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Public Hearing November 16, 2009 Testimony of Annette Werner: For This We Paid a Half a Million Dollars? Earlier this month we received a recommended facilities plan from the districts’ consultants. Essentially it is a consolidation plan, and the ones being consolidated by and large are lower income and minority students into larger groups with concentrations of poverty as great as or greater than existing levels. This is really disappointing. Even a cursory look at student achievement results shows that lower income students do better in schools with a lower concentration of impoverished students, and that it is the diverse schools in our district that have attracted the most students. What we really need is a bold and creative initiative to attract students back to the Pittsburgh public schools, provide programs that will keep students from dropping out, and reduce high concentrations of impoverished students. There is limited value in considering facilities in isolation from questions of programs, the budget, safety and diversity. Even as a facilities study the report is disappointing. There is little original facilities investigation. Eighty buildings were reviewed in three weeks, leaving little opportunity for in depth examination. The methodology used also raises questions- why is HVAC weighted as 20% plus a supplement for air conditioning, while a building’s structural condition counts for only 4%? How does it make sense, for purposes of computing a “renovate or replace” number, to ignore the fact that a building lacks a gym or an auditorium? And wouldn’t we want to know how long dollars spent on a poorly designed and built structure would provide value compared to the same dollars spent on a better designed and built structure? No opportunity to ask questions or make adjustments to the methodology was provided because the rubric was not disclosed until after the consultants had assigned numbers to buildings and finished their work. For half a million dollars we should have been able to purchase something really good. Instead, it appears that we have bought a very expensive fig leaf to cover decisions already made. Testimony of Kathy Fine: Good evening everyone. At the end of last school year, PURE Reform was pleased that the district responded to our concerns after each public hearing. We feel that our questions are valid and by posting the questions and responses on our website, we enable many PPS parents to be better informed regarding the reform process. However, March was the last time that we have received any response to our testimony and many questions remain unanswered. I have provided copies of the last several months’ testimony with outstanding items highlighted In addition, we recently requested information through the parent hotline regarding the district’s self-imposed non-PSSA student achievement goals (eg # students taking AP exams, graduation rate etc). These goals were under the heading “HOW WE WILL HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE”. Yet the administration turned our request over to the district’s attorneys, delaying the release of this information and costing the taxpayers money in legal fees. This doesn’t look like accountability to me. As I have said over and over again at these meetings, we want to see this administration succeed in reforming our schools. We are true believers in public school education. We are not the enemy. Each and every one of you was elected by the public to represent the public’s interests and to oversee this administration. While I understand the value of putting our best foot forward as a district, we are compromising the reform process by refusing to evaluate practices honestly and change course when needed. Some examples of this hyperinflation of successes and inability to see the need for redirection are: • Celebrating making AYP when longitudinal analysis shows that 3-5 graders actually lost ground and AYP was made only with special calculations new for this year. • Continuing to pay CEP year after year for substandard services. • Missing more than 50% of PSSA goals from the Excellence for All, rebranding these goals “aspirational” when they are not met. • Seeing graduation rates drop 2% instead of increase by 10% and # of students taking SATs increase by 4% instead of 28% (EFA goals). While all of the good press has brought valued funds to our schools, if students are still dropping out or graduating without the necessary skills to succeed in life, then we are just “putting lipstick on a pig”. Our children deserve better. Please, we implore you to look at all information objectively and ask for real transparency and accountability.

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Featured Topics

Three Year Review of District Initiatives

Questions About High School Reform

Blog

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Watch

Public Hearing
November 16, 2009

Testimony of Annette Werner:

For This We Paid a Half a Million Dollars?

Earlier this month we received a recommended facilities plan from the districts’ consultants. Essentially it is a consolidation plan, and the ones being consolidated by and large are lower income and minority students into larger groups with concentrations of poverty as great as or greater than existing levels.

This is really disappointing. Even a cursory look at student achievement results shows that lower income students do better in schools with a lower concentration of impoverished students, and that it is the diverse schools in our district that have attracted the most students. What we really need is a bold and creative initiative to attract students back to the Pittsburgh public schools, provide programs that will keep students from dropping out, and reduce high concentrations of impoverished students. There is limited value in considering facilities in isolation from questions of programs, the budget, safety and diversity.

Even as a facilities study the report is disappointing. There is little original facilities investigation. Eighty buildings were reviewed in three weeks, leaving little opportunity for in depth examination. The methodology used also raises questions- why is HVAC weighted as 20% plus a supplement for air conditioning, while a building’s structural condition counts for only 4%? How does it make sense, for purposes of computing a “renovate or replace” number, to ignore the fact that a building lacks a gym or an auditorium? And wouldn’t we want to know how long dollars spent on a poorly designed and built structure would provide value compared to the same dollars spent on a better designed and built structure? No opportunity to ask questions or make adjustments to the methodology was provided because the rubric was not disclosed until after the consultants had assigned numbers to buildings and finished their work.

For half a million dollars we should have been able to purchase something really good. Instead, it appears that we have bought a very expensive fig leaf to cover decisions already made.

Testimony of Kathy Fine:

Good evening everyone. At the end of last school year, PURE Reform was pleased that the district responded to our concerns after each public hearing. We feel that our questions are valid and by posting the questions and responses on our website, we enable many PPS parents to be better informed regarding the reform process. However, March was the last time that we have received any response to our testimony and many questions remain unanswered. I have provided copies of the last several months’ testimony with outstanding items highlighted

In addition, we recently requested information through the parent hotline regarding the district’s self-imposed non-PSSA student achievement goals (eg # students taking AP exams, graduation rate etc). These goals were under the heading “HOW WE WILL HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE”. Yet the administration turned our request over to the district’s attorneys, delaying the release of this information and costing the taxpayers money in legal fees. This doesn’t look like accountability to me.

As I have said over and over again at these meetings, we want to see this administration succeed in reforming our schools. We are true believers in public school education. We are not the enemy. Each and every one of you was elected by the public to represent the public’s interests and to oversee this administration. While I understand the value of putting our best foot forward as a district, we are compromising the reform process by refusing to evaluate practices honestly and change course when needed. Some examples of this hyperinflation of successes and inability to see the need for redirection are:

• Celebrating making AYP when longitudinal analysis shows that 3-5 graders actually lost ground and AYP was made only with special calculations new for this year.

• Continuing to pay CEP year after year for substandard services.

• Missing more than 50% of PSSA goals from the Excellence for All, rebranding these goals “aspirational” when they are not met.

• Seeing graduation rates drop 2% instead of increase by 10% and # of students taking SATs increase by 4% instead of 28% (EFA goals).

While all of the good press has brought valued funds to our schools, if students are still dropping out or graduating without the necessary skills to succeed in life, then we are just “putting lipstick on a pig”. Our children deserve better. Please, we implore you to look at all information objectively and ask for real transparency and accountability.