THEY showed the students that they CARED and were respected for WHO they were and WHY they were there.
There were no mixed messages! The grandmothers who CHOSE to be security or hall monitors or outreach from the community were welcomed (loved) by students, teachers and administrators because it was obvious that they were no there for the money or power. They were there to change the climate to one of caring, concern and commitment to kids! Learning happened because EVERYONE felt secure and respected and even loved!
8:35 Consider the possibilities that if all of these grandmothers, great grandmothers, who choose ,gather in their churches and do exactly what your are suggesting.
This school, MILLIONES, needs leadership and people who CHOOSE to BE THERE for kids---experiments in education, not for power and professional prestige, not for high-end salaries, not to prove themselves, not to exercise control, not because they need a job, etc. Milliones needs a TEAM of people who know what they are doing and are committed to the EDUCATION of ALL children! Schools like Milliones get staff that are left over in a system that is already FAILING to educate the majority (those kids who are not among the select, elite, upper class with professional positions who make sure their kids get into CAPA, Sci-Tech or Allderdice.)
Yes! Agreed that the churches are a great solution, maybe the only solution. When pastors gather their congregations as advocates for the children, we will see a change. But, you are right it takes leadership! And leadership requires courage, caring, commitment, wisdom and FAITH in success of the MISSION, clearly stated and vehemently valued and supported!
Right now, do the pastors have their children in community PPS?
Most of them, if not all, DO NOT! Why? We all know the reason! So maybe congregations must lead the way! Yes, there are leaders in congregations, if not in pulpits!
Jake Milliones was a LEADER. He LED City Council and the School Board. Jake's CHILDREN WERE ALL IN PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THEY ATTENDED MILLIONES and the were EDUCATED!
Sala Udin is a LEADER. Where were his children educated? Yes, in our PPS!
Would they allow what's happening at Milliones to continue IF their children were in that school?
Jake Wheatley's children will soon enough be ready for PPS. Will they also attend Milliones?
And name any current Pastor in the Hill? Where are their school-age children going to school?
ALL HILL DISTRICT CHILDREN DESERVE A QUALITY SCHOOL! Its up to the LEADERS to ensure that it happens for ALL children in their congregations!
They (we) have the power! Do they (we) have the WILL? That is the question Dr. Faison (former African-American Female Superintendent) would ask?
Yes, bring in the AA retired educators AND Sala Udin, Jake Wheatley, Daniel LaVelle, Marimba Milliones, Anna Hollis, Kevin Jones, Bomani Howze, Ashley Woodson, and many, many others who were educated in the Hill and still work with the community.
Bring in Rev. Grayson, Rev. Walls, Rev. Campbell and other Pastors who know the Hill District Community!
It's not a stretch to say__ "The will is lacking".
What to do?
Grandmothers and great-grandmothers, take one child and teach them and then have that child teach another and another and another in the churches and the basements and in the lighted spaces of our communities.
But that doesn't mean that God was taken out of the people.
Churches have enormous power and responsibility to demand an EDUCATION for the children. IF the take it on and make the effort GOD will see them through to successful outcomes.
These are God's people and they are in the schools as teachers, principals, and outreach workers!
Inconsequential communication because the reality is...no one is bringing anyone IN and no one is throwing anyone OUT because NO one is 'willing' to do anything but Blog. Period
All the people mentioned by 11:44- are their children/ grandchildren/ nieces and nephews in the problem schools? If that was the case they would be aware of problems and do something to solve them.
Yes, each ONE can teach ONE to rise up and challenge the system. but, EDUCATION requires a little more than the desire or opportunity to reach ONE.
ONE is not enough and ONE cannot solve the education problems at Milliones! If regular, every day, ordinary, good-willed people were enough, we wouldn't need good schools. Schools supposedly have a purpose that requires professionals just as every other career, hospital, business, etc. need. If it was an each one teach one proposition, all parents, etc. would give their kids what they need to become millionaires or at least 'professionals' in work that is meaningful. Each one, teach one is great but it can only go so far! Really!
It's not likely that any of these people would put their children in Hill schools if they could afford to do otherwise! Would you put your children in Milliones-UPREP? Let's be serious. Parents, aunts, uncles, whoever find the best education they can for their children. Those who can find better schools. Those who can't (for multitudinous reasons) are left with the failing schools such as we see in the Hill, Homewood, Northside. For the less advantaged and less knowledgeable and less educated, there are no options!
The point being__ one is better than none. If the system is not serving the under-served then we 'the community' can begin to serve each child one at a time and with one comes two and with two comes three.
Many many posts ago there was mention of the credo_'Whole Child Whole Community' Is this a grass roots movement in the Hill District with any substance or impact? And why are these individuals MIA? The Sala Udins,Jake Wheatleys, the Daniel Lavelles, Marimba Milliones, Anna Hollis, Kevin Jones, Bomani Howze, Ashley Woodson, Rev. Grayson, Rev. Walls,Rev. Campbell etc.
Seems to me this is the other side of The UPREP/Millions story that Rebecca Nuttall could investigate and report on her findings. These are the people that need to be interviewed for the record.
Speaking out beyond the blog is critical but so many in this little town have some connection to PPS through friends and family members. Those folks could be blackballed pretty easily and don't think it is not part of the unwritten playbook. Even staff who probably have the data to prove what is not working are unlikely to step forward because RISE will bit them in the butt. What I would really like to hear about is why the very first savior MR brought to town to steer UPrep did not stay for a full year. No matter what job he was offered elsewhere we had the impression this change-maker was going to create something worth world-wide attention. The guys in charge there are not using any methods that work. How is that restorative practice working out? PBIS? Any kid with no record of being disruptive should be given chance to go to the school of his/her choice in PPS. Are we still sending kids to Clayton? The general public does not know a lot and sometimes we don't know what to ask for because of that.
