Here is the video that lebomag.com put together with Dr. Steinhauer.
"Mt. Lebanon School District Superintendent Tim Steinhauer gave mtl — Mt. Lebanon Magazine a tour of the high school project to show us the work that has been completed in the first year of construction. While much of the work involved lots of Earth movement, digging and foundation work, we still can see the outlines of Building G, the new science wing, the athletic complex and the sixth floor of Building B — the historic building that fronts Cochran Road.
Come along with Dr. Steinhauer as he shows you what’s been done and tells you what’s next."
41 comments:
What's that sucking sound in the background? Why, it's our tax dollars going down the drain. And only MtL magazine would celebrate local corruption.
Mr. Allison, in his last comment to the board said, the only budget the board ever had for this project was the referendum limit. The project was at $114,800,000. The building would house approximately one-half the students that it used to. It would be instructionally sound but probably not meet community wants and needs.
Mr. Remely told us it could be done for $95,000,000. Thank you, Mr. Remely for that $24,800,000 savings and for being honest enough to show us the Budget before Monday's meeting.
Speaking of MTL magazine and corruption, Saw some very interesting poll results somewhere. "What do you do with your copy of MTL Magazine?" 24 THROW IT AWAYYYYYYY. WE HATE IT!!!!!!! 2 more something or other. This was out of a total of 54 votes. At least it was an hour ago when I looked. Right now there is no mention whatsoever of the 54-vote tally. Methinks someone needs to investigate???????
Did we pay the District PIO for any of this? I would hate to have our tax dollars pay for both sides of something. You know, like the zoning lawsuit.
If Remely doesn't get the endorsement, he is still running for School Board again. Come on, Republicans. We need you! RINOS need not apply.
Elaine
The MLRC can't find any candidates to run because school board is a blood sport.
Didn't they ever learn you can't get blood from a stone!
This is the most absurd thing I think of seen come out of this district and mtl magazine to date.:
Most of the scenes if Steinhauer weren't telling you were could the average citizens tell you whether it was filmed at the HS or the new hotel on Washington.
The real laugh is when Steinhauer points out that the B building renovated classroom looks like, oh you juts have to love it- A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM - ta da!!!!
Guess that's because B couldn't ever be brought up to 21st century education standards.
Now a really informative video would be a tough in your face sit down between Dr. Steinhauer and the toughest critics of the TERC program. That would be intellectiual, informative public information video. Too bad it's over the heads of our PIOs.
And on another subject - while we're worried about assaults. Think back on the names and faces of the people that mounted a double barreled $150 million high school project attack on the community.
Thank God, we had people armed with facts that managed to fight them off.
We're struggling with a $113 million project, what damage would a $150 million one caused?
Isn't it rather odd that a group wants to put up their own money and buy the old Schenley High School and turn it into a digital arts center.
Schenly was built in 1918.
Here in smart and sassy Lebo, we couldn't figure out how to update a 1972 era school to 21st century technology.
9:24 thinking about your post and the suggested TERC video, plus Neil Berch's suggestion that we should demand answers, here's an idea.
I have absolutely no idea of who's right on this topic so why don't we bring Dr. Steinhauer and/or his designated second and say Richard Gideon or an anti-TERC representative together in a unscripted debate over the subject.
With Mr. Berch, considering his debating credentials as moderator.
Shouldn't INVESTIGATIONS be able to stand up to investigations?
12:15 PM, that is an excellent idea!!!! I hope the people behind the petition consider that. In fact, since Timmy reads this blog, maybe he could be proactive and set it up.
Elaine
It would be a helluva lot more relevant to the the state of education than a mindless tour comprised of steel girders, conduit, outlets and empty drywall!
Plus it should be a cake walk for Dr. S.
If they did their homework before adopting TERC he should be able to show how the district arrived at the TERC solution to a problem.
Good luck with that. Our pHd super super isnt allowed to think or act independently
According to 3:20 in the Reintroducing Dan Remely comments the powers that be don't want a super that can act or think independently, @4:09.
