MARKILINSKI: Honesty in Education
Whenever I have been at a crossroads in life, I take time, head south, and reflect on what I want to accomplish.
I decided to run for school board to help Dr. Jim Solak since he continually received verbal beatings from the not only his so called fellow school board members, but also the administration, the progressive liberals and the press, specifically the Leader Times, and Michael Ohare.
I am on the inside now and I do not like what I see and hear and what YOU do not.
If you look at the grades (AYP’s) at both Lenape Vo Tech and the Armstrong School District, you will find that we are NOT meeting State expectations. Lenape has failed for 7 years now and the Armstrong School District has failed as a whole for the past 2 at the 11th grade level.
The Administration at both schools needs to be honest with not only the taxpayers, but the parents and students as well.
We are not a good school district.
And I am trying to do something about it.
As you know there are several lawsuits flying around right now. One deals with gerrymandering of voting precincts (politics) and one deals with information from a CHARADE (politics again).
Some people say I am full of surprises. All I can say is stay tuned.
Several years ago I almost died from a very rare infection. Almost every doctor at West Penn told me that I should have died. I had Last Rites and I waited. But God did not call me home.
So there must have been some reason; A very big reason.
Walk with a good heart and you will run with success.
Honesty.
Just think about it.
Uncategorized | markilinski February 26, 2010
By dee, February 26, 2010 @ 5:46 AM
So do something about it already. It seems that you are full of insults and accusations but no constructive solutions. It’s easy to find fault. Your bullying attitude doesn’t inspire people to work with you. You attack everyone…teachers, administrators and students. Personally, I’m tired of it. If you really want to help, step down and let someone else step up who is willing to engage in collaborative and constructive problem solving.
By youngermoreintelligentman, February 26, 2010 @ 6:50 AM
Mr Michael J. Markilinski, you should be enlightened to the fact that the taxpayers and voters of Armstrong County are aware that your attitude toward the students and administrators is the “very rare infection” that has infected and is slowly destroying the the Armstrong County School District. The voters are trying every medication available to get you and your misguided “good heart” out. It is time you re-examined the intentions of your heart and listened to the taxpayers you represent!
By DANBOY, February 26, 2010 @ 7:06 AM
Don’t you just love this country? Now we have the POLITICIAN preaching and the PREACHER politicking.
By ToddLuke, February 26, 2010 @ 7:11 AM
Actions speak louder than words. Stop attacking everyone; get in the boat and row. This region needs leaders willing to get their hands dirty and get in the trenches to solve real problems without the blame game. You want to help? Spend time in these schools and offer some real help.
By reed619, February 26, 2010 @ 7:23 AM
My thoughts exactly Dee. People with a good heart do not publicly slander and humiliate those they don’t agree with.
Trying to “help Director Solak from his verbal beatings” Markilinski?? PLEASE!! Anyone who’s been attending ASD board meetings has witnessed Solak verbally abuse the other board members and administration for years!! You decided to run for school director to help Solak with his agenda with your obvious hatred towards Kittanning and it’s residents. That’s blatantly obvious by reading your past columns and watching you in action at board meetings. As well as your response Shannon Walker, the student who wrote you the email to which you replied “MAYBE WE SHOULD CLOSE KITTANNING”
By Jen16226, February 26, 2010 @ 7:29 AM
Instead of joining a school board to help a member, how about joining to help the people of the community and the children?
“Lenape has failed for 7 years now and the Armstrong School District has failed as a whole for the past 2 at the 11th grade level.”
The kids going into Lenape and failing in 11th grade are NOT only from ASD and further, their grades are not suddenyl declining because they are at Lenape, so stop that song.
How about instead of a grounds and facilities committee, start a committee to help get those grades up? Dr. Solak is an educator, is he not? Where is his input as to get the grades up? He is not offering solutions, only bullying and berating for the past 20 years……longer than the kids attending these schools are alive and yet, has done nothing in all those years to offer suggestions and solution to help fix that problem.
FIX THE PROBLEMS AND STOP THE BICKERING.
By rudytuesday, February 26, 2010 @ 8:11 AM
This fact has been pointed out to you over and over again, yet you fail to see it or understand it. Those scores are based on 11th grade test scores. Those Lenape Students are coming into that school with ten years of education from their home school. They are at Lenape maybe six months before they take these tests. How can you hold Lenape responsible for these test scores?
How many of these students have IEP’s? Where’s that data?
Further, where are the statistics of their grades and test scores going either up or down from 11th grade until graduation?
By Jan, February 26, 2010 @ 8:20 AM
First of all Mr. Markilinski, I’m glad that you recovered from something that was considered life threatening. I can only imagine that your perspective changed quite a bit having a second chance on life. Many people who have faced life threatening illness recognize that there is someone bigger than us and that we are left behind to help make a difference. YOu chose to do this by running for the school board. I’d like to understand your vision for how this district will get back on it’s feet? What long range goals do you have for improving this district? You have continually talked about AYP and PSSA scores in this district. You continually want to point the finger at Lenape for not meeting AYP. The facts are there- they haven’t. However, your answer to resolving this issue is to change the configuration of Lenape. How is that going to help the current problem? The fact is Mr. Markilinski that each student who comes to Lenape in 11th. grade comes with his/her records from their home school. What you allude to is that within a matter of 6-7 months, you feel that Lenape should pick up the slack of what a student has learned from the time they took their last PSSA test- in 8th. grade. As an educator myself ( and not in this district or any other sending school district)I know that what you see as a problem, is not possible to resolve in such a short period of time. Rather than putting the focus on Lenape and poor test scores, why not look at the entire district to see where the problems stem from. Perhaps you should start researching the best curriculum for our students, look at how teaching strategies can enhance the learning of our students. Do you realize that there are schools in this district that don’t even have science labs? Why not concentrate your efforts on how we can make improvements within our school system- rather than picking on one? You talk about the politics of administration, but isn’t there a bit of politics going on within the school board? You want honesty and that’s great- everyone in this district wants that. I don’t want slanted views, I don’t want personal vendetta’s. I want what is truly best for the school district.
If God truly did keep you on this earth to do good- then do good. Don’t let him down.
By rudytuesday, February 26, 2010 @ 8:46 AM
Further, how can you say that the ASD has failed as a whole for the past two years.
http://paayp.emetric.net/District/SchoolList/c3/128030852
The Dept. of Education site clearly shows that only two schools were issued warnings:
Elderton JSHS – in Math in the economically disadvantaged students category.
Kittanning Area JHS – in Reading for the IEP Special Education students category.
How is the whole, entire school district failing?
By scott_starr, February 26, 2010 @ 9:02 AM
MJM:
check out the definition of Gerrymandering.What was proposed is not gerrymandering.
Second, the Maps presented were acutally very fair 3 directors, 3 regions with about 14,000 people in each region. What’s not fair about that? OR is it too fair where there will actually be a functional school board? We can’t have a board working together for our kids now can we.
As for your boyfriend Solak, I’ve never witnessed a more vile, hateful person in the public eye. He’s run more smear campaigns that a peanutbutter adverstiser. Solak is very good at playing the victim, his M.O. is very simple, accuse people of doing things that you yourself are doing.
Even worse, I’ve never witnessed an educator, espcially in the “college” realm be so anti-education, frankly it’s disgusting.
The lies are coming from the schoolboard, and they are being exposed.
Now, help me out on your closing statement, are you comparing your recovery as being the second coming?
I am happy for your physical recovery, but these delusions of grandeur must stop.
By Jen16226, February 26, 2010 @ 9:05 AM
Furthermore I think the redistricting of the voting districts is an excellent idea and should have been done quite some time ago…..Yes the whole issue with Elderton perhaps made some people realize the inequities in the voting and put them to action, but better late than never.
By scott_starr, February 26, 2010 @ 9:08 AM
Also anyone reading this, following are the surprised MJM wants to institute:
1. Closure of Kittanning JR. High.
2. Beating down of Supt. Kerr so they can bring in some community school neanderthal.
3. Revamping the Articles of Agreement for Lenape Vo-Tech ( we need to disband a program that is working)
4. Closing of Kittanning Township to create the “Elderton Super School” ( I guess it’s only a super school if located in Kittg. or FC, not Elderton).
What else have I missed MJM?
By Thomas Close, February 26, 2010 @ 11:39 AM
Saving money and cutting costs is the ides of running an efficient system,not raising taxes.
What will the ASD do after Elderton is reopened, and renovated, or a new building erected, and a few years (very few) find that there are not enough students to pay to keep it in operation. This will be the time for the closing (for sure) of Kittanning Twp. and Dayton Elem. cutting costs by closing two more schools, sending students to Elderton,where a superschool is in progress.
The plan that six of the ASD Directors are most fearfull of.
The closing of Elderton was to save money and it did and would have continued for uears to come . The same as when Ford City was brought to Kittanning. If left that way in a few years there would have been a superschool built, where students would be atteinding to this day.
BUT! No working together then, and no working together now ! ! !!
By rfullerton, February 26, 2010 @ 11:59 AM
Scott:
You are absolutely correct in what you have listed as what MJM wants:
He has told people that “if Kittanning wants a school closed, they will get a school closed, KJHS”.
Rumor is that the board is not replacing Larry Robb or Frank Garritano and there will be no one to assume the duties that Rick Burns is currently filling. This will put even more duties on the principals who are rarely in their buildings doing “what principals are really supposed to be doing in the first place” now. Thus resulting in less attention on our students.
By rfullerton, February 26, 2010 @ 12:14 PM
Scott:(continued from my above comments)
MJM has also put in writing that the board is looking into a legal way to recind the articles of agreement that were written as a contract to allow all schools vested in Lenape Tech equal say in what happens there. He,Solak, Smeltzer and Stitt want Lenape 1/2 time regardless of how Solak and Smeltzer voted at the JOC meeting. That was very obvious by how they behaved and what they said at the ASD board meeting on Monday evening.
Solak has now completely duped Rose Stitt and the residents of KT because his current agenda is to close KT for one reason only…to boost the numbers in the elementary at Elderton so they will be able to use Elderton’s entire k-12 population in the state justification for reimbursement on the High School renovation.
Since the two (elem & HS) are already attached, the state allows you to use the combined enrollment in your justification (PLANCON) documents.
They don’t care about the residents of KT and have sold them down the river now for the benefit of Elderton.
As it stands currently there are not enough students for the reopening of Elderton to “look” cost effective. Hence the closing of KT and the 1/2 Lenape to boost numbers.
