Pittsburgh school board member Mark Brentley Sr. last night urged a coordinated effort to ensure that residents with concerns about the Pittsburgh Public Schools have their voices heard.

It's time "to move our organizing to another level," Mr. Brentley told about 50 people at a Shadyside meeting that he convened with fellow board member Randall Taylor.

Saying his complaints and those of many others have gone unanswered by Superintendent Mark Roosevelt's administration, Mr. Brentley suggested that churches appoint observers to attend school board meetings, then include a "fact sheet" in Sunday bulletins.

He also proposed that churches periodically hold "Pittsburgh Public Schools Sundays" to "talk about the condition of poor children under this administration."

Mr. Brentley is Mr. Roosevelt's most vocal critic on the board, and Mr. Taylor, who leaves office at the end of the month, has been a frequent voice of opposition.

Both continue to oppose Mr. Roosevelt's 2006 round of school closings, saying it shuttered schools that were making progress and made needless disruptions to disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Both also disagreed with the board's vote last year to close the Schenley High School building. Mr. Brentley said Mr. Roosevelt's argument for closing Schenley -- costly maintenance problems, including asbestos -- was a "hoax."

Attending the meeting were representatives of the NAACP and Parents United for Responsible Educational Reform. The NAACP has criticized the district's racial achievement gap and the lack of student interest in the district's new African-American history course. PURE Reform has questioned Schenley's closing, the district's approach to parent engagement, the opening of schools configured for grades 6 through 12 and other initiatives.

Wanda Henderson, a member of an advocacy group that sued the district in 1992, alleging unfair treatment of black students, said she's disappointed with the pace of change since a 2006 settlement agreement. She said the group outlined its concerns in a Nov. 11 letter to Mr. Roosevelt and is awaiting a response.

Ms. Henderson said others should consider legal action if they believe school closings or other initiatives have disproportionately affected certain neighborhoods or groups of students.

Mr. Roosevelt has said the 2006 school-closing plan saved money and moved students to better schools. He's also stood by the argument for closing the Schenley building, cited progress in narrowing the racial achievement gap and asserted that the district is better off academically and financially than it was when he arrived about four years ago.

Earlier this month, a consultant proposed closing 15 more school buildings to save money.

Mr. Roosevelt has described the consultant's report as a resource, to be used in developing his own recommendations for the board's consideration. For example, he said he'll factor in the district's academic needs -- something the consulting firm, which focused on maintenance and enrollment issues, didn't do.

Mr. Taylor said he believes the consultant's report is a blueprint, not a resource.

"Take this plan seriously. Don't think it's just a talking point, a planning tool," Mr. Taylor said.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.