Did you ever watch a board meeting closely? Whenever he gets asked a question, quite often after a vague response from the super and he realizes he doesn't have a good answer or find it in the script he'll say... "somebody help me out here, I don't have that information handy."
Our super Super often calls upon an administrator to answer questions when he should know the answers.
Is this really what we need our $150,000 Super doing?
We've already bought or better yet been sold this pig in a poke so why the meaningless tour, oh gee, that's where the pool buildings is going to go, oh gee, oh golly. Thanks Tim, for the wonderful view of air! Couldn't Sissy have taken us on this tour? It looks like she was with you, so apparently we have 2 collectively making over $220,000/year showing us a theatre without seats. Some really heavy stuff I was hoping i'd get to see.
It's often been argued that our schools are the prime motivator in getting people to move here. That it is the single most important factor in high home prices.
Well, according to the Business Times we're no longer the first place prospective home buyers looking for a good education for their kids will settle.
Nope sorry, we're not even number two. Guess we're not trying harder.
We've now fallen to #3. Just think, those young parents looking for a new home, will look at the rapidly rising school taxes here, higher than either the #1 or 2 districts, and think you know I want to pay a premium for a third rate education!
Yep, keep watching construction videos and getting excited reports about how your kids had pizza with the Super that's what counts.
I watched the video again and saw that was Laura Pace Lilley,https://mobile.twitter.com/LauraPaceLilley According to her Twitter feed, she gets "paid to write. I like to run, practice hot yoga and analyze you."
I believe that was part of the article where Timmy admits that he is transfixed by the construction.
I did a comparison on his blog and found that he has gotten really lazy. Following John Allison's final posts, this is what we got from Timmy. Nov 2009 blog post
Now look at what his blog posts look like. Nov 2012 blog posts
Nothing has been posted on his blog since November 27, 2012. If there is a photo op, he is there!
Elaine
Thanks for the correction. From the brief appearances they looked like Bowman.
So that prompts the question. Was this a mtl magazine idea or a school district idea?
Either it makes a good argument for consolidating the public information offices and cutting a position.
Hasn't that been one of the areas both the board and commission have been looking at. What services they could consolidate to save money.
Eliminating one PIO would result in savings over 10 years that would pay for the installation of a turfed field.
Do we really need post on his favorite book, his post it notes, his lunch, or the view thru his window?
Isnt "public information officer" for the school district an oxymoron?
I don't know if it's an oxymoron, it does seem unnecessarily redundant though.
If it's a public school system wouldn't all the information coming out of it be 'public'?
Does the district have a 'private' information officer?
http://www.mtlsd.org/bsc/stuff/mtlebanonexecsumm_final%202010.pdf
This is from the school district web site. Notice in the link /stuff/ I find it odd they would label this stuff. Its a report by a third parent Harris School Poll, Community Report – Mt. Lebanon School District: Fall 2010 Interesting Stuff.
Budget issues make up half (52%) of the improvement potential, as
calculated in the Overall Satisfaction model. This may be an area of
particular focus for the district in the coming year. What did they do right after this poll was completed...disbanded the Budget and Finance Committee. Alot of good this poll did. I wonder how much this Harris School poll cost?
http://www.mtlsd.org/bsc/stuff/mtlebanonexecsumm_final%202010.pdf
From Community Report – Mt. Lebanon School District: Fall 2010
This is also in the "stuff" folder.http://www.mtlsd.org/district/budget/stuff/budget%20reductions%20final%20201213.pdf
Look at number 10. Eliminating the Harris surveys.
Elaine
There's something ludicrous about a guy with very little in the way of construction experience walking around a work site in a trench coat and hard hat!
Even more so when the district has dropped to #3 and expenditures rose to $82 million dollars.
11:17, The Superintendent's posted book "Drive" by Daniel Pink was an interesting perspective on education. I enjoyed it very much.
John
Good point John! Yes it was an interesting book, do you think he read it? Do you think he made it required reading for the staff and teachers?