Yassem and Monroe are just puppets who are NOT representing their regions whatsoever. Ms. Yassem will not even return emails from her constituents nor will she take phone calls. Actually she almost missed her cue from Solak at the last board meeting. He had to say twice that he was “waiting for comments from other board members” on changing the attendance lines before voting. On the second try she was a bit flustered but finally uttered “my region want the attendance lines back the way they were”. How would she know this if she doesn’t communicate with her region at all???
Monroe???? What do you really think? You never say a word and always vote with Solak? Do you even know what the people of Rural Valley, Cowanshannock, Smicksburg and West Mahoning reallly want? Do you even know where these places are?
PEOPLE WAKE UP! Can we PLEASE vote in a MATURE and RESPONSIBLE school board with no private agendas?!
By asdtaxpayer, February 26, 2010 @ 3:14 PM
Mr. Markilinski how much time did it take for you to make your decision on the reopening of Elderton?
I really do not understand your way of thinking.
It seems you are anti everything.
Full of surprises?? Really?? I actually am not surprised at anything you say or do. You crave attention and you are getting it right now.
I actually find you entertaining.
By Mike Fichthorn, February 26, 2010 @ 5:24 PM
You really need to stop. I almost choked on my dinner while reading your column. HONESTY???
Did they not teach you what this word meant at Skater U.??
Is it honest to “represent Manor Township yet live in Canonsburg with your girlfriend?
From Feb 5-15 you had 3 feet of snow in your driveway.
When you pull up her address in Google Maps, and if you click on street view, your truck is actually parked in the driveway.
You certainly talk the talk..Walk the walk. Step down. You don’t live here. You should have no say in how our tax dollars are spent.
You’d think someone who had a near death experience would have a different outlook on life..instead of putting others down and being so shady.
It is rather valiant how you stepped in while Little Jimmy Solak was being bullied. perhaps you should walk him around the IUP campus so he’s not scared there either..What a joke.
By elderman, February 26, 2010 @ 6:19 PM
Response to rfullerton: You are wrong in your posting that “the articles of agreement were written as a contract to allow all schools vested in Lenape Tech equal say in what happens there.” ASD currently has 3 votes on the JOC and the other 3 schools each have 2 votes so it was never intended that all schools should have an equal say. If Mr. Markilinski can find a way to revise the articles of agreement to better reflect ASD participation in Lenape in regard to number/percentage of students and cost, the ASD taxpayers should laud his efforts. I say this because ASD sends 75% of Lenape’s students but currently has only the aforementioned 3 JOC votes which come to only 33% of the voting rights. To have representation commensurate with our participation and expense, we should have seven votes on the JOC. I join all ASD taxpayers in hoping that Mr. Markilinski and the remainder of the ASD board are successful in righting this injustice. Hopefully rfullerton, you will see the wisdom of this and join us.
Ultimately, the ASD board, not the rumor mill will decide if Assistant Superintendent Mr. Robb and Assistant Superintendent Mr. Garritano are replaced. I think everyone realizes that the administration had become too large and that wisely making cuts now will help insure that our taxes do not rise. In regard to Mr. Burns, the job that he is now assigned was originally a title one position that was not paid for with ASD funds. When the position was created, it was originally held by Mr. Robb, but when he left to pursue a position in another school district, it sat unfilled for 18 months until Mr. Burns was freed from WSHS and awarded the position. In the interim, the title one funds were eliminated so ASD now funds the position. I think it should be clear to everyone that if a position was vacant for 18 months, the position is unneeded and should not be funded with ASD taxpayer dollars.
And finally rfullerton, you have again chosen to attack Ms. Sara Yassem. You misquoted what she said at the last ASD board meeting in regard to her communications with her constituents with your version making it seem that she is not responsive to the people in her district. You are being misleading in your posting both by what you say and what you do not say. By what you do not say, I mean that you, to be fair, should openly state after these numerous attacks that Ms. Yassem was the ASD board member who defeated your husband in the recent election for the ASD board. She was the one who stated that she thought the contract awarded ASD teachers was excessive. Has it occurred to you that people may view your attacks from a different perspective and find them less palatable if they knew that you are an ASD teacher and that your husband was defeated by Ms. Yassem. Relax, your teaching contract is safe for an extended time and if your husband wants to run for the school board in the future, please wait until then to unleash your smear campaign, doing so now detracts from the real business at hand.
By ToddLuke, February 26, 2010 @ 11:03 PM
@ Elderman and Rfullerton
Actually you are both incorrect. The 36 member super board, consisting of all 9 board members from all four districts, votes on issues such as budget passing and election of the officers of the Joint Operating Committee at Lenape. For the purpose of policy and other issues, the JOC can vote without the 36 member board. As far as the articles of agreement, it clearly states that no changes can be made unless all four districts agree.
I still can not believe that for only a nickle on every ASD tax dollar, people still think Lenape is overpriced. I have said before that transportation is not efficient. At the ASD meeting, I believe it was reported that 65% of transportation is reimbursed. That means that approximately TWO MILLION DOLLARS has been wasted every year that transportation was not monitored. ASD has now hired a company in an effort to improve transportation efficiency and reimbursement.
By DANBOY, February 26, 2010 @ 11:53 PM
I wondered when you were going to respond.Roads must have been pretty bad on your way to Columbus.It amazes me how much you know of the inter workings of the ASD since we have been told you are not the individual we all think you are. I can honestly say I have never met anybody so hell bent on preventing progress. Has anybody out there contacted the Pennsylvania Department of Education and asked for help.
The SILENT MAJORITY has to continue to keep the pressure on. Tell your friends , relatives, coworkers and any one with common sense to get involved.Please come to the meeting at the Elderton gymnasium Monday evening at 7:00pm.
You have to be there to believe it.
By Jen16226, February 27, 2010 @ 8:03 AM
Elderman…..
Ok, if you do not want RFullerton to state the VERY obvious about Ms. Yassem, I will.
SHE DOES NOT RETURN EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS TO HER CONSTITUENTS!
Or anyone else in the district for that matter. I have had SEVERAL(that do live in her region) people tell me that they have called and emailed with no response. I, personally, have emailed ALL of the board members with questions, with no response from her, Dr. Solak, Mr. Monroe, Ms. Stitt or Mr. Smeltzer. MJM knows this to be true as he has seen these emails since he received tham as well. I certainly will give MJM credit, because he may not be on the same side as I am concerning many issues, but at least he has the common courtesy to respond to emails and to correspond with people even if they are not in his region.
By johnnymydear, February 27, 2010 @ 8:41 AM
Be true to the platfrom you ran on: I understand that you want the small community schools to stay open, but be honest, yes, that may mean higher taxes. Many people would be willing to pay higher taxes to keep their local schools, and many would also say buildings don’t make the educational system and you’re traveling down the wrong path . That’s fair! People move to communities all the time and know that their taxes will be high, but they feel the results of the educational system are worth it.
Don’t act as if you’re doing the right thing by reopening Elderton because you truly believe it is the correct route to take for everyone in the ASD area or even the people of Elderton. We know why you are doing it, you’re fighting for Elderton because you feel Ford City may be the next school to close, and you need as many supporters on your side as you can get. If it reopens, you just received some.
As for teachers pay, they have an investment of money and time, walk in there shoes for a year and tell me they don’t deserve $40,0000 while still paying off college loans at $200-$500/month. I taught for a few years and not only is it stressful, demanding, and everyone thinks they are your boss, now “NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND!” That’s realistic.
By reed619, February 27, 2010 @ 9:05 AM
In reply to Elderman..
If you are going to get personal with those who are brave enough to use their identity on this discussion board, stop hiding behind your alias. Most of us know your real identity, but out of respect for your family, we don’t bring them into the mudslinging. You stated in a previous post how you “want to remain anonymous” because you don’t wish to have any contact with those you admonish on here. It’s sad how you feel powerful and can say anything you want when you have your computer in front of you, but don’t have the guts to own up to anything you say in real life.
By reed619, February 27, 2010 @ 9:22 AM
And also to Elderman..
If you read the election results in the Leader Times, you’d remember that for Mr. Fullerton to throw his hat into the ring at the last minute, he had a very impressive number of write-in votes. I know many residents in that region who voted for him (family members of mine included)and if Mr. Fullerton had started on his campaign earlier in the year, I’m sure that he would have won by a landslide. Ms. Yassem and her opponent, Kelly Walker, had less than a couple dozen votes separating them so Ms. Yassem did not win by a large majority.
And I’m sorry, but I know for a fact that Ms Yassem does not return or acknowledge the majority of emails, phone calls, or letters from her constituents.
By rfullerton, February 27, 2010 @ 10:22 AM
Oh Elderman feeling a bit nervous are you?? Everyone knows that I am a teacher at KJHS and everyone knows that my husband works at Lenape Tech. Why would you assume they don’t. Unfortunately for you people DO know us and know the reasons we are concerned with the current state of the district so your trying to make me sound less credible is moot…try again, find something else to divert attention from the real matters at hand..you are unsuccessful here.
Fact:
By scott_starr, February 27, 2010 @ 10:29 AM
Elderman:
Are you then in favor or redrawing the district lines for school board representation? What’s the difference between Lenape and the ASD?
Should Kittanning, East Franklin and Manor TWP get more votes on the board because of their higher population?
Or should board representation be based on the number of students? In which case Kittanning would get 4 members, FC 2, West Shmakoin 2 and Elderton 1? That seems fair to me!!!!
You want the board chosen based on taxation?
And you attack Rfullerton? At least she is brave and candid enough to post with her real name, and not some made up handle.
It may be possible that Ms. Yassem was misquoted, sometimes it is difficult to understan what people say with gum in their mouth.
By rfullerton, February 27, 2010 @ 10:55 AM
Bill/Jim
Facts:
1. Ms. Yassem has yet to respond to an email that has been sent directly to her by myself, and by others that I KNOW (of course these are the people that didnot want her to vote to reopen Elderton). She will not get on the phone either, she has her husband tell constituents that she is not home…definitely working for the people out here. or perhaps she only wishes to communicate with those that have the same agenda as her and her “buds”.
2. Fact: Mr. Burns position is still mostly title 1 money (do a little research before you speak). He is responsible for crunching all of the numbers that our buildings use to aid in tutoring our students to get them up to PSSA passing and to give teachers the ability to help individual students who are struggling in math and reading (yes we look at each student individually). Along with these duties (which will now fall on the principals and stretch them even thinner) he is responsible for the ASD cyber school. This endeavor was started by Mr. Robb last year and has grown considerably in 1 year. However, if Mr.Robb is gone and Mr. Burns is reassigned we will lose the cyberschool. Taxpayers note: The ASD cyber school keeps our students and our tax dollars in the ASD district. With the loss of this the students will go back to outside cyber schools (like PA cyber) and we will lose those funds…thanks to the new school board and the “saving of Elderton”.