The unwritten playbook is the story here and until there is a"Pope Francis" in the African American Community, the under-served will continue to be a post-script in this little town. Oh what a tangled web we weave.
This torturous long saga of UPREP/Millions has asked many pointed questions and has infact uncovered the 'code of silence' or 'unwritten playbook' that chains all those in position of power.
6:59 -"Whole Child, Whole Community" is 100 pages on what PPS is promoting on this 'topic'. It would/could/should be important IF and only IF the "Child" and the "Community" held PPS accountable to the words on the pages
6:59 - Everyone of the people mentioned are nowhere near your MIA definition. Each of them is fully committed and IN ACTION every day of their lives to better the conditions that clearly you have little knowledge about EXCEPT through a blog.
6:59 are you saying that teacher(s) having affairs with STUDENTS is in their best interest and runnig I hallways ,fights is that your definition of commitment has nothing to do about a BLOG this issue would have been address if was at UPPER ST CLAIR SCHOOL DIST. Than you can say nowhere MIA ok get the POINT!!!!!!!!!!!
11:08 It would be addressed if it were Upper St. Clair because the parents would be RUNNING to the local media if it were not addressed. Heck, they run to the media even when the issues are addressed. The parents of U Prep students will not cooperate with the reporter who could possibly be the last hope for help. No one in the district or any community groups have stepped up.
Every parent who posts here needs to be telling the same story to Rebecca Nuttall. PPS would have a lot of explaining to do if these blog stories went public. They would no longer be able to hide the injustices and inequitable treatment suffered by the children of the Hill. Unfortunately the people who the children should be able count on the most, their own parents, will not cooperate with a reporter. That is the problem and PPS central office knows the parents won't speak out and that why they don't care about fixing U Prep. Because they can get away with it. Stop letting them get away with it.
Union is a joke. They have been contacted. The union may as well work for PPS central office at this point. The ONLY thing that will make PPS address the problems at U Prep is if the stories from U Prep went public. Then they will be forced into action to keep up the positive public image they want to maintain.
Everyone keeps asking "what's ----------- doing about this?" But the sad fact is that parents continue to send their children into this h**l hole, refuse to speak to a reporter who may help, teachers refuse to speak to the same reporter, so you can guarantee there will be no change at U Prep.
We need to stop looking for someone to swoop in and fix things. Expose to public what is going on there and you will see things get fixed very quickly.
600+ plus stories shared here, written by countless people and not one person to go on record ANONYMOUSLY?? That is the saddest thing of all.
Just a question here-- I think going to the press IS the best answer, but given the long agenda at Public Hearings- wouldnt that be another venue to spread the word-- public hearing nights seem to address issues of individual dept and schools- at least reminding everyone of the issues and which board member's district it is? I am thinking-- it wouldnt hurt and yes, only 3 minutes, but I've been noticing that folks at some schools seem to gather to push the same issue. And/ or gather forces from other schools- i.e. let's all find a way to talk about Hallways since it is apparently an issue at many schools.
So whether you are PPS or everyone of the fully committed individuals____ we are still left with FAILING schools. It can be said that something is missing in the ACTION.
Annon 12:01 "The union may as well work for PPS central office at this point" What do you meat? The union officers DO work for central office. Every year, the officers are placed on special assignment with Human Resources. While they are sitting in their South Side offices, it is clear who they work for. What would happen if they caused too much a fuss? Would the board continue to release them? The Memorandum of understanding can always be changed. Point is, the union will continue to do nothing to help you. Teachers and parents must work together and help themselves. Good luck to all. God bless you all.
Long time lurker on this blog and former PPS employee here. My previous employment with PPS had me visiting most schools at least monthly. Had I made favor I would still have a job...it was the access I had to schools and their data that made me uncomfortable with the "ship's course". I made waves and was shown the plank.
"Oh, the things I have seen and heard!" Yes, a common refrain on this blog of late. I remember when the "How We Got Here Series" was published here. Facts, laid out for all to see and evaluate. Damning facts for PPS. Now that was thoughtful reading / posting.
What is a city resident and taxpayer to do after visiting this blog of late? The words must read like hyperbole. How can it be that one reads outrageous post after post with absolutely no cooberating EVIDENCE. I have seen nothing in our local newspapers or on our tv news channels. I have not seen a demonstration in support of UPREP or against PPS Central. I have not seen changes in board minutes that would indicate chaos en mass. Heck, a reporter even solicited posters on this very blog for info to report. Nothing. Why should I not conclude that things are not fine and dandy in PPS? Because the same one or two anonymous blog posters report chaos?
So what is it folks? Make with the evidence (talk to reporter to get facts on the record, organize a protest, get on the radio, do SOMETHING of note), lest your blog posts be read as nothing more than hyperbole written by someone with a vandetta.
So do we have this right. Within PPS there is a culture of fear and firings. Within the Black community there is a culture of the unwritten playbook and the fear of being blackballed. Both foster a culture of silence. The only remedy to silence is to speak out and do it fearlessly. It is High Noon!
You call for someone to speak out. That's a good thing, and I am with you.
But consider this. A person who speaks out must have evidence. It is one thing for a brave PPS employee to go to a reporter and say, "The halls of my school are out of control. They are very dangerous places."
A good reporter must have evidence before he/she can print an article. A story, or a series of stories, is not evidence.
How can a PPS employee get the evidence to back up claims of mismanagement? Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that we should stay silent. PPS employees and parents must speak up!
