Due to community input, Pittsburgh Public Schools has decided to improve the process for the recruitment of individuals to serve on the Committee to explore the long-term facility location options for the IS/IB Program.  Please find listed below the four improvements to the process, as well as the other specifics on the committee. 

1)  EXTENSION OF NOMINATION DEADLINE

Due to a larger than expected response, we will continue to take nominations for the IB Site Selection Committee through July 15, 2008 at 5pm.  Please email nominations to superintendentoffice@pghboe.net and copy Cate Reed at creed1@pghboe.net.

2)  EXPANSION OF PARENTAL, ALUMNI & STUDENT REPRESENTATION

We will now include 16 parents (instead of the previous 8), 3 IB alumni (up from 1), and 4 students (up from 2)

3)  ELIMINATION OF SOME MEETING DATES

Understanding the busy schedule of families, the meetings have been condensed to 8 instead of 12.  They are now:

• Saturday August 9, 10-12pm                  Process/Criteria discussion—determination of sites to visit
• Tuesday August 19, 5-7pm                    Visit to Site #1/#2         
• Tuesday Sept. 2, 5-7pm                        Visit to Site #3/#4                     
• Thursday Sept. 18, 5-7pm                      Facility needs review   
• Week of Sept 27*                                  Budget needs review                                                                   
• Tuesday October 7 Education Comm.    Mid Point Report on Progress to Superintendent and Board                                                                   
• Tuesday October 21, 5-7pm                   Formal presentation developed fleshed out with facility needs, costs, programmatic offerings
• Tuesday October 28, 5-7pm                   FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO SUPERINTENDENT

4)  PAPER SURVEY TO ALL ELEMENTARY AND 6-9 INTERNATIONAL STUDIES/INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE FAMILIES

During the month of July, all families of students currently enrolled in the IS and IB magnet in grades K-9 will be surveyed by mail regarding their thoughts & input on the selection process.

ADDITIONAL SPECIFICS REGARDING the International Baccalaureate 6-12 Site Selection Committee

Goal of Committee

To select a permanent site, from within the current PPS buildings & facilities, for the International Baccalaureate 6-12 School, starting in the 2012-13 school year. Until that time, the school will be located at Pittsburgh Frick in 2008-09 and in the Florence Reizenstein facility for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Factors for deliberation

• Fiscal constraints of the school district
• Academic space available in PPS, and academic needs of the program
• Family and student needs
• Fair and equal consideration of all ideas

Requirements of Site Selection Members

• Agree to attend at least 75% of all meetings (6 of 8)
• Keep information within the group until a final recommendation is made to the Superintendent
• Be committed to the idea of an IB 6-12 school and want to move forward with selecting an optimal site
• Agree to factors for deliberation including finances, space and student needs

27 Members to be appointed

• 2 MYP teachers
• 2 DP teachers
• 12 parents from variety of IS elementary schools across city
• 2 parents from Pittsburgh Frick 6-9
• 2 parents from Pittsburgh Schenley DP
• 3 IB alumni
• 2 students from Pittsburgh Frick MYP
• 2 students from Pittsburgh Schenley MYP or DP

Representatives from Central Office

• High School Excellence
• Facilities
• Budget
• Marketing & Communications
• Principals at Pittsburgh Frick 6-9 & Pittsburgh Schenley
• MYP coordinator
• DP coordinator

Timeline

July 2008                                      Survey sent to all IS families to gain input for committee

August/September:                     Site visits to multiple locations throughout the city with facilities

September and October:          Deep internal analysis with group of the factors listed above for each facility, specifically with budget

Late October:                               Formal recommendation to the Superintendent

-- 
David R. Shumway
Professor of English, and Literary and Cultural Studies
Director, the Humanities Center at Carnegie Mellon

Department of English
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-268-7176
412-268-7989 (fax)