Smarter and Harder

Eli breaks down the Portland City Council's questioning of the mismanaged PPS budget.  How do you lose track of where you spent $10million?   Also, if it was a personnel issue, why are executive people leaving your organization X-man?   You need to adjust like every other organization dealing with similar issues.   NO ON QUESTION #5!!!!

Quick recap of school committee meeting.  Eli makes Tim do some reading on issues for November 8th vote.   The School Board and Superintendent don't want any checks and balances from City Council.  Bad idea and really bad precedence to set. 

Eli and Tim talk about their experience with school start-up from a teacher's perscpective.  Remember that your child's teachers and your child have no air conditioning and the school is 90 degrees.  Cut them all some slack and give them a verbal hug.  

Eli is well-read on this one as he went through the 91-page presentation for the school board regarding school choice.  Tim tries to keep up.   Is school choice the right course of action for declining enrollment?  Would 1 high school do the trick?

Somebody needs to hire a data analyst for PPS.  The numbers tell a different story from the equity agenda.   Eli and Tim break down the posted data to show holes.  

Eli and Tim get the pleasure of speaking with friend of the podcast, Tae Chong.  His reasons for leaving the Portland City Council and some of his takeaways from his term of service to the City of Portland.  Tae gives us a quick look at the Charter Commission procdure and why voters NEED to pay attention to what they will be voting on in November.  

Eli and Tim get long-winded as they spend the first half talking gun violence and and a lack of protection in PPS schools.   At the 19:16 mark, they switch over to Xavier's lack of buy-in from those who work under him.  How is it that rumors of a Vote of No Confidence are starting to swirl around the winner of a leadership award.  Most great educational leaders do not have a mass-exodus of th...

Eli helps Tim make sense of the feeling that we are going backwards in time.    Roe v. Wade, Civil Unrest, Gun Control.  Where's the magic wand?!

Eli teaches Tim about the big money election W.   Why are progressives taking over Portland Maine politics?  What's next?  

Eli and Tim want to know where the data is that supports Portland superintendent's claim.   They may have another prospective on why black students are getting in trouble more than white kids.  

Rule #1 as a leader....SUPPORT YOUR EMPLOYEES!!!  Epic fail on Xavier's part.  Tim is hot under the collar.  Eli, once again, brings logic and sense to the conversation.  Vague and unsubstantiated stats from the leader of our school district.  Fitting some data to a narrative??  

Tim hears the term "dark money" and thinks it's a subplot in a Batman movie.  Eli, once again, takes Tim to school on the what, who,  and why dark money exists in politics.  But the big question is "Why a small town like Portland, Maine?"

Tim asks Eli to help understand a school board that seems to be driven more by politics than what is best for Portland's youth.  Why are so many white middle-aged women being forced out, leaving for health reasons and/or leaving the district altogether? Is there room for politics on a school board?  Also, can we actually achieve true equity for our school children under the contraints of a li...

Eli and Tim are shaking their heads at the response, or lack there of, from the superintendent's office.  It's obvious that they have had enough of the singular-focus and lack of discipline in our buildings.  A plead to their listeners to take action and speak up.  Labels be damned.  Our students deserve better.  

What Tim thinks is a pay-per-view boxing match is actually one of the biggest Supreme Court rulings in the history of the US.   Thanks to Eli, we can speak intelligently about the potential overturn of landmark legislation that has ramifications nationwide.

Eli and Tim both have children who experience what could have been a great example of student voice and civil rights.  Instead, more negatives and hate followed a poorly managed gathering of middle school students.  

Eli once again prevails as the voice of reason.  The COVID outdoor seating in Portland has been removed.  Also, bonus talk about Ethan Strimling's quest to not get evicted.  Who's got more rights? 

District Attorney Jonathan Sahrbeck sits down with Eli and Tim.  Talking about his plans to battle the opiod crisis, homelessness, and human trafficking.   

An exploration into gender identity through the lense of NCAA Division 1 National Champion swimmer Lia Thomas of UPenn.   

Eli breaks down the 2022/23 Portland School Budget.  Both Tim and Eli share stories from the classroom.  

Always wondered about the make up and governance of the Portland School Board.   Eli is the right man for the making-Tim-smarter job.  Email us at timeisenhart27@gmail.com with suggested topics or conrrections.  

Brandon Mazer, former candidate for Portland City Council, describes his experience and knowledge around rank choice voting after his historic loss in 2021 elections.  

This time it's not just Eli making Tim smarter.  Tae Chong, City Councilor District 3, sits down to talk about the state of affairs in Portland.  

Eli schools Tim up on the first ammendment and cancel culture.  Is it the job of Portland officials to be publicly critical of other officials? 

Eli finished his homework on the Portland Charter Commission.  We explore mask mandates and give opinion on whether they should exist or not.