An editorial that ran in the Post-Gazette on Tuesday that describes the frustrating closed-door state budget process that included "deals" ranging from new teacher evaluations to a Marcellus Shale drilling ban in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.The governor's plan links public school teacher performance reviews to student achievement. Is that a bad thing? Is she disappointed that public schools must be accountable?
I don't understand her drilling ban comment. Drillers are PA American Water's largest customers. If she starts railing against drilling, she'll be unemployed quickly.
Josephine continues.
In regards to the teacher evaluation language that was approved, this new evaluation process does not apply to charter schools, further expanding the gap between the accountability and transparency public schools must adhere to while using tax dollars to fund schools without financial or academic oversight by local elected officials or taxpayers.Oops, there it is. Accountability and transparency that public schools must adhere to. Accountability and transparency. As opposed to the closed-door meetings Posti lobbied for with the commissioners, the stealthy accounting practices with the YSA, and the "let's make sure we don't have a quorum Steinhauer Panera coffee klatches which were revealed in a Right To Know about the feasibility study. The same woman who tells her constituents to file Right To Know requests and when we do, they require 30 day extensions for legal reviews? I have to check my records to see how much longer I have to wait for my two outstanding RTK requests concerning YSA payments.
Speaking of the feasibility study, how much longer do we have to wait for the Feasibility Study results? Will everything be revealed during the single School Board meeting being held in July. The School Board will hold a combined discussion/regular voting meeting on July 16, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jefferson Middle School Library. This is a first. Last year, there were two meetings in July. I am anxious to hear about the feasibility study. I understand that one of PK's clients, Washington National Cathedral has this want ad. http://www.nationalcathedral.org/jobs/JOB-5MQTL-76001E.shtml Didn't it work out with Pursuant Ketchum? Everything is written in past tense. http://www.pursuant.com/?s=Washington++national+cathedral As of March, they had only raised $2 million of the $20 million they needed to fix the earthquake damage. http://www.pcusa.org/news/2012/3/13/repairs-funds-are-slow-going-quake-damaged-nationa/ Did this group take over? http://www.oai-usa.com/our-clients/community Sure wish we had that $41,000 plus travel expenses. On that same note, I saw this article in Pittsburgh Business Times where the State disagrees with Cal U over their $6 million fund which was used for things like a feasibility study. http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/morning-edition/2012/07/state-of-pennsylvania-and-cal-u.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
Someone sent me this link. Everything You Need to Know About Public School Spending in Less Than 2 1/2 Minutes I hope our school board directors take the time to view the video. Here is a screen capture from the video. Consider it a preview of coming attractions.
Accountability and transparency that public school districts must adhere to.
ReplyDeleteGot it, that transparency and accountability that the school board adhered to when they got rid of a well liked superintendent for a $500,000 hit to the budget.
Seems our president either has a short memory or enjoys spinning the facts when the mood suits her agenda.
That transparency that the superintendent wants to avoid when he advises against a quorum a one those koffee klatches at Panera's.
This sort of information about just MTLSD alone has been presented to SB's several times over the past 8 years and has received no more than a ho-hum response, usually a simple "thank you, next speaker please".
ReplyDeleteSB's are totally unmoved or unimpressed about such facts.
We may be wishing for ONLY a $500,000 hit to the budget in a few short months.
ReplyDeleteNotice how Josephine avoided this part of the editorial:
"Similarly, the new budget keeps funding essentially flat for public schools while sending significantly more dollars to the districts to cover the cost of their pension program."
Elaine
Enough is enough - next election Jo must GO!
ReplyDelete...what is one of the biggest factors contributing to pension cost? C'mon Jo int the spirit of accountability and transparency you can tell us!
ReplyDeleteOh cat got yourntongue now?
Well it's things like giving the super a nearly 5% raise and the administration 3.5% when state public employees got 2.5% at most.
The whining really insults your constiTuents Jo that if lucky to keep their job, saw nonraise or nothing resembling the one and the benefits handed out to district employees.
