An address to Pittsburgh’s African American community, by PPS Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, EdD

ANTHONY HAMLET Ed.D

For decades, the needs of African American students in the Pittsburgh Public School District were not a priority. One of my key motivations as superintendent has been to reinvest in curriculum, support networks and programming so that the culture shifts toward closing the achievement gap that impacts African American children so deeply, often echoing through the rest of their lives. As the 2018-2019 school year comes to a close, I’d like to address the African American community, many of whom are parents, on how we’re progressing to achieve this goal. Together, we should commend the work of our teachers and staff who have made this progress possible. Yet while highlighting these key achievement gains, I remain mindful of the fact that there is still much more work to be done:

•Proficiency: the percentage of African American students achieving proficiency on the 2018 PSSA state exams increased in all three areas of language arts, math and science.

•Graduation rates: improved for all students by a significant 10.4 percent increase. For African American students, the graduation rate surpassed the state average by nearly 4 percent.

•Suspension rates: the number of days students have missed school due to suspension has declined by more than 1,300 days.

For the start of the 2018-19 school year, we rolled out new curricula in Algebra and K-5 Mathematics, building off recent curriculum updates in English Language Arts. I strongly believe that we’ve been able to boost reading proficiency as a result of updating the district’s decades-old language arts program. As a result, the reading lessons given by teachers are not only proven to be effective but aligned with Pennsylvania’s academic standards. We’re supporting our teachers so that they feel confident in how to use these new academic tools as we hired 60 academic coaches.

In addition to eight community schools, all campuses have access to nurses and at least half-day librarians. This school year, we completed the implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) and Restorative Practices to all 54 school buildings. Instead of turning to suspension as the first line of defense, students now benefit from trained staff focused on coping skills and conflict resolution.

The state didn’t think we could roll PBIS out to all schools this quickly but having successfully done so with colleagues in my former district, I was confident in our ability to accomplish this goal. More importantly, we couldn’t wait; because for every year we waited, we risk another student leaving school and potentially winding up perpetuating the poverty cycle or worse. School-age children belong in school, focused on learning—not on the streets, where they must focus on survival. As a result, the number of incidents that have resulted in student suspension has declined by more than 1,300 days for the past two years.

We began our quest to improve student achievement with a strong foundation. You may remember that in 2016, I ordered the most in-depth third-party analysis the Pittsburgh Public Schools system had ever undergone. I was hearing from stakeholders like you, including foundation leaders and parents, that the District was stuck. And the numbers—especially as they related to African American students—reinforced what I was hearing. So, we had to do a deep dive. This analysis included 137 recommendations. Although overwhelming, we took this analysis, and we met with thousands of parents, staff, and community members to form our strategic plan, Expect Great Things. So far, 72 of the recommendations have been fully implemented.

We’re not going to turn around achievement overnight, but these gains provide evidence that our strategic plan is guiding us in the right direction.

I’d like you to know that my staff and I are committed to working tirelessly toward completing more recommendations, specifically as those that relate to equity. Here are some efforts on our summer agenda:

•The rollout of “On Track to Equity,” a robust plan that details intentional efforts underway to eliminate racial disparity in achievement levels of African American students. Equity is one of four strategic themes in our strategic plan. We view the completion of the plan as an opportunity to move beyond compliance to demonstrate for all stakeholders our commitment to reaching our desired outcomes for students. We continue to finalize the plan with the Equity Advisory Panel and expect to release a final plan to the public this summer.

•Research shows that diversity among teachers benefits African American students. That’s why I’m proud that we’ve been able to implement a plan to recruit more minorities as PPS teachers. Starting this year, graduates of our newly developed teaching magnet program now have a guaranteed job with PPS after completing college and receiving certifications.

While we’re moving full steam ahead, we must recognize that we can’t always rush progress. I still believe that the best outcome for students at Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12 is a merger with Arsenal 6-8. Our community team canvassed neighborhoods speaking to parents about their needs and concerns and an overwhelming number of parents were in support of this merger. And while I was disappointed that the board voted against this plan, I remain determined to put forth the best plans possible to benefit our children—even when it’s unpopular. Consistent nurturing, investment and leadership are the key ingredients that will get our students where we know they can be, reaching their optimal potential.

(Anthony Hamlet, Ed.D., is the superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools.)

 

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