3. ASD already has a greater voting number on the JOC than the other schools. This was NEVER a problem with ASD until the “super 6″ wanted to annilihate a wonderful program to increase numbers at Elderton (elderman get over it EVERYONE knows that is the ONLY reason that mr. solak has flip flopped on his Lenape stance. We all know that he was solidly behind the full day program when Leechburg suggested the same thing but of course that was before there was a need to artificially boost Elderton numbers.
4. The new desire to close KT will do the same. KT people you “got used” by hero.
5. I can’t even speak to what was done to Dr. Garritano. It was unconscionable.
6. As far as not replacing administrators so our taxes won’t go up….BULL, not replacing them only saves a few dollars that you can then put toward elderton reopening so it APPEARS that it is not costing us as much as really is. (That along with stealing cleaning supplies for the other buildings in the district to clean elderton helps to give the “appearance” that elderton reopening isn’t costing as much as it really is). Our taxes are going up with this endeavor regardless of who you do or do not replace.
Public stay tuned to see if the board actually replaces some of the administrators. My guess NOT. But elderton will be cleaned and then renovated and given brand new computers for a very small fraction of total students in the district. The kids at KJHS will still suffer in a building where your tax dollars are literally going out the windows because the heat can’t be controlled properly and my kids have to have the windows wide open in the middle of February.
We (the teachers, students, principals) need those positions. Our district will suffer without people to properly perform those duties. Maybe they can find “super-adminstrator” who can do it all but I kinda doubt that person exists. Anyone with 1/2 a brain will get nowhere near ASD with the current board in place. Watch and see, the board will leave all of those duties on Dr. Kerr to try and force him out so they can bring in their own “puppet” superintendent. There have already been some names kicked around.
BTW: There is no doubt in my mind or anyone elses in the district that my husband would have won school board “hands down” if people had known he was running. Of course that was his fault for deciding 2 days before the election (after he found out the Ms. Yassem was represented by the Hero attorney).
Kinda scary huh elderman…the people know your game.
By rfullerton, February 27, 2010 @ 10:56 AM
BTW: If you check the poll in this paper for keeping Lenape as is………as to what the people in the district want………nuff said!
By rfullerton, February 27, 2010 @ 11:42 AM
Sorry: I forgot to address the threat that you are insinuating about my teaching position. I had a job before ASD and am well equipped to find another need be. Your bullying is not going to silence me. It may work on other teachers, administrators, and business owners but should I find myself unemployed I am certainly not afraid to wait tables until something else comes along. You and the “others” do not frighten me in the slightest. This is America and I believe that freedom of speech is one of our inalienable rights. Trust me I deal with bullies everyday and you are no better than the 7th grader who steals lunch money from some defenseless child. I,sir, am by no means defenseless.
Elderman: why so afraid to post on the ASD News to Use…afraid someone might find out your identity………cowardly.
By jfullerton, February 27, 2010 @ 11:57 AM
@Elderman:
By your way of thinking, then ASD should just take over Lenape Technical School since they send 75% of the students and pay 75% of the bill. Let’s add another school to the growing list of buildings. It can take the place of KT in the inventory of buildings. However, up until this point, Dr. Solak and his merry cast and crew had no intention or reason to take it over. They did not WANT to. Dr. Solak, standing in the administrative offices at Lenape and in the JOC meetings in his last stint on the JOC stated that he did not want the educational delivery style to change at Lenape. When I reminded him of this at an ASD board meeting, he pointed a finger at me and said “Not if it means closing one of OUR schools.” Excuse me, but if you are going to say that you pay 75% of the bills and send 75% of the students there, then it is YOUR school. Just like it is Apollo’s, Leechburg’s and Freeport’s school. And there was a chance for everyone to see what the Articles of Agreement were all about, but when the new board took over, it could not wait to get that off the table. Now that ASD is saying that it wants to challenge this in court makes them look absolutely foolish. And alright, let’s say that ASD gets 7 votes and that is allowed to happen. What happens if the board flips yet again and that board wants it to be a full day again? Will you call then for less representation?
It sounds like to me that the board does not want to support these students and their parents. So they truely are forgotten about once the leave the holy grail of WSHS, FC and Kittanning. I mean, all of these board members have gone to ICTC, but have they come to Lenape and walked around and see what these kids do on a day to day basis? Do they know what kind of students that are sent to Lenape? The current JOC president (Mr. Christy) said in a public meeting that he knows that they do not send the best and brightest from Freeport. So they do not have a clue in what they are talking about because they do not know a thing about the operation at Lenape, they just want to spout off numbers. I would think that you would even agree that someone should know the facts before they spout them out. Or maybe not.
Let me give you an example: Dr. Solak, in his berating of Mr. Brandenburg, asked if we need a principal at Lenape Tech and asked “What half day program has a director and a principal?” Please reference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4ea0KkXA3s and move to the 3:00 mark. Perhaps if he would pay attention on one of his visits to ICTC, he would know that there is a director and a principal. (Carol Fry and Jim Thimons) There is a principal at Butler Vo-Tech, Central Westmoreland, Lehigh, Berks, Parkway West, Eastern Westmoreland, and I could go on and on. But let’s not have facts get in the way of a good arguement. Futhermore (to use Dr. Solak’s term) if he was truely looking out for the taxpayer in Armstrong County, he would advocate keeping Elderton closed AND making Lenape half time. It would save the taxpayes in excess of 4 million dollars. (his calculations of the 2 million it would save the ASD taxpayers if Lenape was half time and priced the same as other half time vo-techs) But we do not hear that coming out of his mouth now do we?
Mr. Brown spoke on Monday that students do not get to participate in activities in their home schools. Again, why speak to the truth when you can add propoganda to the mix. All students can participate in their home school activities. We have students that are in the band, play sports in chorus and such. And please do not even state that they would get to take electives in their home schools. With emphasis on math, science, social studies and English, there is not time for any electives with the exception of gym.
If Dr. Solak wants a true study done, then he needs to not only make it a cost issue, but a logistical issue as well. What would a schedule look like? How long is the travel time? Many questions, so few answers. But again, all we are focused on is money. And let’s bring up the test scores. Much has been made up of the test scores. So do you really think that it is a good idea that students that are not prepared when they enter Lenape Tech should be on a bus to go back and forth to their home schools and lose valuable instructional time? What price do you put on that? And if he wants a cost analysis of other half time vo-techs, perhaps he should realize that you have to take into account the programs they run, the equipment that they have, partnerships with industry in the area, teacher contracts and so on and so on. This is just not something that can be done quickly, unless he wants to hire a firm to do yet another study and keep doing one until he gets the numbers he wants to hear. He also mentions that so many other schools are half day. He is true. But to borrow a line of his agian in his berating of Mr. Brandenburg, has he asked how many of those tech schools and school districts would rather have a full day tech? No, probably not, since he would not like to hear the answer.
Getting back to Adminstation cuts so that are taxes do not rise. So we will save a what, a few hundred thousand dollars but cutting 2 Assistant Superintendents, but yet it is alrght to spend millions on a building that will not support the number of students in the area? And now, because of the cut of Mr. Burns, he will cost the district 100% of salary and benefits as opposed to 20% that he costs now. No savings there, it is simple math.
And yes Elderman, Ms. Yassem defeated me in the election. No secret there. However, has she spoken to constituents that do not agree with her position? Nope, has not done that. And that is a shame because she is an elected official, she should have to answer to everyone. You mention a smear campaign detracts from the real issue at hand. So tell me what the spouting of test scores does. Yes, they are the scores, but has anyone, ANYONE on that board sat and asked how they could get that way? Does anyone want to know the curricular changes that each district has done? I have not heard that at any meeting. No you talk about a smear campaign, what about your boy calling Lenape “Skater U?” So if you are going to call my wife out because she does not agree with your position, also point out the other side. To do otherwise damages what credibilty that you have.
And I am also an employee of Lenape Tech, no secret there either. You are the one that called on the moderator to protect you and the one that wants to hide his/her identity. I will be happy to have a civil and meaningful debate with you over this issue. Why don’t you come to Lenape, visit for a little while. I will take you on a tour, buy you lunch prepared by the “Skaters” in our Culinary Arts department and allow you to form your own opinions of what happens there? If you leave and still are not impressed, we can then shake hands like gentleman and agree to disagree. But at least walk through the building and see for yourself what happenes there and not take the word of someone else. I will not hold my breath waiting for you to call.
That is the problem with this whole situation Elderman, it has gotten personal, from all sides. And that is not what this issue needs. It needs cooler heads to prevail and come up with a plan to promote growth in this district. We need to look 5-10 years down the road instead of 5-10 minutes.
My offer is there Elderman. Will you take it? I am waiting….
By Ruscoe, February 27, 2010 @ 12:40 PM
jfullerton: I would ask the same thing from you that I have asked of others. Do you know the history here of the factions associated with the ASD school board?
I agree with several of your points, especially the last couple of paragraphs. There needs to be civil debate on these issues. But, when calling for this civil debate, we need to point at both sides involved.
The reason I asked for your knowledge on the district is that your director is not the first board member to shy away from public debate. Seriously, we have had other officials who mocked their own constituency when taking office from their other side of the debate. This point about unresponsive officials is historic in nature and is not something new.
The names and faces have changed, but the battle has not. It has been raging on for over 40 years, seriously.
I agree with your assessment of the current state of affairs. Both sides of the debate need to push themselves away from the challenge of being more dominant and think instead of how to work collectively together. Until this occurs, we will not see any new developments for the ASD. The world is made up of give-and-take scenarios. We do this everyday in life. Both sides need to see that “their” course may not be the only course or the correct course. Both sides are trying to impose their will on others who do not agree with their philosophy. I understand we cannot make everybody happy all the time, but we need a commitment to be fair and the respect to listen and respond to others, because with that, you will always have discord and upset people. BOTH sides have been guilty of this over the last few years and it is getting worse.
The people need to tell all directors to take a deep breath and get to work on wothwhile and substantive discussions and to remove the rhetoric and to deal with the issues with an open mind.
By rfullerton, February 27, 2010 @ 2:12 PM
ToddLuke:
Thanks for the clarification Mr. Luke. I will be the first to admit I do not completely understand the ins and outs of the agreements with Lenape Tech. I think it is very important for the public to understand all of this so they can see what is really happening. Did you notice that the saving by making Lenape 1/2 is equivalent to the savings tha would have been had by keeping Elderton closed….are we exchangin one for the other??? At what cost??? Lenape serves far more students than does Elderton.
By scott_starr, February 27, 2010 @ 2:58 PM
@ruscoe:
Please explain history of the factions. I grew up here and I still don’t get it.