The State has no choice but to send more dollars for pension obligations. They must fund half of those obligations.
ReplyDeleteBut the problem is, that increase in pension spending means less money for stuff that actually matters.
Unfortunately, the pension spike has only just begun.
The two most telling graphs in the video are the ones that compare:
ReplyDeleteFacilities to instruction and the best one-
Teachers to total staff.
It makes it a little hard to believe Posti and the PSEA when they claim it's all for the kids education. It's apparent public education has become one big bloated beaucracy.
And we let it become that way, when we let losers like Posti make ludicrous claims without make her account for her statements.
Thanks for the update on your post, Josephine. She has added a link to today's Trib regarding the "pension double-dip issue." She has included an editorial from today's PG concerning teacher evaluations which are not required in charter schools. Maybe I am missing something, but if teachers were doing lousy jobs in charter schools, wouldn't enrollment go down? The families would go elsewhere, right?
ReplyDeleteElaine
Parents continually evaluate teachers when writing checks to their kids' charter school. Poor performance and no accountability is bad for business.
ReplyDeleteThe double dip issues does seem like a problem, but does anyone see the slant to Posti's writings all the time. How come we never get "the rest of the story" as she so often likes to claim?
ReplyDeleteHow come no graphs, no evidence similar to what Elaine has posted here.
Do these documents and exposes not exist or is it that Posti just immerses herself in a world where everyone thinks like she does.
Now the double dip does seem to be a concern. But wouldn't the thinking person stop and query- if charter schools are so awful why are the gaining in popularity? It's not like they're free! People take good money out of their own pockets to get their kids out of public schools and into charters... Why?
It's time to tell both sides of the story Jo... not just your take on it.
Your suppose to be representing the whole community, not just a gilded path for your own little ones.
Your suppose to make sure every homeowner pays their fair share in taxes. Not turn a blind eye to underassed cronies properties.
A school board director is suppose to look out for "our" community not "theirs!"
You know Jo if "your" administrators, staff and teachers don't like the realities of the current economic conditions and state budget, they're free to look for employment elsewhere. Say maybe California.
ReplyDeleteI'm by no means declaring- "love it or leave it."
If they are that unhappy perhaps they should look for greener pastures if only for the kids!
Didnt think it was possible but she just gets dumber-er and dumber-er as time goes by. No wonder she and Linfante get along so well. Neither of them know what they're doing. Really, Lebo, this is the best we can do?
ReplyDeleteI don't find Jo dumb at all.
ReplyDeleteI do find her:
"1. having an undue fascination with oneself; vain.
2. tending to derive erotic gratification from admiration of one's own physical or mental attributes."
As evidence by her writings, speeches and propensity to get into the photograph at every opportunity.
She is a poster child for narsissitic behavior
Is there one single thing you like about Lebo? You hate the school board and municipal authorities. You loathe the YSA. You can't stand people who supported the high school renovation. People who don't vote have been belittled over and again on the blog. Taken together, that's the vast, vast majority of your neighbors and residents of Lebo.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, why do you stick around?
Symptoms of narcissistic behavior. Keep an eye out for them.
ReplyDelete"HideSymptoms
Symptoms of this disorder include, but are not limited to:
Reacts to criticism with anger, shame, or humiliation
May take advantage of others to reach their own goals
Tends to exaggerate their own importance, achievements, and talents
Imagines unrealistic fantasies of success, beauty, power, intelligence, or romance
Requires constant attention and positive reinforcement from others
Easily becomes jealous
Lacks empathy and disregards the feelings of others
Obsessed with oneself
Mainly pursues selfish goals
Trouble keeping healthy relationships
Is easily hurt and rejected
Sets unrealistic goals
Wants "the best" of everything
Appears as tough-minded or unemotional"
Ms. Posti's link to drilling provides an interesting quote.
