Mark Conner opened with announcements of upcoming parent engagement activities, and then turned floor over to Mark Roosevelt.

Mr. Roosevelt began with information about a new study to be funded by the Gates Foundation that will look at efforts to maximize teacher quality and how it will affect student performance. PPS is actually one of the 10 finalists being considered. The Gates Foundation will select 5 districts from all over the country for the study. As a finalist, PPS receives funding from the foundation for consultation in developing the proposal to submit by the end of July for the final selection. Developing the district’s proposal will be a primary focus of the administration in the next few months.

Mr. Roosevelt did not know our chances, but did feel that in our favor, we have already worked on our curriculum and principal training. He felt that the Gates Foundation will be looking for a school district with stable situation and courage for change.

Questions and answers followed:

Question: Are you planning to close any more schools?

MR: We are in the midst of a 10-year facility plan. High schools currently have excess capacity and we expect the high school population to continue to decrease. The birth rate in Pittsburgh is decreasing. It is estimated that the number of students enrolled in PPS will decline in the next 6 to 7 years from 28,500 to 24,000, even under the most optimistic scenario of effect from the Pittsburgh Promise. Also, some schools are moving to a 6-12 configuration, so there will be more changes.

Question: Is a Literacy Focus Program planned for Arsenal Middle School?

MR: I am not aware of the program mentioned being implemented at Arsenal but will follow up to get information. It is unlikely that it is part of the stimulus dollars spending or I would know about it.

Question: Where will the new IB program be housed? (See follow up question below)

MR: Don’t know. The final decision has not been made. The initial IB building committee unanimously recommended the Peabody building. A new committee that includes Peabody affiliated people is looking at how to better serve the current Peabody feeder pattern students. A study did show that there are more walkers in the neighborhood that attend the IB than current students that attend Peabody. Also, money estimates to put Peabody in shape to house IB is manageable for the district, which has a lot of weight in making the decision.

Question: What is being done about summer programming?

MR: We would like to achieve more equality for the students by providing some form of summer programming. There is little data about whether summer school programs actually improve student performance, but there is much data that shows how students from wealthier families who have more opportunities to learn outside of school during the summer do better upon returning to school in the fall than poorer students who have fewer opportunities.

We are hiring people for summer programs. The focus initially will be on middle school but will expand to elementary. We will also look at developing less expensive ways to provide summer programming, especially in elementary grades, with uniform assignments and expectations, and perhaps partnering with literacy groups to work with 3rd graders.

Question: With block scheduling done on a semester basis, it is possible for some students to go a full year between certain subjects. For instance, a student could have social studies in the fall of 7th grade and the spring of 8th grade. Doesn’t this have the same effect as the summer break on falling behind?

MR: Possibly and should think about this when planning block programming.

Question: For students who can’t attend a summer camp, couldn’t there be a more limited program such as on-line teaching, providing laptops, or teachers manning telephones?

MR: Will look at all of this as much as we have capacity to do, especially in elementary grades. But, will spend some of the stimulus dollars to keep programs that might otherwise be shut dow

Question: How are you going to get out positive information to counteract the negative press (for example, the “riot” at Allderdice)?

MR: The district releases positive information almost daily. Though there has been a lot of bad news, really the percent of positive news over negative news has been improving. It is difficult when the media “confounds” the problems, making them worse than they really are.

Question: How do you eliminate “bad” teachers? (Question was asked by a 10th grade student)

MR: The easy answer is not the most effective, such as thinking the problem is with teacher unions but there is no data to support this. Actually, there is data that shows that there is better student achievement in districts with teacher unions. There is data that shows weak teacher instructional practices do cause under achievement. The district is strengthening the educational policies which should help most teachers.

Question: Why can’t you make teachers reapply for positions and weed out the poor ones?

MR: State and federal laws and union contracts prohibit doing this. It is better to work with most teachers.

In this field, it is very complex to rate performance. You need to be sure the system to evaluate the teachers is fair and helpful. You don’t want to have any practices that run off the really good teachers; you want to have practices that help identify the teachers that need help and find ways to help them. You get the biggest bang for your buck with money spent on building a professional learning community where everyone wins.

Related, the program “Teach for America” looks to be working in terms of bringing higher caliber people into teaching field.

