Dan Remely is a school board director for the Mt. Lebanon School District. When he ran for office, he was part of the DAD Team. Here is his promise. Will Bring the High School Project in Under $95 Million I found this footage of former Superintendent John Allison warning the Board about overbuilding. http://multimedia.mtlsd.org/play.asp?112111065774382!4 Former Republican School Board member Sue Rose asked for Mr. Allison's opinion at his last School Board meeting, and boy did he give it!
Dan voted to set the bar at $113.3 Million. Note the amount of change orders on this blog's side bar. Mr. Remely has "reluctantly" approved every one of them.
Mr. Remely voted for a 10.% increase in our school taxes in May 2010. http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/mt-lebanon-school-taxes-increase-252-mills-248451/ Next week (or later this week) the School Board will introduce its preliminary budget. It will be interesting because I bet dollars to donuts that Jan Klein will be stuffing in the next round of bonds. I know I have probably said this before, but this is why Jan waited so long for those bonds. If she doesn't do them this year then there will likely
be a referendum in the future. So this year we will get our full 6.5%
tax increase (5% from the assessments plus the 1.5% Act 1 limit or
whatever that limit will be) and that vote will pass unanimously. Yes, Mr. Remely certainly represents the taxpayers, another promise from the DAD Team.
Continuing, remember the landslide that tied up Greentree Road for months? http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/greentree-road-could-reopen-by-weeks-end-after-lan/nGqMH/ Guess who was behind that fiasco?
Presently, there are 213 signatures on the TERC petition. PETITION TO ASK THE MT. LEBANON SCHOOL DISTRICT TO REVIEW THE USE OF TERC INVESTIGATIONS K-5 MATH CURRICULUM 213 concerned parents, grandparents, and residents have signed this petition. Our children are struggling, yet the School Board and our Superintendent feel that they are correct and tried to brush it off because my friend David Huston showed his concern over the math program. Consider the source, right School Board? You are doing it again over the petition. Has Dan Remely spoken up?
I believe other information is coming for the Republican Committee to review. I will be posting it as an update.
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| Pittsburgh Business Times 01.10.13 |
Update January 11, 2013 2:00 PM Partial Release of Judgment Lien
58 comments:
Why should the parents/taxpayers have to submit a petition?
If 20, 30, 100 or 249 parents want to have an in depth ddiscussion on the TERC program why wouldn't they automatically do it.
Then MTLmagazine could do an in depth review of the discussions and publish both sides of the story.
No we get rumor mills instead.
213 people signed a petition? That's not really significant. The population of Lebo is 33,137. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._Lebanon,_Pennsylvania)
213 people is just over 1/2 of 1%. That not exactly a lot of support. Let me know when, say, 20% or more have signed. Then, maybe, we'll have something.
For the record, my fifth-grader loves the Investigations book way better than the Forseman book. He says it gives him a chance to think as opposed to just spouting easily memorable facts.
2:32 Young students can stay in their comfort zone forever. This is why this country is lagging behind. Wait until you see the side effects. Wake up, the world is changing. Meanwhile they can play football and baseball with a coach who will never implement TERC-like approach. BTW, out of curiosity, how many people want turf? Do they have even have 20% support out of 33,137? Absolutely not me.
2:32
Why don't you start a petition for people who support TERC and see how many signatures you get?
So, back on topic, the Allison message was foreboding. It's hard to believe Remely decided to go down a different road in spite of Allison's informed recommendations.
If there is another tax increase as you predict, Elaine, we can only hope for the reform Schnatterly is supporting.
2:32 PM, I am curious. What is the name of your child's Investigations book? I was under the impression that there is no book, just worksheets.
Elaine
As I wrote on another thread, Investigations "..is simply an exaggerated demonstration of placeholder manipulation; stacking does the same thing, only more efficiently." If traditional algorithms are taught properly almost any child will understand the process.
Two things need to be thoroughly understood: 1)If one feels that one's child responds to TERC better than traditional algorithms, fine; but that is not a reason for the District to deprive other students the chance to learn the algorithm process concurrently; and 2)if TERC is superior in imparting understanding of the mathematical process at the 5th grade level then I challenge any parent in Mt. Lebanon to allow me to time test their 5th grader using 5th grade math from 1958. If they are smarter than kids of that era it should be a piece of cake for them. I will permit them to use paper and pencil, and for a calculator they will use their brains. This will prove the efficacy of Investigations.
