On another post Anonymous wrote:
The remarks by Dr. Steve Perry, today at the Educational Forum at the August Wilson Center, were strong and 'dead on.'
"Dr. Perry courageously stepped forward in outright opposition to Dr. Lane and Esther Bush who continue to blame poverty and other 'conditions' for not being able to educate all children to high
levels. (Although it appears the the Urban League has proficiency in the 90th %ile.)
Dr. Perry advocated for the closing of all "failing schools."
Sala Udin stood and advocated for transforming all "failing" schools into schools that educated all children successfully.
We CAN make that happen if the Community is UNITED, and PPS changes its current philosophy."
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Single gender education misguided according to new Science mag report
From the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/education/23single.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/education/23single.html
Current plans
On another post Anonymous wrote:
"I don't understand why Peabody's location and condition will attract more familes to send ther children there.
I honestly believe this part of a 10 year "failure plan". Spend, disrupt, anger the community & city to the point of convincing everyone that teachers are the problem, public schools suck & everyone throws their hands up and caves in and we become pro charter school & vouchers.
Remember Broad & Gates are into "Venture philanthropy" this is not charity, they expect a return. Privatization of public services is the goal."
"I don't understand why Peabody's location and condition will attract more familes to send ther children there.
I honestly believe this part of a 10 year "failure plan". Spend, disrupt, anger the community & city to the point of convincing everyone that teachers are the problem, public schools suck & everyone throws their hands up and caves in and we become pro charter school & vouchers.
Remember Broad & Gates are into "Venture philanthropy" this is not charity, they expect a return. Privatization of public services is the goal."
Thursday, September 22, 2011
How we got where we are Part XXV December 2008
On another post Anonymous wrote:
"NEW POST
How we got where we are, part 25, December 2008
For the silver edition of the series, we pause for a moment of deep reflection....
December 17, 2008: Central Office expansion continues with the promotion of a Principal on Special Assignment Nancy Kodman to Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives. Holland O'Donnell is hired as Manager of Afterschool Programs.
The financial statements again warn that “significant efforts must be made to reduce operating costs”, urge “an even greater premium on cutting expenses”, and call for sale of closed school buildings to be a “priority.”
The minutes reveal a pretty fascinating discussion around a fairly small dollar contract. An intern is hired to work with one of the Board residents on the issue of enrollment decline. “That the Board authorize, this year, the District to began efforts to research the reasons for declining enrollment in the district and to develop a 3 year plan to address declining enrollment....Marni Pastor, a Broad Resident working in the Office of the Superintendent, is leading plan development.”
Mark Brentley notes that “If you talk to some parents openly and honestly, some will share their concern that most of the initiatives in this city, over the last two and a half years, has either been Broad endorsed or initiated somehow, some way, by those individuals with Broad certification.”
We start to witness Superintendent Roosevelt backpedal from one of the initial goals of the Pittsburgh Promise. “But the point here is to identify that percentage of folks whose decision making we can effect....a majority of people, and our initial data leads us to conclude that, are leaving for reasons beyond our control.”
Let us not forget as we watch this unfold that in 2007 McKinsey projected that an “unmanaged outcome” would result in the school district having an enrollment of just 22,000 by 2014. It will be interesting to see just how much better the Broad/Gates driven outcome is three years from now.
Fast forward from 2008 for a moment to 2011. It has become clear that while Pittsburgh's schools under the Roosevelt/Lane/Fischetti/Weiss regime have continued enrollment decline, while charter school enrollment has grown quite aggressively (Pittsburgh Tribune Review, “More parents picking charter schools for their kids” August 28, 2011).
Seeing our charter school enrollment increase while Pittsburgh's student count declines should be a wake up call to action for the community and for those of us who care so deeply that we will continue to relentlessly fight and advocate for quality schools in the city.
