001and welcome to tonight's public hearing for the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Directors. I would allow now like to call this meeting to order. Tonight is March 23rd, 2026. Uh before we get started, I'd like to outline the process for a public hearing tonight. Um Miss Mercedes Williams will moderate tonight's public hearing. All speakers will have three minutes to speak. There's only one speaker allowed for each registered number, and you may not share your time with someone else or give your registered speaker number to anyone else. Speakers will be called one at a time. And as your time begins to wind down, uh those who are in person, the microphone will start to blink with 30 seconds left. Uh and for those who participate online, uh when you have 30 seconds left, Miss Williams will
002give you the raised hand signal to let you know your time is coming to an end. Uh our in-person speakers will go first, followed by our virtual speakers. Anyone who misses their time uh whether in person or virtual will be called uh for a second opportunity at the end of tonight's speakers. Uh let's see. Yeah, I think that's it. Uh if you're not able to attend personal uh in person or virtually, uh written testimony was also accepted and will be included with the public record and the video tomorrow on the board's website uh in the district's website. Stakeholders can view the public hearing by clicking the link at the top of the district's homepage. And with that, I will turn the meeting over to Miss Williams. >> Thank you, President Walker. Our first speaker is
003Shirley Anne Hill. I have followed the public hearings regarding the unfair treatment of former Monasuri teacher Miss Stephanie Lein by principal Kelly Meyer. Throughout my 41-year career with PPS, I too was subjected to toxic principles like her. In December 2023, Miss Stephanie Lepine was removed from her classroom by Kelly Meyer. She was cleared in February 2024, but was conveniently transferred to another school that does not have a monastery program. Why is Kelly Meyer not being held accountable for her unfair treatment of Miss Stephanie Lein, but only lead black teacher? Some honorary teachers have filed grievances and still nothing has been done. Toxic principles like Kelly Meyer put fear in teachers who speak up by sabotaging their teacher evaluations. Pretending there are no problems at Monasuri definitely creates an unsettling work environment. Teachers should not have
004to adapt to this leadership style to keep their jobs. Some principles are good for conveniently cutting positions when you speak up. I question how students are first when toxic principles are not held accountable. Dr. Sacko, have you talked to Kelly Meyer regarding her toxic leadership that has been going on for years? Carrot High School has a very small percentage of black teachers. I quote, "Having a black teacher builds cultural bonds between educators and students and has a positive impact on students academic outcomes. Research has shown that black teachers have a direct positive impact on black and on black students. Black students at Carrick Matter. I'm done. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Mark Weaver. A second call for Mark Weaver. Our next speaker is Sarah Zangel. Okay, just put this. You
005don't need to do Hi, my name is Sarah Zangle. I'm a PPS parent. Um, I would like to take this opportunity to point out what I see as a major flaw in the future ready plan. Um, since I'm a hands-on visual learner, I figured maybe a demonstration would be helpful. Um, that's the best way I learn. So, um, here we have a model of East Central. Um, this is just East Central because I only have so much time, so many cups, so many marshmallows. Okay, but each cup represents a a school. Um, I was going to place pencils in here, but I think it's a little tenuous, so we're just going to But each cup is divided by a pencil in your mind, and each pencil is the attendance zone. Okay? And then each marshmallow
006represents 10% of the school capacity. Okay? So, right now in our current PPS configuration, we have schools that range from 23% capacity to 109% capacity. And I believe or what I've gleaned from this is the point of closing schools and redrawing attendance zones and reimagining feeder patterns is to consolidate and more equitably distribute resources. We heard from PFD president Mr. Hileman in a testimony last year that buildings can't be expected to function at a capacity over 80% and we should be aiming somewhere between 60 and 70% for optimal usage. Our predicted capacities for Central East East after the future ready plan is in place will range from 20% to 103% capacity. Twothirds of the elementary schools in Central East are predicted to be above 80%, two of those at nearly 100%. Half of the middle
007schools are under 35% and one is nearly at 100. High schools are close to the same story. As you can see, we're redoing all of this and ending up with the same problems. The marshmallows can move and they do move and they will move, but the district has no control over the cups or the lines, pencils between the cups without going through this whole entire process again. And it's arduous and it's messy and it's rigorous and it's painful for everybody involved. So, what if the district reimagined the flow of the marshmallows and how we control the cups and how we control the lines? What if we created zones of admission and by doing so created a a system that could flex and move and adapt with shrinking or growing populations that could consolidate or expand
008if needed? And a system that could truly and equitably distribute students and resources. What if this board chose to stop the cycle of managing decline and took it upon themselves now and made all the marshmallows get the same sort of chance? Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Sandra Woolly. Good evening. I am Sandra Woolly. I'm a retired educator and a grandparent of PBS students, but one of my grandsons is electing to attend Obama next year and he's happy he was admitted. Um, tonight I'm speaking, however, as Pin's um chair of Pin's education task force. Um, Dr. Walters, when we met with you in January, Pin was really eager to support the plan. We know your staff, current board of directors and past board of directors have sp invested many hours.
