Rally against closing schools with inadequate public input- TODAY

GPS Pittsburgh Rolling Rally Route and Detailed Itinerary as of 5/17: 

Rally 1: Directly across from Pittsburgh Obama at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

3:15 Framing the Issue: The state of public schools across the nation - Nina Esposito Visgitis, PFT President

3:18 Student speaks to school closings and relocating - Mya McCray, senior at Obama

3:20 Ask to school board candidates (Sylvia Wilson & Lucille Praytor Holiday, District 1) - Rev Herndon

   3:21 Response (2 min each)

   3:25 Blessings/Send off - Rev Thornton

3:26 Board Buses

3:30 Depart

Rally 3: Burgwin School - Hazelwood

3:45 Action United: Highlighting this community with no public school in the neighborhood. Prime example of a community in need of a neighborhood impact study to asses the impact of school closing on the neighborhood since Gladstone Middle School closed over a decade ago and Burgwin in over 6 years ago. Burgwin closed in 2006 in first round of District's "right-sizing" plan for public schools. Building is still empty.

4:00 Bus Arrives 

      4:05: Former Burgwin school counselor speaks to issue - Tijuani Phelps Jackson, Counselor Pittsburgh Colfax 

      4:07 Ask of School Board Candidates - Hazel

      4:08 Response - Terry Kennedy & Steve Deflitch,, District 5  - 

   4:12 Thank you/send off - Rev Thornton 

   4:13 Board Buses 

   4:15 Depart

   

Final Action: Former Schenley High School

4:45 Buses arrive 

4:50 Intro - Rev Thornton

      4:52 One Pgh - The funding problem 

      4:55 HDEC - Highlighting the sale of Schenley & the disregarded community & political voice against closing Schenley & what  

      school meant to community - Tamanika Howze - Hill District Resident, AAAPS 

      4:57 Yinzercation - Yinzercation - "School Size" -- this is one of the key arguments that will be used in school closure

      debates & leads into intro of independent impact studies . - Jessie Ramey

5:00: Call to action - Rev Thornton

Asks: To Board - Rev Thornton 

A moratorium on school closings until local, independent neighborhood impact studies are conducted 

       5:01: Response - Mark Brentley & Regina Holley (agreed to above ask)

       5:05: Ask to Mayoral Candidates - Rev Thornton 

      Ask for Mayoral candidates to speak to: 

No school closings before neighborhood impact studies are conducted.
Make everyone pay their fair share: Explore and advocate for enhanced and additional sources of revenue before considering cuts or closings
Keep public schools public: Reject any plan to give any control of our schools to the private sector

 

5:06 Response - Peduto, Wagner, Wheatley 

5:15 Recap of Accomplishments & Next Step for Great Public School Pittsburgh Vision Statements - Irene Habermann 

   5:18 Thank you/Prayer/Song - Rev Thornton  

5:20: Board Buses