The market is speaking and quite frankly it should be telling us that the experimentation with school configurations (we have them all, including a fixation with 6-12), deep partnerships with national foundations, managed curriculum and oversold professional development that hamstrings the creativity of our staff, PELA principals, and relentless public relations machine are not meeting the demands of Pittsburgh families.
In this sense, the “How we got where we are” series is in part designed as a road map to re-engineer our school system or perhaps shed it of expensive and corrupting influences. We lost 1,616 students from the beginning of the 2007-08 school year to the beginning of the 2008-09 school year. This should have been a signal that something was wrong, very wrong.
We might do well to apply Occam's razor or at least the wisdom of French novelist Honore de Balzac: “During the great storms of our lives we imitate those captains who jettison their weightiest cargo.” "
"NEW POST
How we got where we are, part 25, December 2008
For the silver edition of the series, we pause for a moment of deep reflection....
December 17, 2008: Central Office expansion continues with the promotion of a Principal on Special Assignment Nancy Kodman to Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives. Holland O'Donnell is hired as Manager of Afterschool Programs.
The financial statements again warn that “significant efforts must be made to reduce operating costs”, urge “an even greater premium on cutting expenses”, and call for sale of closed school buildings to be a “priority.”
The minutes reveal a pretty fascinating discussion around a fairly small dollar contract. An intern is hired to work with one of the Board residents on the issue of enrollment decline. “That the Board authorize, this year, the District to began efforts to research the reasons for declining enrollment in the district and to develop a 3 year plan to address declining enrollment....Marni Pastor, a Broad Resident working in the Office of the Superintendent, is leading plan development.”
Mark Brentley notes that “If you talk to some parents openly and honestly, some will share their concern that most of the initiatives in this city, over the last two and a half years, has either been Broad endorsed or initiated somehow, some way, by those individuals with Broad certification.”
We start to witness Superintendent Roosevelt backpedal from one of the initial goals of the Pittsburgh Promise. “But the point here is to identify that percentage of folks whose decision making we can effect....a majority of people, and our initial data leads us to conclude that, are leaving for reasons beyond our control.”
Let us not forget as we watch this unfold that in 2007 McKinsey projected that an “unmanaged outcome” would result in the school district having an enrollment of just 22,000 by 2014. It will be interesting to see just how much better the Broad/Gates driven outcome is three years from now.
Fast forward from 2008 for a moment to 2011. It has become clear that while Pittsburgh's schools under the Roosevelt/Lane/Fischetti/Weiss regime have continued enrollment decline, while charter school enrollment has grown quite aggressively (Pittsburgh Tribune Review, “More parents picking charter schools for their kids” August 28, 2011).
Seeing our charter school enrollment increase while Pittsburgh's student count declines should be a wake up call to action for the community and for those of us who care so deeply that we will continue to relentlessly fight and advocate for quality schools in the city.
The market is speaking and quite frankly it should be telling us that the experimentation with school configurations (we have them all, including a fixation with 6-12), deep partnerships with national foundations, managed curriculum and oversold professional development that hamstrings the creativity of our staff, PELA principals, and relentless public relations machine are not meeting the demands of Pittsburgh families.
In this sense, the “How we got where we are” series is in part designed as a road map to re-engineer our school system or perhaps shed it of expensive and corrupting influences. We lost 1,616 students from the beginning of the 2007-08 school year to the beginning of the 2008-09 school year. This should have been a signal that something was wrong, very wrong.
We might do well to apply Occam's razor or at least the wisdom of French novelist Honore de Balzac: “During the great storms of our lives we imitate those captains who jettison their weightiest cargo.” "
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A+ statement on budget
On another post Anonymous wrote:
"A+ Schools
Statement on Pittsburgh Public Schools Budget Challenges.