009However, we are disappointed that PPS is not more open to changes in the plan. As my title suggests, sorry, I lost my Well, I'll do ad liib. Um, here we go. Uh, as my title suggests, unless you make some changes that take into parents and families concerns, we ask you to vote no and the plan as it currently exists. Let me tell you some of Pin's concerns. The plan was developed without meaningful family input. The benefits of these changes have not been communicated, so parents are confused and many more may choose to leave the district. The plan was developed with little input from leaders and stakeholders in Pittsburgh. We think this is a missed opportunity to get support for PPS. We believe good public schools are good for Pittsburgh. The plan does not expand community
010schools. Another missed opportunity to provide services need families need right in the schools. The plan cannot be implemented successfully in one year. The consultants recommended that a plan of this extent needed to be implemented over three to five years. PIN recognizes that some schools may need to be closed and that there are parts of the plan that are sound, but these community concerns must be addressed before moving forward with a plan of this magnitude. Mayor Corey Okconor is already talking about creating community centers in the school buildings that you close. Why not work together? Pinble, you have an opportunity while renovating the buildings and reorganizing schools to make space for other agencies in the buildings. So, Dr. Walders and PPS board of directors, pin asked you again to think big. You have assets. The city
011really needs good public schools. Work with other stakeholders. Make public schools community centers and we believe families will stay and many will come back. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Tyler Allen. Hello members of the school board. Thank you for having me here today. I am Tyler Allen, a student at Scitec. And I just want to quickly talk about what makes Scitec Scitec. From the start of when I went there in sixth grade, the first thing I heard about was our block schedule, a set of 80minute periods of which we have four of a day that allow us to go deep into learning on that day. This has become the backbone of Scitec's curriculum and part of the reason we have been able to maintain as good staff and student
012buy in as we have seen in our school. But this block schedule isn't for everyone. I have had close friends who have left Scitec because they felt that this system did not best serve them and went on to do excellently at their home schools which had your more traditional 45minute periods. I I bring this up because this facility's utilization plan talks about making Scitec a home school for students. This will allow us to expand access to Scitec, a place I believe delivers an excellent education and I full wholeheartly support any opening of this up to people. But I'm worried this may place learners in a situation where they do not best learn by not giving them an option to a more traditional school environment. Additionally, in district planning, I just like to say that SCIT
013hasn't had what we feel is full transparency in how our schedule would be affected at each step of this plan. We haven't known are we going to keep our block schedules? Are we going to shift to 45 minute structure and away from what makes scitecite? So I would just as the school board right down the street would email PPS staff at Scitec students and teachers and just fully understand what makes Scitec Scitec and what's able to give us and what's able to help maintain that staff and deliver the future forward curriculum that Scitec offers. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Michael Cummings. >> Good evening. My name is Mike Cumins. I'm proud parent of two PPS students, a member of the Penn Education Justice Task Force. First, I want
