Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent speaks on issues facing district
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent talked about how the district can do better for students and staff and his vision for the future on Friday.
KDKA-TV's Jennifer Borrasso caught up with Superintendent Dr. Wayne Walters after speaking at a meet and greet at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education.
"We have to be a school district that builds the capacity of our staff so the education and experiencing they are receiving are robust," Walters said.
His plan to close the achievement gap and improve test scores: "Teachers now need new strategies, need new ways that they can really develop students and their competence and their confidence."
The district has been plagued with increasing violence, including weapons, fights and the attack of an Oliver Citywide teacher physically and sexually assaulted in a classroom last month.
"I care so deeply about that staff member and that tragic horrific incident," Walters said. "I also care deeply for the staff in our schools and the students and families there."
The district added more security to Oliver Citywide Academy.
"I think we need more security but at the same time I think we need more counselors and social workers to support social-emotional learning in the trauma-informed practices and things like that," he said.
He says students need to have better role models at home.
"Our students are making mistakes. We are working with systems to try and restore who they are, correct them, to try to provide guidance, but in some spaces, I would say adults are not modeling that behavior as well. Our schools cannot be the only accountable space building a capacity of student behavior," he said.
The district is also facing a decline in student enrollment. Walters said the number is under 20,000, compared to 21,275 last year, 22,362 the year before and 22,895 in 2016 to 2017.
