001Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the public hearing for the Pittsburgh P uh public schools. Today is Monday, December 15, 2025. Uh, as we do every time, I just want to remind everyone of the process tonight. Uh, Miss Erica Gandandy will be moderating our public hearing. Each speaker will be given three minutes to speak and there is only one speaker per registered number. 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. If you're in person, the microphone will blink uh with 30 seconds to go. Uh as we switch to our virtual testimonies, Miss Gandandy will use the raise hand function to let you know that your time is
002running down. Uh our order of speakers remains the same. Our in-person speakers will go first followed by our virtual speakers in the order that you registered. Uh let's see. Speakers who were not able to attend uh were able to submit their testimony in writing. Uh and that along with this video and any other submitted testimony will be added to the public record tomorrow u for viewing for those who missed it. And let's see uh if any registered speaker misses their turn uh we will come back to you at the end to give you an opportunity just in case you're running a little bit behind. stakeholders who would like to view the hearing can go to the district web page and click on the link uh that pops up as soon as you log in. And
003with that, I think it is time to proceed to our first speaker. So, I will turn it over to Miss Gandi. >> Thank you, Mr. Walker. And our first speaker this evening is Sarah Fishbine. Hello, good evening. Um, my name is Sarah Fishbine. I'm a parent of two kids at PPS. And, um, I want to recognize that the board, um, parents, community members have obviously been going through um, very challenging discussions and potential pathways forward. Um, and that those are hard in my mind because uh it means some groups of kids um and some uh schools taking hardship and losing now with a vision to a stronger future for everyone. But it means some people losing now. Um and uh I would say that joining together with other schools across the district um and other
004or across the state and other states across the country in implementing a distraction-free learning environment is not that um it is about committing to a quality of education for all kids in the future and right now. Um, if I asked us in this room how many of us have checked our uh, smartphones in the last um, five minutes, let's say, I assume that most of us would have our hands up, you know, if we're being honest. Um, that's how these phones work. They are distracting and they're addictive. Um, and the research, that's kind of our own lived experience, all of us. But the research that's come out from educators um from neuroscientists from uh developmental child developmental specialists is really really clear on this. Um smartphones in learning disrupts focus uh disrupts creativity. It disrupts
005direct connection and communication um and likely has serious mental health impacts on students period. Um, and I will just emphasize that, um, from what we can tell, and it's not surprising, the developmental impacts fall hardest on kids who have the least individual family supports. Um, there that's not surprising, but that's real and important. Um, and I would say that banning phones bell-to-bell is about committing to provide every student in the district um, with the most important tool they can have right now in the world, which is their focus. Um, I recognize that there's concern about people being able to reach their kids. Um, and parents can certainly still call the schools and call their kids, but god forbid something were to happen in any of our schools. I would want my children listening and paying
006attention to the educators and the administrators that need to leave them um right there in person. Um, there's nothing my text is going to do. And then the last thing I want to say is just um I work with uh young people who are coming into the world and I work with young people coming into the workforce. Um I really do believe uh that they are our future and I believe they can save our planet. Um and uh if I'm being honest, I have noticed that young people coming into the workforce um struggle more than ever with direct communication um with what I would call basic problem. >> Thank you for your testimony. And our next speaker is Judith Addison. Good evening. My name is Judith Add. I have one child at Kappa, another who
007graduated Alderise, where I also served on the PTO. I'm here tonight as a parent and strong support of the proposed updates to electronic policy 216, including a bell-to-bell cell phone ban. and I urge you to adopt the policy with the recommended edits submitted by Pittsburgh Public Unplugged, which were sent via email ahead of this meeting. Like many families, we believed we were being mindful and responsible about technology. We strictly limited screens at home and delayed phones. When my kids were given schoolisssued devices, there was no transparency about how tech decisions were made, how platforms were vetted, or how safety, privacy, and educational quality were protected. Our household was quickly overtaken by unintended consequences such as uncontrolled surfing, downloading games like Minecraft, and online chatting with strangers, both of which I thought were blocked activities on
