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| My monthly breakfast with high school students turned into a quick tour of the renovated 6th floor. After seeing some of the completed work they realize that this temporary inconvenience will result in some great learning spaces. Several of the students mentioned that it has been very interesting watching the construction close up. Thanks to our students for reminding us why we are doing this work. |
Remember Ben Franklin's quote? “Eat to live, don't live to eat.” As someone wrote to me, "Does he eat to work or work to eat?"
Laura Pace Lilly wrote for lebomag.com making progress back in October,
Ironworkers wearing safety ropes traipse along steel supports, a sight that often transfixes Steinhauer, he says. Students with the luxury of window seats in their classrooms also report daydreaming while watching the men at work.I get chastised for comparing USC to Mt. Lebanon, but come on. Their superintendent writes budget summaries while ours writes about eating, watching the men at work, or some great learning spaces in our bathrooms.
31 comments:
@Elaine That isn't just the bathroom. That's Timmie's bathroom !
I wonder, through all these monthly breakfast and pizza lunches just what amazing infomation is the super picking up?
Besides the touchy, feely, good times stuff, does he think these little pockets of hand-picked students are really going to be open and honest?
I can hear the conversations now. "so, tell me Dick and Jane how are things going with you?"
"Oh, just terrible Dr. S! I'm just so stressed over the up coming PSSAs. I can't sleep, I've got ulcers and on topnof that I've got 12 years of plaster dust accumulated in my lungs from every school remodeling I've had to put up with."
"Thank you students, nice talkin' with you. Prepae hard for those test."
Does he also play his trombone for the students to demonstrate his immense teaching qualifications as an educator ?
Wonder if he'll also wear his custom made construction hard hat when he uses his private water closet in the new digs ?
He is the poster child for proof that such talent does not go unrewarded in the great Lebo bubble.
I cling to every word He writes !
I for one am glad that he is known to the students and that he makes himself accessible to them. Snicker all you want, but who wants a stuffed shirt administrator who isn't in touch with the kids in his school. The smarmy, righteous indignation is laughable.
I'd be interested in hearing what you find so compelling, 10:00 am?
I want a stuffed shirt administrator. Dtuies include http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/351/article12/chapter4/chap4toc.html
Here is Tim's contract.
Elaine
Why does he need to be accessible to the students, is that part of his job description?
There are teachers, counselors, coaches, nurses, a whole cadre of people close to the students to handle any issue.
If the superintendent has to devote that much time to connect with the students perhaps we should start downsizing his staff!
His contract lacks a designated, and therefore required, witness signature - maybe he was playing his trombone and that was considered a substitute by our mentally challenged school board.
Here's a thought. Instead of talking with the kids about construction, how are those talks about drugs and alcohol coming along, Timmy?
From the December 2009 board meeting minutes:
"In November, the superintendent, created a task force to provide recommendations about the District’s current role in alerting, educating and supporting parents, students and community members regarding the consequences of student drug and alcohol use. Dr. Steinhauer introduced Peter Berg, Supervisor of Guidance and chair of the task force, who presented a report on the recommendations of the task force. Mr. Kubit, Board president, asked Dr. Steinhauer to
investigate the recommendations of the task force."
This was from Timmy's blog preconstruction when he actually took the time to write on his blog. Superintendent blog November 6, 2009
Elaine
I cannot provide a direct link to the Superintendent's November 2009 post, but here is a link to the blog. http://www.mtlsd.org/superintendent/blog.asp
On the right hand side, scroll down to November 2009.
Elaine
Known to the students, 3:07. There are over 5,200 of 'em, ask how many of them have ever had a sit down with the doctor!
Then ask them if they want or care to have breakfast or lunch with him.
Did Smartshan, Allison, Wilson or Sable find it necessary to have monthly breakfast and pizza lunches with the kiddes 3:07?
How about little PR hard hat tours of the elementary and middle school renovations?
Those poor deprived little babies for not having an "accessible" superintendent to share a crueller with.
Don't know and don't care 8:44. If they did or didn't it doesn't change the fact that I think it is a good idea.
You're entitled to your opinion 9:28, doesn't nesrssarily make it a good one.
