Smarter and Harder: Recent Episodes
Eli Small and Tim Eisenhart
Eli and Tim discuss Maine's national attention. And Cherry finally got what he deserved with a new law being passed to make sure people like him don't get rehired in other districts.
Jonathan Bush finds himself sitting in the Smarter & Harder podcave for conversation around various topics including the state of the education system(and other systems) in Maine. Very grateful that he found time in his campaign schedule to chat with us.
Eli and Tim give their take on the new drama at the ever-tumultuous Lyman Moore Middle School. Also, the teacher union is recommending the budget be rejected!!!
A proposal from Dr. Opperman to close one of the PPS middle schools leaves Lincoln on the hot seat.
Eli gives Tim an economics lesson in the effect of a $19/hr minimum wage. Election results and thoughts.
Dr. Scallon gives us a rundown of the '25-'26 start-up successes, school consolidation update, budget and Yonder pouches.
Great conversation with Sam Aborne as we run up to the November 4th vote for At-Large City Council position.
Eli and Tim honor Ryan Jordan, longtime Portlander. Talk of the holidays. Vacancy tax, referendums and the race for city council. Jam packed with Tim getting smarter thru Eli.
Eli talks about a new Portland business vacancy tax. Tim tries to keep up with Eli and continues to fail. Also, Yonder pouches for students. Is it the right direction for preparing kids for the future?
Lots to talk about today. Soft parents are creating soft kids. An OOB cop is detained by ICE. Portland Music Festival in Payson Park - could be good?
Beloved high school sports writer, Michael Hoffer, has launched his website www.hoffershighschoolsports.com. He comes to the Smarter and Harder studio to discuss the next phase of his unique and masterful coverage of Maine high school sports.
Tim is excited about the budget...for once. Eli and Dr. Scallon use big words in their discussion of this year's budget.
Tim does not like the MPA. Eli makes some sense of the complicated issue of trans athletes competing in Maine.
Eli and Tim bounce around a bunch of topics. From parents behaving badly to Trump turning federal gov't on it's ear, to budget concerns. Crazy times!
Tim is pissed in this one. Eli makes his intelligent points. Is this another case of the district throwing an educator under the bus? What would you do if you were in Murph's position?
Tim has questions about why we are not prosecuting drug users. Eli, as always, applies logic to Tim's outrage.
Eli and Tim respond to a passionate loyal listener who disagrees with the last episode. Outstanding points and the response. Also, Trump's cabinet is a ecclectic who's who in entertainment and outrage.
A little on the presidential election and a lot on Portland politics. With a clean sweep last week, the DSA is now in control of Portland's politics.
Dr. Ryan Scallon discusses the start of 2024-25 school year, $500k to fix mis-managed retirement money, school re-districting, high school consolidation update.
Eli and Tim discuss the Iran/Palestine/Israel conflict. Tim wonders if the Portland City Council will make an official statement about denouncing the inhumane actions of Iran? Also, Portland Ed Techs are working without a contract...still. Why are we letting this happen?
Eli goes off and rightfully so. Portland City Council wastes more time and UNANIMOUSLY alienates the Jews of Portland.
Dr. Ryan Scallon comes back for another episode to speak to the FY '25 budget for the schools. Some cuts, some movement but very positive feedback. He also discusses recent threats to 5 schools that put PHS and other schools on lockdown. A quick response with some communication gaps that need to be rectified. Also, bonus material on high school consolidation beginning process.
College campuses in turmoil and taken over by uneducated teenagers. 10% tax increase in Portland.
Eli brings Tim up to speed on SCOTUS presidential decision. First glance at the budet seems promising. You know if has to be a responsible budget when Figdor does not like it.
Tim and Eli disucss the high school consolidation plan that has begun to form. The beginning of a 5-year effort to finally unit the high schools in Portland.
Dr. Scallon discusses budget, snow days and high school placement. An uneviable task this 2024-25 budget but some nuggets of hope.
Eli Small breaks free from his prison to call in. Tim is elated. Tim's son John has scoured the city's McDonald's and even looked under the rat-infested bridge. All is well...sorry Neil Turitz.
Eli Small has gone missing so Tim puts out feelers on the darkweb to find his replacement. Is he busy finding foster homes for Portland's poor rats or has he decided to become wealthy (thanks to Portland's progressive boobs) making time-and-half working at McDonald's in Portland.
Listen to Portland native and writer/director Neil Turitz' interview for the position of "Even Smarter" of the new(?) Even Smarter and Harder Podcast.
With so many other issues needing to be addressed in Portland, why did our city councilors waste valuable time with a cease-fire resolution?! Also, two city councilors equate homeless crisis to slavery....somehow...and post it in the paper. Pssst - not everything is about race Anna and and Victoria. Bonus material on Maine's rejection of Trump as a viable candidate.
Eli and Tim discuss the choice process for 8th graders moving into PPS high schools. Eli schools Tim up on Jewish history revolving around Chanukah.
Eli and Tim talk about Victoria Pelletier's comments about the Lewiston shooting being caused by white nationalism. Also, the amount of anti-semetic behavior in Portland and around the country is alarming. Lastly, Roberto & Trevorrow want to make homeless encampments legal in Portland.
Eli and Tim call in a CMP expert , Kelly, to explain the relationship between CMP and the power generation corporations. Did you know that CMP owns the smaller portion of your bill and is governed by a Govenor-appointed organization in the Maine PUC? The fat on your bill comes from the non-CMP power generators.