I will say this much, it’s not much different in other places, the issue is that while others have moved ahead, we are still stuck in the 1960′s.
By elderman, February 28, 2010 @ 12:29 AM
Reply to r fullertin: BTW Your husband filed his failed bid to get on the ballot for ASD Region 1 director on Aug. 3. 2009. The election was held on Nov. 3, 2009. That is slightly more than 2 days and attempting to get on the ballot is curious behavior for someone who has not decided to run????????? Additionally, he was quoted in a Leader Times article written by P. Shuster about his write in campaign and that article was dated Saturday, Oct. 31 so the info had to have been gathered prior to Saturday. This also exceeds the two days and again would be odd behavior for someone who had not decided to run. Hmmmmmmm.
By H C, February 28, 2010 @ 7:10 AM
You talk about applying honesty to education but what is really needed is to apply honesty to politics. It’s like beating a dead horse to remind everyone that the job description of a Public Servant is to serve and represent the voting district which elected him. You are honest to admit that you ran for office with the intention of helping a friend. On a personal level that may appear to be noble and admirable. Actually, in your position, the idea is misguided. It indicates that a personal friendship is more important than understanding and representing the will of the people who elected you. Who do you represent? Obviously, you are representing yourself and a friend. Public servants are not supposed to put their self-interests above those who elect them.
I congratulate you for taking advantage of a political opportunity that did not involve any promises on your part or scrutiny by the voters. Had you been honest when you ran for School Board and openly stated that you (1) don’t intend to represent your constituents (2) you intended to begin an attack on Lenape Tech and (3) you would reopen a closed school without a feasibility study being conducted, you would not have skated through the election process unopposed and unquestioned.
I don’t claim to speak for God but I can speculate. Maybe the reason the God saved you was not for the purpose of saving or destroying schools. Possibly, you have been granted this position to demonstrate that we, the voters, must never again take for granted our God-Given Right of voting. People must vote and each vote must be an informed vote. We, as voters, are painfully being taught that we should ask more questions of our candidates and take a much more active role in how our communities are governed. The lesson for School Board Members may be that Humility is a virtue and Pride is one of those seven deadly sins.
A person whom I hold very dear to me would not let me print my original comments. She recommended that we focus our efforts on maintaining the integrity of Lenape Tech without sacrificing our own integrity. Personal attacks, whether launched by school board members or private citizens, does nothing to solve the issue but serves as roadblocks to the give-and-take of ideas. The issue at hand is that educational results are transparent whereas political motives are not. Will anyone address the issue of Honesty in Politics? We won’t be fooled again.
By Mike Fichthorn, February 28, 2010 @ 6:40 PM
HONESTY…Like using one of the Ford City ambulance Care Vans to move your niece to college?? Yes people. Your subscription money was used for gas money to move a college student.
I’m sure that’s small peanuts compared to what else is going on down there.
Solak and Markilinski both have businesses in Ford City. Perhaps Little Jimmy is worried that if FCHS closes down, his wife’s dance academy will lose students.. Markilinski’s limo business wouldn’t have FCHS students to take to proms and Christmas dances.
Does Choncek, Rearic or Close have a business they’re trying to protect? No.
Let’s make Lenape a half day program…screw with success so we can re-open Elderton..with little interest of the former students and a tax increase.
Is it any wonder Mothman was filmed here?? We are stuck in 1960. HONESTY…Walk the walk..for once!!!
By scott_starr, February 28, 2010 @ 6:55 PM
@feldermann:
I’m asking you kindly if you will answer my question.
If adding ASD Members to the JOC board should happen because, after all we are 75% of the school.
This it logically follows that you are for the proposal to redraw the districts in the ASD?
Correct?
By ToddLuke, February 28, 2010 @ 7:44 PM
@ rfullerton.
You are welcome for the clarification.
I also find it very interesting that in this entire blog nothing has been said about being wise stewards of the money that we have. Is this school board doing everything possible to get the biggest bang for the buck. There are many consortiums out there to maximize savings.
By ToddLuke, February 28, 2010 @ 7:51 PM
I think everyone here needs to take a step back and examine what is happening on this blog. There are many people that are doing nothing more that attacking each other and determining some sort of pecking order. This is a waste of time and energy.
Let’s stop talking about others and start talking about solutions to the problem.
It is 2010: Fact
There should be data available to support every decision that needs made in regard to education and Armstrong County.
We should be using data to make informed decisions not twisting the data to meet out needs.
Data can tell two stories but it does not lie. If the data is presented, you should work together to find the truth.
Albert Einstein said “Insanity is the belief that one can get different results by doing the same thing.”
Let’s solve problems.
By admin, February 28, 2010 @ 8:07 PM
We agree, Todd. I would like to see the blog stay on topic… rather than get off into other areas from other articles or columns. Comment on the topics given in the article or column. Bringing up new topics not contained in the article or column (such as where Mr. Markilinski resides) is not part of this topic. I know you are lumping it with the “honesty” portion of the article, but remember it says “Honesty in Education!” Using ambulance crew or equipment inappropriately is not on topic. There are other venues to bring such accusations… mainly his employer or the school board solicitor.
By Mike Fichthorn, February 28, 2010 @ 8:40 PM
Admin,
That is your opinion. I’m sure others ARE interested in where Mr. Markilinksi lives. If he’s going to buy space in a local paper and preach about honesty.. Then it most certainly pertains to the subject that he wouldn’t know honesty if it bit him in the backside.
The same thing with illegal use of ambulance equipment. DISHONESTY.
I’m sure you don’t want to offend him since he’s buying space in your paper but give me a break.
He and Solak are doing shady things left and right.. It needs to be addressed so everyone can see that they have an agenda and NOT the best interests of the taxpayers or the students.
By Jen16226, February 28, 2010 @ 9:29 PM
Let’s get back on track….I agree.
This morning in Church, my Pastor(shout out to Pastor Dave Blevins!!!!) gave a wonderful analogy that as soon as he said it, my immediate thought was everything we have ALL been posting about for the past couple of months.
Sometimes you can tell people there it is snowing and they will just refuse to see the truth in that. There can be a foot on the ground, everything white, flakes hitting you and people will STILL say there is no snow.
There are facts on paper, facts in media, facts on video and facts on websites. When people read these facts, they can choose to read the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or they can take what they like and leave the rest.
By rfullerton, February 28, 2010 @ 10:03 PM
Sorry admin/sorry Todd but jim has posed a question that I just finally have to answer….Mr. Fullerton was not going to run for the school board after he realized that he forgot to file a paper with the district and the court had to reject his bid. (you guys should have stopped there). He also realized he would have to resign from borough council and did not want to do that either. At that point he wasn’t running and then, low and behold, a legal document prepared by HERO’s attorney arrived at our home telling us that Sara Yassem was challenging his bid (yes Ms. Yassem is represented by the hero attorney)…he had already decided not to run….interesting though how Yassem’s attorney is Hero’s. Stitt and Smeltzer are also members of hero (don’t waste your time denying that I have an official paper printed by hero that has both Smeltzer and Stitt (along with their titles of ASD school board directors)listed as contributors to their organization…talk about honesty in education…3 board members supported/involved with hero…can you say “conflict of interest”. Anyway, back to the story at hand, at that point my husband decided to run again but after talking (and talking and talking) with various people they convinced him that he didn’t want that headache and abuse as a school board director so again he decided not to run. THEN wonderful Ms. Grafton wrote a nastygram in the horse trader bashing him again. This in turn ended up as free publicity for him in the Leader Times. Publicity that he didn’t spend a dime for (Thanks Yassem, Grafton, and hero). At that point LT called for an interview and he said absolutely he was running…and then 2 nights before the election he decided to actually do it….amazing that HERO had people at the polls in full force…we got quite a laugh about that (must have scared them). He ended up with like 16% of the votes with absolutely no money nor time spent on the election….Imagine if he had campaigned or if he had done his paper work correctly….bye bye yassem………..The moral to the story..let sleeping dogs lie…ya’ll should have left him alone. Now look what you have done…again forced more negative publicity against the school board and their collusion with hero. Looks like people all of the district are now waking up and smelling the coffee.
By ToddLuke, February 28, 2010 @ 10:49 PM
@ admin.
I think that “Honesty in Education” may just come back to bite some people.
“If you have nothing to hide, hide nothing”. Dr. Phil
It usually all comes out in the end.
Only one perfect person was ever here, last I heard, they nailed him to a cross.
By crom44, March 1, 2010 @ 2:00 AM
Mr. Markilinski,
You ended you commentary with these words,
“Several years ago I almost died from a very rare infection. Almost every doctor at West Penn told me that I should have died. I had Last Rites and I waited. But God did not call me home.
So there must have been some reason; A very big reason. Walk with a good heart and you will run with success. Honesty”
Do you really feel that way? Do you really approach life that way? Do you approach your duties as an Armstrong School District Director with that mantra in place? Have you represented your constituents with, “A good heart?” I have many questions to ask you and I am more than willing to have this conversation in the form of e-mail.
My first question is why did you answer the young lady’s e-mail the way that you did? I am an educator and I see absolutely no value in how you handled the situation. I was at the board meeting that night and I saw you mockingly raise your hands in victory when another board member stated that the person responsible should admit it and apologize. It seems to me that you could have taken time to explain what you meant by your comment about how her feelings would be should someone try to close KHS. She was kind enoough to not mention you by name yet you mocked her.
You seem to have some religious convictions yet you seemed quite pleased with yourself, not so much because of the comment to the student but just because you could be that way. I am in no way perfect but it seems to me that if you are going to be the one who brings religion into the conversation then you should walk the walk and not merely talk the talk.
Next I would like to discuss your comments regarding Lenape not making AYP. As a an educator with a M.A.Ed. Specializing n Curriculum and Instruction, I recognize the facts regarding the scores. Several others have commented but I would like you to answer this question; How can you blame Lenape Vocational-Technical School for those scores? If makes no sense to me whatsoever. Those students have been at their home schools from K-10. I fail to see how that directly correlates to the performance of the students who take the PSSA Exams while attending Lenape. That would be just like a paramedic failing their ALS course after working for Ford City Ambulance Service for 6 months and then turning around and blaming you for their failure.
All I want as a tax payer in this district is to have answers to valid questions. There maybe an easy way out for you inthat statement by claiming my questioins aren’t valid but they are valid to me and also to a lot of other ASD tax payers. BTW as a person who has undergone two kidney transplants I too fully understand having a second, and third chance to do the right things in life. As I said at the meeting that night; Stop playing petty politics and do what is right for all the students in the Armstrong School District.
And remember this the next time you try incorporate religion into your act, in WWJD the J stands for Jesus, NOT Jim Solak.
