After seven years as state house representative of the 19th Legislative District, Jake Wheatley has remained focused on his commitment to closing the racial achievement gap. For him, education is a top priority and improving education in his district, he said, is the key to resolving other issues.

JAKE WHEATLEY

“When I talk about education I always talk about the complete sense. It’s important to really make sure every child receives a high quality education,” Wheatley said. “We really see that as a critical piece; everything else is based on that. That’s the foundation.”

As subcommittee chairman on education appropriations as well as a member of the state education committee, Wheatley has been at the center of resolutions to improve education throughout his district and beyond.

For ex-offenders like Leo Halcomb, starting a new life after prison is full of setbacks, the greatest of which is finding a job. Many feel they are reentering a society that doesn’t want to see them succeed, but Halcomb was able to overcome these obstacles with the help of family and friends.

“I faced the dilemma of not having a job, but I had people who were there for me,” Halcomb said. “I had a good support system.”

FULL HOUSE—Leo Halcomb speaks at Trinity Lutheran Church on the North Side.

The recent decision by the Pittsburgh Public School Board to close Pittsburgh Rooney 6-8 and Pittsburgh Vann K-5 schools has left some angry, some hopeful and some confused. Some groups are focused on improving the existing schools in Pittsburgh’s African-American community and others are worried more school closings will follow.

“As we have been watching the decline of the student population in Hill District schools and as we have been listening to the board, going back three years, we can’t say it came as a surprise, although it was a disappointment,” said Sala Udin, chair of the Hill District Education Council. “Especially Vann because Vann, at one time, was a model of academic excellence that people came from across the country to see.”

PITTSBURGH ROBERT L. VANN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Last Updated on Monday, 03 December 2012 19:20

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