But I am throwing something out for discussion, and for thought. To make our case, we should have some proof of what we say. How do we do that?
I certainly do not suggest that teachers / board minions recklessly speak out, as you will be taken to task for your insubordination, if not outright terminated. Confronted with the opportunity to speak truth or blow smoke to Dr Lane and seal what would have been a monster promotion, I went big with truth.
Derp. Promotion denied. Within 1 year I was made to transfer to a lower paying / out of the way position. Then after 9 months, demoted again. Then made to retire.
My point is not to suggest that one makes a martyr of him/herself, but rather to produce some evidence of misdeeds at UPREP, or wherever in PPS.
Far be it from me to suggest how one gathers / presents evidence, as I lacked subtlety then and am just a spectator presently. I made note in my previous post of the "How We Got Here" series. That was an effective effort to crystalize what can be very mundane board minutes into a story about mismanagement of funds and cozy relationships with outside groups / firms. That was evidence to report on.
It is evidence that the city taxpayer needs to rally around. "I heard" and "I saw" and "my kid said", while not trivial, will not rally the city of pittsburgh to your cause. Gatherings, Articles, Airtime, among other instances of record, just may.
12:55 Blackballed within PPS is not defined by race IMO it occurs with anyone who isn't afraid to work FOR and WITH kids and not continue to keep playing by a book written by people who have never taught.
I agree, lay it all out there for Ms. Nuttall, give her all of the info you can, answer all of her questions. Parents let her talk to your children. Maybe the students have recorded incidents like the one posted about the brawl in the other post. She will be able to put the story together and/or tell you what type of evidence you can provide. Please somebody from U prep just contact her! Let's get this thing started!
I am a teacher and since these posts about U Prep started, I have contacted the PFT, Ms. Nuttall, the NAACP, the HDEC, the Hill District Consensus Group, and the Urban Leauge and I have lived to tell about it. I will tell you that the Hill District Consenus Group and Ms. Nuttall were the only two who responded to my pleas for help and I sent the U Prep thread to everyone I reached out to for help.
Ms. Nuttall is our best hope, seriously every group out there who you think will help, is tied to PPS in some way. They are like the Mafia, they have everyone in this city being paid, receiving favors, or afraid of them.
I do not teach at U Prep, but I do teach in the Hill and I reached out to Ms. Nuttall for help because I heard my colleagues and children in the community crying out for help. I was thrilled when Ms. Nuttall stepped up and said she would help, and have been saddened to hear the terrible things that are still being posted here but still NO ONE will talk to her. There is no one out there who is going to change PPS, we have to do it. I have been trying to get help for my fellow teachers and students and reaching out for help and I KNOW we have to stand together and stop being afraid!
Teachers, parents, students, we know what is best for our schools and it is not happening at U Prep ( and many other schools) Now it is time to stand together and expose what they are doing. PPS central thinks they can segregate the children of the Hill, rob them of their chance to receive a world class education, put them in harm's way, and violate their right to receive a quality education in a safe nurturing environment.
PPS central does not think the children of the Hill deserve the same treatment as other students in this district. They think they can isolate and hide them away and the city will forget about them or not find out about the inequity and injustice of their situation.
Those children have no one to count on but us. There is no one else and we have the power to make something happen and the only thing stopping us is the fear of talking to a reporter?!
I do not teach at U Prep, only in the Hill, but I know what I'm reading here is true. I can't help Ms. Nuttall anymore than I have. I will support and stand by anyone who wants to talk her and stand up to these PPS central bullies. They can't silence us and I refuse to send the elementary students I teach to that sorry excuse for a school without a fight. I am not afraid of anything but sending my elementary students to U Prep when they finish 5th grade to have their right to an education violated, their spirits crushed, and possibly their lives cut tragically short.
Now how can we support each other? Who will talk to Ms. Nuttall? Questioner, how can we organize a group who is willing to meet with Ms. Nuttall and organize in some way? As a teacher in a neighboring school, I am willing and able to do whatever it takes.
You might try contacting the city council person who started the task force on education and ask if she might meet with concerned teachers, parents and community members on a confidential basis. Or contact the Pennsylvania State Secretary of Education and again request confidentiality and an investigation- in contrast to the previous Secretary he seems likely to act independently of administration. Maybe a number of people can pledge to contact these individuals on a particular date (to be determined when a number of pledges have been made).
Who is the council person who started the task force? Do you think they are unbiased or in cahoots with PPS? I feel very strongly that getting this information to the public ASAP is the best way to ensure the safety of the teachers and parents involved. If this is all true and verifiable, the community will be outraged and will likely stand by the teachers and parents to hold the district accountable. This scrutiny and public support would make it a lot harder for them to start singling out and targeting those who spoke out. If teachers involved starting getting fired or put on plans it would look really fishy and invoke even more public outrage and scrutiny.
I wonder if that task force isn't some fake Broad/ Roosevelt ploy to gain mayoral control of the district. If it is, then the mayor has a stake in keeping the schools "underperforming" to justify his involvement.
I still believe public exposure thought local & national media is the best first strike. With the public watching (and angry), it will be much more difficult to continue their shady practices.
The council person is Teresa Kail Smith. It includes the superintendent, PFT pres, board members, etc. but it is not one of those fake Broad/Gates parent/ community groups. The mayor is smart enough not to take on responsibility for the school district. Local media is not interested in exposing what is going on.
10:27 Many Black leaders of the Hill have friends or family members in PPS. Speaking out publicly against those in position of power who are Black will not happen. This is the 'unwritten playbook' and to do otherwise risks being blackballed in this small African American town. Their voices will not rise up in unison to serve the under-served even when the under-served are their own.
