It is after 4:00 PM and the School District has yet to air the school board meeting from last night. A resident has cited flagrant violations as per the PIAA. The coach has excluded freshmen from the team, and allowed a parent of a player to choose the team members, as I understand it. Elaine Cappucci said that the Board will not address this issue. The resident shared two separate emails from the girls' volleyball coach. Unfortunately, Larry Lebowitz was not present, which disappointed the speaker since his name was first on the list.
Mary Birks explained that she had trouble with [this]* a coach, as well.
I uploaded the entire podcast here. The last seven minutes of the meeting contain the parent's comments. This has not been shared on public TV so far.
September 10, 2013 11:51 PM The citizen's comment is available here.
September 11, 2013 4:29 PM *Based on a comment made at 4:17 PM, I have updated the post.
46 comments:
"it's a wonderful day in the neighborhood" tweets should be appearing very soon.
Guess Ms. Deluca can cross parents of freshman wanting to play volleyball off her fundraising mailing list.
Who is the parent in charge of picking team members?
Something else the District tried to hide !
Under board Policy the board President is the one who censors meeting broadcasts. President Rodella censored comments about someone using drugs in the high school when parents complained it at a board meeting.
The parents first talked with John Grogan about having a clearance for a college senior swimming in the pool with high school freshman. The parents wanted their inquiry kept confidential but Grogan told the swimming coach and retribution resulted against the child of the parents who complained.
The swimming coach told me later the college senior was removed from the pool because of behavior over drugs.
I hope someone alerts the news stations regarding this behavior. It's time to stop covermg up all this crap! We need more transparency!
5:33 - Simply not true. There is more to the story that you're choosing to ignore.
I have received a couple of personal emails saying that the school boardmeeting has been edited during the volleyball comment. My podcast is uncut.
Elaine
6:51 what is untrue? What more to the story do you mean?
Now Pooch is ignoring parents too.
6:51 were you at the board meeting?
The parent's complaint is clearly heard on tape at www.lebocitizens.com. Listen to the last 6-7 minutes of the board meeting.
Even Ms. Birks admits to problems with this coach.
Birks is running for re-election.
Comes down to a vote on the coach, she'll go with the majority, I'll bet.
9:50 PM, I will be uploading that portion of the meeting tomorrow morning.
Elaine
Is this a new coach? The girls volleyball team came to the School Board Meeting in July to complain about the gym they had to practice in for the upcoming season. The director and superintendent promised to do their best to find them a good space. They weren't convincing. Since then, I've heard the superintendent say that no team is displaced to the point where their sport suffers. Is this true? Why say these things if they aren't true. No one expects perfection but if its promised, they do.
I updated this post with a link to the disgruntled parent's comment.
Elaine
11:47 PM, I am going crazy trying to find the article that someone sent to me about Mt. Lebanon kids having to practice some sport at Chartiers Valley. Or at least, I thought it was Char Val. Please resend it to me or post it here.
Elaine
Never mind, I found it. It is Girls' Volleyball. The article is here. http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/high-school-other/2013-girls-volleyball-preview-repeat-bids-wont-come-easy-701317/#ixzz2eUvIsWQ7
"And making matters even worse, the Blue Devils will have to play all of their home matches at Chartiers Valley due to renovations taking place at Mt. Lebanon."
Elaine
Switala teaches social studies at Chartiers Valley.
Someone please help me to put the pieces of this puzzle together...
Is 5:33's comment, "Under Board policy the Board president is the one who censors meeting broadcasts." Is this statement factually accurate?
If the president makes decisions to censor, and Elaine Cappucci is the president of the Board, then Elaine Cappucci is the person who makes decisions to censor broadcasts.
Hum...
But isn't Elaine Cappucci the daughter of former Mt Lebanon math teacher and Mt Lebanon teachers union activist Norina Daubner?
What's going on up there???
Have we put the fox in charge of the hen house?
Have we created a position where the president of the school board will act unilaterally to protect Mt Lebanon teachers, regardless of right or wrong?
Don't forget that the PTA President is Julie Daubner, Elaine Cappucci's sister in law.
Elaine
Basically, the community is built around the school district, the teachers union runs the school district, the municipal govermnent panders to the school district and therefore the teachers union runs the community!