008their schoolisssued devices. My free time was consumed trying to learn parental controls, which turned into a never-ending game of whack-a-ole as my kids found workarounds. When the time came to admit that my kids were addicted to technology, there was no meaningful support from the school. If a child were addicted to a substance, we would never respond by saying they must keep having access to it. Yet, that is effectively what happens with phones and the poorly restricted issued schoolisssued devices. For years, our societal worry was that lack of access to technology would leave students behind. Ironically, today the real equity issue is freedom from technology and the ability to set healthy boundaries. Families with fewer resources often have the least ability to monitor, control, or counteract the harms of constant device access. Those students are the
009most exposed. At the state level, Pennsylvania is on the verge of passing a bipartisan legislation that requires school districts to adopt a bell-to-bell cell phone ban by the 2728 school year. This bill advanced unanimously out of the Senate Educational Committee and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. Additionally, more than 20 school districts have gone phone free with bell-to-bell bans, and those schools are being rewarded. Unexcused absences and disciplinary instances are down. Grades are up. The growing body of research emphatically supports the implementation of bands and other guardrails. This is not merely about phones. It's about creating learning environments where students can focus, connect, and grow without constant digital distractions. It's about removing the unfair enforcement burden on teachers and it's about equity, ensuring that all students, regardless of home support or resources, have
010the opportunity to thrive. I strongly support the support the proposed ban in policy 216 and urge you to adopt the PUP recommended edits and I thank you guys for all of your volunteer time on this board. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. and our next speaker, Ben Brewer. >> Hey, how's it going? Uh my name is Ben. I'm from the north side. I got a couple of kids who go to Pittsburgh public. I haven't met you before at the pump track. Um and first I just would say to the school board uh members, I give you a lot of credit. You've had a heck of a few months. I imagine it's pretty challenging trying to lead through this moment. So just feel like I should say that. But I'm here because I'm in support
011of the cell phone ban. Um, you know, I feel like we all do. School is about learning. You know, whether it's social learning or physical learning or academic intellectual learning. And no one's going to convince me that a cell phone supports any of those things. It just doesn't. If anything, the question is just how significantly do cell phones detract from physical learning and social learning and intellectual and academic learning. Um, you know, I think in the world today, there's so much going on. And there's so much coming at us all the time that one of the most powerful things an education can give a kid is focus. Like to me, focus is the thing you need to be successful at whatever you want to do in life. And we can help give that to kids
012in Pittsburgh public by by banning cell phones. So thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker this evening, Shirley Anne Hill. again. Surely inhale. Our next speaker is Roseanne Lavine. >> Good evening. My name is Roseanne Levine and I am a resident of Pittsburgh. Um, first of all, I want to thank you for everything that you do. this is really truly public service and you do you represent your constituents and you make really tough decisions and as a community we really appreciate you. Um, so and that's why I'm really happy to be coming to you with something that really is not a tough decision, and that is revising policy 216 to have a bell-to-bell personal electronic device ban in the schools. Um, I'm the mother of four grown Pittsburgh public school um,
013students. My my kids are aged 32 to 40, so why am I even here? I am a nurse practitioner. I retired about a year ago and I saw the increasing anxiety, depression, suicidality, lack of social skills. And around 2016, I started reading the studies that linked this to the time online, the time on these personal devices that they carry around with them in their pockets. Um, and I could supply a whole bibliography to you if you want. Put a thumbs up and I'll give it to you later, but I've just sent I've just handed you with just a couple of studies linking the problems to academic achievement. But the mental health effects, which also cost us a lot, are huge. Um, so I would urge you to get rid of the exceptions except for IEPs
014and 504 plans, but get rid of principal um given exceptions for this. If a child has an ill family member in the hospital, that family, if there's a true change in status of that individual, the family can call the office or it's an opportunity for the social worker or counselor to get involved with that family and support the family. Um, if the parent needs to change some kind of pickup arrangement, the parent can call the office. There really is not leeway for the principles to change this. This should be a bell-to-bell ban except for situations where because of an IEP, because of a 504 plan, the student really, really needs the device, diabetes, assisted communication, whatever it is. Um, so anyway, I thank you again for your time and attention to this and I hope
015that you will revise this policy. And I was going to say in the uh committee hearing it came up, do we have data from the schools that have already done this? And the answer was no. Well, I urge you to call the the Thank you for your testimony. And our next speaker is Sandre Woolly. Good evening. I'm Sandra Woolly. Um I'm a retired educator and a parent of PPS or rather grandparent of PPS students and chair of the PIN education task force. PIN is an interfaith group of about 30 congregations and organizations and we focus on justice. First, I'd like to say thank you to the um former board members for voting no. Uh thank you for listening to the to the parents and and community voices who believe that the plan is not ready