Question: Is there anywhere on the PPS web site to find yearly curriculum?

MR: If it is not available on the web site, I promise that it will be in 6 months.

Question: Is there a standard policy in the district for recess? At some of the elementary schools students are shown Disney movies and punished with silent lunches. Students need daily physical activity if at all possible.

MR: I agree and will follow up on this. Call Barbara Rudiak for a more immediate answer.

Question: Are you seriously considering 13th grade as way to help some students?

MR: 13th grade is an interesting idea and it might be considered for the future.

Questions: What is being done about the sports programs for the schools?

MR: It is important to get the sports program working better; the program is in “ripening” stage. Sports programs in city schools are being investigated as part of the 10-year sequence plan which is not quite ready to be shared with the public. Mike Gavelik and Derrick Lopez will be the staff members who present it once it is ready. Curriculum and principals were the first and most critical areas to be dealt with but sports programs are now rising to importance.

Question: The science curriculum has been weak for years going back to the science calendars which the parents had to supervise and now it seems that science is a once a year science fair. What is the future of science? Are there any curriculum programs already written that we could just use?

MR: The science curriculum was not the first to be rewritten but should be coming up soon. Choices had to be made. Also, there is only so much new curriculum that teachers can handle at once.

Curriculum must be written to be in line with PA standards.

Question: What was the feedback on the Promise t.v. presentation?

MR: Mostly positive. Have reached the threshold where people now believe that it is real.

Question: We started the transition to K-8 schools and now seem to be going toward 6-12. Are middle schools being eliminated completely?

MR: The logic behind both changes is to lesson transitions. Parent choice (1) and data showing where students are learning at higher levels (2) will define which direction the future schools will go.

Question: Is it true that kids accepted into the Sci-Tech school must score proficient on the PSSAs?

MR: No, the magnet lottery is weighted. One of the weights is proficiency in math on the PSSA but there are also weights for free/reduced price lunch, certain neighborhoods, top ½ of school and several others.

Question: Will you ever make the partial magnets (Philips, Liberty, etc.) full magnets and eliminate the neighborhood school component? Will there be comprehensive schools?

MR: Will be very cautious about eliminating neighborhood school choice, especially with elementary students as parents do not want their kids to have to travel far from home, but over time we do want to expand choice.

There will be comprehensive high schools with 9-12th grade format but keep in mind that the comprehensive school is the least successful format in America.

Question: Is Sci-Tech for all academic levels?

See answer #15 concerning weighted lottery.

Question: Is the gender bias at Sci-Tech a problem? Although the figures were not known, the school is thought to be 60/40 or even as much as 70/30 male to female.

MR: Maybe there is some gender bias but otherwise the weighted lottery system did a good job in getting a diverse student population for the new Sci-Tech school.

Question: With the themed high schools draining off so many students, will the comprehensive high schools that remain end up being a warehouse for the leftover students?

MR: Ideally, students will find the school where they “feel loved, appreciated, and at home”. 50% of students are getting what we want them to get. We want to do better. We do not want to create environments where students end up by default. What we want to change is losing kids.

Comprehensive high schools have a harder time making the students feel that they fit in. Students do better where they fit in. We don’t have much data in about UPrep, but the students there do seem to be doing better than they were at Schenley.

Ultimate goal: 80% of kids college-ready

Question: With all the facts that are stated about how Peabody would be a logical, well suited home for IB, with relatively little investment AND that students in Peabody (a poor performing comprehensive high school) would do better elsewhere, why wait 3 years to decide about Peabody as permanent home for IB?

MR: It takes time for these difficult decisions, but it is possible that it could happen sooner. With Schenley, the health risk called for quicker action.

Meeting adjourned.

Question posed to Mark Conner by PURE Reform, after the meeting:

Is there any way to try a small pilot program this summer to see if it works before committing much of the stimulus money to summer camps?

MC: We have 2 years to use the stimulus money. There really isn’t time to first do a pilot. But, really, most of the money will be spent on

While PURE Reform does not endorse or oppose charter schools, Ms. Martin is informed and passionate with a well thought out and interesting plan for meeting the needs of students that are traditionally underserved. She states that she has repeatedly brought her ideas to the district to no avail.