ReplyDelete" “We seem to have leadership in Harrisburg that believes in different rules for different people,” stated Brian Coppola, Robinson’s supervisor chairman. “Act 13 sounded like a good idea to some of the eastern state senators until they found out it applied to everyone throughout the state. Now they’re trying to protect themselves from it.” "
Seems to me that we have leadership on the school board that believes in different rules for different people too.
They'll spend $150 each to fight overassessment appeals but won't lift a finger to fight underassessed board members or staff properties.
12:10 you don't see things you don't want to see.
ReplyDeleteI liked Dan Miller, James Fraasch, Dirk Taylor, Dan Rothschild.
I like Washington Road and Beverly businesses. Even to the point of promptly paying a parking fine when I get one.
I like the tennis complex, the pool, the park and the library.
I like natural grass.
I like Lebo's proximity to downtown.
I like my neighbors (and would hate to see any forced out due to taxes)
I especially like Lebocitizens.
I like our police, fire and ambulance squads.
I like Rolliers, the Galleria.
I like our neighborhood schools
I like our houses of worship
I like Mt. Lebanon Cemetary...
Do you want me to go on?
Or do you want to continue to live in your myopic view of your neighbors.
Cheers!
I liked yesterday's Garden Tour even though I saw renovation supporters, school board directors, PTA presidents who sent out nasty emails around election time, and a YSA member's wife and daughter and continually takes shots at me.
ReplyDeleteI haven't missed a year yet. I recommend it to everyone.
Elaine
Oh no Elaine you've destroyed my image that you HATE every thing!
ReplyDeleteCould it be that 12:10's efforts to paint you and anyone that doesn't want to live in their monochromatic world has a flaw.
12:10 must be one of "those" people the "disagree without being disagreeable" town hall was directed at. Too bad they missed it!
The school that our board seems to be so bent out of shape about, Young Scholars of Western Pennsylvania, was founded by immigrants to the US. The reason? Because US Schools are NOT teaching at the levels of their native country's schools. Ask any Russian immigrant who has children in the US school system and they'll tell you how they're amazed at how poorly math is taught in American schools.
ReplyDeleteIt's no secret that the US falls behind in math and science. Mt Lebanon may have a good track record and rate high on the PA level but is Mt Lebanon the best on the national level? Are the students ready to compete in the world market for top jobs? Apparently, some parents do not think so.
What's great about this country is that the parents have an option to send their children to a charter school. I highly doubt there's a mass exodus from Mt Lebanon to this charter school. While the students take their funds with them, the hit to the Mt Lebanon budget can't be anywhere near the waste they have with pay-offs, back-room deals and Taj Mahal school folly.
Mt Lebanon should take the opportunity to learn from the charter school. They should see the competition (as little as it is) as an opportunity to drive itself to be better. That's what champions do.
To openly complain about Charter Schools shows that they either are very afraid of them or they're trying to divert attention from the real issues at hand. Sadly, in Mt Lebanon, I think it's the latter.
All one has to do is ask Ms. Posti to "show us the beef!"
ReplyDeleteCreate a few simple graphs as shown in the linked video here for Mt. Lebanon. Ask her to back up her claims with numbers.
Mr. Fraasch when he attempted to shine a light on why the district would need to go begging for money this year, was slammed, ostracized and ignored.
Posti and friends will never, ever acknowledge that maybe they reached too far or that the old ways are no longer the best ways in the 21st century.
Got it. You liked the tour despite having to see people who disagree with you.
ReplyDelete2:06 please fill us in on your insinuation, please.
ReplyDeleteAre you suggesting you only attend things where everybody agrees with you. That everyone has be like you? Same mind? Same economic stats? Same religion? Same politics? Same taste?
You don't sound like someone that accepts or gets along with many people.
Wouldn't spending a pleasant afternoon, enjoying pleasant activity in the presence of people you may not agree with be a perfect example of "disagreeing WITHOUT being disagreeable?"
