We understand that as parents you want a program for your child that ignites a passion for learning in an environment that is safe and welcoming. We also recognize that each child learns differently. That’s why we are offering a wide range of educational options for families.

At the Pittsburgh Public Schools, we are committed to our vision of Excellence for All. This means preparing all children to achieve academic excellence and strength of character, so that they can pursue their passion and be prepared to receive scholarships through the Pittsburgh Promise. The Pittsburgh Promise is a community gift to help families plan, prepare and pay for education after high school. We are working hard to ensure that every school provides quality, academically rigorous and engaging programs so each student is Promise-Ready.

POSITIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS—From left: Nina Esposito-Visgitis, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers president; John Tarka, former president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers; Linda Lane, Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent; and Tim Stevens, chairman of The Black Political Empowerment Project announced a partnership to install learning environment specialists at seven high needs schools Aug. 29.

by Chauleaqua Washington
For New Pittsburgh Courier

Starting in high school there are always the worries about saving for college. Constantly asking when to save and how much to save. Saving for college is becoming a big deal now that college tuition has gone up.

“Students and parents alike spend their valuable time and hard-earned money to get into the right school and earn their college degree,” said Patricia Sadar, an adjunct professor at Florida International University.

As states continue to slash education budgets to accommodate declining tax revenues, schools respond by trying to squeeze even more out of their beleaguered teachers: class sizes grow, planning periods are cut, each student gets less attention.

What can we do? Project Appleseed, a non-profit public education advocate, is asking parents across the country to lend a hand in their child’s school on Nov. 17 for its 18th annual National Parent Involvement Day. Not coincidentally, it falls during American Education Week, Nov. 13-19.

As the three-day PromiseNet 2001 conference highlighting the success of the Pittsburgh Promise and its counterparts in other cities drew to its close, five college students who had received Promise scholarships took the stage to give their assessments of how well the programs work.

All expressed their deep gratitude, saying they would not have had the opportunity to attend college if they had not qualified for the scholarships, but they also said the programs did not adequately prepare them for the level and intensity of college coursework.

FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS—Pittsburgh Superintendent of Schools Linda Lane introduces Promise Scholars Morgan Dorn, Jasmine Granville, Julia Cahill, David Cahill and Vanessa Thompson, who described their experiences during the PromiseNet 2011 final session, Oct. 21. (Photos by Rossano P. Stewart)

Jasmine Granville, a Kalamazoo Promise recipient, is now at Kalamazoo Community College after transferring from Western Michigan University. She said she was not ready for college when she graduated.

“I had no pressure at home to excel, and very little at school until I was a senior. Only one teacher pushed me, she drove me,” she said. “There are good teachers, but in my opinion, we weren’t prepared at all. College is a whole other leap.”