But speaking out in a public, united way is the only way to unseat those who are in positions of power. Those who are in positions of power can rule without accountability because anyone who questions them will be blackballed? That is an abuse of power and we need new leadership. If that us why the Black community won't speak up and the main children being harmed are black children, then it sounds like a hopeless situation.
The irony here is not lost. If those in positions of power in PPS were White, only then would the voices of the Black community feel FREE to rise up and shout to the rafters about the injustices happening to this community of children.
Parents of U Prep students are afraid to speak out because they fear being blackballed??!! Guess what? You've already been blackballed by PPS central. They stuck your children in a crappy, dangerous school, hid them away at the old Milliones site, and refuse to address any concerns or allow parents move children to a different school. And they know they can keep you out out of sight, out of mind because they have you too afraid to speak up. They have pretty much blackballed the whole Hill community, it is time to fight back.
I can't imagine why Board members Holley, Wilson and Klug have yet to make an unannounced visit to U-Prep or any other PPS that teachers and parents have deemed OUT OF CONTROL. As prior PPS employees and PFT Members aren't they even curious about what they will find during a visit? RISE has placed all of the accountability on the shoulders of the teachers. What ever happened to the thought, "SO GOES THE PRINCIPAL, SO GOES THE SCHOOL and SO GOES THE PRINCIPALS, SO GOES THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP?" As we would say during a Learning Walk, just a wondering.........
I will never forget the day the Nina gushed "Isn't rise just wonderful!!!" Tarka/Nina went along with all this insanity and now they can't admit it was the wrong path to take. I don't excuse them at all. All you have to do is look a little further down the road instead of jumping on the next great idea (according to Broad/Gates).A little deeper thought instead of photo ops would have help this district.
11:46 That is funny you should say that. I distinctly remember Nina coming to talk to us, I was at King ALA at the time, and she kept saying "isn't this great?" and "don't you just love RISE?" and we were like, "no?"
I was pretty new to the district them, about 3 years in, and it was my first contract vote. I also remember everyone voting no, which seemed to really vex Tarka, so he called for a re-vote which inexplicably resulted in an overwhelming approval of new contract,
Now in my 11th year with PPS and PFT, I have decided that anyone else I was paying for a service, whose performance was as poor as the PFT, would be off my payroll. That led me to the decision to "fire" the PFT. They are accountable to no one but us and we keep paying them to work to our detriment. Not me.
12:39, Good luck in "firing" the PFT. The contract used to have a clause in the Memorandum of Understanding section. There is a specific time when a member can drop out. Once you do drop out, you will have at least 90% of full dues deducted as fair share" dues. Fair share dues, I believe, are not tax deductible. I hope you at least applied for your $10.00 refund from the political action fund
12:39 Yes you are right, they have made things very difficult. You can only stop the deductions when the current contract expires, which I will do. I did read that you can sue them to have it stopped in the middle of a contract.
I don't even care if it only saves me a little money. A little money adds up each month when I have 19 more years to go and the only thing my extra money and membership seems to buy are the "Nina's Notes" emails! Lol : )
71 comments:
Your point?? This happens every day somewhere. Don't worry I'm sure their PBIS was put into effect. Heard Dice is a mess and veteran teachers who once thought they had it easy are ready to leave. Kids are all over building doing as they please because there are no consequences. Heard there is video of the kid and the window incident, I never saw it but my kids (another PPS HS) knew about it.
I saw that video the fight at Dice notice a strange thing no security and teachers was around to help stop the fight I hope it not do to fact a communication breakdown .There is a big problem in all PPS Schools students in HALLWAYS !!!!!!!!need to be more monitoring in HALLWAYS .i hope this situation don't escalate later down the road to some serious violence.PPS should employ outreach workers in their schools to monitor students behavior to prevent or intervene with these type of problems at this point of time will be hard for students to learn in this type of environment
The suggestion of "outreach workers" is just the right concept! Many of us remember the "grandmotherly" women who served as "security guards" in our schools. These were elderly, gentle but firm, warm-spirited, wise, comforting but always respected, obeyed and loved by students (and staff). Two such wonderful ladies were the heart and soul of Allderdice and Milliones. These women dramatically changed school environments with a very different kind of 'spirit'.
YES! Ms Clausell and Ms Mary (Harvey) will long be remembered and revered. As "outreach workers" in security guard suits, they were the epitome of success in schools, with all students and staff!
And those are exactly the kind of people who have been cut as "unnecessary."
We had the "grandmother" hall monitors at our school also.
Many students found it macho to argue with teachers and the security guards. But it wasn't very macho to argue with the grandmothers.
So yes, they were effective for spotting hallway problems early. And they could often put a problem out with a stern word or two.
But as Questioner noted at 10:14, the grandmothers were the very first to go during the budget cuts.
Someone must have complained to FB, video has been removed. It was pretty bad. Probably more like that still out there though.
The "grandmothers" referred to earlier were actual "security" with uniforms, etc. Not to take anything away from "hall monitors"; but, to be official and paid as security was more than appropriate given the results. In the past, experience, expertise, gentle firmness, wisdom and common sense worked wonders and were VALUED in the PPS system.
The PPS mindset now is young, not old; ignorance, not experience, beginners, not experts, punitive/authoritarian/domineering, not gentle firmness; and, ‘by-the-book’ not common-sense!
Children, believe it or not, respond “in-kind” to the environment that envelopes them.
Why not surround them with an environment to which they CAN respond positively and productively 'in-kind'.
We need more security!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Outreach workers that come to the schools are prejudice of the white kids, only helping the black kids! Guess what PPS the white kids are leaving and have fun! You did not meet the white kids needs!