From Pink's own website we get this: "Most of us believe that the best way to motivate ourselves and others is with external rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That’s a mistake, Daniel H. Pink says in, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, his provocative and persuasive new book. The secret to high performance and satisfaction—at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world."
http://www.danpink.com/books/drive
I just thought of something and started laughing. Remember when Remely said in 2010 that athletic boosters could raise $8 million for a new athletic building? Hahahahaha.
7:14, I do believe Dr. Steinhauer read the book "Drive."
I think he posted it to encourage others to read it. If we are fortunate he will post other books he believes are interesting.
John
Oh yes. We can only hope.
Elaine
He can start by reading the TERC PETITION and their web site.
"Dr. Steinhauer has asked for time to review these concerns. A meeting is expected in early January."
In all likelihood, film production was a higher priority.
Guess we've forgotten this Lebocitizens April 24, 2012 post: "Upper St. Clair is talking to teachers and saving $3.7 million. Upper St. Clair teachers accept concessions Yes, I realize I am talking about two different taxing bodies. What is Mt. Lebanon School District doing? "The List," which we should all be proud of, is cutting $878,991 out of the district budget by eliminating jobs and towels. USC's $3.7 millionin savings does not include the savings as a result of the superintendent's and finance director's pay freezes"
A question for Mr. Remely, mrs. Capucci.
http://www.constructionknowledge.net/conveying_systems/conveying_systems_people_movers.php
Do MTL building codes require a sump pump or a drain in elevator shafts?
If a sump pump is required why wasn't it included in the bid specs?
9:04 a.m If you have a question for Mr. Remely or Ms. Cappucci you should ask them, not a blog. You could also call the MTL Code officer for an answer to your question.
If the pump isn't required, will you be disappointed if it's not there? Just wondering, what is the point of your comment?
9:28 AM, has it occurred to you that 9:04 AM could have been ignored by the board and writing a comment here is a last ditch effort to spread the word? It has been my experience that the only response I get from the district would be an Automatic Out of the Office notification.
I think 9:04 AM asked a question that the District should be asking, don't you?
Elaine
Here's the point, there are $14,000 or so dollars in NEW expenses on the high school project for the elevator shaft sump pump.
If we are switching from drains to a pump is this another example of a how the district cut items to get the project under the referendum limit?
Or it might be another example of an "oversight" by the architect? Kind of like Mr. Remely's remark about the Little Theatre carpet. "Couldn't have someone lifted a corner of the Carpet" and didn't someone know we needed a pump in the elevator shaft?
Was a drain specified in the shaft? Pump or drain, I'm pretty sure one or the other is required.
If we need only a drain, save the $14,000.
Perhaps 9:28 you don't care how people spend your money, I do.
I guess I'm required to do the work of the owners rep., the zoning code officer, and the building manager, right? All for no compensation. Tell me these people don't read the blog and can't answer a simple question.
Do ourgoverning bodies operate now on principal of 'catch us if you can?'
Here's the othe possibility.
Nello and the other companies involved in the project aren't providing things like pumps and electrical labor and materials at cost.
Could they be padding the thin margin of the bid to get the job with these change orders to make more money on the job.
Again, if drains are sufficient and specified in the original plans, why bot stay with drains?
9:28 what kind of question is this: "If the pump isn't required, will you be disappointed if it's not there?"
Here's a question for you 9:28, and I'm asking you here, since you asked me here...
If a pump isn't required will you be happy that you spent $14,000 for one rather than putting the money towards instructional materials for our kids education?
Actually change orders d & e regarding the elevator pump total $15,610.
Here's another suspicious item:
j. GC-21-42 to Nello to add epoxy rebar for reinforcement of loading dock wall $5,750.
What, was the wall designed without rebar? Was it under-designed in the first place?
And just why are we seeing change orders for new fire proofing providers? The original bidder go out of business? Was the lack of fire proofing in certain areas, like the flooring in the Little Theatre 2nd floor lobby - "overlooked?"
Other than that why are we changing providers?
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