Regards,
By futureconcened, March 1, 2010 @ 3:33 AM
This is Ms. Grafton – since I’ve been called out – I will comment. Apologies to Mr. Croyle – I may jump across topics here.
As those of you involved in HERC already know, I have been monitoring the debate on all sites except for ASD – News to Use. That site has too much hate speech from a former school board director for me. This same director was listed as a Committee member when Mr. Fullerton filed his petition. Mr. Fullerton, I don’t know you, you seem to be a very intelligent man from your postings. But I could not allow your association with the former school board director to go unnoticed. You will agree that I only stated that he was on your petition and that we could expect you to carry on his views. The voters needed to be informed who was supporting you. If they liked the way things were going, then by all means vote for you. As HERO stated on our webpage – we support candidates that support community schools. That was never hidden – it was right there, bullet number 13.
I must say, I’ve been disappointed by the tone these debates have taken. All opinions disserve to be heard. And with the situation facing our schools and county – all options should be open to debate.
I have talked with Mr. Markilinski. He words his articles to entice this debate. Am I pleased with his approach? Not really – but he gets his debate.
When I first attended the HERO meeting in my township and heard about some of the things that had been going on in this district, I was skeptical. Being raised in North Buffalo Township and attending Kittanning High School, I could not imagine that the school board was operating as was being described. Then I started attending meetings. Like all of you, I assumed that the public would be allowed to participate. Well, I found out in short order that that was not the case. I say this because, like you, I had been negligent in my participation in the process. Oh, I always voted, but like you, I did not know what the candidates stood for and I assumed that the district provided accurate information by which the school board made decisions. Silly me, I never really considered that it was a very political body, in both the school board and the administration and even linked to the County. I assumed that decisions were made considering what was best for ALL the students and parents.
I know that you all consider the closing of Elderton High as a money issue. I don’t see it that way. Our area has some hard feelings that extend beyond the school district. As long as we had our school, we could overlook the slights made by the County Commissioners in the inequality with which they distribute Economic Development funds. The majority of the funds go for development in the Kittanning Area. Instead we considered ourselves as being in line for development coming from Indiana County which is rapidly moving in our direction. Keeping our school open makes it more likely that the spread of home building could make it across the Armstrong County line. Take a trip to Indiana, look to your left as you get near the YMCA. Those are Townhouses, privately owned along with rentals.
Our community has many single parent families, as well as many two income families. These people bought their homes knowing that their children would attend Elderton Schools. They choose their location based on their ability to travel to their jobs and also meet the needs of their children. They had the ability to allow their children to participate in school activities because their school was within their path of travel. They depend on their extended family for child care.
The location of West Shamokin High School is not in the travel path of the majority of our residents. You say, we’re rural, we should expect to travel. We do – to our jobs.
You say you don’t want to pay for our school – but refuse to acknowledge that our taxes have provided some very nice elementary buildings for ASD – but not for us! Do you not understand how insulting that is? It’s like saying – you’re not good enough.
Were all other options considered before the 5 school board members imposed their will over the other 4? If we believed that they did, this story may be different. They did not. They left the Kittanning Jr. High open with a very low occupancy. As I don’t have the exact figure, I won’t put one in here so it can be picked apart. But there were other options out there! Selling the Administration Building should have been done before closing Elderton was even considered.
You cannot compare ASD to any other district. The physical size makes some special considerations necessary. The current board majority is being berated while they are taking care of items that have long been neglected. Let’s take away the Elderton reopening and look at what they are addressing. They are hiring a consultant to look at the entire district to form a busing plan that will maximize savings and reimbursement. HERO submitted that suggestion and it was brought before the school board by Mr. Brandenberg, I think in Nov. We are leaving money on the table in state reimbursements. I will say that when we asked for the reimbursement amount – the district gave a much higher percentage that they acknowledged later.
The Lenape issue – I don’t want to go there. But, since the JOC determined that they want to look at a hybrid program, ASD must address the issue of our contribution. That program has never been offered. It must be determined if the old agreement on how costs are split does not put an unfair burden on ASD. Though you seek to connect it to Elderton, the issue of a half day program was forced by Leechburg and Freeport. They made it an issue, so ASD must look at where that puts ASD. It’s a business issue. Do you want ASD to foot the entire added cost of providing a hybrid program? Regardless of how this may effect the reopening of Elderton – ASD must know the costs.
You may have missed that this board is negotiating with Family Life TV to do live broadcast of the school board meetings. This is long overdue. Family Life has the ability to put the meetings on the Internet as video on demand for those of us without access to cable.
There is one issue I do stand firm on – Elderton High School needs to be reopened. It is a K-12 building – so it can’t be fully closed in any case.
One last item – I don’t share the pessimistic view of Armstrong County’s future. Yes our population is aging – me too. But that also means that properties will be available for new residents to buy affordable housing. If the County Commissioners market that affordability and the safety of our communities, we could see growth coming our way.
Please heed the call for a change in tone. This is all I am going to say – I’ll continue to read your comments, so comment away.
By concerned citizen, March 1, 2010 @ 7:49 AM
Ms Grafton,
Thank you for your post. I’m sure you’ll be blasted and your comments will be picked apart, but you have brought several valid arguements to a very pro “close EHS” message board that are actually pertinent to the debate as opposed to name calling and personal shots.
It does seem that anything this current board does gets a negative response from the People for Progess. I even notice complaints on decisions to close the schools due to snow. Really?
Every decision should be looked at independently, regardless of which side you stand on. Look at the data and evaluate your opinion based on those facts. Each decision does not relate back to closing schools.
As for the comments about MJM using the ambulance to move a neice into college, I believe MJM and his brother own the FC Ambulance service, so he can do what he wants with HIS vehicles.
By Jen16226, March 1, 2010 @ 11:24 AM
FC…….
Since you are involved with hero, perhaps you have an answer to this question that I had asked a week or so ago on here and never received a response.
Did anyone from hero look into the possiblity of EHS becoming a charter school? There is different funding involved on alot of levels with that. In addition, depending on what concentration it could go in, people from different areas could be interested. That way, you would have the community school that your area craves, and perhaps more.
As to the County Commissioners, your area is not the only one neglected by them, that is for sure. Look at the mess that just happened with the company that was supposed to move into the old PPG building in FC.
Furthermore…..it looks like we have something else in common that has been thrown up at me as well…..coming into the party late. Where you lived here your whole life though, I did not. And I still do not know who is in bed with whom on ALOT of different Governmental levels, but again, that is where reading things and forming your own opinion is so important.
Everyone may not agree on things 100%, but that’s alright too.
By rudytuesday, March 1, 2010 @ 11:27 AM
CC,
How do you know who belongs to PFP? I don’t belong to that organization and have no clue as to who is on that organization except for a few people and I have not seen them comment on here. Please tell me, who is on PFP that comments here? I’m not being smart, I am truly curious.
By Jen16226, March 1, 2010 @ 1:30 PM
CC……..
I think part of the problem with regard to people complaining about schol being closed has more to do with not realizing what the roads are like in different areas. I know I still don’t get it after almost 4 years here and unless you give me a good landmark, most likely I have not a clue where certain areas still are! LOL
You have to admit, our county is weird with the weather. It can be bright and sunny in Kittanning, but on the other side of 422 in Ford City, it is pouring rain.
By scott_starr, March 1, 2010 @ 3:58 PM
Ms. Grafton:
Here’s a surprise, I agree with many of your points.
1. Comissioners, I’m not sure what they are doing for Kittanning, but I agree it’s been even less for Elderton. What,for example, would the folks of Elderton want? If/when there is something specific let me know and I will be more than happy to write a letter or whatever to get county money to Elderton ( I am 100% serious).
2. The issue of County ignoring Elderton and The school must be separated, just my opinion. They are two differnt issues.
3.Kittanning Jr. HIgh, from the ASD website it’s running at 53% capacity. IT needs to be looked at, but what happens is people get riled up when the issue is “let’s see how kittanning likes their school being closed”. It makes it a personal issue when it is not. I’m not for keeping something in Kittanning, I want better schools.
4. ASD – The biggest problem is that there have been NO Objective criteria listed ( as far as I can see) when determining which of our 9 schools should be closed. Unfortunately at this point, we need a disinterested 3rd party to come in and make the determination without input from HERO, HERC or the ASD.
5. FLTV contract – did you know that ASD enough equipment where the district and the students could film this and other shows for a cable channel? The equipment is rotting because the municipalities can’t agree to even say “yes we want a cable channel for the students”.
6. I have data that home values are increased based on school test scores and the diversity of curricula. ( Test scores being SAT’s). If we bump up our curricula (tough to do with 9 schools), home values will go up. Worst case, our kids will be well educated.
Now here is where we disagree, why is looking at Lenape a “business issue” but Elderton not?
Why is a 5-4 vote an imposition of will and a 6-3 vote fair?
respectfully,
By asdtaxpayer2, March 1, 2010 @ 7:41 PM
Mike,
Mr. Solak is involved in two different schools in our county.
One pulls it’s students from the entire region.
One believes that small community schools are the way to go.
One competes at the NATIONAL level, and is always on top.
One can’t seem to break out of the middle of the pack.
You say our schools are horrible, they are.
Mr. Solak has been at the helm for 20 years, community schools have been in place for over 50.
It isn’t working.
Just think about it.
By Ruscoe, March 1, 2010 @ 8:18 PM
Good post, Scott.
I think many of us should be writing letters to the county, in general, because we have so many resources (county-owned) not being used. Slate Lick/Northpointe is a black eye for this entire county. I am not blaming any specific party or person, but why does it seem that this country is shut out from everything.
I also agree that the ASD and the county are two different animals to a point, but the county side of things has dropped so drastically over such a long-period of time that there has to be questions raised. Because of this lack of attention to detail, the ASD is a product of the failures at the county level. Look at even places like Clarion County, Indiana County, Butler County, etc. We are surrounded by some success stories in those areas, but not here in Armstrong.
I also agree, Scott, that there needs to be some objectives and some way to lock in a long-term plan with all parties involved. When any majority starts playing the back-door dealing or dominance roles, the whole process begins to be a lynchpin for feuding and disruption.
Good points. This would be something I think most everybody would be willing to participate in to move the district, the county and the region forward.
By asdtaxpayer2, March 2, 2010 @ 2:05 AM
The question is, do the majority of the residents of the county want to move forward? Or do they want things the way they are?
Once you know the answer to that question, you can make a plan and implement.
I think this question is the root of the problem.
By Jen16226, March 2, 2010 @ 9:39 AM
I think the bigger problem is the entire issue of Elderton HS has become an emotional one….
On the one hand, you have the people of Elderton who want a school in their community.
On the other hand, we have the problem with a potential tax increase.