http://www.aplusschools.org/pdf/find/StatementonBudget%20IssuesFINAL.pdf
A+ Schools Releases Statement on School Closings, Budget Cuts
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=ri78lwcab&v=001rBBS2uM5H3-5Vj149b0DTyCfe1P6ao97VZ-Ke4Wt-5FisLOuVF_KGIcdpSMU5dCOAGq_TrlWIDu5Mc_u8_4hlsS5CpDTXq9Yj1-t7oVDqLzSEADwV-XItkDM-26QYR7vwf5t3uJIjbMqBGNutiLNaYZ667K9VSq977KF9CPOJEHVoH-jkYhUzuBZLwhk1bqck2vamq5LfiIoC6QUIFtUJL185xxjuf3Fjq8WQiwaMBzpgF5S2Z-c-niy6JVwUpJj--qDyZtatgESjdLcuOy9zcc0_Cgoc4FS3T38e_r0lu3UjmR6ktEBxw%3D%3D"
"A+ Schools
Statement on Pittsburgh Public Schools Budget Challenges.
http://www.aplusschools.org/pdf/find/StatementonBudget%20IssuesFINAL.pdf
A+ Schools Releases Statement on School Closings, Budget Cuts
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=ri78lwcab&v=001rBBS2uM5H3-5Vj149b0DTyCfe1P6ao97VZ-Ke4Wt-5FisLOuVF_KGIcdpSMU5dCOAGq_TrlWIDu5Mc_u8_4hlsS5CpDTXq9Yj1-t7oVDqLzSEADwV-XItkDM-26QYR7vwf5t3uJIjbMqBGNutiLNaYZ667K9VSq977KF9CPOJEHVoH-jkYhUzuBZLwhk1bqck2vamq5LfiIoC6QUIFtUJL185xxjuf3Fjq8WQiwaMBzpgF5S2Z-c-niy6JVwUpJj--qDyZtatgESjdLcuOy9zcc0_Cgoc4FS3T38e_r0lu3UjmR6ktEBxw%3D%3D"
Monday, September 19, 2011
PPS safety chief on paid administrative leave
From the PG:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11262/1175954-100.stm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11262/1175954-100.stm
Sunday, September 18, 2011
How we got where we are Part XXIV (November 2008)
On another post Anonyous wrote:
"November 25, 2008: Deputy Director of Education for the Gates Foundation, John Deasy, is hired to be the keynote speaker at the January 27. 2009 district wide inservice at the Convention Center. Deasy's task is to “speak to PPS teachers and administrators about the work that we are doing in PPS and the importance of staying our course with reform efforts in PPS.”
The Board approves submission of a required, six-year Strategic Plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (POE) for the period of 2008-2014. The resolution caveats that “it includes initiatives that are already underway, as well as initiatives that the District will need to plan, design, and begin to implement in the coming six years.”
It was the season to give thanks, especially if you are friends with the Chief of Staff.
The Board approves a contract with “contract with Meade Johnson, a marketing and communications consultant, to build upon the work completed this year in developing the Welcome Back to School materials to inform PreK-12 parents. Services will be to support and assess any adjustments that need to be made in the process of compiling school-based materials and District information, the creation of updated materials and distribution of materials for the Welcome Back to School binder and District-wide calendar for all PPS families.”
Also ratified is a contract for $422,000 with graphic design firm Dennis Moran Design to provide "on-call" graphic design services for the Communications and Marketing Department, schools and other District departments. Services may also include photography, writing print, broadcast, web production services specialized printing/promotional services, research, placement of media space and direct mail services.”
Also finding a seat at the Chief of Staff's Thanksgiving table was graphic design firm Kolbrener USA for $270,000 to “provide "on-call" graphic design services for the Communications and Marketing Department, schools and other District departments. Services may also include photography, writing print, broadcast, web production services, specialized printing/promotional services, research, placement of media space and direct mail services.”
And just when you thought you ate enough turkey, the Board approves a $370,000 engagement with graphic design firm CPI Creative to “provide "on-call" graphic design services for the Communications and Marketing Department, schools and other District departments. Services may also include photography, writing print, broadcast, web production services, specialized printing, promotional services, research, placement of media space and direct mail services.”