014to thank you board for your recent vote to not approve new charter schools while we're going through this process. Seriously, thank you. Now, I'd like to highlight several ways the future ready facilities plan falls short of Dr. Walter's 12 tenants for reconfiguration. Consistent grade bands. Making an exception for one of the district's most inequitable schools based on prior facility investment undermines consistency and contradicts the plan's equity goals. By splitting to middle and high schools, expanded to more equitable access to Kappa can be achieved without sacrificing consistency or past investments. Our middle schools do not need that kind of fancy amenities and investment. Schools [clears throat] as community hubs. The plan not only fails to expand this model, it reduces it, eliminating two of the nine community schools and significantly altering others. No plans to replace
015or grow this strategy. This is a missed opportunity to integrate community- centered design into building renovations and to plan for the use of closed buildings. Feeder pattern reorganization. This process was conducted in-house without a comprehensive demographer study, raising concerns about rigor, transparency, and long-term viability. Comprehensive education plan. The district proposes major building closures and disrupt disruptions before developing a clear educational vision. This reverses the proper order. Educational goals should drive structural decisions, not follow them. Scheduling allocation. Five periods a day of math and ELA is absurd. limiting sufficient access to well-rounded programming such as world languages and physical education. These subjects can't be effective on quarterly scheduling rotations. Teaching the test over robust, engaging, and equitable educational opportunities is in no way students first. Revitalizing magnets. Rather than addressing magnets inequities, the plan simply reduces
016them without a consistent model. Inequities of access are not meaningfully addressed and fewer seats will only exacerbate the problem. Finally, the plan lacks a clear actionable strategy to address disparities across race, IEP status, and socioeconomic status. Resource shifts alone are insufficient without specific defined pathways to drive outcomes. Plan also overlooks key ERS recommendations. Implementation. The timeline of the plan is what ERS stated would be the worst thing you could do, rushing it and not taking three to five years or longer to handle the transition with proper care. meaningful community engagement. This is not just telling us why the plan is good, but authentic listening to develop a plan that meets the needs and the desires of the community. Transition supports. Much more work needs to be put in place and much more time allocated to
017proper student family transition supports, particularly for our most marginalized communities. We can we must do better for every student than this current version of the plan. We can build a great plan. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Emily Sawyer. Good evening. Um, real quick, first Scitec isn't the only high school that has block scheduling. There are already schools that students are assigned to that also do that model. And yes, the schedules in the current facilities utilization plan are untenable, absolutely unacceptable, have to be redone. Um, every month I think I'm going to talk about something that's important to me and something that I think could make the district better. And every month I end up having to address some fire that we just started. And it's no wonder we make so
018little progress when we have to keep fighting to even stay where we are. But once again, it's sightbased to budget time. And here we are getting sabotaged by our own leadership. The ones who want us to believe in your plan to save our school district. And you can't even figure out how not to further wound our school for just the next year. You can't threaten to close our school and then decide not to, but only kind of because you'll probably just do it next year. Then project lower enrollment, therefore punishing the people who are still in the building, kids and adults alike, by allotting us fewer FTEEs. You create these conditions and then punish the people who have to live in what you created. A halftime social studies teacher is basically no social studies teacher.