ReplyDelete@2:47, not at all. You've certainly extrapolated a lot from a simple statement. I was pointing out that even something seemingly positive can only be seen by some through the lens of negativity.
ReplyDeleteIf anything, the author and most of the commenters on this blog fall into the category of "if they don't agree with me on issues, they must be stupid or mean-spirited or bullies."
Me? I tend to agree with most of the policies espoused by the blogger; I can't, however, buy into the tone put forth by the same.
2:55 are you so sure that you're seeing something positive through the lens of negativity?
ReplyDeleteI read Elaine's comment as positive, something she liked about Mt. Lebanon. You on the other hand focused your lens on the negative. "Sort of like the pot calling the kettle black." That unfortunately is a perfect exposure of the MTL landscape.
I say I like grass for sports and someone clicks their shutter and pictures me as anti-youth sports because I don't want artificial turf!
So, can we now get back on the original topic of this chain? School spending and closed door meeting by elected officials.
Why do we have a school board? They are only worth what we pay them. Let the administrators run the schools and give us a vote to remove them if the do something stupid.
ReplyDeleteSchool Business Officials International honored Robert Schoch, director of business administration for the North Penn School District in Pennsylvania, with its 2012 Pinnacle of Achievement Award for his efforts to offset the impact of the recession by soliciting input from district employees.
ReplyDeleteMLSD is a powder keg of government-directed malinvestment.
ReplyDeleteIt was NOT the senior citizens who took
ReplyDeleteThe melody out of music,
The pride out of appearance,
The courtesy out of driving,
The romance out of love,
The commitment out of marriage,
The responsibility out of parenthood,
The togetherness out of the family,
The learning out of education,
The service out of patriotism,
The Golden Rule from rulers,
The nativity scene out of cities,
The civilityout of behavior,
The refinement out of language,
The dedication out of employment,
The prudence out of spending,
The ambition out of achievement or
God out of government and school.
And we certainly are NOT the ones who eliminated patience and tolerance from personal relationships and interactions with others!!
We left that to the school board!!!!!
I hope those folks have gotten their digs in towards me, so maybe we can move on.
ReplyDeleteFrom the School District:
"On June 21, 2012, we received your request for any and all communication between Jan Klein and Chip Dalesandro regarding the YSA payment schedule and funds received."
"On June 21, 2012, we received your request for any and all communication regarding the dismissal/forgiveness/release/waiver of funds owed by the Youth Sports Alliance for the years 1998-present by any superintendent, financial director, school board director, or YSA member."
On June 26, I heard back from the RTK officer stating that in thirty more days (from June 26) I may or may not get my RTKs granted. So it looks like I have to wait until July 26.
I hope to have my RTKs granted before the school board approves another joint maintenance agreement is renewed.
That is my stand with YSA payments and the Joint Maintenance Agreement.
I would like to get an update concerning the feasibility study. The school board is spending $41,000 ( plus travel expenses) of our kids' money on Pursuant Ketchum. They have never worked with a public high school before. It is questionable that they reached the $20 million goal for the Washington National Cathedral. The estimated maximum time for the results, as presented by PK has come and gone.
That is where I stand with the Feasibility Study.
The school board looked for ways to reduce costs which were as far away as possible from the students, yet approved massive salary increases for the administration and staff. Specifics were never made public. The cost reduction list "below the line" was never revealed.
That is where I stand with the Budget.
The commission president is pushing his personal agenda regarding artificial turf. He and several of his friends believe that 118 signatures represent over 2900 athletes. He is not working with the other commissioners when considering other plans.
That is where I stand with the commission president.
My commissioner believes the deer population has settled in Ward 3. It is all about safety, but her campaign manager and two who spoke in favor of a deer culling represented half of the gardens on yesterday's Garden Tour. When I canvassed the same neighborhoods, not one person complained about deer. The deer must be drawn to Democrats.
That is just one example of where I stand with my commissioner.