NO WONDER MT LEBANON IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET! THE TEACHERS UNION IS RUNNING THE ASYLUM!
I listened to the comments, and am a little confused. She said that incoming freshman didn't know about Open Gyms and that a current parent hand selected the team? But I know that quite a few freshman did make the team, even displacing some upperclassmen. And at least a couple of those Freshman were a product of Parochial schools, not Mt. Lebanon middle schools. So how would this "decision-making" parent know about these students? I'm not defending the coach because I know nothing about him, but it sort of sounds like a parent that is upset that her daughter didn't make the team? Volleyball has become quite competitive. Last year around 20 Freshman tried out and they chose 6. I'm not sure about this year but I imagine the numbers were similar. So, if Freshman made the team even displacing some upperclassmen, how were they put at a disadvantage?
Did Cappucci edit the broadcast?
Mrs Birks did not say she had a problem with this coach, she had a problem with a coach. She also had a successful experience working through the issue with the AD. She did not say whether this was when she was a director, president of the PTA or just a politically engaged mom with aspirations for higher office. Whatever the case, it rings hollow. For every successful outcome a director has there are dozens of unsatisfied parents and children in the district. What did ring loud and clear is the lack of empathy from the board. A lesson still not learned in Lebo, it is possible to support both the district and its families.
Here is the MTLSD policy on broadcasting and taping of board meetings. Policy BEDJ
Elaine
12:27 if Mrs Birks had a problem with another coach who is watching the store - certainly not our Twittering-tendent.
I do agree with you that there are lots of unsatisfied parents in the district and a definite lack of empathy from the board. The lack of empathy is getting worse.
The original blog post contains an error - perhaps it should be corrected for accuracy. The post states that "Mary Birks explained that she had trouble with this coach, as well." Birks actually said that she had trouble with "a coach." She was illustrating to the speaker how to air her grievances, and not casting aspersions on the coach in question.
4:14, the coach being discussed was Mr. Switala.
If Ms. Birks had trouble with a different coach, she should have reserved her comments for a different discussion.
The speaker aired her grievances very clearly, and the audience did not need any clarification from Ms. Birks.
Maybe Ms. Birks can explain her statement and reveal the subject of her own grievance on Monday.
IF a PTA Leader/Board Member had trouble with a coach can you imagine solving an ordinary parent's problem?
What is the Board hiding by not airing the full broadcast? Censoring a broadcast is why citizens are recording board meetings. The Board proved untrustworthy and now they repeated the mistake by telling a member of the school community to STICK IT! - but be sure to talk to John Grogan and the high school principal on your way out the door. The "work-your-way-up-the-ladder discussions are an old technique to get rid of people who complain. It keeps the union in control.
Whoa Mary, you had better watch out or the union will be sure to get you out!
5:12, don't you think the folks higher up the ladder are tipped off by the people lower, to watch out for "The Complainer"?
What if the resident felt airing her grievance during a public meeting was her last recourse?
But the South Gym has been kept open and in operating condition for the volleyball team, so I'm not sure how they feel they have been slighted. That gym could have been torn out by now to make way for the new spaces, but it is on hold until a new gym is available.
Unfortunately for some families, volleyball is catching up to soccer, basketball, and baseball in competitiveness and cuts need to be made. There are most definitely freshmen on the team. There must be more to the story that this parent does not want to share, or this is another example of a parent not allowing their child to be educated in real life situations.
5:31 the speaker is new and probably thought the board would listen.
I have to agree with 7:53. Ten Freshmen made the team. Her daughter wasn't one of them. She made it sound like all Freshmen were at a disadvantage. Sure doesn't sound like it. Her daughter didn't make the team. That's life. Work hard. Try again next year. Or not.
Lets see. How many School Board Directors are answering anonymously ?
It's called "Damage Control," 10:30 PM.
Elaine
Sounds like sour grapes. It is my understanding that freshmen and upperclassmen were cut, so maybe the parent should instead inquire as to whether her daughter has the ability, commitment, level of conditioning, etc. that is required to make any of the Mt. Lebanon High School teams that have to cut players due to a high level of interest. The girls volleyball team was ranked #4 in the Post Gazette pre-season rankings. It doesn't seem credible that a program ranked that high would have its players chosen by a parent who didn't even attend the tryouts (the tryouts were closed to everyone but players and coaches and, according to a girl who attended the tryouts, no parents attended).