Outreach workers in the PPS are prejudice! The white kids are leaving and the PPS School Board has failed us! DO YOU WANT CHANGE?
THEN PUT A CITY COP AT THE FRONT DOOR! HAVE TEACHERS MONITOR OUTSIDE RESTROOMS. HAVE A GUARD AT EVERY DOOR THAT GOES OUTSIDE! HAVE GOOD ADMINISTRATORS AND FIRE THEM ON THE SPOT!
THEN GET THE STAFF HELP TO RECOVER FROM ABUSE FROM THE PPS AND KIDS! THEN THAT IS A START. THE ADMINS ARE LAZY! HAVE THEM AT THE DOOR IN THE MORNING OR IN THE CAFETERIA.
9:36 AM
Would you put YOUR grandmother in any one of these highlighted schools today?
No, we don't PUT anyone where they do not want to be? That is the problem!
Consider the possibility that there are 'grandmothers' out here that believe in the children, believe in themselves, believe in transformation when are all of the right people are in place. A grandmother (even a great-grandmother) who believes that she is right for the situation and that the youth will respond to what she brings CAN and WILL show those who are "send"ing too many of the wrong people and programs and policies!
Yes we do Put our children where even our great grandmothers would never choose to be.
That is the problem.
The grandmothers that were named in other posts PUT themselves where they knew they could help. They were NOT afraid of children or young people. THEY showed the students that they CARED and were respected for WHO they were and WHY they were there.
There were no mixed messages! The grandmothers who CHOSE to be security or hall monitors or outreach from the community were welcomed (loved) by students, teachers and administrators because it was obvious that they were no there for the money or power. They were there to change the climate to one of caring, concern and commitment to kids! Learning happened because EVERYONE felt secure and respected and even loved!
8:35
Consider the possibilities that if all of these grandmothers, great grandmothers, who choose ,gather in their churches and do exactly what your are suggesting.
Any leadership out there?
This school, MILLIONES, needs leadership and people who CHOOSE to BE THERE for kids---experiments in education, not for power and professional prestige, not for high-end salaries, not to prove themselves, not to exercise control, not because they need a job, etc.
Milliones needs a TEAM of people who know what they are doing and are committed to the EDUCATION of ALL children!
Schools like Milliones get staff that are left over in a system that is already FAILING to educate the majority (those kids who are not among the select, elite, upper class with professional positions who make sure their kids get into CAPA, Sci-Tech or Allderdice.)
Yes! Agreed that the churches are a great solution, maybe the only solution. When pastors gather their congregations as advocates for the children, we will see a change. But, you are right it takes leadership! And leadership requires courage, caring, commitment, wisdom and FAITH in success of the MISSION, clearly stated and vehemently valued and supported!
Right now, do the pastors have their children in community PPS?
Most of them, if not all, DO NOT! Why? We all know the reason! So maybe congregations must lead the way! Yes, there are leaders in congregations, if not in pulpits!
Jake Milliones was a LEADER. He LED City Council and the School Board. Jake's CHILDREN WERE ALL IN PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THEY ATTENDED MILLIONES and the were EDUCATED!
Sala Udin is a LEADER. Where were his children educated? Yes, in our PPS!
Would they allow what's happening at Milliones to continue IF their children were in that school?
Jake Wheatley's children will soon enough be ready for PPS. Will they also attend Milliones?
And name any current Pastor in the Hill? Where are their school-age children going to school?
ALL HILL DISTRICT CHILDREN DESERVE A QUALITY SCHOOL! Its up to the LEADERS to ensure that it happens for ALL children in their congregations!
They (we) have the power! Do they (we) have the WILL? That is the question Dr. Faison (former African-American Female Superintendent) would ask?
Did someone say churches? Remember GOD WAS TAKEN OUT OF PPS'S !
Yes, bring in the AA retired educators AND Sala Udin, Jake Wheatley, Daniel LaVelle, Marimba Milliones, Anna Hollis, Kevin Jones, Bomani Howze, Ashley Woodson, and many, many others who were educated in the Hill and still work with the community.
Bring in Rev. Grayson, Rev. Walls, Rev. Campbell and other Pastors who know the Hill District Community!
United we stand! Divided we fall . . .
It's not a stretch to say__ "The will is lacking".
What to do?
Grandmothers and great-grandmothers, take one child and teach them and then have that child teach another and another and another in the churches and the basements and in the lighted spaces of our communities.
10:50 AM___ Take the lead yourself. Teach one child and awaken the leadership within.
But that doesn't mean that God was taken out of the people.
Churches have enormous power and responsibility to demand an EDUCATION for the children. IF the take it on and make the effort GOD will see them through to successful outcomes.
These are God's people and they are in the schools as teachers, principals, and outreach workers!
Inconsequential communication because the reality is...no one is bringing anyone IN and no one is throwing anyone OUT because NO one is 'willing' to do anything but Blog. Period
All the people mentioned by 11:44- are their children/ grandchildren/ nieces and nephews in the problem schools? If that was the case they would be aware of problems and do something to solve them.
Yes, each ONE can teach ONE to rise up and challenge the system. but, EDUCATION requires a little more than the desire or opportunity to reach ONE.
ONE is not enough and ONE cannot solve the education problems at Milliones! If regular, every day, ordinary, good-willed people were enough, we wouldn't need good schools. Schools supposedly have a purpose that requires professionals just as every other career, hospital, business, etc. need. If it was an each one teach one proposition, all parents, etc. would give their kids what they need to become millionaires or at least 'professionals' in work that is meaningful. Each one, teach one is great but it can only go so far! Really!
