Greetings to all. Please join us this Thursday at 7 PM at St. Andrew's for our next Highland Park Community Council meeting. On the agenda this month will be a discussion led by David Atkinson (and, hopefully, PPS Board Member Dara Ware Allen) regarding the Obama IB School. Below is an e-mail from David that was previously posted to the list serve. I want to make it clear to everyone that, at this time, the HPCC is not taking a position for or against moving Obama IB from Reizenstein to Peabody. We do, however, recognize that this is an issue of some importance to our neighborhood residents, and we welcome to opportunity to have David come speak to us so that you can be informed about what's going on, and have the opportunity to get involved if you so desire. We look forward to seeing you this Thursday... Eric D. Randall, President Highland Park Community Council ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: "Atkinson, David" <dea23@pitt.edu> To: "neighborhood@highlandparkpa.com" <neighborhood@highlandparkpa.com> Sent: Fri, February 5, 2010 9:00:50 AM Subject: [Highland Park] Reminder - Public Discussion at Peabody on 2/9/10 at 7pm Hello Neighbors, This is a reminder that there will be a public discussion on February 9th at 7pm at Peabody to discuss the future of public schools in the East End. If you have a child in grades K-5 or younger, this issue should be important to you because there’s a very good chance your child will attend Obama IB. I will also be at Taza D’Oro at 9am on Saturday 2/6/10 to have coffee and discuss strategies for supporting Obama IB. Please join me. When your college bound 6th grader looks at public schools, he/she will probably consider three magnet schools – the School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), Sci-Tech or Obama IB. There is limited capacity at these schools, and the Pittsburgh Promise should increase their enrollments and make them more competitive. Sci-Tech only accepts 50 students per class at this time, while CAPA is extremely popular and centrally located. If your student is not focused on arts or science, he/she will probably choose Obama IB. It’s important to locate Obama IB in a facility where it can thrive. What’s going on with Peabody High School? Peabody may be closed soon. Peabody is at only 41% of capacity, and enrollment is rapidly declining. Only one in four students in the Peabody feeder pattern attend the school. By the Fall of 2012, it’s estimated only 259 students will attend Peabody, and the recent DeJong Long Term Facility Report recommends closing Peabody. (Please note that in my last email I said 194 students would be at Peabody in 2018; this was incorrect.) What is Obama IB? The Obama 6-12 International Baccalaureate School is a magnet school that offers a rigorous curriculum with an international focus. Obama IB is open to any student in the district, but students have to apply and meet certain academic criteria to remain enrolled. IB provide students with advantages that help them succeed in an increasingly globalized work environment. Visit US News’ Top 100 IB High Schools for some examples. Why should Peabody be the home of Obama IB? In 2008, a Pittsburgh Public School Committee made up of students, parents and teachers recommended Peabody be the home of the Obama 6-12 International Baccalaureate School (which is temporarily housed at Reizenstein). In 2009, the DeJong Report confirmed that Peabody is a better facility by ranking Peabody #28 and Reizenstein #52 out of 80 schools. Unfortunately, the report recommended keeping Obama IB at its temporary Reizenstein location. Is Reizenstein a better option? No. Reizenstein’s acoustic problems disrupt learning. Peabody is not perfect, but it is a quality facility that offers amenities such as its auditorium, gym and pool. What can YOU do? Here’s what you can do: 1) Forward this email to your friends and neighbors – especially parents in the East End. 2) Attend the public discussion at Peabody on Tuesday 2/9/10 at 7pm or Westinghouse on Tuesday 2/25/10 at 7pm and voice your support for Obama IB at Peabody. 3) Email your Board Member at boardoffice@pghboe.net or call at (412) 622-3770 and ask him or her to move Obama IB to Peabody a. IF YOU EMAIL, BE SURE TO INCLUDE ‘MOVE OBAMA IB TO PEABODY – ATTN: BOARD MEMBER’S NAME’ IN THE SUBJECT b. District 2 (Highland Park, Morningside, Stanton Heights) – Dara Ware Allen c. District 3 (East Liberty, Friendship, Garfield, Shadyside) – Thomas Sumpter d. Example Text: ‘Dear Board Member: I am a student/parent/community member in your district. I support moving the Obama IB School to Peabody. It’s a superior facility and will support families in my neighborhood better than the Reizenstein facility. East Liberty, Friendship, Garfield, Highland Park, Lawrenceville, Morningside and Stanton Heights want to host this 6-12 magnet school that will appeal to college bound students.” Your help will make a difference. Thank you. Dave Atkinson Computing Services and System Development University of Pittsburgh Phone:412-624-6253 Email:dea23@pitt.edu -- <http://lists.highlandparkpa.com/mailman/listinfo/neighborhood>