Here's an email I received.
Absolutely correct. This is not a "new" problem, but an ongoing one for several years.
Who has been asleep at the switch? The borough for allowing occupancy in an inferior building? The stop the school board who knew of the problem but recklessly plunged ahead with uncoordinated random repairs "FOR THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS" (as thundered repeatedly by the Emperor) without a plan?
Or the voters who put both groups in power?
Let's hope no one thinks to do this Google search.
According to the note sent home from M.R. Reiter today, there has been a problem with the oil burners for the past “few days”. However, those of us who have children in the building, or work there, know full well that the fumes that caused today’s closing have been present in ever increasing frequency for years.
Some of us might recall that an engineering report conducted as part of the Feasibility Study back in 2005 looked at M.R. Reiter’s electrical and heating systems. Essentially, it concluded that while those systems were functional, they were outdated and decayed, embedded in the walls, and renovations would be extensive, and costly. Further, the heating system had already presented problems, such as fumes (yes, fumes, back then), and the engineers expressed concern that if this system broke down, it would be difficult if not impossible to adequately repair it while the building was occupied.
The stench has been present over the years, and seems to have been especially pervasive since October. Yesterday, in the late afternoon, staff noticed not only the familiar, oily smell, but also a black smoke forming at the ceiling. They evacuated the building at 3:20 p.m. This morning parents arriving to drop off children found the doors flung wide, classroom windows open, gritty, dirty air wafting into the rain and wind outside. Staff quietly reported they were experiencing sore throats, irritated eyes, and were concerned about children with asthma. Parents contacted the fire marshal, the health department, and the EPA. By 12:15, the school was closed.
What was once an intermittent problem is now pervasive. Do we know what our children and our staff are breathing? Do we know what they will be breathing after the problem is once again “fixed”? Personally, I would like reassurance that the air quality is safe before children and the staff who care for them every day have to return, and by that I mean a true study, not just word that “the parts are in.” Unfortunately, this will cause us significant disruption and inconvenience, but the health of our children should come first.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
School Safety at M.R. Reiter in Serious Question
If your child goes to M.R. Reiter, it looks like the school day might be over. There is nothing posted on the district website.
If any of this information is erroneous, please let me know and I will post the accurate information.
Don't forget the joint borough council-board of education meeting tonight at 8:00 P.M. at borough hall. Perhaps the attendees can answer the serious questions of student safety at Reiter.
I have emails reporting that yesterday "M.R. Reiter was evacuated after school yesterday due to the fumes and visible black smoke forming at the ceiling. Those of us who dropped off children today found the doors and windows wide open and pronounced oily/sooty odor. Concerned? Call the Philadelphia Office of the EPA 215 814 9016."
Then I have this email reporting "I just got word that M.R. Reiter is being closed today at 12:15 because of fumes and will remain closed again tomorrow. I was in the building the other night and it had a heavy smell of fuel oil."
"Heard MR Reiter elementary was evacuated @ 3:20 pm yesterday due to black smoke from decrepit heating system, and that the oil fumes were quite pungent this morning too, with the doors flung open in an attempt to improve ventilation.
Wonder how high the righteous indignation levels would be among Hellmann-Mihok-Radosti et al. if one of their own children were in this school?
Special thanks to Bill Hellmann for unilaterally chucking 9 of the 12 bids to fix the school boilers, and dropping MR Reiter from the mix entirely!"
If any of this information is erroneous, please let me know and I will post the accurate information.
Don't forget the joint borough council-board of education meeting tonight at 8:00 P.M. at borough hall. Perhaps the attendees can answer the serious questions of student safety at Reiter.
I have emails reporting that yesterday "M.R. Reiter was evacuated after school yesterday due to the fumes and visible black smoke forming at the ceiling. Those of us who dropped off children today found the doors and windows wide open and pronounced oily/sooty odor. Concerned? Call the Philadelphia Office of the EPA 215 814 9016."
Then I have this email reporting "I just got word that M.R. Reiter is being closed today at 12:15 because of fumes and will remain closed again tomorrow. I was in the building the other night and it had a heavy smell of fuel oil."
"Heard MR Reiter elementary was evacuated @ 3:20 pm yesterday due to black smoke from decrepit heating system, and that the oil fumes were quite pungent this morning too, with the doors flung open in an attempt to improve ventilation.
Wonder how high the righteous indignation levels would be among Hellmann-Mihok-Radosti et al. if one of their own children were in this school?
Special thanks to Bill Hellmann for unilaterally chucking 9 of the 12 bids to fix the school boilers, and dropping MR Reiter from the mix entirely!"