It's not likely that any of these people would put their children in Hill schools if they could afford to do otherwise! Would you put your children in Milliones-UPREP? Let's be serious. Parents, aunts, uncles, whoever find the best education they can for their children. Those who can find better schools. Those who can't (for multitudinous reasons) are left with the failing schools such as we see in the Hill, Homewood, Northside. For the less advantaged and less knowledgeable and less educated, there are no options!
The problem schools are problems because those who have the where-with-all ABANDON these schools!
Note that "where-with-all" is the key attribute needed!
Would you put your kids in Milliones?
Then why should anyone else be forced to do so?
Let us all in this community of mankind drink in the Leadership of Pope Francis.
When Pope Francis goes to Philadelphia in 2015, maybe he can come by U Prep and give mankind in that building at least a drop to drink!
2:20
The point being__ one is better than none. If the system is not serving the under-served then we 'the community' can begin to serve each child one at a time and with one comes two and with two comes three.
OR we can continue to blog about it.
True, one is better than none. Go for it!
And feel good about it!
Many many posts ago there was mention of the credo_'Whole Child Whole Community' Is this a grass roots movement in the Hill District with any substance or impact? And why are these individuals MIA? The Sala Udins,Jake Wheatleys, the Daniel Lavelles, Marimba Milliones, Anna Hollis, Kevin Jones, Bomani Howze, Ashley Woodson, Rev. Grayson, Rev. Walls,Rev. Campbell etc.
Seems to me this is the other side of The UPREP/Millions story that Rebecca Nuttall could investigate and report on her findings. These are the people that need to be interviewed for the record.
Speaking out beyond the blog is critical but so many in this little town have some connection to PPS through friends and family members. Those folks could be blackballed pretty easily and don't think it is not part of the unwritten playbook. Even staff who probably have the data to prove what is not working are unlikely to step forward because RISE will bit them in the butt. What I would really like to hear about is why the very first savior MR brought to town to steer UPrep did not stay for a full year. No matter what job he was offered elsewhere we had the impression this change-maker was going to create something worth world-wide attention. The guys in charge there are not using any methods that work. How is that restorative practice working out? PBIS? Any kid with no record of being disruptive should be given chance to go to the school of his/her choice in PPS. Are we still sending kids to Clayton? The general public does not know a lot and sometimes we don't know what to ask for because of that.
The unwritten playbook is the story here and until there is a"Pope Francis" in the African American Community, the under-served will continue to be a post-script in this little town. Oh what a tangled web we weave.
This torturous long saga of UPREP/Millions has asked many pointed questions and has infact uncovered the 'code of silence' or 'unwritten playbook' that chains all those in position of power.
6:59 -"Whole Child, Whole Community" is 100 pages on what PPS is promoting on this 'topic'. It would/could/should be important IF and only IF the "Child" and the "Community" held PPS accountable to the words on the pages
6:59 - Everyone of the people mentioned are nowhere near your MIA definition. Each of them is fully committed and IN ACTION every day of their lives to better the conditions that clearly you have little knowledge about EXCEPT through a blog.
6:59 are you saying that teacher(s) having affairs with STUDENTS is in their best interest and runnig I hallways ,fights is that your definition of commitment has nothing to do about a BLOG this issue would have been address if was at UPPER ST CLAIR SCHOOL DIST. Than you can say nowhere MIA ok get the POINT!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't get it, what is the teachers union doing about this? For God's sakes, where's the union?
11:08
It would be addressed if it were Upper St. Clair because the parents would be RUNNING to the local media if it were not addressed. Heck, they run to the media even when the issues are addressed. The parents of U Prep students will not cooperate with the reporter who could possibly be the last hope for help.
No one in the district or any community groups have stepped up.
Every parent who posts here needs to be telling the same story to Rebecca Nuttall. PPS would have a lot of explaining to do if these blog stories went public. They would no longer be able to hide the injustices and inequitable treatment suffered by the children of the Hill. Unfortunately the people who the children should be able count on the most, their own parents, will not cooperate with a reporter. That is the problem and PPS central office knows the parents won't speak out and that why they don't care about fixing U Prep. Because they can get away with it. Stop letting them get away with it.
12:01
Union is a joke. They have been contacted. The union may as well work for PPS central office at this point. The ONLY thing that will make PPS address the problems at U Prep is if the stories from U Prep went public. Then they will be forced into action to keep up the positive public image they want to maintain.
Everyone keeps asking "what's ----------- doing about this?" But the sad fact is that parents continue to send their children into this h**l hole, refuse to speak to a reporter who may help, teachers refuse to speak to the same reporter, so you can guarantee there will be no change at U Prep.
We need to stop looking for someone to swoop in and fix things. Expose to public what is going on there and you will see things get fixed very quickly.
600+ plus stories shared here, written by countless people and not one person to go on record ANONYMOUSLY?? That is the saddest thing of all.
9:32 - Who of us is willing to cut the chain ?
Just a question here-- I think going to the press IS the best answer, but given the long agenda at Public Hearings- wouldnt that be another venue to spread the word-- public hearing nights seem to address issues of individual dept and schools- at least reminding everyone of the issues and which board member's district it is? I am thinking-- it wouldnt hurt and yes, only 3 minutes, but I've been noticing that folks at some schools seem to gather to push the same issue. And/ or gather forces from other schools- i.e. let's all find a way to talk about Hallways since it is apparently an issue at many schools.
6:59
So whether you are PPS or everyone of the fully committed individuals____ we are still left with FAILING schools. It can be said that something is missing in the ACTION.
Speaking of action:
Throwing out the 'unwritten playbook' would be a good place to start.
Annon 12:01
"The union may as well work for PPS central office at this point" What do you meat? The union officers DO work for central office. Every year, the officers are placed on special assignment with Human Resources. While they are sitting in their South Side offices, it is clear who they work for.