I, along with the rest of the committee, walked through two feet of snow gathering 4000 signatures to cap the renovation at $75 million. We knew about the pensions. We predicted cuts in federal and state budgets. We talked about decreased enrollment. We discussed private schools; charter and cyber. But we were laughed at, criticized, accused of many things including fear mongering. Where is James Fraasch's white paper? It all came true.
That is where I stand with those who supported the high school renovation.
If you think that I have singled out the vast majority of Mt. Lebanon, you are sadly mistaken.
But enough about me. Thanks for the diversion. Let's discuss the real problems with this community, our two taxing bodies - our local government.
Elaine
To follow on the topic of this chain, has anyone reflected that each and every setting board member ran on a platform of greater accountability and transparency?
ReplyDeleteWhile Ms. Posti seems to take pleasure in critiquing the actions of Gov. Corbett and representatives regarding the budget do you suppose a little introspection of her own budget and spending habits has been considered.
Guess it's not- what's good for the goose, is good for the gander" in Lebo!
Opaque is not transparent, Miss Jo-Pacity
ReplyDeleteMs. Birks is the legislative chair and complained about Gov. Corbett too. The double dip to charter schools is a long time issue that I don't remember Ms. Birks mentioning. She also forgot to mention the need to repeal the Prevailing Wage Act that adds 20% extra labor costs to our high school construction costs.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Birks will clean up her act when we are like Scranton, Pa.
"Unions representing city workers in Scranton, Pa., plan to ask a county judge to hold the mayor in contempt of court after he cut the pay of almost 400 municipal employees—including himself—to the state's minimum wage, saying the city can't pay the full salaries.
Scranton's business administrator said the city had just $5,000 in the bank last week after transferring enough money to cover the city's payroll at $7.25 an hour
Scranton is one of about 20 cities across Pennsylvania operating under a state law for fiscally distressed municipalities, known as Act 47. Others include Harrisburg and Pittsburgh."
Quoted from the Wall Street Journal of July 9, 2012.
Since 1970, the public school workforce has roughly doubled—to 6.4 million from 3.3 million—and two-thirds of those new hires are teachers or teachers' aides. Over the same period, enrollment rose by a tepid 8.5%. Employment has thus grown 11 times faster than enrollment. If we returned to the student-to-staff ratio of 1970, American taxpayers would save about $210 billion annually in personnel costs.
ReplyDeleteMaybe some of our teachers and aids are only worth minimum wage.
I wonder why President Posti and the board only presents one side on issues regarding school district management.
ReplyDeleteAlways siding with the PSEA, PSBA and the status quo.
Here's an interesting view you never read about in Her Center Court blog.
"Administrators have built a system that serves the administrators. If everything is someone else’s fault, they don’t have to take responsibility for it. But even with K-12 expenditures in 2009 of $658 billion, administrators say there isn’t enough money to do the job. If schools focused on their mission – academics – much in public education would improve. If schools are in a box, it’s a box they built." - Laurie Rodgers
Laurie Rogers, is the author of Betrayed: How the Education Establishment Has Betrayed America and What You Can Do About It(Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2011).
8:44 AM, Posti will be pleased to see that you capitalized the H in Her. Meanwhile, these crazy phones and tablets have minds of their own.
ReplyDeleteI found the link to Laurie Rogers' book, but I have to switch to my computer to post it.
Elaine
Oh-oh... may be the cap H was some devine intervention or maybe the work of some evil sorceress.
ReplyDeleteDo you think I should be worried?
Her constant bickering about charter schools has me wanting to send everybody to:
ReplyDeletewww.schoolchoicepa.com/
Sign that petition for school choice.
I am not 100% certain I like how charter schools are funded, but I do know that if you want the future education of a child to be determined 100% by place in which they were born, then I don't think you have a heart.
Just because a kid was born in Homestead, it shouldn't mean he or she needs to live a life with limited educational opportunities all the way through college.
Without school choice, that child is destined to follow the same rut that has been laid out before him or her. The likelihood of breaking out of said rut would be greatly increased if the student had an educational choice.