Joint Council-Board Meeting Reminder
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Joint School/Borough Committee Meeting
The Joint School/Borough Committee Meeting has been scheduled for this Thursday Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 8 pm at Borough Hall.
Site: Off-Site Borough Hall
Time: 8:00PM
Joint School/Borough Committee Meeting
The Joint School/Borough Committee Meeting has been scheduled for this Thursday Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 8 pm at Borough Hall.
Site: Off-Site Borough Hall
Time: 8:00PM
High-quality education for every child is achievable
From the Inquirer.
High-quality education for every child is achievable
Barack Obama will be well-positioned to guide efforts of dedicated educators.
Posted on Wed, Dec. 10, 2008 Mike Wang directs Teach For America in Greater Philadelphia/Camden
President-elect Barack Obama has assembled half of his cabinet in record time. I am impressed with his decisive appointments to head the State, Justice, Treasury and Defense Departments.
But I hope he will pay as much attention to another policy area that's also crucial to our economic and national security: high-quality education for every child.
We simply cannot compete effectively in the world market when only 10 percent of the children in our low-income communities can expect to graduate from college. The academic achievement gap that persists between children in low-income communities and their high-income peers has implications for our productivity, standard of living, and national security.
The good news is that we can solve this problem. As the executive director of the regional office of Teach For America, a nonprofit organization that recruits top college graduates to teach for at least two years in underserved schools, I see evidence every day that committed teachers and school leaders can raise student achievement in low-income communities.
More than 300 Teach For America teachers are working relentlessly to change educational outcomes in Philadelphia and Camden schools. And they are succeeding - in neighborhoods ranging from Germantown to Kensington, Point Breeze to West Philadelphia.
Their positive impact, along with my own experience as a Teach For America teacher in Louisiana, makes me optimistic about the future. I believe the president-elect can change the prevailing perceptions about what's possible in our public schools with a few key strategies.
First, build on the energy of young people as a force for change.
Here in Philadelphia, I have seen the impact of Teach For America teachers and alumni - most still in their 20s and 30s - in the classroom and beyond. Teach For America alumnus Marc Mannella, for example, is the founding principal of KIPP Philadelphia Charter School, one of the city's highest-performing charter schools serving low-income, minority students.
The president-elect rode to victory on a wave of optimism and activism, powered by a vibrant, young segment of our electorate. It will take committed young leaders like Mannella in every professional sector to end educational inequity, and Obama is uniquely positioned to galvanize those efforts.
Second, invest in alternative avenues of recruiting and training teachers.
To fulfill his campaign promise to recruit an "army of new teachers," the president-elect will need to expand the number of pathways into the teaching profession.
Programs such as the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows and Teach For America are proving that dedicated teachers with subject-matter expertise can help students in low-income communities succeed.
According to a recent Urban Institute study at the high-school level, Teach For America teachers are, on average, more effective than other teachers, including those who are fully certified in their subject areas.
What's more, alternative pathways can provide excellent teachers for the long term. A recent Harvard University study found that 61 percent of Teach For America teachers stay in teaching beyond their two-year commitment. That retention rate slightly exceeds the overall proportion of new teachers who remain in underserved schools for more than two years.
Finally, appoint a secretary of education who believes deeply that we can - and must - close the achievement gap.
Like Obama's other cabinet appointments, the education secretary must be a bold leader. More important, the appointee must understand that educational inequity is a solvable problem. And he or she should have the know-how to put this understanding into action.
We have ample evidence that all children can learn at the highest levels when they are given the right educational opportunities. I hope the president-elect will seize this opportunity and make education a priority for his administration.
The vitality of our economy, the health of our democracy, and the future of our children depend on it.
High-quality education for every child is achievable
Barack Obama will be well-positioned to guide efforts of dedicated educators.
Posted on Wed, Dec. 10, 2008 Mike Wang directs Teach For America in Greater Philadelphia/Camden
President-elect Barack Obama has assembled half of his cabinet in record time. I am impressed with his decisive appointments to head the State, Justice, Treasury and Defense Departments.
But I hope he will pay as much attention to another policy area that's also crucial to our economic and national security: high-quality education for every child.
We simply cannot compete effectively in the world market when only 10 percent of the children in our low-income communities can expect to graduate from college. The academic achievement gap that persists between children in low-income communities and their high-income peers has implications for our productivity, standard of living, and national security.
The good news is that we can solve this problem. As the executive director of the regional office of Teach For America, a nonprofit organization that recruits top college graduates to teach for at least two years in underserved schools, I see evidence every day that committed teachers and school leaders can raise student achievement in low-income communities.