1:14...Duh. why should any taxpayer have to fight for information from a public entity like a school board?
If MtL magazine were worth one of the pages on which it's printed, they would do a feature story on corruption in local politics. It could be a double-issue.
Don't forget about the $8,000,000
Mr. Remely was/is a member of the infamous Master Design Team (MDT) that came forward with the Taj Mahal high school design. Team member Steinhauer, under oath at the Zoning hearing, said that "every aspect of the design was absolutely necessary in order to provide a 21st. century education". This was the design that Mr. Remely supported 100% and said would come in at a total project cost of under $95 million.
When the bids were opened on their design, the construction costs alone, not the total project costs, ranged from $102 million to $123 million! The construction cost estimate max allowed by then was only $86 million. More than a just a tad off that raised valid questions on MDT competencies.
After this fiasco, the MDT wizards within just days came up with an Alternate Delete list of 197 items that could be eliminated in order to reduce costs so the project would not exceed the $113 million total cost max allowed in Act 34. Remely & Co. selected a large number of deletes which the SB readily approved, including the elimination of a whopping 30,000 square feet of new construction. This was done so that the new construction portion of the project would not exceed a $46 million construction cost max or limitation which, if it appeared would be exceeded, would require an electoral referendum approval in order to proceed.
A second round of bids for the now diminished and less grand design came in at a level the SB approved. Steinhauer & Remely claimed there had been no significant revisions. Really and truly.
And is Mr. Remely now attempting to reclassify change orders (that would normally be charged to the projects contingency fund) to a separate district capital budget ? Anyone guess why that just might be occurring ?
Track records of candidates for public office are important.
Funny, we just had another TERC incident in our home with our 6th grader. (He attended Markham where he got A's in math and we are now located out of state.) He was doing some Continental Math League problems for homework and was struggling with one. He explained what he would do (using the awful TERC estimating method) and it took him five minutes (and countless steps) to solve the problem. Afterwards I showed him how he could have just used simple long division and in less than 30 seconds have the same answer. Boy was he mad! I cannot believe that we are spending this much time teaching our son how to do basic math. Thanks TERC.
I have two documents to upload, but the Google Team hasn't figured out why Google Docs isn't allowing uploads. As soon as it is corrected, I will upload them.
Elaine
Ms. Gillen,
It is less than a book as you said. (I just call it a book to my child.) It's more than a worksheet though. They call it a kit. There is a book to go with it, but it's more of a guide than a text. http://investigations.terc.edu/overview.cfm
Mr. Gideon, my child could easily pass a 1958 math test without a calculator. In fact, the kid probably wouldn't need a piece of paper and a pencil either. Trying not to brag, but this child could pass a grade eight math test with ease.
Either way I find that irrelevant. If education never changed, we'd all be learning that the earth is flat, Galileo would still be a heretic, and we are not related to apes.
5:15 That's really funny. Yes, even grown-ups have difficulty in understanding the method. I showed many of my colleagues the example on the TERC petition site (Thanks Elaine). Boy, it took everyone ~10 minutes to figure out how it works in the TERC method and everyone was looking at each other like they saw some aliens. (I should add all of my coworkers have science/engineering PhD and/or PE degree at top tier universities and we are dealing with numbers / calculus on daily basis) They couldn't believe what's going on in MTLSD and really worried about dumbing down education. My kid (5th grader) never uses TERC method ever since we taught conventional method. Maybe it's good for some low level students in understanding mechanism how other methods work with small numbers but even after that they seriously need 'drill' to be good at it, just like basket ball practice. Poor teachers who have to follow stupid decision!
2:32 and 8:46 Great that you have a bright child. Just like my fifth-grader who just started studying eighth-grade math. Only difference is that we never used TERC at home. Thus your fifth-grader's example is not very convincing one to me.
Still can't post Google Docs.
I did add a link to the TERC petition on the sidebar.
