At 976.
24 signatures are needed to finish it off.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Improved public access to Board deliberations
On another post Anonymous wrote:
New Post?
The Board has made another effort to make more information public. Mr. Brentley has been asking for committee meetings to be available on ppstube and the audio effort is a compromise worth commending.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/school-board-moves-some-meetings-to-larger-room-670408/
New Post?
The Board has made another effort to make more information public. Mr. Brentley has been asking for committee meetings to be available on ppstube and the audio effort is a compromise worth commending.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/school-board-moves-some-meetings-to-larger-room-670408/
Common core
On another post Anonymous included a link to a PG article from last October and wrote:
NEW POST:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/education/city-schools-phase-in-new-standards-including-tougher-math-for-5th-grade-657630/
Finally PPS is addressing the Common Core State Standard which are NOT NEW!
As has been cited on this blog before, 87% if what are being referred to as "old standards" by PPS Chief Academic Officer, ARE the "new" Common Core State Standards.
If Pittsburgh Schools (other than CAPA) had been following the PA State Standards (the so-called "old standards") all of PPS students would not have a problem "ratcheting up" to CCSS. Instead, all Pittsburgh Schools that did not reach the State 2012 goals of Reading at 81% and Math 73% (after 10 years if trying) will have difficulty with CCSS. Those few, very few, schools in PPS who met the previous goals will sail easily into the upper levels of Common Core State Standards. However, it will be a sad struggle for the majority of PPS who have not met the PA Standards for the past 10 to 15 years of inadequate curricula and instruction.
as adults in the world at large.
NEW POST:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/education/city-schools-phase-in-new-standards-including-tougher-math-for-5th-grade-657630/
Finally PPS is addressing the Common Core State Standard which are NOT NEW!
As has been cited on this blog before, 87% if what are being referred to as "old standards" by PPS Chief Academic Officer, ARE the "new" Common Core State Standards.
If Pittsburgh Schools (other than CAPA) had been following the PA State Standards (the so-called "old standards") all of PPS students would not have a problem "ratcheting up" to CCSS. Instead, all Pittsburgh Schools that did not reach the State 2012 goals of Reading at 81% and Math 73% (after 10 years if trying) will have difficulty with CCSS. Those few, very few, schools in PPS who met the previous goals will sail easily into the upper levels of Common Core State Standards. However, it will be a sad struggle for the majority of PPS who have not met the PA Standards for the past 10 to 15 years of inadequate curricula and instruction.
as adults in the world at large.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Proposal for Warhol charter or private school
From the PG:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/schenley-alumni-push-for-warhol-school-670059/
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/schenley-alumni-push-for-warhol-school-670059/
Discipline and PELAs
On another post Anonymous wrote:
New topic please-- discipline in the PELA era
The first comment I personally ever heard that seemed like a weird script was afoot was the mantra of," when you remove a disruptive child from the classroom, you lose your POWER. My first thought was -- if a student s disrupting learning, that student was in the power position. As I went aling to get along, i saw PELA principals hit ( in hall siruations cause you cant put them out of class) and students struggling to learn while students performed. As this became the law of the land, schools ot more and more chaotic, at least according to parents. It seemed that with the new script, all students mst remain in their classrooms while principals roamed with laptops. In the past, teachers actually worried that a parent or olde school principal would get upset if a student WASNT removed in a timely manner.
Fast forward to today-- listened to the director of Clayton Academy-- sorry didnt get his name-- say that one of the first moves with a disrutive student is to " remove the student fom hid audience" then, work on WHY he was acting out--in school, or out of school issues. Hmm sounds pretty old school order to me.
Maybe the reason that we have o bring in a company like SuccessSchools is that Broad/ Gates forbids really "running" a school.
New topic please-- discipline in the PELA era
The first comment I personally ever heard that seemed like a weird script was afoot was the mantra of," when you remove a disruptive child from the classroom, you lose your POWER. My first thought was -- if a student s disrupting learning, that student was in the power position. As I went aling to get along, i saw PELA principals hit ( in hall siruations cause you cant put them out of class) and students struggling to learn while students performed. As this became the law of the land, schools ot more and more chaotic, at least according to parents. It seemed that with the new script, all students mst remain in their classrooms while principals roamed with laptops. In the past, teachers actually worried that a parent or olde school principal would get upset if a student WASNT removed in a timely manner.
Fast forward to today-- listened to the director of Clayton Academy-- sorry didnt get his name-- say that one of the first moves with a disrutive student is to " remove the student fom hid audience" then, work on WHY he was acting out--in school, or out of school issues. Hmm sounds pretty old school order to me.
Maybe the reason that we have o bring in a company like SuccessSchools is that Broad/ Gates forbids really "running" a school.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Auditor General: "Strong case to reopen Schenley"
From the change.or website, Schenley petition:
Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner included observations about Schenley in the cover page of his audit released on Monday. The full report can be found at http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/School/schSDoftheCityofPittsburgh010213.pdf , including the following:
"...recently there has been debate regarding whether the decision to close the school was a wise one, and whether the asbestos contamination is as significant as once projected to be.... The divided Board is a clear indication that some members believe that Schenley is still a valuable asset to the school district. Community members have made a strong case for the school to be re-opened, and for the original decision to be reconsidered."
Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner included observations about Schenley in the cover page of his audit released on Monday. The full report can be found at http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/School/schSDoftheCityofPittsburgh010213.pdf , including the following:
"...recently there has been debate regarding whether the decision to close the school was a wise one, and whether the asbestos contamination is as significant as once projected to be.... The divided Board is a clear indication that some members believe that Schenley is still a valuable asset to the school district. Community members have made a strong case for the school to be re-opened, and for the original decision to be reconsidered."
Thursday, January 3, 2013
VAM for administrators
On another post Anonymous wrote:
New Post please:
Tomorrow evening at the 5:30 PPS Education Committee meeting, the District will present its plan for Teacher Evaluation based on VAM (value added measurement).
I found this great article that calls for a VAM score for the Secretary of Education. We could easily adapt this system to evaluate our administration (Dr. Lane and staff). What do you think? If our teachers are evaluated in this way, shouldn't the folks in central office be evaluated as well?
Educators Issue VAM Report for Secretary Duncan
By Anthony Cody on April 10, 2012 1:50 AM
Guest post by Educators for Shared Accountability.
A new group, Educators for Shared Accountability (ESA), has issued the first-ever Value-Added Measurement (VAM) evaluation of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Secretary Duncan was rated "ineffective," based on four indicators.
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2012/04/educators_issue_vam_report_for.html
New Post please:
Tomorrow evening at the 5:30 PPS Education Committee meeting, the District will present its plan for Teacher Evaluation based on VAM (value added measurement).
I found this great article that calls for a VAM score for the Secretary of Education. We could easily adapt this system to evaluate our administration (Dr. Lane and staff). What do you think? If our teachers are evaluated in this way, shouldn't the folks in central office be evaluated as well?
Educators Issue VAM Report for Secretary Duncan
By Anthony Cody on April 10, 2012 1:50 AM
Guest post by Educators for Shared Accountability.
A new group, Educators for Shared Accountability (ESA), has issued the first-ever Value-Added Measurement (VAM) evaluation of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Secretary Duncan was rated "ineffective," based on four indicators.
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2012/04/educators_issue_vam_report_for.html
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