Timmy's contract would have ended this June had the board not extended his contract.
Elaine
Don't know and don't care, great way to go thru life.
Those five words are the antithesis of this blog. That attitude has been the governing philosophy of our commissioners and school board directors for years.
Elaine
Usually, if you press long and hard enough you'll find the statement "don't know and don't care" followed with "cuz I'm gettin' mine!"
Wow, what a way to take things out of context! You go for it!
It doesn't matter what the other Sup's have done with lunch with students, what matters is what this Sup is doing. If you want things to never change, you just continue to make the same mistakes. 8:44 must believe if the other sups didn't take time to meet with their students then this one should not as well. But go ahead, run with what I said, take it out of context and use it to head your next post (oh, you already did)!
Really, 10:38? Are you claiming that Dr. Steinhauer's predecessors were closed-minded, obstructionist only interested in preserving the old ways.
Is that the crux of your argument for not knowing and not caring?
Tell us for the millions and millions of additional dollars poured Into our school systems what do we have to show for it.
Quiz your kids, ask them about history, geography, literature, art, philosophy, watch them solve a simple math problem. Then tell me if the millions of additional dollars have been well spent! Check the PDE's own studies that show that nearly one in four MTL graduates need remedial math and English courses as freshman entering PA universities.
Yes 10:38, you don't know and you don't care.
10:38, you say: ". If you want things to never change, you just continue to make the same mistakes."
Pray tell, what former superintendent mistakes are you referring to?
No 11:55 I don't know and don't care if Sable et all met with children on a monthly basis, that's all.
I have three lebo grad's in college. None have had to take remedial math or English, maybe your kid was the one I don't know.
Again, 12:30 I don't know (and I don't care, I got mine.)
And why do you only mention Sable by name? Weren't Smartschan, Wilson and Allison also superintendents during your kids time in th district. Perhaps these leaders had more important things and responsibilities to deal with and didn't have time with touchy feely PR stunts with 30 or 40 hand picked students.
Besides you conveniently avoid the direct question... what 'mistakes'. You mentioned them, I didn't.
So 12:30 despite the PDE study that neatly one in four MTLSD graduates need remedial courses (by the way mine didn't) upon entering state universities you simply don't care. Got it!
I wonder just how the breakfast/tour conversation went.
Do you think the kids said: "oh Dr. Steinhauer, the renovations are just so gorgeous (and under their breath, too bad we won't get to enjoy them!)
Perhaps they asked: "Hey Dr. S, why do we have to pay parking fees for the privilege of parking off school grounds and walking up and down Cochran in the rain and snow, while you making $152,000 get to park right next tithe building? Plus why do we have to pay lab fees when historically labs, books and sports equipment has been free?"
With all the issues facing the district today.. balancing the budget, parents upset with the math curriculum, future pension obligations, Markham students wanting to go to Mellon rather than Jefferson, drugs and alcohol abuse, PSSA test (ahem) 'stess' and the superintendents last 3 post deal with a kid that doesn't even attend school yet, and lunch and breakfast with a handful of students. For them it is a permanent inconvenience in their high school careers.
Dr. Steinhauer writes of the renovation as a temporary inconvenience in the breakfast tour photo.
How's he figure that for the students in the photo. Amazing myopic analysis in my opinion.
I now know Timmy's sentence. (Daniel Pink)
He loved pizza and touring the high school renovation.
What I don't know is, are the pizzas costing us $27 a piece?
Elaine
Here's a fun funding raising idea for PK.
Why don't we let Little Ceasars pay to sponsor the monthly lunches. Dr. S can dress up as the "Pizza, Pizza" Ceasar and hand out coupons after lunch.
Oh man, McDonald's has deep pockets. Students have breakfast and tour the high school renovation with Ronald McDonald.
That's gotta be worth a smoke alarm or two. Maybe the new vanity lights in the theatre wing.
And before you swoop in 12:30 and call me disrespectful. Its nomore so than a board director telling a parent not to roll her eyes at him as he chastises her for her public comment. I know, you don't know or care about that.
Why would anybody take a picture of students in a bathroom?
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