Policy Committee Meeting Changes

The School Board Policy Committee meetings have moved to Tuesdays at 5:30 PM, instead of Wednesdays at 4:30 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday in the Jefferson Middle School Library.

Interestingly enough, the Policy Committee will have their first review of Policy FEG, Construction Contracts, Bidding and Awards. Uh...the Policy Committee is getting around to review this policy now? Policy FEG, Construction Contracts, Bidding and Awards was last revised April 16, 2007.

Item #5 states: Policies and procedures will be developed separately for major renovation or construction projects prior to the commencement of each project.

The first item on the agenda is Policy DJA, Purchasing Authority. This policy was last revised April 16, 2007.

Audio recordings of the policy meetings are posted here on the MTLSD website,

September 4, 2012 Agenda 

1. Policies - First Review
    A.  DJA, Purchasing Authority
    B.  FEG, Construction Contracts, Bidding and Awards
    C.  IJOA, Field Trips by School Groups

2.  Questions and Comments from Residents

Docket in Your Pocket

There's an app for that now. According to an article in today's PG, for $2.99 you can do your own background checks for the coaches, babysitters, bus drivers, or anyone else who has contact with your kids. Tomorrow's Policy Committee has a discussion for background checks on bus drivers listed on their agenda.

Is there anyone available to record the meeting for me? Any candidates running for school board or any of the sports people who might be there to hear the concussion protocol discussion? I won't be able to attend, but would like to have a podcast for the website.  Yes, I am aware that the school district is providing that service now.

Can your kid get away with this?

I went to the Policy Committee meeting today at 4:30.  It was nice to see Dr. Steinhauer recording the meeting which will be shared on the District website tomorrow.

I uploaded the entire podcast on the Lebocitizens website.  The meeting lasted about an hour.  I was the only resident again.  Matt Santoni, from the Trib, was also in attendance.

For the citizens comments and questions portion of the meeting - the last five minutes of the meeting, one of the things I brought up was the Posti/ plagiarism issue. I mentioned page 13 of the 2011-2012 Student & Parent Handbook which is supposed to be used as a current reference to the many school district policies, procedures, guidelines, rules and services that apply to the high school, according to Mr. Brian McFeeley, Principal.  Please listen to the last five minutes of the meeting, which I have provided here. My comments about Posti. Our kids are required to demonstrate academic integrity and are expected to refrain from academic dishonesty. They are to report any knowledge of such acts of others. So when I reported Posti's actions, I was wrong for doing it and was criticized by Posti. Larry Lebowitz considered them as allegations using his lawyer voice. The policy committee would not respond since it was not on the agenda and Mrs. Posti wasn't there to defend herself. I pointed out that none of the school board members reported this behavior and yet, they expect students to report this. Again, do as I say, not as I do.  I guess I am supposed to go to a school board meeting and bring it up there.  Then Posti can publicly humiliate me again. Then each Board member will say something like how disrespectful I am, or some such thing. Unfortunately, I work on Monday nights now, so I will not be able to give them the satisfaction of doing that.  We don't stand a chance, Folks.  I feel really sorry for the kids.

Policy meeting agenda with no mention of Posti

On Tuesday, the Policy Committee will be meeting at the usual time, 4:30 pm. The agenda has been posted on the District website, and reprinted here:

Agenda 
  (Subject to Change)

September 6, 20111.  Policies - Sixth Review
      a.  GBEE, Social Networking

2.  Policies - First Review
      a.  Revisions to ECF, Energy Management Conservation
      b.  Revisions to JKF, Non-School Related Drug and Alcohol Violations

3.  Questions and Comments from Residents

They did promise to record the meeting and post it on the District website. No mention of plagiarism or bullying policies on the agenda. I guess that is where Item 3 comes in, but if no one can attend, that sure makes it difficult.  Too bad there is no teleconferencing for residents. "Operators are standing by.  Call now."