019We finally have a social studies teacher who's committed, who cares about our kids, and they're not going to stay for a halftime position. A social studies teacher is a basic requirement, especially for a middle school. Period. You create a situation where we will likely lose kids even though we haven't actually, despite how much uncertainty you've caused for our families. Make us plan and hire based on lower projected enrollment you are causing and projecting, take away needed staff that are dedicated to our building and further undermine the experience and the education of the students and staff who will remain. And even if we don't end up losing enrollment, it will be too late to keep the staff we already have. And maybe even too late to hire anyone at all once we see how many kids
020we actually have. That's just throwing away relationships, investment, consistency, care. You want to talk about culture? Really, how about not throwing away all of that just because the numbers tell you you have to. And let me tell you why you don't have to. Because you do it differently at other places. you find creative models to make it so you have the staff you need to teach the students at the schools where you want to do that. Okay. Do is there enough students at CAP to support every staff member that's there? No. You made a special way to make sure those kids get the classes that you think they deserve? At Manchester, the classes are too small to warrant teachers. But at Kappa, small classes are a feature, not a bug. Why is that? You give
021schools what they need because the students there deserve a full and excellent education. Every single one at every building, not just the places we think kids are special and we make creative choices to meet those students needs. And you do it now. You don't have to wait until you've closed schools because I know you can do it because you are doing it now. It just depends on who you think it's worth doing it for, I guess. Thank you for your testimony. We will now switch to our online portion of public hearing testimony. Our next speaker is Jasine Worthy. As a proactive parent in this district, it's important that I use this time to ask you to join me and others as we come together for a series of listening sessions created for one purpose, to
022truly listen to us. Because meetings like this, board meetings have not been that space. Too often our voices fall on deaf ears. We see the lack of eye contact, the distraction, the focus on the wrong things, and the push to move forward with plans that this community has clearly and consistently opposed. But just because this room hasn't been a place where our voices are heard, doesn't mean that space doesn't exist. We are creating it. I invite each of you to mark your calendars and show up for a series of sessions beginning this month. Each one centered on the schools on the closure list. Fulton will be first, followed by Wool Slayer and so forth. Let this be an opportunity for all of us, including district leadership and board members, to step outside of what has
023felt like failed and frankly insulting attempts at engagement and instead commit to real listening, real presence, and real accountability. You can find dates, tabs, and locations for these sessions on the 412 Justice page as well as the Education Rights Network's page. The question is no longer whether families are willing to show up. We already have. The question is, will you Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Jordan Bolton. Dave, we can't hear Jordan. Jordan, can you please start over? You were muted. >> Yes. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Jordan and I'm a 10th grade student at Scitec. I appreciate the opportunity to speak today about my experiences and observations at our school. One of the things I truly appreciate about Scitec
024is its strong commitment to academic excellence. I've experienced how our advanced curriculum and dedicated teachers create an environment that is both challenging and supportive. The focus on STEM fields has been especially meaningful not just for me but for many of my peers because it opens doors and creates pathways toward future careers. I believe even more students should be able to take full advantage of the STEM education offered as these opportunities can be life-changing and empowering for all of us. The school's emphasis on innovation and critical thinking helps prepare us for both college and future careers. Personally, I hope to pursue a career in engineering and Scitec has already helped me be begin building a strong foundation. The hands the hands-on projects and rigorous coursework have deepened my understanding of scientific principles and made learning engaging
025and meaningful. At the same time, I think there are areas where we can continue to grow as a community. Scitec is a diverse school, which is something I value, but there are moments when some students may feel overlooked or not fully supported. For example, the Black Student Union has faced challenges in receiving consistent faculty support. This can sometimes make students feel like their voices and experiences are not being fully heard. I don't believe this comes from a place of harm, but rather from an opportunity for us to do better together. Oh. Um, their voices and experiences are not being fully heard. I don't believe this comes from a place of harm, but rather from an opportunity for us to do better together. To strengthen our school community, I encourage the administration to continue prioritizing diversity
026and inclusion efforts, including providing support and guidance for student organizations like the BSU. Encouraging more faculty involvement and awareness can help ensure that every student feels seen, respected, and supported. I'm proud to be a student at Scitec and I believe that by working together we continue to grow into a school where every student feels included and every student has access to opportunities especially in STE. Thank you for listening to my voice. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Josiah Charmers. >> Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Good evening. My name is Josiah Charmers and I am a fifth grade science student at Scitec. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today about my experiences and perspective on our school. Scitec is a school that really values learning and high