What would happen if they caused too much a fuss? Would the board continue to release them? The Memorandum of understanding can always be changed.
Point is, the union will continue to do nothing to help you. Teachers and parents must work together and help themselves. Good luck to all. God bless you all.
Long time lurker on this blog and former PPS employee here. My previous employment with PPS had me visiting most schools at least monthly. Had I made favor I would still have a job...it was the access I had to schools and their data that made me uncomfortable with the "ship's course". I made waves and was shown the plank.
"Oh, the things I have seen and heard!" Yes, a common refrain on this blog of late. I remember when the "How We Got Here Series" was published here. Facts, laid out for all to see and evaluate. Damning facts for PPS. Now that was thoughtful reading / posting.
What is a city resident and taxpayer to do after visiting this blog of late? The words must read like hyperbole. How can it be that one reads outrageous post after post with absolutely no cooberating EVIDENCE. I have seen nothing in our local newspapers or on our tv news channels. I have not seen a demonstration in support of UPREP or against PPS Central. I have not seen changes in board minutes that would indicate chaos en mass. Heck, a reporter even solicited posters on this very blog for info to report. Nothing. Why should I not conclude that things are not fine and dandy in PPS? Because the same one or two anonymous blog posters report chaos?
So what is it folks? Make with the evidence (talk to reporter to get facts on the record, organize a protest, get on the radio, do SOMETHING of note), lest your blog posts be read as nothing more than hyperbole written by someone with a vandetta.
12:00
High Noon .Time to do SOMETHING.
So do we have this right.
Within PPS there is a culture of fear and firings. Within the Black community there is a culture of the unwritten playbook and the fear of being blackballed.
Both foster a culture of silence. The only remedy to silence is to speak out and do it fearlessly.
It is High Noon!
Posters at 12:00, 12:26, !2:55,
You call for someone to speak out. That's a good thing, and I am with you.
But consider this. A person who speaks out must have evidence. It is one thing for a brave PPS employee to go to a reporter and say, "The halls of my school are out of control. They are very dangerous places."
A good reporter must have evidence before he/she can print an article. A story, or a series of stories, is not evidence.
How can a PPS employee get the evidence to back up claims of mismanagement? Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that we should stay silent. PPS employees and parents must speak up!
But I am throwing something out for discussion, and for thought. To make our case, we should have some proof of what we say. How do we do that?
6:56
To begin with keeping a detailed Journal of your day can be powerful and persuasive.
12:00 Here
I certainly do not suggest that teachers / board minions recklessly speak out, as you will be taken to task for your insubordination, if not outright terminated. Confronted with the opportunity to speak truth or blow smoke to Dr Lane and seal what would have been a monster promotion, I went big with truth.
Derp. Promotion denied. Within 1 year I was made to transfer to a lower paying / out of the way position. Then after 9 months, demoted again. Then made to retire.
My point is not to suggest that one makes a martyr of him/herself, but rather to produce some evidence of misdeeds at UPREP, or wherever in PPS.
Far be it from me to suggest how one gathers / presents evidence, as I lacked subtlety then and am just a spectator presently. I made note in my previous post of the "How We Got Here" series. That was an effective effort to crystalize what can be very mundane board minutes into a story about mismanagement of funds and cozy relationships with outside groups / firms. That was evidence to report on.
It is evidence that the city taxpayer needs to rally around. "I heard" and "I saw" and "my kid said", while not trivial, will not rally the city of pittsburgh to your cause. Gatherings, Articles, Airtime, among other instances of record, just may.
6:56 __ Talk with Rabecca Nutall and have this conversation with her.
12:55
Blackballed within PPS is not defined by race IMO it occurs with anyone who isn't afraid to work FOR and WITH kids and not continue to keep playing by a book written by people who have never taught.
9:23
I agree, lay it all out there for Ms. Nuttall, give her all of the info you can, answer all of her questions. Parents let her talk to your children. Maybe the students have recorded incidents like the one posted about the brawl in the other post. She will be able to put the story together and/or tell you what type of evidence you can provide. Please somebody from U prep just contact her! Let's get this thing started!
I am a teacher and since these posts about U Prep started, I have contacted the PFT, Ms. Nuttall, the NAACP, the HDEC, the Hill District Consensus Group, and the Urban Leauge and I have lived to tell about it. I will tell you that the Hill District Consenus Group and Ms. Nuttall were the only two who responded to my pleas for help and I sent the U Prep thread to everyone I reached out to for help.
Ms. Nuttall is our best hope, seriously every group out there who you think will help, is tied to PPS in some way. They are like the Mafia, they have everyone in this city being paid, receiving favors, or afraid of them.
I do not teach at U Prep, but I do teach in the Hill and I reached out to Ms. Nuttall for help because I heard my colleagues and children in the community crying out for help. I was thrilled when Ms. Nuttall stepped up and said she would help, and have been saddened to hear the terrible things that are still being posted here but still NO ONE will talk to her. There is no one out there who is going to change PPS, we have to do it. I have been trying to get help for my fellow teachers and students and reaching out for help and I KNOW we have to stand together and stop being afraid!
Teachers, parents, students, we know what is best for our schools and it is not happening at U Prep ( and many other schools) Now it is time to stand together and expose what they are doing. PPS central thinks they can segregate the children of the Hill, rob them of their chance to receive a world class education, put them in harm's way, and violate their right to receive a quality education in a safe nurturing environment.
PPS central does not think the children of the Hill deserve the same treatment as other students in this district. They think they can isolate and hide them away and the city will forget about them or not find out about the inequity and injustice of their situation.
