Super Bowl Delay

Thanks to the Associated Press, Pittsburgh's decision to delay the start of school on Monday on account of the Super Bowl (win or lose) is getting lots of ink around the country (PG's first report is here). Bloggers are also weighing in (local and far afield). Probably not the kind of press that Pittsburgh wants.

Some folks are up in arms about the message that this sends to children about the relative importance of sports and education. Pittsburgh Schooler is sympathetic to the critics, but how many of the complainers have pulled their own children for family trips and other special events. This doesn't seem to have lasting consequences, or does it?

End of the Accelerated Learning Academies?

Buried in this morning's Post-Gazette article (Officials defend grade policy) on the Pittsburgh Public Schools' grading controversy were these paragraphs on the three year old Academies:

The board also discussed proposed changes to the eight accelerated learning academies, which opened in August 2006 with a school year 10 days longer and a school day 45 minutes longer than the district standard.

Christiana Otuwa, executive director of the academies, proposed cutting two days from the calendar and about 20 minutes from the school day. The changes would take effect next school year.

It's hard to imagine an educational rationale for a shorter school day and a shorter school year--especially when more time for learning was a distinguishing feature of the ALA school program.

This story is just beginning, but it looks like the beginning of the end for the ALAs.