PublicSource | News for a better Pittsburgh (https://www.publicsource.org/category/education/)
In Pittsburgh Public Schools, suspensions dropped, more students reached third-grade reading proficiency and college completion rates exceeded the national average. But the good news is not enjoyed equally by black and white students in the district.
Voters across Allegheny County narrowly rejected a ballot initiative on Tuesday that would have raised property taxes by a quarter mill to funnel $18 million annually to children’s programs.
Pittsburgh Public Schools Chief of Safety George Brown Jr., who was in favor of the controversial proposal to arm his force, said after the meeting: “Let’s pray nothing happens.”
A public hearing was held at the Pittsburgh Public Schools Building after the district’s Chief of School Safety requested to arm officers earlier this month.
Mircalene Valcin immigrated from Haiti in 2013, spoke little English and faced homelessness. She is now fulfilling her dream to become a nurse.
Three Allegheny County nonprofits have poured $355,000 in cash and nearly $72,000 in in-kind services into a campaign urging voters to approve a ballot referendum on Nov. 6 that would raise $18 million in tax revenue for children’s programs.
In the world of STEAM, it’s easy to get left behind if your school district struggles financially.
Many students are aware of what they do not have and they’re worried about how that lack of access has set them up for a future in higher education or the workforce.
Pittsburgh Public Schools is debating a proposal to arm the officers who patrol district schools. The district’s Chief of School Safety George Brown Jr. made the request to arm officers Monday night at the board policy committee meeting. The Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, which represents the officers, supports the proposal. However, the proposal doesn’t appear to have the support of the majority of the school board, whose members expressed concerns about the safety of students — black students in particular — if officers were to carry guns. “We know who gets shot: students of color and students with IEPs,” said board member Moira Kaleida, who chaired the Monday meeting.
More than 1,000 people from across the country gathered in Downtown Pittsburgh this week for a national conference focused on increasing college enrollment and graduation rates for students from low-income families or underrepresented groups.