More than 300 Teach For America teachers are working relentlessly to change educational outcomes in Philadelphia and Camden schools. And they are succeeding - in neighborhoods ranging from Germantown to Kensington, Point Breeze to West Philadelphia.
Their positive impact, along with my own experience as a Teach For America teacher in Louisiana, makes me optimistic about the future. I believe the president-elect can change the prevailing perceptions about what's possible in our public schools with a few key strategies.
First, build on the energy of young people as a force for change.
Here in Philadelphia, I have seen the impact of Teach For America teachers and alumni - most still in their 20s and 30s - in the classroom and beyond. Teach For America alumnus Marc Mannella, for example, is the founding principal of KIPP Philadelphia Charter School, one of the city's highest-performing charter schools serving low-income, minority students.
The president-elect rode to victory on a wave of optimism and activism, powered by a vibrant, young segment of our electorate. It will take committed young leaders like Mannella in every professional sector to end educational inequity, and Obama is uniquely positioned to galvanize those efforts.
Second, invest in alternative avenues of recruiting and training teachers.
To fulfill his campaign promise to recruit an "army of new teachers," the president-elect will need to expand the number of pathways into the teaching profession.
Programs such as the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows and Teach For America are proving that dedicated teachers with subject-matter expertise can help students in low-income communities succeed.
According to a recent Urban Institute study at the high-school level, Teach For America teachers are, on average, more effective than other teachers, including those who are fully certified in their subject areas.
What's more, alternative pathways can provide excellent teachers for the long term. A recent Harvard University study found that 61 percent of Teach For America teachers stay in teaching beyond their two-year commitment. That retention rate slightly exceeds the overall proportion of new teachers who remain in underserved schools for more than two years.
Finally, appoint a secretary of education who believes deeply that we can - and must - close the achievement gap.
Like Obama's other cabinet appointments, the education secretary must be a bold leader. More important, the appointee must understand that educational inequity is a solvable problem. And he or she should have the know-how to put this understanding into action.
We have ample evidence that all children can learn at the highest levels when they are given the right educational opportunities. I hope the president-elect will seize this opportunity and make education a priority for his administration.
The vitality of our economy, the health of our democracy, and the future of our children depend on it.
New Hope Solebury: School Tax Increase
From the BCCT.
School district gets first look at spending plan
By FREDA SAVANA
In a first look at the expenditure side of the New Hope-Solebury 2009-2010 budget, the school board's finance committee saw a 5.3 percent increase in spending.
While even a preliminary budget won't be out until January, and the board won't vote on a final budget until June, the committee began reviewing the spending side of the budget this week.
Among the most dramatic increases is health care, where the jump is nearly 20 percent. Its projected cost increase is from $2.8 million to $3.3 million, said Gregory Hogg, the district's business administrator.
Hogg said New Hope-Solebury teachers have the most expensive health care plan currently offered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Although the increase is steep, committee member John Augenblick said, “The last thing we want is our teachers queuing up at the CVS quick clinic.”
The school district has little option with the vast majority of its spending due to teacher contracts and other mandated expenses that eat up the majority of the projected $34 million budget, but so-called discretionary spending, or about 4 percent of the budget, is open to cuts.
“We're looking at everything,” said district superintendent Raymond Boccuti. He noted that he expects to see a savings when the district's twice-a-year community mailings go from print to electronic.
“Small items add up,” said Boccuti.
Committee Chairman Christopher Nally said everyone in the district is being told to look for places to cut. “We need to think outside the box.”
School district gets first look at spending plan
By FREDA SAVANA
In a first look at the expenditure side of the New Hope-Solebury 2009-2010 budget, the school board's finance committee saw a 5.3 percent increase in spending.
While even a preliminary budget won't be out until January, and the board won't vote on a final budget until June, the committee began reviewing the spending side of the budget this week.
Among the most dramatic increases is health care, where the jump is nearly 20 percent. Its projected cost increase is from $2.8 million to $3.3 million, said Gregory Hogg, the district's business administrator.
Hogg said New Hope-Solebury teachers have the most expensive health care plan currently offered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Although the increase is steep, committee member John Augenblick said, “The last thing we want is our teachers queuing up at the CVS quick clinic.”
The school district has little option with the vast majority of its spending due to teacher contracts and other mandated expenses that eat up the majority of the projected $34 million budget, but so-called discretionary spending, or about 4 percent of the budget, is open to cuts.
“We're looking at everything,” said district superintendent Raymond Boccuti. He noted that he expects to see a savings when the district's twice-a-year community mailings go from print to electronic.
“Small items add up,” said Boccuti.
Committee Chairman Christopher Nally said everyone in the district is being told to look for places to cut. “We need to think outside the box.”
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