016yet. They believe the plan focuses too much on facilities and finances. And many believe the students will continue to leave PPS if you move forward with this plan. So I asked the new board to not move forward but rather to begin again with ideas from all the stakeholders to develop a truly visionary plan. A plan that will attract students and families back to PPS. A plan that will impact finally the achievement gap between whites and blacks. In 2016, uh PPS directors approved policy 122 titled community schools, which states that the board is committed to creating community schools, including finding sustaining funding. A community school is a public school, the hub of its neighborhood, uniting families, educators, and community partners, creating educational excellence for each and every child, and strengthening families and communities. Pittsburgh currently has
017nine community schools with site managers and a district coordinator, Lyanna Kraton. I believe that empty buildings can be filled with agencies providing the services that students and families need. This is not new. It's being done in Erie County and Lehi Valley and in most states. Community schools are not really a program, but are rather a way of organizing a district. And I believe that the community school committees and the district committee can provide the structure for developing a reorganization plan. The steering committee at the district level should include leaders of the city, the county, nonprofits, corporations, foundations, and legislators. The district must be willing to share decision-making. In turn, the district will receive help in creating a visionary plan and resources to carry out the plan. The public wants to help. Uh, I know of
018three groups who have advanced ideas. 412 Justice has been asking for transparency throughout the process. Black Women for Better Schools has many visionary ideas and has endorsed many of you as you have stepped up to serve as directors. And I thank you for assuming this unpaid and timeconsuming role. And an alternative plan PPS community proposal was presented to Dr. Walters by a group of parents and community members and Pin is also willing and ready to work with you. So, thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Billy Hammond. again, Billy Hal. We'll move to the next speaker, Emily Sawyer. Good evening. Um, there's a various set of things on the agenda for this week. Um, I sent you all like my long winded remarks. Um, so I'll start with the cell uh
019item 8.13, the cell phone policy. I think the most important thing is a consistent district-wide policy that applies to all schools and students with the appropriate exceptions for IEPs and 504s. This reduces discretion that leads to bias and makes expectations clear and consistent. Accountability for campus administration, staff, and teachers to apply this policy appropriately is is a must. Um, when I started subbing um, in PPS a couple years ago, I thought cell phone bans were not the way to go. Um, I have learned a lot from teachers and from being on campuses. I still wish we could do better. I think a cell phone ban is a band-aid. I think it I think we don't have the capacity or the time people or energy-wise to implement a true policy around cell phone use, social media.
020These are all really important things our kids need to learn about. um if they don't have their phones in schools, they're going to have them outside of schools. We ha we do have a responsibility, I think, still to teach these things. So, let's not forget that even as we ban phones, um I spoke last week about the property tax increase. I don't have a problem with raising taxes, y'all. I think it's your lever. It's your lever. I do have a problem with constantly giving tax abatements to the people who can most easily pay their taxes, corporations and developers. Please stop doing that. Um it's not fair and um regular people can't keep, you know, dealing with this. Um item 5.03, the toll grant for athletics. It's imperative that the dispersement decisions regarding this grant are
021um made with equity at the forefront, ensuring that schools with the largest needs and lease support currently get access to these funds. It is imperative that these dispersements are tracked and recorded and publicly reported along with all other grants, donations, and any other private resources coming into our schools so we can get a full picture of all the resources campuses are actually working with. Without accounting for all these funds and other resources in our budgeting, we cannot possibly fund our schools equitably. Period. Stop talking about equitable funding unless you are going to take private resources into account. It's bothersome. Um uh you you simply have to account for these funds school by school. If you don't, you're covering up resource hoarding and protecting the most privilege at the expense of those we most underserve. Item
0228.12 did not have a document with it. The course of study was not attached when I looked at 9:00 a.m. So I I think that's inappropriate for you to vote on that this month. Um, this is another equity issue because a vast majority of the uh fine arts classes that are available are only available at Kappa. Um, there are other issues, but that's just one. Who decides what schools get showcased on KDKA? This is also an equity. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker, Gordon Mitchell. >> Directors, uh, thank you very much for braving the icy cold weather uh, to listen to our comments tonight. I'm urging you to please revise and pass a strong electronic devices policy that keeps personal smartphones out of our schools while at the same time uh carving
