Pittsburgh Public Schools students return to classrooms with new policies and curriculum
PPS students went back to school on Monday
PITTSBURGH —
Pittsburgh Public Schools students returned to classrooms Monday, starting a new school year with updated policies, new curriculum offerings and plans for facility closures.
“I’m excited for another chapter of memories that are going to be made but also ways I can make an impact,” said Aaron Taylor, a music teacher at Perry High School. “I feel like music is key to open up a lot of doors, whether it’s for conversations, whether it’s what kids are interested in. I like having the classes that I have here at Perry Traditional Academy, just due to the fact that kids know if they need a safe space, that’s what my classroom is for.”
This year, students are not allowed to use or possess electronic devices, such as cellphones, during the school day.
While many schools, including Perry, already had this policy in place, Superintendent Wayne Walters explained the reasoning behind the district-wide rule.
“Cell phones have caused some serious distractions with learning. If they’re away, we can focus and we can have attention on teaching and learning. That’s really what school is about first and foremost,” Walters said.
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The district is also rolling out new courses and curriculum for students.
“We have new K-3 classroom libraries that are culturally relevant. We have a new pre-AP course; the College Board put it out right now, so we have that curriculum. And we have a new K-5 STEAM curriculum that we’re implementing in all of our K-5 schools,” Walters said.
For some students and staff, this will be the final first day at their current buildings, as several schools are set to close at the end of the school year under the Future Ready Facilities Plan. The decision has faced backlash. To assist with the transition, the district launched the Parent Ambassador Program.
“Each school will have a parent ambassador that will be supporting transition and working with other families, and then we bring students into the play shortly where they will serve as ambassadors, because no one can tell the story about the experience and what it really is like than students,” Walters said.
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