I don't think it is a case of sour grapes...

OK, members of the School Board and Commission filed a police report against me for publishing a comment using the word, "Execute." I removed the comment.

Read Josephine Posti's latest one,  Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett bombing public education into Stone Age

I am told that I have hate in my heart. But Posti continually writes about the evils of Corbett and charter schools. It is written in her post:

Giving only parents the authority to make executive decisions about the school their students attend marginalizes other local taxpayers and silences the voices of the rest of the community and the locally elected school board members. 

I am confused. Isn't that what was done to four thousand residents when we signed that petition to cap the renovation project? Or is that the hate in my heart again?

Daniel H. Pink's views on charter schools and homeschooling

According to Daniel H. Pink, charter schools and homeschooling are shaking up "big schoolhouse." In his article, "I'm a Saboteur" Pink writes:

The new economy is awash in contradictions, but few are more troubling than this one: At the very moment that brainpower is more important than ever, education seems more backward than ever. We have a new economy but outdated schools.
Out of this disconnect has emerged a quiet grassroots rebellion aimed at reinventing both the form and the function of American education. Charter schools – publicly funded startup schools that operate mostly free of regulation – have boomed. In 1992, there was one charter school in the United States. Today, there are more than 2,000. The fastest-growing education movement is homeschooling. Today, roughly 1.5 million children learn at home. Just as Internet startups and free agents rattled big business, charter schools and homeschooling are shaking up "big schoolhouse."

I bet we have some school board directors fainting over this one. I wonder when the office memo requesting the removal of all Daniel H. Pink Post It notes will be issued.

Charter a charter

Josephine Posti had a thread on her Center Court blog, Stand Up For Public Education.  She ran article after article about how charter schools are terrible for public education.  Fast forward to Monday's school board meeting.  How do we balance the budget? Number 68 on Dr. Tim's list of suggestions was to close an elementary school. Dan Remely remarked that by renting Mellon to Peters Township, as opposed to selling it, saved us in the end. He wondered if we could turn one into a charter school.  No, we couldn't. Dr. Tim suggested we could charter a charter school. I wish I could have seen Josephine's reaction. That would have been priceless.

Josephine, we're on to you.

How tough is it to do this? Charter schools are unaffordable, underperforming and unaccountable And yet, on Josephine Posti's latest blog entry, Stand Up For Public Education, you won't find it.  Not citing your sources again, young lady.

Josephine writes: 

It's important to recognize that the budget issues Mt. Lebanon faces would exist regardless of whether we were engaged in the high school renovation project.

No kidding, Josephine.  This is why we have been resistant to a $113.3 million project at this time - because of these budget issues.  Your problems are not because of charter schools.  Believe me.

Why are we spending $113 million on a high school renovation?

From the Mt. Lebanon School District website:

Mt. Lebanon High School will now offer online courses to students for the 2nd semester of the 2010-2011 school year due to a grant funded partnership with the National Network of Digital Schools. High School parents were emailed information about the program and course offerings. Read more…

Read about Distance Learning on page 20 of the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the MTLSD and the MLEA.  Collective Bargaining Agreement

Read this four-part series about the new charter and cyber-charter schools and how they affect local education.
· Charter, cyber-charter schools provide options
· Cyber-charter funding draws controversy
· Northern Lebanon offers alternative to traditional schooling
· Senator vouches for vouchers

Welcome to 21st century education, folks.

Updated January 2, 2011: The latest Mt. Lebanon High School PTSA newsletter includes this letter from Dr. Davis, Principal.

Dear parents and students,
 
In our effort "To Provide the Best Education Possible for Each and Every Student", I am proud to announce an opportunity for our students and staff to explore the world of online instruction.   In the coming months, a grant will allow us to partner with the National Network of Digital Schools (NNDS), which designs, develops, and delivers online Lincoln Interactive© courses.  Through this partnership, the high school will be given the following opportunities:
 
1.      During the 2nd semester of the 2010-2011 school year, a limited number of students will be offered the chance to take an online course through Lincoln Interactive© to enrich and extend their academic experience.  These courses will be academic offerings that currently do not exist at the high school, and will be taken in addition to students' current classes.  A mailing has been sent to each high school student for him/her to apply for the opportunity of participating in an online course.  Please remember that the deadline to submit the application to the Principal's Office is January 10, 2011.
2.      Staff members will explore the curricular offerings of Lincoln Interactive© and then provide input into the potential development of an online, asynchronous financial literacy course. 
3.      After "observing" other online courses provided by Lincoln Interactive©, staff members will also begin discussing the development and delivery of our curriculum into our own online courses. These courses may be provided to our students or to students in other school districts where the quality and/or variety of course selection is not comparable to our high school.
4.      Since successful completion of our state standardized tests are now a requirement for our students to graduate, staff members will also be given an opportunity to discuss the development of online, asynchronous Keystone Exam remediation modules/courses.  
 
The discussions regarding the use of online instruction are in the early stages, but I believe it is important to introduce you to the topics being discussed.  These discussions could result in numerous opportunities for our students and staff, and we need to begin examining and evaluating our options.  As additional information becomes available, I will share it with you.
 
Ronald P. Davis, EdD
Principal