Eli gives Tim and all of us a lesson in the history of bad blood between Hamas and Israel. Then Tim tries to wrap his head around how socaialists in the US/Portland are supporting the killing of innocent people.
Eli and Tim interview City Council Candidates Matt Buonopane from District 5 and Sam Cady from District 4.
Eli and Tim banter about the prevalence, still, in gun-related disruptions to learning in Greater Portland. Also, why did we take away cell phones from counselors? Don't they need those to help kids after school hours?
Justin Costa comes in for an interview with Eli and Tim. Talk about the biggest issues in Portland right now and how Justin plans to attack them.
Eli and Tim speak with Mark Dion, Portland City Councilor and Mayoral candidate. Tae Chong sits in to discuss work with Mark on the council and some of his background.
Eli and Tim discuss the protests in Portland by asylum seekers regarding the quality of their accommodations and food. Also, affirmative action gets overturned by SCOTUS.
Eli and Tim discuss the knife fight at PHS with no SRO's ! What should the punishment? Cookies and cupcakes? PPS has a new Superintendent who appears, on the surface, to be fully qualified to lead the district. School budget final discussion.
Eli educates Tim on the background and qualifications of each candidate. Also, discussion about why a junkie made it into King Middle School bathroom to offer drugs to a student. Poor response from administration.
Eli and Tim discuss the effect of one PPS teacher's public criticism of another teacher in her hometown for cultural appropriation during an American history lesson. Too far? Or appropriate respsone? Also, final discussions on PPS budget.
Eli and Tim take a deeper look into the budget and can't help but wonder how we are going to shoulder COVID spending in 3 years if this budget passes. Now is the time to cut!!
Eli and Tim tries to make sense of why we took the state's $3million and added back in gardeners.
Eli and Tim discuss their first read of the PPS budget. More of the same crap. How are we increasing our budget by $15million with less students? Tim is in the camp of shoot it down and let the new Superintendent pick up the pieces. Eli wants to take a smarter look at the line items. True to form, Smarter and Harder
Eli and Tim talk '23-'24 school budget and X-man somehow got a nod for the police citizen review committee. Much to consider on the budget in '23!!
Eli and Tim discuss why a lack of discipline and holding the line is leading to 20 teachers calling out sick. PPS policies are failing at teaching our students how to be law-abiding citizens with respect for authority and rules.
Eli and Tim interview one of PPS' greats, Brian Dodge. Brian is a math teacher at Portland High School who has been teaching Calculus AB and BC.
Eli and Tim talk about the focus groups for the Superintendent search committee. It was not inclusive/equitable in the least. Instead of getting everybody together in one room to disucss concerns/ideas, people were separated by language. From the outside, it appeared that they segregated residents by skin color. Is this how we model inculsive and immersive behavior to our educators?
Eli and Tim discuss their ideas on the purpose of education as a way to help, perhaps, the hiring committee for the new superintendent of schools.
Eli and Tim record live at Brookside Food & Drink. Eli explains why $3 million went unpaid for years to MainePers retirement for PPS employees. Also, there's a new lawsuit coming for PPS from the PDE for favoring affinity groups. Could this be what gets the Figdor out of PPS' ass?
Eli is beside himself. Xavier somehow finds more money? He gave $500 bonus' to only two PPS school staffs. Also, somebody thinks Xman deserves a retirement party. You can't make this stuff up!
Eli takes Tim to school on making sense of how PPS has decided to tackle Xavier's departure. Why does it take 2 people to do the job of 1 after all these years?
Xavier does the right thing and calls it quits. Eli gives his take on next steps to help right the ship that Emilie and X-man have run aground.
Eli and Tim give a standing ovation to the teachers who stood up and called out the incompetence of Emily Figdor and Xavier Botana.
Eli goes off on figuring out how PPS cannot figure out how to pay teachers. Also, Figdor loses her spot as leader of PPS school committee.
Eli keeps a cool head, as usual. Tim goes off, as usual. An active shooter hoax at several high schools in Maine has brought to light the importance of SRO's.
Eli educates us on citizen referdendums A, B, C and E. Question D is also still a thorn that needs to be dealt with. 1 week runup starts today.
Grace Skerritt educates Tim and Eli on the effects of a yes vote on Question D of the citizen initiative referendums. Getting rid of the sub-minimum wage and, at the same time, tip credit for wait staff at restaruants is a bad idea. With inflation already high, we should not be considering an initiative that would raise prices on everything in the City of Portland. The DSA needs to be called out on this one.
Eli takes his smarty pants to the next level. Tim scratches his head trying to keep up, as usual. More explanation as to the thinking/genesis of the PPS school committee's decision to ban kids from watching high school sports.
Eli is back! Eli and Tim talk about Robyn Bailey's interview. Also, they eplore PPS' decision to disallow students from watching their friends play sports in the city. Also, they dig into Charter Commission questions #1 and #3.
Tim interviews Robyn Bailey to let the truth out about last year's doings at Lincoln Middle School. A dedicated educator of 23 years and frustrated PPS parent, Robyn wrote an email to Portland City Council that hit a nerve in the socialist driven political machine. She talks about what she would have done differently and also, more importantly, her experience with the lack of support from Xavier's band of followers.
Eli lays out the good and the bad with question 2. In simple terms, an executive mayor is unnecessary and potentially detrimental to our city's needs. Modify the system in place with small adjustments. Tim feels smarter after this one!
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 those who they are leading.
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 limited budget?
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.
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.
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 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.
Once again, Eli takes Tim to school. Why Portland has become a great place to pursue a better life for asylum seeking families.