2:32 PM/8:46 PM Kits aren't so swift when students are home sick with the flu. Parents are finding they can't help their kids catch up on their school work. Teachers are telling students that their parents aren't wrong, but that isn't how they should do their work.
I added a slide from a Pittsburgh Business Times article. Updated 2012 SAT scores
The Pennsylvania Department of Education released its updated average SAT scores for 2012 today.
Another reflection on our illustrious school board directors and administration.
Elaine
The comments on Remeley have morphed into TERC comments. Please get back on topic.
10:14 PM, they are related. The School Board, of which Dan Remely is a director, is ignoring parents. SAT scores have dropped 2.4% from the previous year. Yet salaries continue to increase.That doesn't seem to jive with the DAD Team promise. They were going to insist on impartial and responsible teacher negotiations. Giving raises to 20 administrators while charging children a parking fee is not representing the taxpayers. Giving our super Super a raise year after year is ludicrous. Did you see how articulate John Allison was? He didn't read anything. I found that on the Superintendent's blog. Now we get fortune cookies and pizza lunches. Last entry was in November. Remely wants to represent us? He isn't doing it very well at the local level, now is he? He doesn't seem to be managing anything very well.
Elaine
I'm voting for Dan.
11:21 PM, I am going to ask again, Dan Remely or Dan Miller?
Elaine
And, once again, if you mean Dan Remely, you only will get that chance if he wins the endorsement of the legislative district Republican committeepeople. They alone get to decide whose name goes on the ballot. The Democrats apparently don't have a choice to make, as Dan Miller was apparently the only declared candidate.--Neil Berch
Elaine, look up this docket...GD-10-020118
I had to remove the TERC petition from the side bar since it created a conflict on my blog. You can still sign the petition at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petition-to-ask-the-mt-lebanon-school-district-to/signatures
Elaine
Neil,
Can you offer an opinion or do you discuss in your classes the challenges for women in gaining positions in higher levels of public service? For example, our PA House has only 16.1% women, well below the national average of over 25%. PA has a long way to go to catch up, and even the average of 25% is concerning.
There have been many social issues brought up on this blog, but no one ever discusses this. Isn't it a wonder why either party couldn't cultivate a woman candidate for the house seat? Government is supposed to represent "the people", but the lack of leadership for women doesn't do that.
-Charlotte Stephenson
Just curious but for a local committee that has wantonly offended so many actually qualified people, and are hell-bent on publicly embarrasing themselves yet again, where are they? Has there been any outreach at all? I'm still a registered R and yet I get nothing from the party. Pretty sad.
Ms. Stephenson: I do discuss issues like that in my classes. In fact, I often start my state and local class by asking students to hypothesize as to why there is a big difference between two states in the percentage of women in the legislature. Usually, I use Idaho and New York. Students come up with all sorts of reasons, most of which center on New Yorkers being more feminist than Idahoans. Then I tell them that they all assumed incorrectly. Idaho has a higher percentage of women than does New York. They then make guesses about how all the men in Idaho are too busy working the potato fields to serve in the legislature.
Pennsylvania has lagged well behind other states in this regard. but for most of the last 30 years, so have New Jersey and New York. So, what's the answer? I can't show causality, but women are more likely to be well-represented when the job is part-time, when it doesn't pay well, and when the majority of the population lives within commuting distance of the state capital (something like 75% of the people in Idaho can commute to Boise).
Party recruitment is indeed a factor. It used to be that women challengers were more likely to run in districts where they had little chance (the so-called sacrificial lamb theory). Parties would get "credit" for running a woman, but they'd save the best chances for men. Nationwide, this seems to have changed, but it might still be true in Pennsylvania. There certainly are few women serving in the PA legislature, especially from this part of the state.
One last thing: it might be guessed that term limits would increase the percentage of women in the legislature (as they would create faster turnover). Limited evidence since the passage of term limits in a number of states doesn't provide great support for that hypothesis.--Neil Berch
Why didn't the PTA moms step up and rally behind Marge Sable, a woman at the top.
And in this progressive age of enlightenment where we are supposed to be color and gender blind... gay/lesbian marriage rights and alll... Why are we keeping tabs.
Thought it didn't matter?
