A Pledge for Pittsburgh

Monday, December 17, 2007

By Alexis Davis and Mia Smith, Langley High School (City of Pittsburgh Schools)

    Political and spiritual leader Mohandas Gandhi, once said, “be the change you want to see in the world.” Today the Pittsburgh Public School District is adopting the quote, not only as their title for a new Civics curriculum, but also as a motto for a number of changes that the district itself will undergo. Holding all of these new initiatives together is a list of commitments and a common vision titled   “The Pittsburgh Pledge.”
    The pledge is a written agenda with clear expectations. It was developed by the Pittsburgh Public School Board and the City of Pittsburgh in hopes to hold everybody, not just teachers and administrators, responsible for the future of the school district. On August 29, Superintendent Mark Roosevelt was joined by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl as well as students, parents, administrators, government and community leaders at CAPA High School for the signing of the Pittsburgh Pledge. Superintendent Roosevelt introduced the event and welcomed various participants. Mayor Ravenstahl spoke about the city’s role in the pledge saying that, “creating a strong school district is critical to the economy and vitality of the City of Pittsburgh. If the city is strong, the region is strong.”
    Under the goal of Excellence for All, the aim to improve student achievement, Roosevelt believes that everyone should come together and “be on the same page” in the quest to change the district. The schools are “focusing on students to have what they need for education beyond high school and so they can be successful members of the future workforce.” With parental involvement and support from a strong community, Roosevelt believes this goal can be attained.
The Pittsburgh Pledge states that all parties involved pledge to: have high expectations, work hard, achieve academic excellence, keep our schools safe, set a positive example, be respectful and considerate of one another, listen and to be open to new ideas.
    In support of the pledge, a Welcome Back-to-School program was designed to increase the chance for parents, families, students and the community to uphold one another by providing a set of expectations that are suitable for all. The program provided back to school events that aided in building relationships.
    Each school planned a back to school program throughout the months of August and September. The district will provide families with a student handbook that contains information that can be critical for the families to know such as where a school is located, a school safe sheet, and the code of conduct. This information will be sent home in a reference binder to families throughout the district.
Superintendent Roosevelt says that with this pledge, “We are in the process of implementing dramatic changes throughout our schools to ensure that each student has every opportunity to succeed in all aspects of life.”