It is for those students that I want school choice. The students in Mt. Lebanon don't face the same threats everyday that a kid from the city does. They don't get teased for being "white" just because they get good grades. They don't pass other kids that dropped out of school so they could belong to a gang. That stuff happens "over there" according to people in Mt. Lebanon.
For me, I can only guess why an elected Democrat like Jo Posti would want to force underprivileged and underserved inner city youth to stay with their current situation. If I had the ability, I would personally sit on that school board and vote to allow between 100-150 scholarships each year to underprivileged youth in the City of Pittsburgh. We have the space. Why would anyone not want the situation to change- especially one who, as a Democrat, claims to care about underprivileged minorities? Instead, she and others on the board wish to maintain the status quo, to maintain educational segregation- and to do this at great cost to those who are segregated.
Our school board talks about teaching "culture" but they focus on the culture of Mexico, or Russia, or Germany. How about we focus on the culture right next door to us, the culture we can actually have a positive impact on.
Who knows, maybe we might just learn something!
Eureka I've come up with a solution to two of our biggest problems in Lebo, funding youth sports and the deer problem.
ReplyDeleteWe round up all the deer in the community, and with the recently passed sign ordinance we put them to work for us. Hey they live here, why should they not have to pay for the privilege.
Anyway, we start renting out the sides of these animals as walking billboards.
Imagine the possibilities...
"if you had a Cabela's 30-06 right now, this buck would be yours!"
"straight shooters bag their trophy with arrows from- dick's sporting goods!"
"if you've got the venison, we've got the grill- Rolliers"
A side benefit , painted in bright luminescent colors it'll be easier to spot them at night. Reducing traffic accidents.
Hey as long as we're pimping everything else in the bubble, why not the livestock?
Another budget friendly idea, round up the deer and put them in the golf course. Since the mower is broken, they can graze on the grass and then we won't have to buy a new mower.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Maybe we could train them to caddie!
ReplyDeleteAnother green initiative from the environmental Sustainability Board
Think of the benefits of the natural fertilizer too.
Have you ever tried to get natural fertilizer off a golf shoe?
ReplyDelete"For me, I can only guess why an elected Democrat like Jo Posti would want to force underprivileged and underserved inner city youth to stay with their current situation. "
ReplyDeleteBecause like all people of her political bent, it's do as I say, not as I do. We wouldn't want the precious little ones of Lebo mixing in with city riff-raff. I mean, can you imagine one of Posti's kids rubbing elbows with a black kid? Geez, next thing you know, they'd all be stealing cars, dealing drugs and driving down our property values. Oh, was that too harsh? Let me remind everyone that Posti, the snotty elitist she is, made a disparaging comment in 2005 regarding a Dollar Store, even going so far as to use the word "ghetto". this, coming from someone who has never had to suffer and wouldn't know a ghetto if it smacked her in her scrunched-up sour face. But readers, she isn't alone. There are a LOT of people in this community who talk a good game when it comes to "diversity". But they will never follow through. Ever.
School choice is the way to go. After all, if there is an option and Mt. Lebanon truly is that good, people would be crazy not to keep their kids there, right?
Oh yeah,the liberal elite love everybody.
ReplyDeleteMt. Lebanon residents fight proposed bike trail
Tuesday, June 25, 2002 By Laura Pace, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
More than 75 residents of the Virginia Manor and Mission Hills neighborhoods attended a Mt. Lebanon commissioners meeting last night to object to a proposed bicycle trail.
Regis Aul, of Trans Associates, the municipal traffic engineer, presented its study on a proposed four-mile "share the road bike trail," which would loop around several streets in Virginia Manor linking the residential area to athletic fields at Jefferson Middle School near Moffett Street.
Before the trail would be marked with signs, municipal officials would need to examine four problematic intersections and improve conditions of the roads to be used, Aul said.
The trail would not limit parking or involve repainting road stripes, but would be marked with signs identifying it as a trail.
