Read PEP Rally Testimony for PPS Superintendent Search

Pittsburgh Public Schools is now accepting input from the community about the search for a new superintendent to replace Dr. Lane at the end of her term in June. PEP Rally gave testimony at the first public hearing on Thursday, January 7th at Pittsburgh Obama 6-12, urging the board to hire a candidate who:

• shares Pittsburgh Public Schools’ goals related to equity, positive school climates, high achievement, and innovation, and has a vision for significantly improving outcomes for students.
• has a proven track record of building strong partnerships and who values meaningful family and community engagement.
• can address issues related to equity: reducing the disproportionate use of suspensions, providing more resources for ESL programs, and improving diversity in the recruitment of staff.
• will build a more responsive and transparent central office, including: greater direct access for parents, a more transparent and pro-active system for solving classroom size issues, a more transparent budget, more autonomy given to school principals, and an improved system for transitioning students with special needs into kindergarten.

PEP Rally’s testimony also urged the board to be transparent about the process for reviewing the public input during the month of January. To read the full testimony, please click HERE. PEP Rally urges parents, students, and concerned residents to make their voice heard during the public input process in the search for a new superintendent. For more information on ways to share feedback to the board during January, visit www.pittsupsearch.com. For questions on PEP Rally’s testimony, please contact Dave Breingan at (412) 802-7220 or Dave@LUnited.org.