July 15, 2008
Schools to hold work session July 16
The Petersburg City Public Schools will hold a worksession Wednesday, July 16 at 6 p.m. The agenda will be available Tuesday afternoon at the Petersburg Public Libraries. Major items for discussion will include Policy Revisions to Section G (Personnel), an MOU update, and updates to the Secondary Reconfiguration Timeline as well as regarding the progress of construction in the district.
Coverage of the meeting.
This report just skims the surface of the meeting …it really was one of those “you had to be there” meetings!
I just read the Progress-Index coverage … you should check it out to add some perspective.
P-I coverage.
Thanks for the head’s up re: the P-I article… I sort of randomly peek at the P-I/RTD from day to day, and will likely do so less when I start teaching again this fall — your collective help in highlighting what’s relevant on other sites would be awesome. :-)
You want better students, there’s only ONE way to do it. The mediocre students in today’s PPS are likely to be tommorow’s PPS teachers, and parents, unless the cycle is broken. If you expect to get the different results with the same strategies, I would call you an ideolog.
Washington DC is trying the obvious solution, let’s see if the unions will let them:
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11707298
The question Petersburg needs to ask itself is what do they REALLY want the most? Improved student performance, and hence opportunity? Or protection of people’s jobs?
Make no mistake. The teachers’ union NEEDS incompetent teachers. Think about it — who would be more loyal to a union than someone who would be afraid that they would not get merit increases, and would perhaps even be fired? It is a symbiotic relationship that hurts students, especially poor, minority students.
They say you can’t argue with success. I say, why listen to people who essentially, given their track records are arguing for failure? “Give the schools more money!” “If you aren’t for giving the schools more money — you are against education, the poor, and minority children.”
Why does ANYONE listen to these people? Are they responsible for having improved children’s achievement? Or are the deflecting blame and/or trying to further socailize the economy?
Anyone who even pretends to care about petersburg’s childrens’ future needs to watch this video. Here is a woman who had no financial advantages, who made it to Columbia university even though the school discriminates against her ethnic background, who is now really HELPING poor, minority students:
http://www.charlierose.com/guests/michelle-rhee
Enjoy.
There are numerous success stories within the PCPS system. Most people look at the obvious success. Moses Malone, Blair Underwood, Joe Cotton etc…many kids only think that you are successful if they can only see you on TV.
PTA will be doing a huge thing this year to highlight those other individuals.
Even the successes of those that are still in the area that came from nothing and just maintain good citizen, and hope throughtout the area.
Looking forward to those highlights John. Let’s hear it for the average citizen!