023out a defined space for instructional use of schoolisssued electronic devices. As Judith Adlesen just said, the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee voted last week to advance Senate Bill 1014, which would enact a statewide bailtoell phone free policy. So, I say, let's make it a goal so that when that bill eventually passes in Harrisburg, PPS already has an evidence-based policy in place that aligns with the state legislation. As you continue marking up the draft of the electronic devices policy, please consider narrowing and clarifying the exceptions. Phones and other personal electronic devices should be put away from bell to bell the entire school day with limited clearly defined carveouts, documented medical needs, IEP or 504 requirements, and translation or accessibility support. That's it. However, in the initial draft of the policy that's being considered by the board's education
024committee, it contains two other broad exceptions. One allowing personal devices for unspecified quote health, safety, or emergency reasons and the other for quote approved classroom or instructional related activities. Policy flexibility is generally a good thing, but ambiguous wording can be an unwelcome gift to school officials who will be asked to interpret the vague code when the inevitable flood of requests for exceptions arrive. One way to sharpen the health, safety, and emergency reasons language is to bring it in line with the PA Senate Bill 1014 that allows for the use of an electronic device due to a stu student's medical condition documented by a medical provider. For greater clarity, PA unplugged recommends removing the approved classroom or instructional related activities exception in the current draft policy in part to relieve pressure on teachers to monitor student
025cell phone use. They already have enough to worry about looking after the schoolisssued electronic devices in their classrooms. In fact, teachers and schools with lenient cell phone policies are 21 percentage points more likely to lose more than an hour of learning time each week to managing cell phone use. A 2024 survey of over a thousand middle school and high school. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Dr. Elise Pinchback Johnson. Good evening. My name is Dr. Elise Pinchbach Johnson. I'm a PPS parent, taxpayer, and executive director of Black Women for a Better Education. Last month, the board voted against the most recent iteration of the PPS Future Ready Plan. This was the right decision because the plan lacked critical specifics on how PPS will address the academic needs of students, especially those
026who have been historically underserved. Now that we find ourselves back at square one, it is imperative that the board and district administration listen to the legitimate concerns, expertised, and lived experiences of families and community stakeholders and reintroduce a future ready plan that actually lives up to its intent to quote, "Ensure that all students in every neighborhood attend schools that inspire learning, reflect dignity, and prepare them for a bright future." So, how do we get there? First, get clear about the purpose of the plan. Part of the district's mission states uh quote, "We will hold ourselves accountable for preparing all children to achieve academic excellence and strength of character so that they have the opportunity to succeed in all aspects of life. If this plan is to truly move the needle, center the needs of our
027most marginalized students. Get super specific on how this plan will address a 44% proficiency rate in third grade reading and a 19% proficiency rate in middle school math. Dust off your memorandum of understanding with the equity advisory panel and set clear goals and targets for addressing the disperate outcomes black students have faced since the district's inception. Don't think about moving forward with another iteration of the plan without engaging our elders in this work. Second, get your house in order. Central office is not operationally sound enough to support district reconfiguration. Hire deputy superintendent. Restructure central office. Develop a coherent professional learning system. Sell Bellefield and relocate district departments to our schools to understand what works and what support is needed. Reflect on your individual ability and willingness to continue in this work. Grow where you need
028to or walk away if your heart isn't in the work anymore. Finally, ask for help. Collaborate in meaningful ways. Admit that you do not have all the answers and show up vulnerable and humble. Make big asks. Leave no stone unturned as you work to rebuild trust and increase buyin for this effort. Black Women for a Better Education stands ready to support PPS as dedicated community partners who are deeply invested in the future of this region and our black babies in particular. Let's get to work. Thank you for your testimony. And now we will move to our speakers who are virtual. And next we will have Valerie Webb Alman. Good evening everyone. Um, first I just want to start off where I ended at the budget hearing. I want to support the tax increase. Um, what
029I was saying when I ran out of time was the median household income for City of Pittsburgh is 67,700. So with this increase, the median increase would be $28 per year for the median household. So, a little over 50 cents a week would wipe out our deficit and also put us in a better position as we figure out what we're doing moving forward. So, I do support that. Secondly, I do support the cell phone ban for the reasons that so many other people already put forward. I was also skeptical about a cell phone ban when it I first had that happen at my kids' school, but as um time went on, I realized it was only positive uh for their behavior and also for their um educational outcome. So, I do support the cell phone