Scott is absolutely correct in his statement that a uninterested third party should come in.
The problem there however, is who? I am quite sure that over the past how many years, hero has written and called everyone they can think of to get their voices heard. I also know that with recent events, others have called and written as well to anyone we could think of….I am one of them.
So really, who is even listening to ANY of us? THAT is something that we need to find out. THAT is something that perhaps could be a common ground for EVERYONE.
In addition, in all seriousness and without the “he/she is for my school” stuff…..how comfortable is everyone with the board that is up there now?
I will go first in this question…..
My feeling is this….a school board should not be handling finances. If they are going to do such a thing, there there should be requirements that go along with it such as being a CPA or a business owner. Someone who knows what what a P&L is, what a financial statement is, etc. The budget is not $8500, it is $85,000,000. That is alot of money and alot of responsibility.
Also, there should be teachers up there that are constantly looking into the best cirriculum for our kids and find a way to get those scores up. On that note(and I am sure there will be bashing on this), where has Solak helped the district? He IS a teacher, but I don’t see where he has tried to concentrate effort in that area. I am late to the party though, so maybe I missed something somewhere and if so, somebody link me to some docs to change my opinion of that.
By scott_starr, March 2, 2010 @ 9:39 AM
@Ruscoe:
Yes, sometimes the internet does not offer decent discourse, though it should.
Look, Armstrong has had many opportunities. Just recently in Ford City a company, providing 300 jobs didn’t locate here. I don’t know all of the details, so I can not say why, nor do I trust the reporting of our media outlets.
I’m still astounded that in Ford City, with prime realestate and a 10 year boom of building in the entire country we couldn’t get diddly squat to move here.
The ASD has been a failure because there is some underlying, territorrial animosities which I don’t understand. If there is ONE thing which can affect the entire County it is the ASD.
It’s much easier to get a business crazy enough to move to PA to go where there are good schools.
Seriously, think about Westinghouse, they went to Cranberry, why not Armstrong? It’s cheap, easy access to Rt. 28, they could have gotten a sweet-heart tax deal, they could have written their own ticket. Bringing 800 jobs to the county.
What is one thing Cranberry has that Armstrong doesnt?
By kwiss4, March 2, 2010 @ 10:43 AM
The thing these other school districts have that we don’t is a large concentration people in a smaller area. The rivalries in this area are something to look at,they are ingrained in the fabric that is the armstrong school district. I would like to know how much time is spent in prepping students for the pssa’s? Does anyone really believe it is an accurate accounting of how the students are performing?
By kwiss4, March 2, 2010 @ 10:58 AM
These other areas also have lot’s of shopping areas, entertainment, restaurant’s. We don’t even have a movie theater around here anymore. With all the land sitting empty around here why haven’t the powers that be tried to get a real mall in around here?
By futureconcened, March 2, 2010 @ 12:52 PM
Let’s list our problems in need of solution:
1. We need better schools to attract business
2. We need business (Jobs) to afford better schools
3. One side thinks that combining the schools will enhance competition and engagement for better learning through varied exchange of ideas.
4. One side thinks that the nurturing of smaller schools gives their children more individual attention
5. These two opposing views have produced a stagnant atmosphere in regard to the future plan of the ASD
I suggest that the answer lies in technology. There is a whole laundry list of computers and servers etc… for reopening of Elderton High School. I have NO Problem with spending money to enhance our technology district wide!
I’ve worked in the corporate world, yes driving to Pittsburgh daily. What we are facing in ASD is no different that what business tries to resolve daily. I ask you, how many teams have you been a part of to reduce costs and increase productivity? I’ll bet you’re all shaking your head, yes.
Companies can no longer afford the face to face sales or employee’s travel expenses to their own multiple production facilities. New technologies arose to allow face to face without travel. Video conferencing or Audio conferencing is the norm for most all business today. If you want to prepare our children for the real world – that’s the real world.
I suggest that our district use such technology to pool our students district-wide for classes that are seeing low participation within any individual school. This would allow the district’s students to interact, discuss, and challenge each other while preparing them for real world experience.
There are tools to bring us all together to provide affordable solutions to the educational needs of a wide range of student capabilities while allowing for each community to have what they need to keep their communities alive. Without strong communities, there will be no tax base to support ASD.
We all want the best education for our children, whether the child is advanced or in need of special help. We want our children to have the opportunity to participate in competition and in teamwork. As Scott said, if we listen to each other, we will find out that we have very similar views. There are some views where we may need to agree to disagree, but let’s set a good example for our children and respect each other’s right to their opinion. Differences in opinion when used constructively create innovation and progress.
By Jen16226, March 2, 2010 @ 1:30 PM
OK….more commenting on what “I” would like in a school board…….
At least someone with good, solid accounting experience(preferably a CPA so tax laws are covered), a teacher, definately a couple of Regular Joe’s that are willing to contribute in a worthwhile manner to discussion, and basically just good solid people that are not afraid to TALK TO THE TAXPAYERS.
Hold a town hall meeting every once in a while to sort of give a state of the district address if you are not going to answer questions at the meetings, maybe do more on the district website to answer questions or show what you are currently working on.
By smitty, March 2, 2010 @ 2:33 PM
I am new to these boards. I am also farly new to this area. Honestly, I am sorry I moved here. This school district is the worst. I would like someone to answer this: Every year my children are not being taught for two weeks prior to PSSA’s. Why do you need to teach the kids the PSSA’s? Shouldn’t it be taught all year long? Also, Why would you put money into reopening Elderton high school when it graduates roughly 35 kids a year. That IS the stupedest thing I have ever heard.Take that money and do open your idea of a “super school” Which actually would not be Super at all. I and my husband went to “SUPER” schools. We were on the school bus for almost 45 minutes evry day.We both feel we had a great education. We had evry oportunity to take almost any class we wanted. We chose what we wanted to take for gym class. That prepared us to go to college. Having 100 kids in a school is not preparing kids for anything. I graduated 586 kids and my husband had 976 kids graduate with us. If you combined all the schools in this district you would still be well below our numbers. This is year 2010..not 1950. It seems through my observations of this county is that most people think from the same brain. Let me know where the brain is located so I can blow it up. Where is the logic? Raise taxes, raise lunch costs to $2.10 a day, and open a school and sink all kinds ofmoney into it so it graduates 35 kids a year… Please, Please someone explain this stupidity…
By smitty, March 2, 2010 @ 3:12 PM
By the way..I think everyone is wasting their time. The district does not care what we say. They are like the fedral government they will do what their lil brains tell them.
By Ruscoe, March 2, 2010 @ 5:09 PM
Scott,
Another good post up above, but I cannot be totally sold on the school district as being the only reason or barrier. There has to be something bigger than the ASD (believe it or not) that is keeping business out of here. I have heard the rumors, but they will not be repeated because that just stirs up more hostility, but I do agree with you.
I would rather have the business growth here beofre doing any major overhauls with the school district. We may not have even hit bottom, yet, in relation to the exodus of the population.
These are some vital questions that need answered.
Plus, one business will actually promote the area to other businesses. We got all these industrial parks and empty spaces. That is mind-boggling. When I have brought former co-workers or business savvy people here to visit, they cannot believe that this area could not be marketed more successfuly. I spoke to one former associate on the phone the other day, and he agreed, your school system does play a part in the process, but it is very miniscule compared to other factors such as transportation, roadways/access, infrastructure, utilities to name a few. Businesses know that there usually will always be alternatives for their children when it comes to education, i.e. private/charter schools, cyber-schooling, etc. The school system is part of the gravy. The problem is we have an undesirable main dish, so the gravy does not matter at this point in time.
Bring in businesses and job growth and then shoot for the stars in regards to the school system. Doing this vice-versa could lead to a more profound depreesed region.
By kwiss4, March 2, 2010 @ 5:12 PM
No one says to them self “Hey thats a great school district lets move there and I or we will find jobs after we get there.” Jobs need to come first, and there has to be something attractive about the area. That is what will keep peole from leaving and maybe attract people to the area.
By Mike Fichthorn, March 2, 2010 @ 6:08 PM
Did everyone see where the 6’8″ basketball player from Elderton is choosing to remain at FCHS? I’m guessing most of the girls who played on the West Shamokin volleyball team who did so well will stay also..
Maybe we can save some money here…With the five or so kids in each class who will be coming back, maybe ASD can just rent a house in Elderton. That would cost $500 or so a month compared to the million or so it will cost to re-open and staff..
By Jan, March 2, 2010 @ 6:09 PM
I’d like to address a few things that future concerned made. While I agree with much of what you say, there is one area that I’m a little skeptic on. I’m not sure if you are alluding to using cyberspace as a classroom or not, but one thing is for sure- that doesn’t always work and I’ll explain why. First of all, you have various types of learners, and often times, technology used as a classroom is not conducive to these learners. Along with that, the IT in the schools is not always up to speed on correcting problems which occur during a tele-conference style classroom- hence, lost instructional time. Don’t get me wrong, I think that using technology for certain courses is relevant, but it can’t be used for all subject matters. While business has turned to technology to do business,it isn’t the total answer for education. What I like about how you wrote is you delivered a pratical view on what the problems are in this district, and one of my main concerns is whether the school board has a plan- let’s say a 5 year or 10 year plan for where they see this district heading. You can’t not run a business without a long range plan and that is exactly what this board is doing- they are like chickens with their heads cut off running in all directions trying to find a solution to nothing. You can not run a business, especially a big business without a plan. I suggest that people ask this question at a board meeting.
By scott_starr, March 2, 2010 @ 8:25 PM
@ruscoe:
The answer about the businesses not moving here is simple, and this is my opinion. The businesses currently here don’t want competition in wages, look who is on the (un)development board for the county.
If any business would come here paying $20/hr. the current folks wouls crap in their pants.
There are some great workers here and the business owners get a bargin on the wages.
By scott_starr, March 2, 2010 @ 8:42 PM
@kwiss:
When people look to buy homes, especially a young family planning to have kids, they look at the school district. It’s natural.
By scott_starr, March 2, 2010 @ 8:46 PM
@future:
Thanks for your post, I enjoyed reading it.
My decision is still out on technology. I can see where it would be very powerful, and I can see where it would be abused.
I stuggle on the technology issue.
By scott_starr, March 2, 2010 @ 8:48 PM
@ruscoe:
this is only my opinion,there are certain businesses here that don’t want a strong company to locate here, that means they would have to compete on wages.
Who wants to do that when you can get darn good workers on the cheap? ( relatively speaking).
Believe it or not many years ago Boeing, VW looked at this area, they decided on elsewhere. The businesses loved Lenape, but something else seemed to get in the way. I was too young at the time to understand.
