Articles
Sylvia Wilson wins Pittsburgh School Board Dist. 1 big
Category: Metro Written by Rebecca Nuttall - Courier Staff Writer
SYLVIA WILSON
With 62 percent of the vote, former Pittsburgh Public School District teacher Sylvia Wilson won both the Democratic and Republican nominations for the District 1 school board seat in last week’s primary election on May 21.
With six months remaining until Wilson will likely take office in December, she said the first thing she plans to tackle is the budget, not only because it is the first assignment the board is tasked with, but also because she believes it will be most important in determining the future of the district.
“Without the proper finances your programs get limited. Right now, it’s bare bones,” Wilson said in an interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier. “We need to be able to offer these children what they need. The financial situation is why it’s so difficult to offer programs in the areas we once did.”
The district’s 2013 budget included a $9.8 million deficit, significantly decreasing the district’s fund balance, which could be empty by 2015. Wilson said she would begin by taking a thorough look at the district’s financial picture in order to balance the district’s budget without taking vital resources away from schools.
“There’s loads of places where they need more resources. There have been a lot of cuts to teachers and administrators and I know they’re over worked,” Wilson said. “It’s difficult across the country. At the state level if the funding were where it once was, that would help, but I’m not saying it would fix everything.”
When asked how she would address the biggest problem in the Black community, the growing achievement gap between Black and White students, Wilson said strengthening school principals to provide strong leadership is key.
“Where schools have been the most successful is where you have good leadership in the building. Strong school leadership is possible and I’ve seen it. I think with lots of changes over the past few years, we’ve seen that deteriorate,” said Wilson, adding she has seen achievement go down after a change in principal occurred. “I think what you need to have is that mutual respect between the administrator and the staff.”
As the longtime assistant to the president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, some speculated during the campaign about Wilson’s allegiances to the union. After Wilson takes office, she and the other new board members will be involved in renegotiating the terms of the district’s collective bargaining agreement with the PFT.
“My allegiance is to the school district,” Wilson said. “(The CBA is) an agreement between the employees and the school district. It’s not an us versus them thing. I think people look at the CBA in the wrong way.”
Last year, the district and PFT butted heads over a heavy round of teacher furloughs. The district wanted to base the furloughs on several factors including teacher effectiveness and seniority, but the PFT would not allow any factor beyond seniority to be taken into consideration and Wilson agrees.
In addition to being a retired PPS teacher and working with the PFT president, Wilson also served as a liaison to the district’s human resources department. Instead of seeing her background as a deterrent, Wilson sees it as a strength.
“Over the years, my knowledge of the people within the administration building, knowing the inner workings of the schools is valuable. I’ve been involved in the education system in Pittsburgh for such a long time and this allows me to continue working in the education arena,” Wilson said. “I’m pleased to be able to continue to do a job for a school district I believe in with the support of people who wanted me there.”
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 May 2013 14:16
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Community Calendar 5-29-13
Category: Metro Written by Courier Newsroom
Arthritis Walk
JUNE 1—The Arthritis Foundation will host their annual Walk at 8 a.m. at South Side Works, 26th St., South Side. The walk will raise funds and awareness to fight the nation’s leading cause of disability. Registration is requested. For more information, call Kristina Waltman at 412-973-8501 or email
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Community Symposium
JUNE 1—Gateway Medical Society of Pittsburgh will host the “Gateway to Wellness: Passport to Health” Community Symposium from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at UPMC Shadyside Hospital, 5150 Centre Ave., 2nd floor, Shadyside. The event will include a continental breakfast, lunch, free health screenings and guest organization booths. There will also be a panel discussion on “Curls, Locs and the Nitty Gritty Truth,” an open dialogue portion and several other workshops. Reservations are requested. For more information, call 412-281-4086 or email
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Family Health Fair
JUNE 1—St. Benedict the Moor School and the Extra Mile Education Foundation will host a Family Health Fair from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Benedict the Moor, 631 Watt St., Hill District. For more information, call Karen Hall at 412-682-3755.