Thanks, Neil, for answering my question. Given your analysis I have to wonder why you have not attempted to advance the role of women in government above some other social issues in your blog commentary, above gun laws, gay or abortion rights. After all, aren’t women the 51% majority? This is a real and concerning issue in Pennsylvania!
My professional credentials run laps around Dan Remely, but somehow he has the support of the old boys’ network of the Mt. Lebanon Republican Committee. Well, as I previously stated as long as the RCML does what it always did it will keep getting what it always got…and what about the D's? Did they consider a female for the state house rep?
January 11, 2013 7:59
Good question! I would ask why the women in Mt. Lebanon are working hard to get more men elected rather than supporting one of their own who understands the walk we women have managing the household, the household finances, bringing home the bacon, juggling the child care and volunteering all along the way so the quality of education is acceptable. Wake up ladies! What are you thinking, really?
-Charlotte Stephenson
Marge Sable was fired because she was a bully and she was in over her head. She had never held a managerial position before. Her previous experience was all in government agencies as a policy consultant. In the settlement, only the school board was precluded from making any comments, not Ms. Sable. She still has the right to say anything she wants, but has not done so. After the settlement, she has never been employed again at a school or a school district.
I hesitated about approving the last comment, but it sounded so much like a school board director. Marge Sable was not a bully. Her problem was that she wasn't a puppet. In the clip from John Allison, it was clear to me why he is gone. He wasn't their puppet either. The District found what it was looking for in a superintendent.
Watch on Monday how many other puppets we have on the school board.
Elaine
A bully to whom?
Seems to me the parents wanted her to stay!
The taxpayer/parents used about every means available to try and keep Sable, so who bullied who!
This is a prime example of why Schnatterly deserves a look for state rep. Look at his position on education and his kids are teachers.
7:23 if what you say is true, and I don't believe it is, why did the school directors hire her in the first place?
What does that say about them?
So, Elaine, your update containing a partial release of judgment lien is a bit murky. Does it mean that the property management company that Remely was/is president of fell into over $2M in arrears regarding the bank loan and then somehow it settled that a large portion of the debt was assigned to his partner while a lesser portion of the responsibility remained with his company?
No wonder our school board is in over its financial head and has to play a shell game with “capital budget accounts” to build the school. Does Remely expect us to believe that his “property management” (if that is what you call this) experience qualifies him as a state rep? Things that make you go “huh?”
10:06 I was at the meeting in the rec center when the taxpayers were revolting. I think the bigger issue was the school board throwing away a half a million dollars for a secretive buyout. Wonder how many of them are around to watch the monumental waste of money by the school board today?
Marge Sable created a situation where 90% of the administration was ready to quit. She also took the attitude that the school board reported to her, not the other way around. In any case, there is not one serving member of the school board that was on the board when she was hired or fired.
No, they are not "on the board" now, they just lurk in the shadows, serve on special committees or other related boards, back their candidates and pull strings from behind the scenes.
What is it around here with people who finish their terms of office but still behave as if they are still in the seats? Even our U.S. presidents know to back off when the next one is elected!
11:40 AM, I looked up the docket that was posted here. Too much to post, so I put up the last document. Look up the docket to see more.
Elaine
That's funny 3:20 because the version of the story is that Dable thought there needed to be some serious attitude adjustments made within the administration.
Plus the high school was being kept in deplorable condition and records on things like teachers workshops and attendance were severly lacking.
I'd love to see the evidence that 90% of the administration would pick up and quit their lucrative salaries in the top district.
Love these claims that never seem to have any evidence to back them up.
Is there a letter where 90% of the administration threatens resignation?
By the way, I guess we have a happy staff since the district has fallen to 3rd place and parents are concerned about the math program.
But we do get rather amateurish video tours of the renovation. That's worth something!
Ah evidence! The reality is that Sable had an abrasive personality that irritated a lot of people, including the members of the board. It reminded me of the story about Henry Ford firing Lee Iaccoca, as President of Ford Motor Company. When asked why he fired Iaccoca, Ford replied, "because I could. I did not like the man and since I had the power to get rid of him, I did". I suppose we will never know the truth about what happened between Sable and the board. Last year, someone sent a RTK request to the school district asking about this. The reply came from the school district and quoted both the attorney for the school district and Sable's attorney that said the same exact thing, "the settlement prevents any member of the school board or the school board as whole to comment. Dr. Sable is not prevented from commenting, but refuses to do so". Perhaps someone could petition Dr. Sable and demand an answer. Don't hold your breath until that happens.