Residents of streets where the trail would go were concerned that people outside the area would come into the neighborhood to use the trails. They were also worried about liability, the safety of neighborhood children and access to their own property with the increased traffic. They said they may reorganize the defunct Virginia Manor Neighborhood Association, the group that had opposed mandated sidewalks years ago.
Honestly, school choice should have been the #1 revenue generating idea for the school district.
ReplyDeleteA small recruiting budget in Lebo for recruiting kids from underprivileged school districts would be all it took to fill up the "open" enrollment quotas.
Washington/Mellon/High School/Foster (kind of) are all within walking distance of the T stops.
Say the vouchers are $8,000 and you get 100 students....let me see, add two zeros and I get $800,000 a year in new revenue with 100 students...and with the underutilization of these schools, it not like we need to add classroom space. Maybe we add two teachers so we net over half a million a year.
Was this on Larry's list? Or was he too focused on raising private money with Pursuing Ketchup?
Yeah, 800k for Posti and Birks to piss away on meritless raises for Dr. Tim and others.
ReplyDeleteBottom line is, our open-minded and intellectually superior school board is afraid of minorities tarnishing the lily-white complexion of our town. It's pathetic but not unexpected. Glad we're sending graduates into the real world with such a wide view on the world. "Black people? I've seen them on TV so I know they exist". All I can say to the SB attitude is: ugh.
Here's an interesting perspective on public education.
ReplyDelete"14 reasons schools are troubled (and no, it’s not all about teachers)
This is just a beginning to understanding why our teachers should not be burned at the stake. There are 12 other entities that play a major role in whether a district, or school, or even a classroom can meet our learning goals:
Inept local school boards; this is not just an off-hand pejorative, but the result of decades of refusal of states to attempt serious reform of how boards are chosen and held accountable. There is also this puzzling conundrum: How does a group of intelligent, generally public-spirited, and frequently professional citizens taken individually, turn into a paranoid, secretive, and self-righteous organization, that either micromanages, plugs minutiae, or hides and is intimidated by school administration?
Ronald Willett. Willett is a self-described “fish-with-feathers,” from a quarter century as B-school professor, researcher, and administrator, transitioning to the private sector as an entrepreneur and CEO. His avocation for over a decade has been researching U.S. K-12, and advocacy of K-12 reform and learning innovation. His web site is Reanimating Public Education: Challenges & Futures"
This describes our board perfectly!
ReplyDelete" There is also this puzzling conundrum: How does a group of intelligent, generally public-spirited, and frequently professional citizens taken individually, turn into a paranoid, secretive, and self-righteous organization, that either micromanages, plugs minutiae, or hides and is intimidated by school administration?"
Wow! 9:26 AM, you nailed it! I guess I am not the only one with hate in my heart.
Elaine
Unfortunately, Elaine President Posti will never visit Mr. Willett's website because she only surrounds herself in a world inhabited with people that think like she does.
ReplyDeleteOr at least that is the advice she left graduating seniors with a year ago in her commencement speech.
You see she's a good soldier. She'll spew the administration's consistent lie that they need more money, expensive new buildings and if they're not successful it's Harrisburg's fault.
And it's Harrisburg's fault because of a republican governor. No mention that Obama and the Feds cut education money too.
This to me is the most important part of Mr. Willets message: Inept local school boards; this is not just an off-hand pejorative, but the result of decades of refusal of states to attempt serious reform of how boards are chosen and held accountable."
ReplyDeleteYes, accountability. Why won't the board get to the bottom of the YSA payment? Why do we need to file RTKs to get the info? The district doesn't belong to Jan, Dr. Tim or Ms. Posti It belongs to us, if we ask for info on it's budget it should be immediately available. No, investigation as o whether the info should be released.
Further more, Posti and Birks love to hold the state legislator's feet to the fire on education budgets. They shold be held accountabile or their exhortations.