Those children have no one to count on but us. There is no one else and we have the power to make something happen and the only thing stopping us is the fear of talking to a reporter?!
I do not teach at U Prep, only in the Hill, but I know what I'm reading here is true. I can't help Ms. Nuttall anymore than I have. I will support and stand by anyone who wants to talk her and stand up to these PPS central bullies.
They can't silence us and I refuse to send the elementary students I teach to that sorry excuse for a school without a fight.
I am not afraid of anything but sending my elementary students to U Prep when they finish 5th grade to have their right to an education violated, their spirits crushed, and possibly their lives cut tragically short.
Now how can we support each other? Who will talk to Ms. Nuttall? Questioner, how can we organize a group who is willing to meet with Ms. Nuttall and organize in some way? As a teacher in a neighboring school, I am willing and able to do whatever it takes.
You might try contacting the city council person who started the task force on education and ask if she might meet with concerned teachers, parents and community members on a confidential basis. Or contact the Pennsylvania State Secretary of Education and again request confidentiality and an investigation- in contrast to the previous Secretary he seems likely to act independently of administration. Maybe a number of people can pledge to contact these individuals on a particular date (to be determined when a number of pledges have been made).
Who is the council person who started the task force? Do you think they are unbiased or in cahoots with PPS?
I feel very strongly that getting this information to the public ASAP is the best way to ensure the safety of the teachers and parents involved. If this is all true and verifiable, the community will be outraged and will likely stand by the teachers and parents to hold the district accountable.
This scrutiny and public support would make it a lot harder for them to start singling out and targeting those who spoke out. If teachers involved starting getting fired or put on plans it would look really fishy and invoke even more public outrage and scrutiny.
I wonder if that task force isn't some fake Broad/ Roosevelt ploy to gain mayoral control of the district. If it is, then the mayor has a stake in keeping the schools "underperforming" to justify his involvement.
I still believe public exposure thought local & national media is the best first strike. With the public watching (and angry), it will be much more difficult to continue their shady practices.
The council person is Teresa Kail Smith. It includes the superintendent, PFT pres, board members, etc. but it is not one of those fake Broad/Gates parent/ community groups. The mayor is smart enough not to take on responsibility for the school district. Local media is not interested in exposing what is going on.
10:27
Many Black leaders of the Hill have friends or family members in PPS. Speaking out publicly against those in position of power who are Black will not happen. This is the 'unwritten playbook' and to do otherwise risks being blackballed in this small African American town.
Their voices will not rise up in unison to serve the under-served even when the under-served are their own.
Mark Brentley has managed to speak publicly. But he is a very selfless person.
6:49
But speaking out in a public, united way is the only way to unseat those who are in positions of power. Those who are in positions of power can rule without accountability because anyone who questions them will be blackballed? That is an abuse of power and we need new leadership. If that us why the Black community won't speak up and the main children being harmed are black children, then it sounds like a hopeless situation.
The irony here is not lost.
If those in positions of power in PPS were White, only then would the voices of the Black community feel FREE to rise up and shout to the rafters about the injustices happening to this community of children.
Parents of U Prep students are afraid to speak out because they fear being blackballed??!! Guess what? You've already been blackballed by PPS central. They stuck your children in a crappy, dangerous school, hid them away at the old Milliones site, and refuse to address any concerns or allow parents move children to a different school. And they know they can keep you out out of sight, out of mind because they have you too afraid to speak up. They have pretty much blackballed the whole Hill community, it is time to fight back.
I can't imagine why Board members Holley, Wilson and Klug have yet to make an unannounced visit to U-Prep or any other PPS that teachers and parents have deemed OUT OF CONTROL. As prior PPS employees and PFT Members aren't they even curious about what they will find during a visit? RISE has placed all of the accountability on the shoulders of the teachers. What ever happened to the thought, "SO GOES THE PRINCIPAL, SO GOES THE SCHOOL and SO GOES THE PRINCIPALS, SO GOES THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP?" As we would say during a Learning Walk, just a wondering.........
I will never forget the day the Nina gushed "Isn't rise just wonderful!!!"
Tarka/Nina went along with all this insanity and now they can't admit it was the wrong path to take. I don't excuse them at all. All you have to do is look a little further down the road instead of jumping on the next great idea (according to Broad/Gates).A little deeper thought instead of photo ops would have help this district.
11:46
That is funny you should say that. I distinctly remember Nina coming to talk to us, I was at King ALA at the time, and she kept saying "isn't this great?" and "don't you just love RISE?" and we were like, "no?"
I was pretty new to the district them, about 3 years in, and it was my first contract vote. I also remember everyone voting no, which seemed to really vex Tarka, so he called for a re-vote which inexplicably resulted in an overwhelming approval of new contract,
Now in my 11th year with PPS and PFT, I have decided that anyone else I was paying for a service, whose performance was as poor as the PFT, would be off my payroll. That led me to the decision to "fire" the PFT. They are accountable to no one but us and we keep paying them to work to our detriment. Not me.
12:39,
Good luck in "firing" the PFT. The contract used to have a clause in the Memorandum of Understanding section. There is a specific time when a member can drop out. Once you do drop out, you will have at least 90% of full dues deducted as fair share" dues. Fair share dues, I believe, are not tax deductible.
I hope you at least applied for your $10.00 refund from the political action fund
12:39
Yes you are right, they have made things very difficult. You can only stop the deductions when the current contract expires, which I will do. I did read that you can sue them to have it stopped in the middle of a contract.
I don't even care if it only saves me a little money. A little money adds up each month when I have 19 more years to go and the only thing my extra money and membership seems to buy are the "Nina's Notes" emails! Lol : )
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