Duquesne+schools+session+becomes+heated

= Elected board wants info on fate of students = = = =By Mary Niederberger= =Published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette= =2/12/12= = = = = =A meeting last week in the Duquesne City School District to talk about education options turned into a contentious session that raised more questions than it answered.= =The elected board had hoped its members and the community could question state officials they had invited -- state legislators and education department officials -- about the future education of its 440 elementary students in the wake of the announcement by state education officials that the district would cease to exist in its current form after this year.= =But none showed up besides members of the state board of control who oversee the district, and instead of discussion about what the state was planning, there was questioning of the teachers union president over student performance and comparisons between charter and non-charter Duquesne students.= =Because Gov. Tom Corbett's administration has proposed having charter schools take over districts as part of a strategy to deal with distressed districts like Duquesne, some felt the meeting set the stage for such a takeover, partly by creating a rift in the district.= ="Exactly what we think is happening behind the scenes is happening," said West Mifflin Area School District superintendent Daniel Castagna, who attended the meeting. "The problem with this situation is no one is being up front and saying 'This is what we want to do.' "= =Board members who called the meeting had said they were frustrated about the lack of information about how or where the district's students will be educated next year. Draft legislation from the Corbett administration had been leaked to the media in recent weeks, so many in the district are aware of the possibility that the state would create super boards of control empowered to dismantle distressed schools or districts and replace them with charter schools. State Education Secretary Ron Tomalis has mentioned it in public meetings as a possible solution for dealing with distressed schools. The proposal also would allow students in those districts to attend other districts on a tuition basis -- the same arrangement now in operation for Duquesne high school students who attend East Allegheny and West Mifflin Area high schools.= =But neither that concept nor any other plan has been discussed with Duquesne officials concerning the district's elementary students.= =Board of control chairman Francis Barnes told the elected board its options included a "restructured school" in Duquesne or a plan to tuition out the elementary students. Elected school board member Connie Lucas said the elected board does not want to see the elementary students bused out of Duquesne. Instead they want a high-quality school to replace the current failing school.= =Derric Heck, director of strategic initiatives for Propel charter schools, gave a presentation on the scores of Duquesne students on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams. It showed the Duquesne students who attended Propel scored significantly higher than Duquesne students who attended their home schools. But Mr. Heck cautioned the crowd "don't get into easy banter about us versus them" and encouraged the community to ask "What is best for the children?"= =After that, elected school Director Laura Elmore called to the stage Duquesne Education Association president Stan Whiteman, demanding to know what plans teachers have to improve the academic performance of Duquesne students. The students failed to reach any target on the 2011 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams and have scored consistently poorly on the tests year after year.= =When Mr. Whiteman responded that teachers were willing to do anything necessary, anything asked of them, Ms. Lucas asked: "Are you saying you are doing the best that you can at this point?" She asked if there was "something missing" that the teachers needed to be successful.= =Mr. Whiteman asked the elected board to help lobby Harrisburg to restore the education funding cuts made in recent years.= =But Ms. Lucas responded that the students' performance at Propel charter schools shows "our kids succeeded with less money."= ="The whole thing played into the hands of the people that want to destroy public education," said Butch Santicola, a Pennsylvania State Education Association spokesman, who attended the meeting in support of the district's 39 teachers.= = = =Read more: [|http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12043/1209696-298.stm#ixzz1mBEbLMD] = = = = = = = = = = = =News= =home=