Pittsburgh Public Schools Uses Twitter To Field Questions And Suggestions On How To Improve District
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - If you ever wonder why the Pittsburgh Public Schools District makes the decisions it does, now's your chance to offer feedback.
KDKA sat in as Dr. Anythony Hamlet and his staff answered questions about the future of the school district. KDKA's Meghan Schiller got an up close look at what people wanted to know.
"Imagine a NEW Pittsburgh Public School District." It's a new initiative by the district and the district is asking for Pittsburgh residents to join the conversation. You don't have to have a kid currently in school to offer feedback. #ImaginePPS @PghSuptHamlet https://t.co/NU0sGDmaq0
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) January 13, 2020
It's all part of the district's new #InspirePPS campaign and Dr. Hamlet fielded the questions using his laptop and cell phone. The team could see the questions come in and answer them in real time using #PPSuptchat.
The team received questions such as "How does PPS imagine integrating media literacy into early childhood classrooms?" and "Do you have to have a child in the district to become involved?" and "In what ways are you hoping #ImaginePPS helps bridge the achievement gap?"
"Now that we've set some foundational elements in place, now you begin to innovate and think differently about what our students need and what our teachers need in the classroom and our principals need," said Superintendent Hamlet.
Superintendent Hamlet wants to imagine a new Pittsburgh Public Schools and use the community's suggestions to do so. Facing declining academic performance in some classrooms, along with falling early grade reading test scores, he wants to develop a new action plan and approach education differently.
His Chief of Staff Errika Fearbry Jones tells KDKA that community engagement is key.
"This is a city-wide initiative and we can't do it alone and we want people who are invested and want to see Pittsburgh Public Schools be successful," said Fearbry Jones, Chief of Staff, Pittsburgh Public Schools.
If you want to join the conversation, the next engagement session is Friday, Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. until noon at Greenway Middle School on Crucible Street.
After that, there will be another meeting at CKV Suites on North Homewood Avenue on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. followed by one on Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. at Pittsburgh Phillips K-5 on Sarah Street.
For a full list of engagement sessions and locations, click here.