Update September 5, 2011 10:11 PM According to page 13 of the 2011-2012 Student & Parent Handbook,

Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition, defines plagiarize as “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: use (another's production) without crediting the source.” Examples of plagiarism include copying passages or visual downloads from the Internet or other texts; not documenting written or oral sources such as teachers, other students, critics; fabricating or manipulating a quotation or source and using free or purchased papers from the Internet or other sources. Students receive instruction about plagiarism in English and other classes and are responsible to discuss their questions and uncertainties with their teachers.

If anyone is going to the Policy meeting tomorrow, you might want to mention this.

Now that we have been downgraded...

Today's headlines on AOL (yes, I am still on AOL)
U.S. Credit Downgrade By S&P Darkens Economic Outlook, Stokes Recession Fears

This got me thinking.  What about Mt. Lebanon? Will this affect our Municipal and School District portfolios? According to School District Policy DFA/EPS/NSBA, the investment company is to be rated in the highest category by a nationally recognized rating agency. (S&P?)

I would ask the head of the Audit and Finance Committee this question, but that committee has been eliminated.  I would ask at the next Policy Committee meeting, but I see that the next one will be September 6, 2011 at 4:30 again.
Is it time yet to revisit this renovation? According to the School Board, probably not.

Last call

The School Board Policy Committee Meeting is still scheduled for 4:30 p.m on Tuesday, June 7 in Conference Room B.  I was hoping for School Board candidates to volunteer and help record meetings.  Nobody has stepped forward to help.  Considering I was the only resident at the last Policy Committee meeting, this 4:30 time slot is not working. It is disappointing that the School Board will continue to meet in Conference Room B while there is the opportunity to broadcast it, just upstairs. It looks like the Policy Committee Meeting will not be recorded.  Chalk one up for the School Board.

A couple of things

Tonight, the Candidates Forum will be held from 7-9:30 p.m. in the Mellon Middle School Auditorium.  Hope to see you all there.  Unfortunately, Coffee with Manager Steve Feller, Planner Keith McGill, and Commercial Districts manager Eric Milliron will be taking place from 7-8:30 p.m. at Uptown Coffee

Also, at the end of yesterday's Policy Committee meeting, I asked about the new 4:30 start time.  Larry Lebowitz was kind enough to explain the reasoning behind the new start time.  Listen to the last five minutes of the podcast for his explanation.  5/4/2011 Policy Committee meeting podcast

Remember the School District Policy Committee meeting conflict?

While I was making a pdf (why isn't the School District doing that?) of the May 3 Policy Committee meeting agenda for lebocitizens.com, I noticed this:


Policy Committee meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 4:30 p.m. in Conference Room B, Mt. Lebanon High School, unless otherwise noted.


Remember how I have been asking for volunteers to record the 4:30 meeting since it conflicts with residents' work schedules?  The Policy Committee meetings have been officially changed to 4:30 p.m.  Great.  These meetings are very important.  They represent the reason for the School Board's existence. 
One of the School Board Operating Principles is to 


Establish the parameters under which the district operates by creating policy consistent with law, community expectations and educational excellence to achieve goals represented by the strategic plan.


How can the School Board create policies consistent of community expectations, when the community can't take time off from work to comment?
They advocate transparency and encourage citizen participation, but schedule the most important committee meetings during standard work hours. The Commission just started to broadcast the Discussion sessions (Commissioner DeIuliis was the only commissioner to vote against this) and now, the School District has the Policy meetings scheduled for 4:30 every month.  How about moving them to the High School Library, Folks?  Broadcast those meetings for the community.  You did away with the Audit and Finance Committee meetings, and now you are making it virtually impossible to attend Policy Committee meetings.

Update 3:49 p.m.: PSBA Board Standards & Code

Any volunteers?

Another 4:30 p.m. Policy Committee Meeting has been scheduled for May 3, 2011.  Are there any volunteers who would be willing to record the meeting?  I can provide the recorder.  The last 4:30 meeting meant someone had to leave work early to record it.  Why does the School District schedule meetings at this time?