030ban um when uh districtwide. Uh, I do want to apologize for uh incorrectly stating that you were violating board policy by not giving us 20 days to review the budget. I didn't realize that you could present an extensively like quoted extensively different budget and do bait and switch on us uh and still be able to vote on it in 20 days and it didn't vote uh go against board policy. So, I do apologize for that. But I do have some questions regarding that. So the $6 million in savings is the big thing that people are talking about why you voted no that's the issue. So a little over four million of that was staffing changes. Now Miss Telero had did uh had asked about um why we need to include those staffs uh in the
031current budget if they weren't necessary for the original like future ready plan. I think that that needs to be answered more u in detail. Why are they necessary now if they weren't necessary then? I think that that would be um something that we should uh have more clarity on uh before we include them in the budget. And I know nobody wants to work over the holidays, but honestly, we could have had an apples the apples budget back in November. We have to do our due diligence to make sure that this is going forward in the right way so that way we can um meet all the things that we need to meet. Uh, next would be um us not reaching the literacy um goals that we were uh trying to strive for. One thing that
032I noticed in the presentation that was overwhelmingly missing was that lit illiteracy especially when it comes to comprehension is generational. If you have an adult in the household that is not literate with comprehension especially your child is not going to have any support at home in comprehension. I think that we need to take a community schools approach in helping these children to achieve literacy by helping their parents achieve literacy as well. This was very top down and coaching our teachers is not going to change their support at home if their parents and their adults are also not literate and I think that was missing in that plan. >> Thank you for your testimony. >> And our next speaker is Rachel Schlloer Scherer. again. Rachel Sloer. We'll move on to Carrie Thompson. Good evening. As a
033PPS parent, I urge the board to pass the ban on cell phones during the school day, but I implore you to not just make this the teacher's problem. You need to answer the questions noted in the comments feature of your own document. What will happen to the cell phones when inevitably they are at school? How will students get them back at the end of the day? I urge you also to take this opportunity to start a discussion with families about the use of screen technologies in our classrooms more broadly. This is one of many areas where the district should work on improving the quality of instruction our students receive by reducing reliance on computers and other screen devices. Our children will all be digital natives and have no problems adapting to technology use when it
034is needed. There is no reason for prek or kindergarten students or even first graders to be required to use screens at all, particularly when research evidence now shows clearly that children should be exposed to as little screen time as possible ages six and younger. I hope that soon we can also have a broader conversation on the district's reliance on educational technologies at all ages. They may seem convenient, but learning through computers removes the social and emotional learning that children need from both their peers and teachers. With [clears throat] my remaining time, I would also like to address our unfinished business in this district. I urge the new board not to approve any building closures in any kind of sneaky way now that you have the ability to amend agendas with less than 24 hours notice.
035The prior board voted down the superintendent's plan for good reasons, and too many questions remain unanswered. However, I encourage you to make time to listen to your constituents in the new year to develop a new plan across our district. Hold a fresh round of community sessions in which you ask open-ended questions and actually listen to the feedback you receive from families. I encourage the board to follow through on some commitments it made in the process that would build confidence in district families. For example, will you be able to update the HVAC systems in all of the high schools, none of which were slated to close, so that they are no longer subject to closures on high heat days? How about some of the other larger buildings that were not slated to close? Show us you
036can make some of the upgrades you said you could now that you have more time and create more stability across the district. Pursue some grade reconurations which can be done without closing schools. Some can be done with very little disruption to students because of the close proximity of some school buildings such as King and ATA. Use such realignments to provide a proof of concept that the district can provide more wraparound services and enrichment opportunities in a reconfigured prek to 5 and 6 to8 care buildings or perhaps even two. I'm going to keep coming for our students and I hope that you will too. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Diane Zetleman. >> Good evening board members and school officials. My name is Diane Zidleman and I've been with our district