By Jan, March 2, 2010 @ 8:52 PM
Mr. Markilinski,
Can you answer this question for me please. Can you tell me how the school district plans to pay back the pension plan fund? Having talked to state officials, they are telling me that this fund is going to come due by 2011-2012 and it’s going to be big. Have you, as a board determined how you are going to pay back this amt. of money? If I were in those shoes, I guess I’d have to tighten my belt in order to pay this, rather than spend money on a building that should not be re-opened— especially not now. Or, will the district pass this bill on to the taxpayers? I’d really love an answer to this question. Thank you.
By smitty, March 2, 2010 @ 9:11 PM
Goes along with that brain thing..where is it? My observation is that we have way to many older people that have grown up in these small towns. Nobody likes change. But believe me in this county change would be GREAT. No horses and buggies anymore. What ever happened to that mall they wanted to build in Worthington? That would have brought many jobs. Why does everyone want to keep things small around here? Movie rental place is going out of business now. What is next? There is NOTHING at all for kids to do around here… but these so called leaders will be the first to complain that the kids are on drugs… I am telling you..find that brain that a majority of people think from and some of the problems will be solved.
By rfullerton, March 2, 2010 @ 9:25 PM
FC: I think you have hit on something. Technology is key to enhance our schools. Every industry is technologically based in some way, yet we still have classrooms with little or no technology in them. Many of our classrooms do not even have white boards. The problem though, is that our technology department is not very large and they have to cover ALL of our buildings so you may be waiting quite awhile for attention to a technology issue that may be less significant than someone else’s issue. These people are stretched way to thin! Our cyber school, that was started last year and is still developing, is most likely going to be annihilated with the loss of Mr. Robb and Mr. Burns current positions..they head that department. Without them, there is no leadership or organization in the cyberschool, therefore the teachers that are a bit more technologically advanced will be at a loss and many will chose not to teach cyber courses. This in turn will cause our ASD cyberkids to look elsewhere to cyberclasses and we will in turn lose their money from our district and it will follow them to their choice of cyber school. The way to rectify this problem is to hire more technology personnel and spend our tax dollars wisely on technology (not on reopening obsolete buildings) for all the buildings not just one. All of the buildings, including WSHS are in need of technological attention. Obviously with the current economic climate of the district hiring more personnel is not possible. Therefore the only other choice is to decrease the amount of buildings (distances to travel) for our tech people so they may focus more on getting a smaller amount of buildings/students into this century.
We also have a TV station that is being sadly ignored. Instead of utilizing this and ehancing what we have, allowing our students to begin televising district events and such, we are outsourcing these things…seems sort of silly and counter productive educationally.
FC, if I read correctly, I think you are getting at some sort of long distance education between buildings. I believe the district has this capability to a limited extent but again we don’t have people trained in that sort of scenario nor do we have the equipment necessary to pursue the endeavor currently. We need to get our district up to speed first and then pursue such things.
By Ruscoe, March 2, 2010 @ 11:28 PM
Scott, you are onto something, and I just wish EVERYBODY on this board, both sides, would begin asking themselves the questions that we have been discussing concerning economic growth.
I am all in favor of a cheaper and more efficient school system. I think a better job growth environment would force the consolidation and newer schools to be built. I know that is hard to believe, but I truly believe that. When I offer that in conversation, people will say, “No, that will just keep the status quo, because areas will have money to claim as their own.”
I do not believe that. It is too long to explain here, but it comes down to people wanting things better for them and their kids. We claim to have that now, but we have such animosity and antagonism on both sides, we are set up to fail from the start.
I forgot to explain to you in another post that this has been going on for quite awhile. Find some relatives, neighbors and friends and ask them some of the factions that were apparent back then. The SOS crowd, Citizens for Community Schools, the PIE Group, the CUBE group and the People for Progress have all changed in names of their groups, the names of the people and the faces, but their goals have all been the same.
To answer another one of your other questions, there was the quest for the legit “super school” in West Hills when this county was still somewhat thriving with business 30-40 years ago. I do not believe that the motive was for better academics or “the kids.” The motive was driven by profit. Does this sound similar to Solak’s rants? Somewhat, but he takes it to an extreme and veils any change under these feared motives, but I am hesitant on plunging into this belief that building one consolidated school is going to do anything for me or “the kids” other than creating a worse situation for the majority of the district. Ask around from people old enough to remember. There were plenty of well-established and prominent conservatives in the county who opposed this and even offered to break up the district.
A new consolidated school (I will not call it a super school, because people take it out of context), will not bring in businesses. Like I said, I am still trying to Google the article or book passage that was out about a decade ago where they gave example after of how building a larger school before having a decent economic base and quality infrastructure is putting the cart before the horse. It just does not work that way.
We have such a mess here on all fronts that I really do not have an answer, but I tend to side with the notion of getting jobs here first. How would you qualify Highlands? Good school? Bad school? Are businesses flocking to that area? Maybe I am totally wrong on all of this.
I just see all this developed and undeveloped land and we do not even get a sniff of new business. Did Mellon ever invest all those jobs into Northpointe? I do not think they did. Have you been to Northpointe? The place is extraordinary, but I would wager we have seen more businesses leave that park compared to the businesses starting in it over the past five years.
I believe we still need to take some small steps in moving forward with closing schools and Elderton being one of them, but we do not need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
By Ruscoe, March 2, 2010 @ 11:32 PM
Also, whomever posted about technology not becoming a major part of academics. I strongly disagree with you.
I agree whole-heartedly that we need to be careful when it comes to technology, but that caution is not being even given a hint of relevance in today’s society. Look around at the world we live in. I see children in the future learning more from a room full of monitors than a human being. I think teachers will be transformed into more like monitors than educators.
By Delzer, March 3, 2010 @ 6:23 AM
Ruscoe I can only hope you are very wrong becuase the day I turn in to a monitor and not an educator is the day I want out of this career. Information can be dispensed from a terminal but that does NOT constitute teaching by any means. Teachers due more than dispense information. We guide learning, monitor progress, reteach concepts,calm frustrations,encourage unmotivated learners, and most importantly we try to develop upstanding human beings who will grow up to become contributing members of society. No technology is going to do that. I would invite you into a classroom becuse I can guarentee you would see how I struggle to keep the attention of some of my students. I can only imagine their attention levels if they were being instructed by a screen or monitor. Your high level very involved students would probably do OK but your struggling students would begin to zone out as soon as the power button was hit. Technology is good. (I would love a smart board in my room)But in education the human contact will always be needed on a much higher level.
By smitty, March 3, 2010 @ 6:26 AM
Ruscoe.. You make some points. How are we going to get business here? There is nothing here.. Taxes are going up and our schools are no good. Sinking half a million into reopening Elderton is not helping matters. honestly, I don’t think a majority of these people want change.They are afraid of it. Everyone is concentrating on the school board..Lets face it.They don’t care what we think at all, they will ddo what they want. However, I do believe we need to concentrate on the MAJOR drug problem we have in the area. I have noticed that people here like to ignor things like that. My kids learn about anti smoking constantly in school. They don’t learn about all the people and kids that are dropping over with overdoses. Also, what is being ignored is the districts so called anti-bullying campaign. Most kids are bullied..heck a kid threatened another kid with a knife last week. Is the district going to wait until a Columbine happens to do something? OPEN your eyes, while everyone on here is wasting their time, these kids are becoming worse and drug addicts. I never here how to change this. Its easy to shut your eyes. But, it is real. How are people going to change that?
By kwiss4, March 3, 2010 @ 7:25 AM
Mr. Starr ,I agree young families look at school districts, but you have to have a job. You have to be able to afford to live in the district you choose.Most people are not going to choose to travel a great distance for work just so their kids can be in one particular school.
By Bolt Upright, March 3, 2010 @ 7:51 AM
Starr: I agree with your assessment that local businesses don’t want other businesses moving into the area because they will have to compete. An example of that was when McDonalds wanted to build a restaurant in downtown Kittanning and other local restaurants fought it. McDonalds pulled out.
Smitty: The dvd rental business is closing because the parent company went bankrupt.
Ruscoe: When Highlands School District build their new school back in the early 70’s, it was to consolidate the schools and at that time the area was thriving and businesses were looking to locate there. But that area is also now dying. They recently build a Wal-Mart Supercenter and can’t even get a decent restaurant chain to move there.
By ToddLuke, March 3, 2010 @ 8:01 AM
Technology is not the magic silver bullet that will improve student achievement. There is some great technology in our schools thanks to the Classrooms for the Future Grant that was received by ASD and Lenape Tech. I cannot speak for the other three districts on CFF funds. Finland has some of the highest scores in the world compared to other industrialized nations. Their highest level of technology is the overhead projector. Versaille, Ohio has a school system and boasts some of the highest scores in their state. They use overhead projectors.
The number one thing that improves student achievement is the teacher and there is plenty of research to support that statement.
Less than 1% of all research in education deals with how teachers are staff developed during in-service.
I have sat through many professional development sessions to only watch someone perform what I refer to as PowerPoint karaoke.
There is so much research in the last 50 years in education and brain-based learning but we continue to use 150 year old methods in our schools. Most of that research is not making it to the classrooms where it can impact achievement.
Performance and achievement cannot be based on one assessment. You cannot determine the slope of a line given only one point and there is not line without a start point and and end point. This single point does not show trends, improvement, effort, lack of effort, or ability.
Technology is all around us and can be utilized very easily.
Cell phones for example, are prohibited in many classrooms and schools. They must be off. This is not the real world. We need to teach that cell phones are tools and not toys. Have the class turn on their phone in math class and text as many people as they can outside of school. Award bonus points for out of state texts. They have 15 minutes to text as many people as possible to determine their age, the time the got out of bed, and what they had for breakfast. After 15 minutes, turn off phones and analyze data based on mode, mean, and median.
If I had to turn off my phone every day for six hours, it would impact my work greatly. My cell phone is a tool, not a toy. We need to change the mindset of the students in their view of these devices.
Again, we can certainly work together to solve these and many other issues but we must stop the attacks.
The largest room in the world is the room for improvement and there is no I in TEAM.
Think about it
By Jen16226, March 3, 2010 @ 8:35 AM
I would still like to know whether hero had ever looked into making EHS a charter school? I realize that Mr. Close had broached that subject at a meeting not long ago, but has anyone done research into that?
A charter school in that are COULD fly. Depending on the cirriculm focused on, kids from Apollo-Ridge, Indiana, ASD, Homer City, Marion Center, etc. might also want to attend.
In addition, there is different funding and grants for such a school.
It would give the Elderton community a school right there, but promoted the right way, it could give so much more.
