Josephine Reflects on the State Budget

Over on Center Court blog, Josephine Posti writes:

An editorial that ran in the Post-Gazette on Tuesday that describes the frustrating closed-door state budget process that included "deals" ranging from new teacher evaluations to a Marcellus Shale drilling ban in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. 

The governor's plan links public school teacher performance reviews to student achievement. Is that a bad thing? Is she disappointed that public schools must be accountable?

I don't understand her drilling ban comment. Drillers are PA American Water's largest customers. If she starts railing against drilling, she'll be unemployed quickly.

Josephine continues.

In regards to the teacher evaluation language that was approved, this new evaluation process does not apply to charter schools, further expanding the gap between the accountability and transparency public schools must adhere to while using tax dollars to fund schools without financial or academic oversight by local elected officials or taxpayers.

Oops, there it is. Accountability and transparency that public schools must adhere to. Accountability and transparency. As opposed to the closed-door meetings Posti lobbied for with the commissioners, the stealthy accounting practices with the YSA, and the "let's make sure we don't have a quorum Steinhauer Panera coffee klatches which were revealed in a Right To Know about the feasibility study. The same woman who tells her constituents to file Right To Know requests and when we do, they require 30 day extensions for legal reviews?  I have to check my records to see how much longer I have to wait for my two outstanding RTK requests concerning YSA payments.

Speaking of the feasibility study, how much longer do we have to wait for the Feasibility Study results? Will everything be revealed during the single School Board meeting being held in July. The School Board will hold a combined discussion/regular voting meeting on July 16, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jefferson Middle School Library. This is a first. Last year, there were two meetings in July. I am anxious to hear about the feasibility study. I understand that one of PK's clients, Washington National Cathedral has this want ad. http://www.nationalcathedral.org/jobs/JOB-5MQTL-76001E.shtml Didn't it work out with Pursuant Ketchum? Everything is written in past tense. http://www.pursuant.com/?s=Washington++national+cathedral As of March, they had only raised $2 million of the $20 million they needed to fix the earthquake damage. http://www.pcusa.org/news/2012/3/13/repairs-funds-are-slow-going-quake-damaged-nationa/ Did this group take over? http://www.oai-usa.com/our-clients/community Sure wish we had that $41,000 plus travel expenses. On that same note, I saw this article in Pittsburgh Business Times where the State disagrees with Cal U over their $6 million fund which was used for things like a feasibility study.  http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/morning-edition/2012/07/state-of-pennsylvania-and-cal-u.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search

Someone sent me this link. Everything You Need to Know About Public School Spending in Less Than 2 1/2 Minutes I hope our school board directors take the time to view the video. Here is a screen capture from the video. Consider it a preview of coming attractions.

"Degree of Motivation"

 The following letter to the editor comes from Richard Gideon, publisher/editor of American Vexillum^tm magazine - ISSN 1544-5984

Ms. Gillen: 

     A recent article published in Reason magazine sheds some interesting light on the issue of public spending for education.  The US spends more money per student than any other country in the world except Switzerland.  What we get for this money is mediocre science and math test scores, on a national basis.  The student-teacher ratio has fallen and teacher pay has increased dramatically, but compared to countries in the Far East, Scandinavia, and other places in the world, American kids are left in the dust.
     As a former post-secondary teacher (for 23 years), I had to deal with the products of the public schools.  Without exception, it was the "degree of motivation" that was a better indicator of an individual's success than the district from which he or she came (with the exception that kids from private schools, or home-schooled kids, were nearly always in the top of their classes); and this included kids from the "better" districts, such as Mt. Lebanon or Upper St. Clair. 
     In the end, quality education is a mix of teacher skill and viable raw material, not an impressive brick and mortar structure. 
     The Reason article may be viewed on-line here: http://reason.com/archives/2011/02/22/losing-the-brains-race.

Best Wishes,
Richard R. Gideon