History Study Group
JUNE 1—The Mind of Elevation Lecture Series will host the African History Study Group from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Duquesne University, College Hall, 600 Forbes Ave., Uptown. Every Saturday, through Aug. 17, guests can explore the attributes of the history, arts and culture of people of African decent worldwide. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 412-969-1273.
Men Can Cook
JUNE 2—The Community Economic Development Corporation of Clairton will host the Men Can Cook Event at 12 p.m. at the Clairton Park Pavilion, Clairton. There will be a cook-off contest, a fashion show and recognition of several individuals from the community. For more information, call Jeanette Meachem at 412-226-1587.
Annual Summit
JUNE 6—The African American Leadership Association of Pittsburgh will host its Annual Summit from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Wyndham Hotel, 100 Lytton Ave., Oakland. Reservations are required. For more information, call 412-540-5063 or visit www.aalapgh.org.
Northview Heights Reunion
JUNE 7—The Committee of the Northview Heights Reunion will host “Grazin’ In the Green” the Old Northview Heights Reunion from 3-11 p.m. at Riverview Park, Valley Refuge Grove, North Side. The afternoon will include food, family, friends and fun.
Walk for Haiti
JUNE 8—The Functional Literacy Ministry of Haiti will host the Great Shepherd Walk for Haiti at 8 a.m. at Highland Park, Sycamore Grove, Pittsburgh. This is a fundraiser to support the group’s educational and medical missions to the still recovering island nation. For more information, call 412-784-0342.
Father’s Day Cookout
JUNE 16—The Fatherhood Outreach Programs will host the 7th Annual Father’s Day Cookout 2013 at Mellon Park. This is an all guns down event. There will be free food, family resource tables, two live DJs and the “I Love Life” basketball classic. For more information, call Wan Wes at 412-583-0376.
Rally Against Prostate Cancer
JUNE 16—The Prostate Health Education Network will host the “Fifth Annual Rally Against Prostate Cancer” at various churches nationwide. This is an education and awareness effort with a focus on the Black community. Prostate cancer survivors, along with loved ones who have lost someone to the disease, will be recognized and join hands in prayer and healing. For more information, visit www.prostatehealthed.org/churchregister2013.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 May 2013 15:26
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City and county housing demolition halt called for by B-PEP
Category: Metro Written by Christian Morrow - Courier Staff Writer
TIM STEVENS (Courier Photo/File)
A week before the primary election, Black Political Empowerment Project founder Tim Stevens sent a letter to both Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Councils, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and all the mayoral candidates calling for a moratorium on housing demolition, particularly in Pittsburgh’s East End.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 28 May 2013 17:19
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Black voter turnout key in mayoral primary
Category: Metro Written by Christian Morrow - Courier Staff Writer
Democratic candidate for Mayor of Pittsburgh, City Councilman Bill Peduto, right, walks with his communications director Sonya Toler on his way to vote in the Pennsylvania primary election on May 21. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic/File)
Conventional wisdom holds that low voter turnout favors candidates appealing to older voters because they are more reliable than young voters. All things being equal, that should have given Jack Wagner an edge in last week’s Democratic Primary for mayor of Pittsburgh.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 28 May 2013 17:52
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Privatizing liquor sales — ‘hangover’ on the horizon?
Category: Metro Written by Linn Washington Jr.
In this April 2013 photo liquor bottles sit on shelves in a market in Baltimore. If privatization is approved in the legislature, Pennsylvania will end its dubious distinction of being one of only two states in the U.S. to retain total control over the retail sale of liquor and wine. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
If 48 other states around America have found a way to relinquish total control over the sales of wine and liquor why is there such a ruckus in Pennsylvania on the issue of privatizing liquor sales, wondered Shalimar Blakely, executive director of the Philadelphia African-American Chamber of Commerce.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 May 2013 09:39
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