You call that evidence, Sable had an abrasive personality.
I met her and I liked her. The PTA moms certainly liked her when she was hired.
And why on earth should Sable respond to anything?
To save us, to make the ex-board members look good, to give us a warm and fuzzy feeling?
Get real! Walton and her board paid her $550,000 to get lost and she did. I don't blame her for staying away.
Get my homes reassessed value and I'll get lost too.
Oh forgot, I think Sable's severance agreement specified healthcare for a specific period too. Throw that into as well.
Saying someone had or has an abrasive personality is opinion, not evidence. Ask our esteemed solicitor or Mr. Lebowitz if that evidence would be allowed in a trial.
What else silly do you have to offer 11:19?
Anonymous said...
Why didn't the PTA moms step up and rally behind Marge Sable, a woman at the top.
And in this progressive age of enlightenment where we are supposed to be color and gender blind... gay/lesbian marriage rights and alll... Why are we keeping tabs.
Thought it didn't matter?
January 11, 2013 7:59 PM
Because PTA moms didn't know that Dr. Sable was being attacked by a couple of administrators who went to Carol Walton and threatened to quit. 99% of the public found out after she was separated. She can not talk about the separation agreement either. A couple people within the district administration keep spreading the rumor that she can talk about the separation. She can not or the district could sue her. She has told friends that she really wanted to stay and provide the best possible education.
District's current mission statement: To Provide the Best Education Possible for Each and Every Student.
The mission statement that came from the strategic planning process at the time was to “provide the best possible education for each and every student.” Just prior to the school board voting on it Carol Walton said it needed changed to this: To Provide the Best Possible Education for Each and Every Student. (Because the best is not always possible and there was no discussion and the mission statement was changed right there just minutes before the vote took place)
Any guesses on who the administrators were?
Plus "a couple" does not comprise 90% of the administration as proclaimed by 3:20.
Hate to say this but maybe that's evidence that we need TERC... 3:20 might be a product of the traditional MTlSD math program. LOL
This makes you think.
http://www.sassysensations.com/cart/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=842&ParentCat=10
Elaine
Especially when a School Board Member is advertising it.
Have 7:23 and 3:20 opened up a can of worms?
If what they're saying is true then they are either ex-board members, staff or members of the general public that weren't privy to the reasons for the separation.
If it's true how'd they come by their knowledge?
If it's false or misleading info why are they distributing it?
Hey Moms, you keep worrying about Chick fil-A. Apples and oranges, right Elaine ?
That petition closed with 26 signatures. I guess they got their way.
Elaine
The mission statement that came from the strategic planning process at the time was to “provide the best possible education for each and every student.” Just prior to the school board voting on it Carol Walton said it needed changed to this: To Provide the Best Possible Education for Each and Every Student. (Because the best is not always possible and there was no discussion and the mission statement was changed right there just minutes before the vote took place) oops meant to state the mission statement that was changed just prior to voting on it as To provided the best education possible. Sorry
http://www.pafoic.org/yabbfiles/Attachments/separation_agreement.pdf
Zappala Peck filed a right to know and here's the link about the separation agreement between MTSD and Dr Sable. It clears up some questions about if she can talk about why she was separated or not.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/no-hard-feelings-between-sable-mt-lebanon-school-board-557709/?print=1
http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/department/press/mountlebanonsdrelease.html
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/auditor-general-cites-mt-lebanon-school-district-for-costly-confidential-buy-out-of-superintendent-contract-54719052.html
http://pittsblog.blogspot.com/2004_11_01_archive.html
Read the old stuff on google about this.
Clearly article 16. and Exhibit A show that the agreement was to be kept confidential on BOTH sides.
So, January 12, 2013 7:23 AM, what is your reason for attempting to spread misinformation about this?
It diverts the attention of the RCML away from Remely, for starters.
Elaine
Are we sure it's misinformation?
Think Remely gets a discount at Sassy Sensations?
Ugh.
Elaine
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