037for 25 years. I'm a PPS graduate as well as my daughter. I currently serve as staff representative for the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. I'm here tonight to address a comment made during a recent meeting. The comment was, "If it takes the teacher to say, I don't care if I sleep tonight. I'm going to do what I need to do to help the students, then that is what needs to happen." Teachers, paras, as well as all the other staff members in schools already do this every single day. They grade papers late at night, giving up time with their families. They spend weekends lesson planning instead of attending family gatherings. They use their lunch breaks to tutor struggling students instead of eating. They purchase classroom supplies with their own money. They answer parent emails, phone calls, and
038messages at all times of the day and night. Some also spend their time healing mentally and physically from being injured at work, from being hit, kicked, punched, spit on, cussed out, threatened, etc. Teachers and other staff members sacrifice constantly. The question we should be asking is not will teachers sacrifice more, but rather how much more can we reasonably expect before we break them. I can tell you from firsthand experience talking and working with members every day that many staff members feel broken or are feeling like they soon will be at that point. Instead of asking staff members to sacrifice their health and families, I'm asking you to examine the systems and supports in place. Are class sizes manageable? Do teachers have adequate planning time? Are there sufficient support staff? Does the student code of conduct
039support administrators and staff at schools? Teachers and staff members will always go the extra mile for students. That's why they chose this profession. However, going the extra mile shouldn't mean sacrificing their basic human needs. We can support both our staff and our students. It's not either or. I urge you to consider reconsider the message you are sending to our educators. Value them, support them, give them the resources and reasonable working conditions they need to thrive. Because when staff members thrive, students thrive. Thank you and sleep well. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker this evening is Michael Cummings. >> Good evening. I'm Mike Cummins, parent of two kids in PPS. I want to start with welcoming our new board members and thanking you again for your volunteer service. It's a hard job. Thank
040you for volunteering. Like to ask that we take that opportunity of fresh eyes and ears on our board to rebuild trust with the community and bring some fresh perspective to how we move forward in a positive direction for all the students of Pittsburgh. Before anything else, we must assure families that no restructuring changes will be rushed through for next school year. Families absolutely deserve the ability to plan for their children. And that's happening right now. Rebuilding trust and developing a community aligned plan is not only reasonable, it's responsible governance. Please board and men, it's already too late. You must give this assurance like yesterday. Next, let's put our actions where our mouths are. Student outcomes change when adult behavior changes. This is often used as a pudgle against families protesting a poorly developed plan, but
041it needs to be turned back to our administration. Effective leadership requires proximity, not a centralized, outdated administrative model. Move district admin into buildings with excess capacity that are not on the closure list right now, completing this by the end of the summer. lease this building to generate substantial recurring revenue while remain in control of it for central uses like these meetings, but also having a revenue generating asset and flexibility for future centralized needs. Being in schools will put decision makers closer to students and teachers. Admin will experience the effects of their choices. Students will benefit from more adults present in the school. The impact, academic, cultural, and financial is enormous. But first, our adult leaders have to prioritize our kids over their own comfort and convenience. Dr. Walters told the news he didn't know how
042that could work. It is practically 2026. If our leadership doesn't understand how decentralized leadership can and does work, we have no hope of effectively implementing a plan for modernized education. This is a huge problem. From there, let's use this next year to drive tangible improvements, as others have said. Some changes only require vision, some planning, and coordination. Others do require resources that we free up with some of the other things we've talked about. Let next year be a demonstration that district leadership can execute equity and excellence reforms and rally the community's support. At the same time, develop a revised facilities, educational, and equity plan that begins with and is built upon community needs and priorities. Build real support, clear goals, and a responsible timeline with transitions that minimize harm to students and families. To move
043forward, we must acknowledge for the last two years, our superintendent has abdicated key responsibilities, creating chaos, disruption, and attrition across DPS without producing a coherent plan for equity, excellence, or lasting financial stability. Thank you for your testimony. And our next speaker, Shannon Striner. Good evening. My name is Shannon Striner and I'm a parent at Fulton Elementary. I want to be clear from the start. Our community is not opposed to change. We understand the district faces difficult decisions. What we object to is a process that has felt predetermined. performative and disconnected from the communities most impacted. The consultants the district hired emphasized listening and phased change. What the district delivered was a one-year closure plan that disregards the human impact on thousands of students, teachers, and families. For newly elected board members, this moment requires preparation.
