Plan for East End Public Schools Announced

The Pittsburgh Board of Education has finally announced its plans for the East End district schools. Read the full story in the Post-Gazette this morning.

School Choice Fair - Nov. 10

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Open House at Saint John Neumann School

Saint John Neumann Regional Catholic Elementary School invites students and prospective students and their families to an Open House on Saturday, April 18, 2009, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event will take place at the school, located at 250 44th Street.

The Open House will offer visitors the opportunity to tour our classrooms, meet with faculty and staff, and learn about the faith-based academics, sports, and extracurricular activities available at Saint John Neumann Regional. Interested families may also register their children for the 2009-2010 school year.

Saint John Neumann Regional Catholic Elementary School is conveniently located in the historic Lawrenceville neighborhood, and is within walking distance of the new Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. We provide a quality education rooted in Catholic values for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

For additional information, please contact the school at 412-682-5096 or visit our website at www.sjnpgh.org.

Pittsburgh Peabody Stakeholder Committee Meeting

The Pittsburgh Peabody Stakeholder Committee is a working group of parents and community leaders. This broad-based working group is striving to develop facilities and academic plans that will respond to the needs of students in Pittsburgh's East End. Our hope is that this proposal will be imbedded into the larger, developing Pittsburgh Public Schools facility plan. Please join us and provide input and share your talents.


Pittsburgh Peabody Stakeholder Meeting Agenda

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: BGC Community Activity Center, 113 N. Pacific Avenue (Garfield)

1. Welcome
2. Develop a positive plan for interaction between the group and the PPS Facilities Steering Committee
3. Develop a collective vision statement for the group
4. Develop educational ideas for Pittsburgh Peabody’s (and possibly other East End schools)
5. Update from the March 23 Citywide “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” Summit
6. Discuss Peabody tour summary and actions items
7. Wrap-Up

Pittsburgh Peabody Update

The Pittsburgh Peabody Stakeholders Tour will take place on Wednesday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m. at Pittsburgh Peabody H.S., 515 N. Highland Avenue. Principal Melissa Friez and Nancy Kodman, director of strategic planning, will lead a tour of the school for those interested in the future of Pittsburgh Peabody. (See January 22 post for more information on this topic.) After the tour, beginning around 6:30, join us for a debriefing (including pizza and socializing) at the Kingsley Association, 6435 Frankstown Road. At the debriefing, we will brainstorm about potential schools of choice for the Peabody facility and ideas related to the federal stimulus package and Pittsburgh.

Publicolor Needs Exec. Director

Publicolor, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, creates and administers multi-layered youth development programs dedicated to educating underserved high-risk students, simultaneously transforming their run-down schools and neglected communities into vibrant, dignified environments, providing lasting benefits for public school teachers, students and neighborhood residents. For its work with volunteers in the community, Publicolor received our nation’s highest honor, the President’s Service Award, in 2000. Publicolor seeks an Executive Director for its pilot replication project in Pittsburgh.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Executive Director (ED), working closely with the President/Founder, will be responsible for the internal organizational processes and infrastructure of Publicolor Pittsburgh that will allow the organization to grow and fulfill its mission. As the senior staff in Pittsburgh, the ED will be responsible for fundraising, external and community relations, and financial and administrative oversight.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES
-Cultivate Publicolor Pittsburgh as a premier youth development organization throughout Pittsburgh as well as partnerships with applicable organizations and community groups.
-Research, identify, and schedule schools and community sites for transformation.
-Implement the Publicolor Paint Crew program within Pittsburgh Public Schools.
-With Founder/President, set overall development strategy and create a detailed plan for implementation. Research and identify potential corporate, foundations, and individual donors to sustain Publicolor Pittsburgh.
-Supervise all Pittsburgh program staff. Ensure program staff sets and meets rigorous deadlines. Ensure the staff is meeting the high standards of Publicolor. Coach program staff as needed.
-Conduct background checks on all potential program staff, site staff and interns.
-Create and implement all statistical studies.
-Oversee the volunteer program in our Publicolor schools.
-Meet regularly with NYC based Director of Replication for project evaluation.


For information or to apply, contact: Dana Bishop-Root, 718-644-9802, dana@publicolor.org

Important May 10 Peabody Event - Don't Miss It!

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A+ Schools Meetings

A+ Schools and the Pittsburgh Public Schools, along with our co-sponsors, are pleased to present the remaining community meetings for the continued planning of Excel.9-12, The Plan for High School Excellence. Join us to share ideas about new educational approaches being developed to increase the rigor, personalization, and choice of programs for secondary students.

Career & Technical Education – Thursday, April 17, 2008

Learn about Pittsburgh Public Schools’ plans to redesign Career and Technical Education to help prepare students for the demands of the global job market. Hear how community input has already been incorporated into these plans and offer your ideas on how to make the program successful. This event is a great opportunity to contribute to the Career and Technical Education plans that will be voted on by the School Board in May.

Career Exploration – Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Parents and students are invited to explore career opportunities and understand what skills, knowledge and education are required for rewarding careers of tomorrow. This event is part of “Imagine! Career Week” sponsored by the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (TRWIB). For more info visit: www.imaginecareerweek.org.

Both meetings will be held from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm on the 31st floor of the Regional Enterprise Tower (formerly known as the Alcoa Building), 425 Sixth Avenue, Downtown. Dinner and childcare (for children over 1) will be provided to registrants.

A+ Schools will validate parking tickets to the Mellon Square Garage for the meetings taking place at the Regional Enterprise Tower.

To register, sign up online or by calling 412-258-2660 ext. 101.

A+ Schools Job Announcement

A+ Schools believes that public schools are the backbone of the city of Pittsburgh. The quality of schools is of vital interest to children, parents, taxpayers, residents and all those who care about the city’s future. A+ Schools is seeking a Program Director to manage programs and provide additional capacity to the organization. If you are a leader with project management experience and a passion for the success of students and the Pittsburgh Public School system, this opportunity might be right for you. To view the full job description visit www.aplusschools.org/jobs.html. Qualified individuals may apply confidentially by submitting resume, cover letter and compensation requirements as MS Word attachments to: resumes@deweykaye.com. Candidates must submit materials no later than Friday, March 7, 2008. Please reference the following in the subject line of your email: Program Director, A+ Schools (#103-MH687).

"Promise for the Future"

BE A PART OF A PLANNING PROCESS THAT CREATES POSITIVE CHANGE!

Please save May 10, 2008, for the Pittsburgh Peabody High School Community event. The theme of this year’s event is "Promise for the Future: Reducing Teen Violence and Enhancing Life Opportunities. " In preparation for this event, there will be a meeting on Friday, February 15, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. at Pittsburgh Peabody, 515 N. Highland Ave. in East Liberty. The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the organization of a provider fair and workshops focused on the theme of the event. The goal is to draw more organizations and participants to our event this year. Last year, the event drew nearly 1,000 individuals. Please assist in making this event an even bigger success than last year. For more information, feel free to call Melissa Friez at 412-665-2050 or by e-mail at mfriez1@pghboe.net.