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Monday, September 23, 2002

By Carmen J. Lee, Post-Gazette Education Writer

The task force charged with recommending improvements in the Pittsburgh Public Schools has been quietly gearing up to evaluate the school district, a process that will most likely stretch into next year.

David Matter, co-chairman of the task force, said Mayor Tom Murphy's Commission on Public Education will probably have preliminary findings and recommendations by the end of December. A thorough evaluation of the city schools and a final report are likely to take more time to complete.

The 38-member commission and its staff are preparing for the long haul.

Two more staff members have been hired in addition to Eloise Hirsh, the former city planning director who is the commission's executive director.

Stan Herman, a former Woodland Hills superintendent and Pittsburgh Public Schools administrator, is the staff member assigned to work with the commission's committee studying student performance. Jim Turner of the Pennsylvania Economy League will work with the committee studying school finances.

Hirsh's responsibilities will include helping the committee assigned to examine district leadership and governance.

Matter said the staff members will help research information for commission members, particularly those who might not have the time or background to find the answers on their own.

Contracts are in the works with the Pennsylvania Economy League and the Rand Corp. to serve as consultants for the evaluation. The Economy League would help with the review of the district's finances while the Rand Corp would assist with studying student performance.

In the next couple of weeks a commission Web site, www.educationcommission.org, is expected to be up and running. Initially, it will only explain the group's mission and give the names and background of commission staff and members.

Eventually it is expected to have preliminary reports of the committees and links to other sites.

The intention is for the Web site to be interactive so residents can respond to some of the commission's ideas.

"In order for this to be really successful, we have to develop a compelling argument for whatever decisions we make and show that we've developed a community consensus," said Matter, president of Oxford Development Co.

Public access and involvement will be limited.

There will be some meetings to which the public will be invited, Matter said. But most of the commission's sessions will be private.

City school officials said they have had preliminary discussions with some commission members and the Rand Corp to give them background and set up tours of the district.

Murphy formed the commission in response to a decision by three foundations -- The Heinz Endowments, the Pittsburgh Foundation and the Grable Foundation -- to suspend funding to the city schools and to withhold nearly $4 million in grants to the district.

Foundation officials said ongoing disputes among school board members and between some board members and Superintendent John Thompson had caused their organizations to lose confidence in the district's leadership.

Spokesmen for the foundations said this week they are continuing to withhold funds as they await the commission's recommendations.

"We want to see what the outcomes of the commission are and whether they meet the general criteria we have set," said Heinz Endowments spokesman Doug Root.

That criteria includes having the school board and administration "give us the assurance that structural changes are in place to address the problems of leadership and governance that caused us to stop funding in the first place."

The Heinz Endowments has even re-written an arts and literacy grant application to state that it "cannot consider proposals in which the Pittsburgh Public Schools will act as the lead partner."

The other foundations agreed with the sentiment, though they haven't changed any applications.