The financial statements again warn that “significant efforts must be made to reduce operating costs”, urge “an even greater premium on cutting expenses”, and call for sale of closed school buildings to be a “priority.”
Mark Brentley questions Mark Roosevelt's 2008-09 goals: “Anywhere else, any other corporate world, where a director requested information, that employee would have some major, major problems, with not providing information. But under this present atmosphere of this leadership, it goes on. He can do whatever he wants. And so when you do something like that, I am asking, what is our role here, why don't we just all go home and just say, "This is Mark Roosevelt, go do what you want, make the mistakes that you want, we will blame it on somebody else," because there is no accountability here, and so where do you go when you want to at least ask a question, without getting beat up.”
Randall Taylor adds that “I think that we have come up woefully short on our Superintendent evaluations for the last three years.” Taylor makes a motion “that the Board begin a process, within contractual obligations, to create a more public and inclusive Superintendent evaluation process, with the first report by March 2009.” The motion fails with only Brentley and Taylor voting yes."
"November 25, 2008: Deputy Director of Education for the Gates Foundation, John Deasy, is hired to be the keynote speaker at the January 27. 2009 district wide inservice at the Convention Center. Deasy's task is to “speak to PPS teachers and administrators about the work that we are doing in PPS and the importance of staying our course with reform efforts in PPS.”
The Board approves submission of a required, six-year Strategic Plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (POE) for the period of 2008-2014. The resolution caveats that “it includes initiatives that are already underway, as well as initiatives that the District will need to plan, design, and begin to implement in the coming six years.”
It was the season to give thanks, especially if you are friends with the Chief of Staff.
The Board approves a contract with “contract with Meade Johnson, a marketing and communications consultant, to build upon the work completed this year in developing the Welcome Back to School materials to inform PreK-12 parents. Services will be to support and assess any adjustments that need to be made in the process of compiling school-based materials and District information, the creation of updated materials and distribution of materials for the Welcome Back to School binder and District-wide calendar for all PPS families.”
Also ratified is a contract for $422,000 with graphic design firm Dennis Moran Design to provide "on-call" graphic design services for the Communications and Marketing Department, schools and other District departments. Services may also include photography, writing print, broadcast, web production services specialized printing/promotional services, research, placement of media space and direct mail services.”
Also finding a seat at the Chief of Staff's Thanksgiving table was graphic design firm Kolbrener USA for $270,000 to “provide "on-call" graphic design services for the Communications and Marketing Department, schools and other District departments. Services may also include photography, writing print, broadcast, web production services, specialized printing/promotional services, research, placement of media space and direct mail services.”
And just when you thought you ate enough turkey, the Board approves a $370,000 engagement with graphic design firm CPI Creative to “provide "on-call" graphic design services for the Communications and Marketing Department, schools and other District departments. Services may also include photography, writing print, broadcast, web production services, specialized printing, promotional services, research, placement of media space and direct mail services.”
The financial statements again warn that “significant efforts must be made to reduce operating costs”, urge “an even greater premium on cutting expenses”, and call for sale of closed school buildings to be a “priority.”
Mark Brentley questions Mark Roosevelt's 2008-09 goals: “Anywhere else, any other corporate world, where a director requested information, that employee would have some major, major problems, with not providing information. But under this present atmosphere of this leadership, it goes on. He can do whatever he wants. And so when you do something like that, I am asking, what is our role here, why don't we just all go home and just say, "This is Mark Roosevelt, go do what you want, make the mistakes that you want, we will blame it on somebody else," because there is no accountability here, and so where do you go when you want to at least ask a question, without getting beat up.”
Randall Taylor adds that “I think that we have come up woefully short on our Superintendent evaluations for the last three years.” Taylor makes a motion “that the Board begin a process, within contractual obligations, to create a more public and inclusive Superintendent evaluation process, with the first report by March 2009.” The motion fails with only Brentley and Taylor voting yes."
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