EDUCATION

‘By the Book’ PGH K-12 Bulletins: PPS bus seat gap down, transportation questions for some families remain

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Welcome to "By The Book: PGH K-12 Bulletins," which provides updates on emerging and ever changing news in the Pittsburgh K-12 education landscape. With more than 40 school districts across Allegheny County, the Bulletins will update you on the region's latest education news, including close coverage of the Pittsburgh Public Schools, other Allegheny County school districts, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and other important agencies, which serve thousands of Pittsburgh families. Please check back frequently and email tylisa@publicsource.org with questions, tips or Bulletin ideas. Follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #PGHed for news updates on Pittsburgh education. 08/31/21: PPS bus seat gap down, transportation questions for some families remain
The Pittsburgh Public Schools transportation seat gap is down to about 650 families who were notified by the school district Monday evening.

FIRST PERSON
While teaching young children remotely during the pandemic has had its challenges, Laura Lind writes that she's also found it's brought new possibilities. (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource)

Being an early childhood music teacher involves sharing. Teaching remotely has allowed me to share even more.

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Instead of my spacious classroom, I was teaching in a tiny corner of a bedroom. I had to re-imagine my curriculum to fit this space and the restrictions of the Zoom frame. The technology was challenging, with choppy sound, frozen images and dropped calls the norm. I had to remind myself to occasionally look at the iPad’s camera to simulate eye contact, even though that meant looking away from the children. 

EDUCATION

Hamlet to pay nearly $8K for ethics violations, controller looks to school board for ‘appropriate’ leadership changes

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A two-year investigation into Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet concluded Thursday in a 147-page report released by the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission that found Hamlet was in violation of state ethics laws. The commission has ordered Hamlet to pay about $7,900 and to give up 14 vacation days. The commission found that Hamlet was in violation of the state’s Ethics Act when he “negligently” received travel reimbursement payments, accepted honoraria payments (a technical violation) and submitted financial interest forms with errors. In response to an additional allegation, which stemmed from a trip to Cuba taken by Hamlet and five administrators and sponsored by The Flying Classroom, Hamlet denied violating the Ethics Act with the trip and denied knowing the trip was not part of the district’s contract. “No finding of intentional misconduct or wrongdoing is made in the commission’s order.

EDUCATION

Tensions mount as some Pittsburgh Public parents protest two-week delay and earlier school start times

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Many Pittsburgh families were circling Aug. 25 on their calendars and stuffing backpacks, looking to soon regain a sense of normalcy. Pittsburgh Public Schools [PPS] would be back in classrooms in school buildings five days a week. COVID concerns still loomed, especially mounting worries about new variants and masking in schools, but back-to-school planning was in full swing. All of a sudden, there was another disruptive force: a bus driver shortage.

EDUCATION

July 2021 ‘By the Book’ PGH K-12 Bulletins

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Welcome to "By The Book: PGH K-12 Bulletins," which provides updates on emerging and ever changing news in the Pittsburgh K-12 education landscape. With more than 40 school districts across Allegheny County, the Bulletins will update you on the region's latest education news, including close coverage of the Pittsburgh Public Schools, other Allegheny County school districts, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and other important agencies, which serve thousands of Pittsburgh families. Please check back frequently and email tylisa@publicsource.org with questions, tips or Bulletin ideas. Follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #PGHed for news updates on Pittsburgh education. 7/29/21: Pittsburgh Public’s students will wear masks this fall
Vaccinated or not, students and staff in Pittsburgh Public Schools will be required to mask up this fall.

EDUCATION

How is your school handling lessons on racism? Share your view.

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Calling on parents, students, teachers, school administrators and the Allegheny County community at large: Tensions have flared over anti-racism education in public schools — sometimes referred to as Critical Race Theory — and attempts to teach (or prevent the teaching of) lessons related to historic and institutional racism. Why do you feel these lessons are important? Or why shouldn’t they be taught? Should there be legislation imposing rules for the classroom?

EDUCATION

June 2021 ‘By the Book’: PGH K-12 Bulletins

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Welcome to "By The Book: PGH K-12 Bulletins," which provides updates on emerging and ever changing news in the Pittsburgh K-12 education landscape. With more than 40 school districts across Allegheny County, the Bulletins will update you on the region's latest education news, including close coverage of the Pittsburgh Public Schools, other Allegheny County school districts, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and other important agencies, which serve thousands of Pittsburgh families. Please check back frequently and email tylisa@publicsource.org with questions, tips or Bulletin ideas. Follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #PGHed for news updates on Pittsburgh education. 06/30/21: New state budget funnels millions to public education
The 2021-22 state budget signed by Gov. Tom Wolf injects millions of dollars into public schools, including special education and historically underfunded districts.