By scott_starr, March 3, 2010 @ 9:00 AM
@ruscoe:
The question business/school which one first is a tough one.
Do you really think a large company would move here? If it were in manufacturing possibly, but there are less and less of those businesses in the country let alone the state.
I know that when many companies moved to North Carolina, there was an agreement that the STATE would invest in schools if companies moved there.
What happened is the towns with the good schools got filled up with “transplants”, mainly northerners and the outlying towns still struggle with decent schools.
N.C. also makes your point that they built too much too fast and are now in trouble.
That’s why we need cooler heads, and people who can think a few years out. It is easy to pontificate, but the real world is different.
I also hope that you are incorrect on the technology issue, and teachers.
I do sales for a living and while technology has helped, many customers tell me they still enjoy the phone call or the visit, it makes them fill “human”. Of course other couldn’t care, but that’s a different discussion
By dee, March 3, 2010 @ 12:25 PM
This is certainly a “chicken and egg” scenario. The relationship among businesses, residents and school facilities is complex. It may be true that there are some business owners in this community that do not want competition. But the reality we face now is that we have very high property taxes yet do not have good schools…both DISCOURAGE living in this community. And regarding the single brain…maybe the majority of the school board thinks from that brain but I’m not so sure that the majority of residents here think that way.
By rfullerton, March 3, 2010 @ 12:43 PM
Delzer: You are absolutely correct about teachers vs. technology. There should be no “verses”. Teachers need to guide our kids in the uses of technology. Most of the time our kids know more about the technology that we use than we do. If I have a question about technology the first person I ask is a 7th grader..often I get the answer. Sad? Maybe. True. Absolutely. This shows me that we need our teachers up to speed with technology so the kids will be asking US how to use it. I use technology as much as possible in my classroom. I had to beg for a white board because junior high science was not included in classrooms of the future which gave all of the high school science teachers white boards, courses to complete and use and new computers. My annoying persistence got me a white board, not the best route for obtaining one but it worked none the less. I use it almost everyday. We do lessons together, take notes together, watch current video clips together and discuss these things together. I don’t think my 7th graders could do it alone. They can use the technology but integrating it into current learning is different. A teacher needs to be there to guide them. I see this everyday in my cyber classes. I have somewhere around 12 kids currently and only about 4 that are really benefiting from their independent work..they are the ones that contact me with questions as they are working. The others are not so motivated and probably should be in a classroom as they are failing by working on their own. It is very hard to motivate someone you don’t have contact with. Often kids/parents think that cyber school is they way out, they are under the impression that it is “easy”. Not so, at least not with the ASD cyberschool (that I sincerely hope we don’t lose). Our teachers teach the same curriculum that is being taught in the classroom. There is no “skating” through the ASD cyber school. It is fantastic for the kids that are self-motivated and want to learn or who have medical conditions that prevent them from easy learning in the classroom, but other than that a teacher, there in the flesh, is what most of our kids need. Often the teacher is not there just to “teach”. We counsel kids, some who have no one else to turn to….where coming to school is the best part of their day. We try to encourage them, guide them, help them find their “niche” in life….it is not all about academics. These sorts of things are hard to convey via computer. While technology is VERY important to our kids so are our teachers….I hate to see society the day that all students are learning from computers…just think what they would be like socially?
By ToddLuke, March 3, 2010 @ 1:56 PM
@ scott starr
Anyone that does not believe they go hand in hand should do some research on the Oklahoma model. All schools and state officials work together for the economic development of their state.
By Ruscoe, March 3, 2010 @ 5:21 PM
Scott,
Thanks for your input. I do agree that this is a much bigger issue than we can probably resolve on a website, but at least there was a discussion on the subject. I could tell you horror stories about technology, so believe me, I know. The human element is decreasing more and more in everything, working, shopping, roadways, banking, etc. Education is going to be no different. I hope i am wrong, but it has one main thing going for it….it’s cheaper. At work technology ALWAYS works. In saying that, I mean even if it does not complete the tasks assigned or even if it does not meet the pre-stated goals, companies & businesses will insist it works better, because it is $change$ in their pocket. I am not saying all teachers are going to be let go, but I think within the next 5-10 years, you will see a drastic decrease in the teachers needed and their value.
To Dee: The property tax issue is all over the area, region and state, it is still not a good excuse why we do not have more in this area. Once again, we need to think outside the box, and dig deeper instead of trying to a qucik fix-it answer. Small schools, big schools, etc….the taxes will stay where they are until PA does something on the state level. This is not a local boon to Armstrong County. The Education budget in PA is a statewide problem.
My Highlands remark was made to discuss. I am not certain how things work in that area, but it does look like more depressing each time I go through there. How much do they pay in taxes? Some of you are good with those stats? What businesses have they attracted?
Jen: You seem to be all over the map. I am not understanding what you actually want? You say that we cannot afford new schools, but you want to close all these schools due to disrepair and age. Where are the kids going to be schooled? You are taking big whacks with a hatchet, but you are hitting nothing but air. What do you want to see? You want one high school for the entire district? Do you want Ford City and Kittanning combined? Where do we teach the kids? I am not criticizing you as much as I do not understand what you want? It is easy to say and suggest things without costs and numbers involved, but these directors are working with a limited amount of money.
I would rather deal with the Elderton issue first. This will probably affect my other opinions in regards to the district as a whole. Right now, Elderton should be closed and these kids need to settle into their respective schools. I am just not a firm believer that this one change is a green light to start making other changes just because you do or do not have the majority of the board. It has nothing to do with people not liking change. It has to do with people not wanting ot see their money thrown around or wasted on some pet project to score a point against the other team.
By Ruscoe, March 3, 2010 @ 5:55 PM
smitty:
Great post above.
I agree with you. Socio-economics have to be taken into consideration, especially if we are going to be pullling in data from places like Fox Chapel and Mt. Lebanon.
The only part I do not agree with you on is the notion that people in these parts are afraid of change. With certain things, yes, they do fear change, but sometimes that is warranted because of past deeds that were done. I still hold hope and believe that people would embrace a positive change. In these parts we are a little too small for our own good and not big enough to not make simple things worrisome. I think we could embrace and celebrate positive change. Sure, you will have some naysayers, but all areas have them, and instead of trying to beat them over the head with something that is supposed to be positive, instead, we should be trying to show them the positive aspects on the comunity around us.
The drug activity is a very negative attribute for this area, but once again, I think this is more of a sign of the socio-economic climate we have cultured here. We need to do better on the economic side of things and with job growth. Follow the discussion between Scott and I. We need this area to start living, again. We aremoving backwards and this is not just because of the school system. If you believe think a school or schools is going to solve this, I got a good price for the Citizens Bridge, if you want to buy it.
By smitty, March 3, 2010 @ 7:37 PM
I am confused. We went to North Hills and North Allegheny School District. Each high school was it’s own district. In Armstrong it’s one district and 5 different high schools. But, yet the kids from each school can’t participate in the others sports. It is almost like there are 5 seperate school districts. Freeport High school, Apollo High school. They don’t have seperate schools with in one district.Another question is: Why not put the kids that are bad in school out in Elderton along with some sort of specialty classes or even move Lenape Tech there and turn Lenape Tech into an adult business school. But to only graduate 35 kids and sink half million into a building is just plain STUPID.
By Jen16226, March 3, 2010 @ 9:55 PM
Ruscoe…..I’m sorry, but I don’t feel that I am all over the map. Maybe it’s coming out poorly in “internet translation”?
You stated “You say that we cannot afford new schools, but you want to close all these schools due to disrepair and age. Where are the kids going to be schooled?”
I stated “As much as people are going to hate to read this, FCHS was built in 1905, how many more years does anyone think this building is going to stand? In addition, to have 2 high schools within 10 miles of each other is wasteful, IMO. So yes, sooner or later a decision needs to be made with concern to that. Is the answer to build a new HS at middle ground for Elderton, KTG and FC? Yes. Can that happen now? NO! Again, the economic climate of this area does not indicate that.”
I did not say close everything down now. I did, however, write that sooner or later a decision needs to be made. Also in that paragraph I clearly stated that to build a new high school can not happen now due to the economic climate.
Do I think there can be one HS for the entire district? No. Our district is entirely too large for something like that.
Then in a post toward Smitty I wrote “Do we need a consolidated school? Yes. Can we do this now? No. Our economics show we can not afford it. But what do we do in the meantime? For one, the district needs to start being more conservative with the money. Just because it is there, does not mean we have to spend it all.
In addition, look at FCHS as a good example. The school was built in the early 1900’s. How long does anyone think it is going to continue to stand? Doesn’t anyone think that perhaps we need to start looking down the road at these types of issues?”
Again, I believe, I stated regarding not being able to afford a consolidated school that economics can not afford it.
By Bolt Upright, March 4, 2010 @ 7:21 AM
Ruscoe: I think the Highlands School District area is suffering from the same economic issues as other local school districts. The Heights Plaza has many empty store fronts while just 20 years ago were full. But on the other hand Allegheny Ludlum is investing 1.2 billion dollars in their Brackenridge plant which is in the Highlands School District. A new mini strip mall was built in Tarentum. The new mall that was to be built near Worthington was canceled. The only new things Armstrong County gets is pizza shops.
By Jan, March 4, 2010 @ 9:03 AM
Smitty- you’re idea of making Elderton the vo-tech can’t work. Mainly because Elderton is old, run down and would need a renovation that would go way beyond what the board is currently considering for Elderton. There is nothin wrong with Lenape as it is now- it’s not broken. Within a vocational school, you need many labs to provide the type of hands-on training that students need in order to complete competencies and become certified in their chosen fields- Elderton can not handle this type of set up. You would need to open up walls to allow for the auto-tech and auto-body shops to drive vehicles in- you would need to install a paint booth; ventilation systems would need to be put in that would suffice the stringent safety factors associated with many of the vocational programs. The list could go on. Lenape needs to be taken out the equation as to how to solve the problems of this district. Lenape is not the problem.
By Jen16226, March 4, 2010 @ 10:39 AM
All in all, the district has GOT to put a long range plan in effect and stick with it. Plain and simple.
They have to stop with flip flopping back and forth on what school stays open, what school stays closed. Make the decision and stick with it….in making the decision, yes, it MUST be financially prudent……it must also look at the ENTIRE district and not just one area……..and most of all, it needs to put the EDUCATION first.
By asdtaxpayer2, March 5, 2010 @ 1:40 AM
Everyone.
Seriously, the people that live here don’t want change. That’s why they live here.
I’m thinking you either embrace it, or move on.
If not, you’ll drive yourself insane.
Blue Collar town, those that want out do so, those that don’t stay. Those are the folks you are trying to change.
Not good, not bad, just the way it is.