I'm 10:17. My name is Tess and I'm not a school board member. Actually my kids are in private schools though I am a Lebo resident. I agree with most of the posts on this blog but not this one. Perhaps I was too harsh in mr earlier post, but I have had kids not make teams too and I didn't try to find an excuse as to why that happened. At that point they had a choice -- work hard and try again, or not. I listened to the podcast and her comments didn't seem to mesh with reality. If no freshmen, or even just a couple, made the team maybe but ten Freshmen made the team. Upperclassmen were cut. It does sound like sour grapes.
Tess, I have some friends whose kids go to CV and they say the coach is a great guy. Just an FYI.
Elaine
I saw the resident's comment at the school board broadcast on TV.
Yes, 1:30 PM, you can see the edited version on the broadcast.
Through a personal email, I got "the rest of the story." This person wishes to remain anonymous.
Here is what I have been told:
"The old coach, Schiller I think, left with only two weeks prior to the start of the season. I have no idea of the circumstances. The new coach agreed to fill the position (I think he coached jv last year?) because otherwise the AD would not have been able to fill it before the season started. The team usually has a
couple of weeks of camps in late summer and they are usually quite large.
Eighth graders interested in the program attend these camps, as well as other middle schoolers. This year the numbers were REALLY limited because of the construction. They had to have the camps at Jefferson, so they limited the size. There was a wait list...I'm pretty sure the old coach set these up. It's at these camps that the 8th graders are usually informed about open gyms, tryouts, etc. Who knows if the daughter of the lady that complained was at the camp. So ... my impression is that some things fell through the cracks because of the untimely exit of the former coach, the quick transition, and the space constraints. From what I've seen there was no conscious suppression of information or ill intent on the part of the coach. I think he was just trying to pull it all together under difficult circumstances. From what I understand though, the tryouts were tough, but fair and this young lady's skills were not up to the skills of those that made the team. Again, second hand info.
Re: the board's reaction. I can see where you are coming from there. But I do think that the proper channels need to be followed with the board as the last resort or every time little Johnny doesn't make a team or get enough playing time, the parent will be at the board meeting. And I'm not sure that she had
exhausted the other channels for her complaint. From what I heard -- it sounds like maybe she isn't getting anywhere with the complaint because there isn't a lot of validity to it. That doesn't mean that the administration shouldn't hear her out and investigate the allegations. They have an obligation for that."
Thanks for the explanation.
Elaine
There is still an issue with the frigid response received by the parent from the board. Just say, Thank you for bringing the issue to our attention. This is an issue that is best addressed with the leadership team closest tho the issue, the coach, athletic director and building principle. And certainly Dr. Steinhauer and Dr. Davis will follow up with these individuals and you to see that your concerns are addressed. We will follow up with Dr. Steinhauer as well, at a later date. I am sorry you and your child have not had a good experience. Please feel free to call, e-mail or come and speak with us at any board meeting. We share common goals that your child have the best possible educational experience here in Mt. Lebanon.
I finally had the opportunity to watch the citizens' comments on TV. Wow! Quite a bit was edited from the resident's comments. I realize that the policy permits editing, but I just don't feel right about that.
Just as Mary Birks was ready to say that she had a problem with ___ coach, my dog barked. I will take your word for it, 12:37 and 4:17. My dog, Timmy gets very agitated when the school board meeting is airing. It doesn't matter if he is hearing the podcast or on TV, he starts barking. Smart dog, that Timmy.
Elaine
Maybe the comments were edited because a specific person (a parent of a player) was named as having violated (or was complicit in violating) PIAA rules. No facts were given by the speaker to substantiate the assertions that the parent, and not the coach, was responsible for cutting players, so it is possible that the Board is concerned about legal issues (defamation?). Just a thought and it may be off base.
Has the parent filed a complaint directly to:
Contact Information
Pennsylvania Coaches' Association
550 Gettysburg Road, P.O. Box 2008
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-0708
Phone: (717) 697-0374 / (800) 382-1392 (PA Only)
Fax: (717) 697-7721
email: mbyers@piaa.org
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