044I urge you to watch the August and October 2024 education committee meetings on the district's Vimeo channel. Yes, they are more than three hours long, but if you are going to do the job you were elected to do, you need to see what the experts actually presented and then compare that to what was later shared publicly by Dr. Walters. At Fulton, the consequences of these decisions are deeply personal. Bolton is not a failing school. It is a diverse neighborhood school with a veteran teaching staff that goes above and beyond. Nearly 29% of our students have IEPs and our special education team supports those children with dignity and high expectations. Fulton was a star school and an academic success story before years of instability and repeated closure threats eroded trust and enrollment. I am the parent
045of a child with an IEP. This is Sienna. Evaluations can be heartbreaking. Page after page focused on what your child can't do. And then sometimes you reach a sentence that stops you cold. In my daughter's most re recent evaluation, it states, "Socially, Sienna appears well integrated within her classroom community. She has established peer relationships and many classmates, particularly the girls, demonstrated willingness to assist her, model tasks, and include her in group activities. Overall, Sienna is viewed positively by her peers and is an active, valued member of the class environment. That did not happen by accident. It happened because Fulton is a school where differences are celebrated and belonging is taught. Even though my daughter may not keep pace academically, she is known, supported, and valued socially, and that matters. When you talk about consolidation and
046closure without truly understanding what makes a school community work, you risk destroying the very conditions that allow children like my daughter to thrive. You cannot replicate belonging by merging buildings. You cannot quantify dignity and you cannot claim to center students while ignoring the environments that allow them to be seen and supported as full members of their school community. >> Thank you for your testimony. And our last speaker this evening is April Casor again. April Casor. This will conclude our testimonies this evening. But before we end, we want to make ensure that everyone had a chance to speak. So I will go over the names of the people who were not here when it was time for them to speak. Shirley Anne Hill, Billy Hman, thanks for the second chance. Um, good evening, uh, board members.
047I'm Billy Hileman, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers and a resident of PPS District 2. First, I want to welcome Miss Cook Pernell, Miss Grayson, Miss Diodat. Um, I wish all three of you the best. As all of you know, the future ready plan failed at the board vote last month, and the board president has said November's vote will delay school closing matters for a year. As I noted last month, most of what needs to be done in Pittsburgh's public schools is independent of how many schools we have. We must protect and expand the community school model. We must effectively address the violent and disruptive behaviors in our schools. If we are truly committed to restorative practice, it must be supported. Right now, it is not. Lack of substitute teachers is is extremely harmful.
048The teaching and learning environment has a greater impact on student outcomes than any reconfiguration plan could. One could surmise that staying awake at night searching for that breakthrough idea that will overcome an obstacle preventing a student's understanding is the above and beyond type attitude we need in every teacher. I think we will get more of that if teachers get enough sleep. Teachers have five to six teaching periods. They are already they've already written lesson plans for the week with specific objectives aligned to state standards and Danielson components differentiated to meet individual students needs apparently now with mandated culturally relevant pedagogy. An educational Rub Goldberg machine. Each lesson includes multiple activities, including opportunities for formatively assessing the students to adjust tomorrow's lesson based on data. Think about that. The teacher taught the lessons, gathered data, the
049student work, covered a class on their prep, did bus or lunch duty or both. It's now four later. They go home, make dinner, take care of their family, and go to bed. Nope. Now they don't go to bed. Now they look at the student work for the day, get ready for the next day. It's not above and beyond that keep teachers awake at night. It's the job and it's the stress and anxiety that messes with sleep that is not doable any longer even on days when nothing goes wrong. And that doesn't include all the add-ons that frequently come in a come a teacher's way. This is true for counselors, social workers, speech language specialists, our understaffed school security and others. I think some of the workforce apprehension around the future ready plan was anxiety whether
050the school district could pull it off. Students first, yes, but they need and deserve educators and support staff who are well-rested, next day ready. Um, and more on this in the coming year. It's bedtime. >> Thank you for your testimony. I will continue calling the names Rachel Schlloer and April Clesora. That will end our testimonies this evening. Thank you to everyone who had a chance to testify. And now I will turn this back into the hands of Mr. Walker. >> Thank you, Miss Gandandy. Uh and as always, thank you to everyone who came out uh or showed up online. Uh we do value your input. Uh just as a reminder uh we are back again here tomorrow at 5:30 uh for a special public hearing uh it's on my calendar at 5:30. All right 6
051o'clock. Uh I'll be here at 5:30 somewhere uh for a special public hearing regarding uh a charter school application. Uh and so with that we will adjourn and uh we will see you all next time. And if you're out and about, please be safe because the roads are still a little Crazy.