PublicSource | News for a better Pittsburgh (https://www.publicsource.org/author/tylisa-c-johnson/)
TyLisa C. Johnson is the education reporter at PublicSource. She’s passionate about telling compelling human stories that intersect with complex issues affecting marginalized groups. Before joining PublicSource, she wrote stories about a range of issues from poverty and hunger to crime and public libraries at publications around the country, including The Dallas Morning News, Tampa Bay Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She has freelanced for publications including Business Insider and The Points Guy. She’s a proud 2017 graduate of Florida A&M University, and can often be found planning a trip somewhere new or crocheting a scarf. Pronouns: She/her
The first day of classes for Pittsburgh Public Schools [PPS] was overtaken by hackers who interrupted virtual-learning lessons with offensive comments, racial slurs and a possible pornographic image.
PublicSource consulted with experts and resources at The U.S. Department of Education about best practices school districts should employ to manage student privacy and personal information. Here’s what we learned.
"As you get more highly segregated, you increase poverty here, because that's what we do in Pittsburgh, unfortunately," said A+ Schools Executive Director James Fogarty in an interview about the organization's latest community report about Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Tarentum, Oakdale and Glassport are among the Allegheny County towns that voted for Barack Obama in 2012 and Donald Trump in 2016. With all eyes on the battleground state of Pennsylvania, families are divided, and there's anxiety in the Main Street air.
The decision comes as a relief to more than 150 PPS students, parents and teachers who implored the board in public hearings that stretched across Monday and Tuesday to extend virtual learning through the new year, citing rising COVID case numbers among other reasons.
Back-to-school traditions were upended for many students as they returned to school this year: no long-awaited hugs from sunburned friends, no hallway time to catch up about their summer adventures and no in-person icebreakers to make connections with teachers.
Pittsburgh Public Schools said at a Tuesday board meeting it found nearly 2,500 students still lacked devices for remote learning, according to a survey being circulated by homeroom teachers. Despite the week delay, students may continue to go without technology when classes start if the deliveries don't arrive before next week.
Many Pittsburgh Public Schools [PPS] parents were stunned when a Saturday evening robocall alerted them that school would be postponed a week due to “unexpected delays” in receiving technology needed for every student to access e-learning. Questions flooded the district’s Facebook page, with parents and students inquiring about how the district made its decision and what will come next for students and teachers.
Related: Pittsburgh Public delayed to meet student tech needs, but still may notWhether the demand for computers is going to be met is still in question. The district remains optimistic. But the school year will start either way. PublicSource asked district spokeswoman Ebony Pugh some of the most pressing questions and added information addressed at Tuesday and Wednesday PPS board meetings.
As Pittsburgh Public enters an unprecedented era following the COVID-19 pandemic, Superintendent Anthony Hamlet was chosen to continue to lead the district through 2025.
School funding faces a massive blow at the same time schools work to address increased COVID-related costs.