027expectations. In my experience, our classes encourage us to think more deeply, ask questions, and challenge ourselves. But focus on STEM is especially important because it helps students explore different interests and start thinking about future careers. I think it's a great opportunity. I believe even more students should feel encouraged and supported to take full advantage of everything that's in program. I also think more students should have a chance to experience tech offer because it can really help achieve their goals as well. Firstly, I hope to become a nurse and scitech has already helped me take steps towards that goal. The course work can be challenging but it's helped me grow, stay focused and build confidence in my ability. I appreciate the effort that teachers put into helping us succeed. At the same time, I think there
028are ways our school commun is very diverse, which is something I really value. But there are moments when some students may not feel fully heard or understood. For example, like Jordan said, the Black Student Union has faced some challenges and receiving consistent support. I don't think this is intentional, but it can sometimes make students feel like their voices are not recognized as they should. I also think it's important to recognize that there are teachers who do try and support students, student groups like the BSU and those efforts matter. As students, we have responsive responsibility to show respect and work together so that those relationships can grow and grow stronger. Building a supportive environment takes effort for everyone. Another area where we can grow is how we handle conflicts between students. Sometimes situations can spread quickly,
029especially through social media, and it could create stress and distraction in the school. Having more guidance and consistent support from staff once these situations come up, could really help students handle things in a more positive way. Overall, I believe Scitec is a strong school with a lot of potential. By continuing to focus on inclusion, communication, and support for all students, we can make it even better, an even better place to learn and grow. I'm proud to be a student here. I believe that if we work together, we can create an environment where everyone feels valued and encouraged. Thank you for listening. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Sebastian Bard. >> Can you hear me? All right. >> Yes. >> All right. Good afternoon, members of the board. I'd like to preface
030my remarks by thanking you for the opportunity to share my experience in such an impactful setting. My name is Sebastian Bard and I am a graduating senior at Scitec. I've been at Scitec since sixth grade, almost seven years. As such, I've seen most of what the school has to offer, its greatest strengths, its shortcomings, and everything in between. I feel qualified to testify on Scitec's behalf. Qualified to attempt to explain the spe special place our school inhabits in the Pittsburgh public ecosystem. Scitec magnet focus isn't reserved for high school. From the very first day of sixth grade, the attention paid to creating a well-rounded in-depth STEM education was evident. Before my time at Scitec, I had never taken science class in the lab. However, by the end of 8th grade, I felt confident in creating
031research questions and attempting to answer them using the wide variety of equipment available to us. In high school, students are given the opportunity to choose their own path through the concentration system. Scitec concentration system is one of its most important features. It allows students to hone in on the ideas they actually care about. I've seen students otherwise almost completely disengaged participate actively in the classroom when they realized that what they were learning in their concentration was applicable to their lives and aspirational careers. I believe our concentrations are what truly set Scitec apart. The resources and opportunity for exploration that they offer make it possible for students who would otherwise have no access to such diverse offerings to receive a university level understanding in subjects they will continue to reference in college and beyond. As you
032continue to think about the future of our district, I hope that you'll keep my experience and the countless others like it that have stem from time at Scitec in mind. I believe in the goal of leveling the playing fieldever. I hope that whatever action the district pursues results in a fulfilling education for every PPS student. However, I would caution against equating the unique opportunities that some of our schools provide with a need to ensure that there is both a baseline and a ceiling to the quality of education that a PPS student can receive. I am hopeful that at the conclusion of this process, Scitec will still be a school where students can pursue their goals in the same specialized and driven environment that exists today. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next
033speaker is Zire House Jeder. >> Good evening. I hope everyone is doing well. My name is Zire House Jeder. I am 17 years old and I am currently a senior enrolled at Pittsburgh Obama. I plan to go to Temple University after high school on a full RAD to pursue teaching. My overall experience, simply put, with PBS has been phenomenal education-wise through the rigorous path I have been put down and have also personally chosen. But there's one strong issue I have had for a very long time as a student in Pixar public schools is the fact that I have only had seven teachers of minority descent. To be specific, I have had one black man, three black women, two Asian women, and one mixed woman. Not to discredit anyone's work, but one of the Asian women
034was my chi was a Chinese teacher. I personally take French. I do not learn Chinese. The woman was my ninth grade home room teacher. And even in such a simple position, she still made herself rememberable. I bring this point up to show the lack of influence when it comes to black or minority groups in PPS classes. As much as this might be seen as such a non-issue right now, it is. Some students are not excelling in school or even falling behind in general due to a lack of due to a lack of familiar familiarity with their teachers. And of course, this is nothing against the teachers. It is just a lot easier for students, especially younger ones, to have a familiar face or familiar skin color, which can really help open up a kid's mind.
