A Tuesday night hearing at the Shiloh Community Missionary Baptist Church in Homewood addressed upcoming legislation for more police transparency. Pittsburgh Councilman Ricky Burgess' bill would establish policy for off-duty police, and compel the Pittsburgh Police Bureau to produce an annual report on the make-up of the police force; any legal action against police officers; average response times; arrests by charge, race and gender by zone and specialized units; conviction rates and traffic stops as well as recruitment and retention.
Burgess says that a lot of people are interested in the duties and requirements of off-duty police officers. "I think there needs to be a clear policy that states what off duty police officers should and should not do, and what is the responsibility and the city's commitment to them so that both sides are clear. I think that recent events have lead us to need to have that process clarified."
He says that the majority of his constituents are behind him and that he has not yet heard from the opposition directly. Burgess is willing to make compromises to his legislation but believes that the conversation and public discussion is incredibly important.
Councilman Burgess' legislation was proposed after allegations of police brutality against 18 year old Jordan Miles, who was allegedly beaten by 3 plain clothed officers while walking to his grandmother's house in Homewood.
Showing posts with label Homewood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homewood. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Parents, Students to Address School Reform Plan
A community meeting in Homewood tonight will address Pittsburgh Public Schools’ plan to reconfigure high schools in the East End.
Students and parents will have the opportunity to ask questions about the school reformation after a brief presentation by school district staff. Pittsburgh’s School Board will take the comments and questions into consideration when voting on the reconfiguration plan, called “Excel 9-12.”
If adopted, the proposal would close East Liberty’s Peabody High School. The displaced Peabody students would be relocated to either University Prep High School or to one of two single-gender, 6th-12th grade academies housed in Homewood’s Westinghouse High School. The international studies magnet school, Pittsburgh Obama, would be relocated to the former Peabody building.
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools Derrick Lopez says federal regulations mandate that public school students have a choice between co-educational and single-gender schools.
“We’re going to give kids the opportunity to choose, should the board adopt this plan, during their 8th grade year and during their 6th grade years. Next year, for example, at Peabody, we’re going to have opportunities for students at the school to select whether they go to the University Prep school or whether they go to the Westinghouse academies in 2011-12. We will talk with every single student,” says Lopez.
Executive Director of A+ Schools Carey Harris says her group is “agnostic” about the proposed single-gender academies at this point. Harris says the Excel plan is not just about the East End.
“We actually think the plan we saw impacts the whole district because it includes plans for Oliver. It would be sort of a dropout recovery program, so I believe it would be a place for students who had dropped out to get their degree,” says Harris.
Harris says she’s concerned that closing Peabody would divert too many students to schools like University Prep, but Lopez says the magnet schools are currently under-populated and even a large influx would not overburden them.
Lopez says the district doesn’t know yet what would be done with the former Obama school building.
The community meeting will begin at 5:30 tonight at the Westinghouse High School Library in Homewood.
Students and parents will have the opportunity to ask questions about the school reformation after a brief presentation by school district staff. Pittsburgh’s School Board will take the comments and questions into consideration when voting on the reconfiguration plan, called “Excel 9-12.”
If adopted, the proposal would close East Liberty’s Peabody High School. The displaced Peabody students would be relocated to either University Prep High School or to one of two single-gender, 6th-12th grade academies housed in Homewood’s Westinghouse High School. The international studies magnet school, Pittsburgh Obama, would be relocated to the former Peabody building.
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools Derrick Lopez says federal regulations mandate that public school students have a choice between co-educational and single-gender schools.
“We’re going to give kids the opportunity to choose, should the board adopt this plan, during their 8th grade year and during their 6th grade years. Next year, for example, at Peabody, we’re going to have opportunities for students at the school to select whether they go to the University Prep school or whether they go to the Westinghouse academies in 2011-12. We will talk with every single student,” says Lopez.
Executive Director of A+ Schools Carey Harris says her group is “agnostic” about the proposed single-gender academies at this point. Harris says the Excel plan is not just about the East End.
“We actually think the plan we saw impacts the whole district because it includes plans for Oliver. It would be sort of a dropout recovery program, so I believe it would be a place for students who had dropped out to get their degree,” says Harris.
Harris says she’s concerned that closing Peabody would divert too many students to schools like University Prep, but Lopez says the magnet schools are currently under-populated and even a large influx would not overburden them.
Lopez says the district doesn’t know yet what would be done with the former Obama school building.
The community meeting will begin at 5:30 tonight at the Westinghouse High School Library in Homewood.
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