They should be asked... just where do you propose Harrisburg gets the money, Mary, JoJo? But we won't ask and they won't tell. They won't tell, because in reality they don't have a clue! The administration nd the PSEA told them they need more and that's good enough for them.
I was thinking about the PK study the other day and I was reminded of something one of my favorite high school teachers used to say... "there is no free lunch!"
While the board thinks that their going to reap $30 million in free money (ha), they fali to realize there will be strings attached, especially with any large donations that will obviously be need if they are to reach their $30 million goal.
Whether it's from the Gates foundation or some other group there will be strings attached. Whether its a push for technology, religious dogma or environmentalism there will be a price attached to the free money. You can bet on it.
11:31 AM, not only must we file RTK's about YSA payments, but we (I) have to wait 30 days to be told that it is not public information. The SD still has 2.5 weeks more to decide.
ReplyDeleteI can see that Posti will not be voting for Romney. Looks like he is promising school choice.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/11/Romney-NAACP-Speech
Elaine
Hey teachers- think President Posti and Mrs. Birks are looking out for your interest?
ReplyDeleteHere's a little excerpt from her attachment from the PSBA. "True flexibility could be provided to school entities through meaningful mandate relief, which PSBA has been requesting for years. Mandates negatively impact local decision-making, either by dictating in considerable detail the actions to be taken or by limiting available options. Some, like the mandate to pay artificial prevailing wages on construction projects, can inflate expenses. Others can prevent school boards from cutting costs. For example, unlike virtually any other level of government, school districts are not permitted to furlough professional employees for economic reasons."
Sorry, that you'll have to be subjected to the same employment risk as everyone else, but please do't be fooled that these two women have your interest in mind come election time!
Timmy will get another big rise, some more vacaion time, but one of you will be facing the chopping block. You the very people that educate the kids.
Tick... tick... tick... tick...
ReplyDeleteYou know what that is? It's the clock running. It's time evaporating. 2013 is not far away. 4 seats will be up for re-election. 2 of the seats held by board members many people are actively advocating against.
Who are the candidates that are running against them?
Elections matter!
Once again in case any of the teachers mised Mr. Willet's article [with highlighting].
ReplyDelete""14 reasons schools are troubled (and no, it’s not all about teachers)
This is just a beginning to understanding why our teachers should not be burned at the stake. There are 12 other entities that play a major role in whether a district, or school, or even a classroom can meet our learning goals:
Inept local school boards; this is not just an off-hand pejorative, but the result of decades of refusal of states to attempt serious reform of how boards are chosen and held accountable. There is also this puzzling conundrum: How does a group of intelligent, generally public-spirited, and frequently professional citizens taken individually, turn into a paranoid, secretive, and self-righteous organization, that either micromanages, plugs minutiae, or hides and is INTIMIDATED BY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION [and special interest groups, like covering YSA shortfalls out of school district accounts!]?" --Ronald Willett His web site is Reanimating Public Education: Challenges & Futures"
Teachers, wouldn't the money used to cover the YSA's missing shared of the Joint Maintenance Agreement been better spent on supplies for your classrooms and students?
Wouldn't the $186,000 spent on dirt for the athletic wing {remember they were forwaned not to build on the site) been better used to prop up your pension accounts? How about the million dollar bridge? Does that help you teach kids?
So teachers, rock yourself asleep confident that the democratic party and Posti, Birks, Cappucci and Lebovitz are watching out for you. And no the republicans aren't much better.
They took the money that should've been spent in the classroom and built a monument to celebrate their own egos.
Watch how much is spent on the plague with their names on it. How many photo ops will have JoJo front and center.
I know you meant to say plaque, but plague is what has taken over our school board.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Does anyone know, does auto correct in any way look for context or does it just use the first word it finds that comes lose?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should turn it off, it doen't seem to be improving anything.
See I could swear I typed close and lose shows up in the comment?????????
ReplyDeleteI'm baffled!
This link was sent to me.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reportpubliccorruption.org/
Elaine