035And I say that to show, for example, in elementary school, don't get me wrong, I got my work done, but my behavior wasn't the best. I got into physical ultra I got into physical altercations with other students, been suspended multiple times off the bus and from school. I had to bother my mom for rides to school when she needed to be at work. I did not mellow out until fourth grade due to a black woman and man mentioned earlier, the names are Mrs. Wilson and Mr. Perkins. It was not until I had a strong black influence in my life through the education system that I was able to feel a little bit more understood. There was less pressure to explain myself or talk to a teacher. And seeing someone who looks like me, especially in
036a position of success was truly inspiring. Even through Mr. Perkins when he left a couple couple years later and was able to pursue pursue his dream of being a principal, I later saw him in Pixburg Obama as our vice principal, making that drive for success in my body burn a lot harder and a lot hotter. Thank you for listening to me today and let and letting me share my issue. I also want to thank Dr. Walters for mentoring me and helping open my eyes. the family's issues in the system. That is all I have to say. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our final speaker for tonight is Holly Cox. >> Hi, I'm Holly Cox. I'm the parent of a PPS student and PPS graduate and I'm here today asking you to please vote no
037on the future ready plan. My main concern with the plan is the what seems to me unrealistic timeline. ERS recommended three to five years to implement the plan. While the timeline spans several years, the largest portion of changes affecting students, families, teachers, staff, and communities are scheduled to take place in the first year. I failed to see how this can all be done with the utmost care and consideration. Year one is when everyone is moved to their new buildings. It's only after they're moved that planning even starts. Only once the students and staff are moved do we begin to imagine science labs, art and music rooms, teacher collaboration centers, and English language development spaces. Construction won't even start on these spaces until year two. I have asked before why the designing and construction can't start
038before we move everyone. Personally, I would have more buyin for moving my student if the things I'm supposed to be excited about were already in place. It's hard to be enthusiastic about a move for things that won't come to pass for at least two or three years out. I've recently joined PIN. PIN, by the way, also believes that the timeline for the plan is unrealistic. One of the things that attracted me to Pin is their advocacy for community schools. The Learning Policy Institute published an article last June with research and links on community schools across the country. Six states have included community schools funding in their budget formulas and all 65 Cincinnati public schools are now community schools. They site a reduction in the achievement gap and increases in third grade reading scores and increases
039in high school graduates. All states site improvements in achievement attendance and disciplinary incidents. It's clear that community schools are worth the investment. PPS currently has nine community schools and most of these schools will be affected in some way by school closures and grade reconfigurations. But community schools are not mentioned in the plan. Will these schools remain community schools? Will the students who are moving to other buildings still be able to receive services? Will their families are spaces being considered for things like backpack programs, food pantries, extra clothing, extra services and resources for students in their communities? Because these things are needed, frankly, in all of our schools. Three of the kids three of the schools my kids have gone to are not community schools, but they either had backpack programs or food pantries available. And
040one school also had a closet for families who needed clothes. Community schools are a valuable resource for health, nutrition, and mental health services, enrichment programs, and community resources. While the plan mentioned services and partnerships in the district, community schools are not specifically mentioned. Community schools should be added to the plan before moving forward. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> Thank you so much for your testimony. A final call for Mark Weaver. A second and final call for Mark Weaver. This now concludes the testimony portion of this public hearing. I will now turn the meeting back over to board president, Mr. Jane Walker. >> Thank you, Miss Williams. Uh and again, uh thank you to all who came out to speak tonight, uh both in person and virtual. Uh we do appreciate your time
041and attention uh and commitment to this process. And with that we will adjourn for this evening and we will see you on Wednesday. Have a good night everyone.