Pittsburgh has been described as "one of America's greatest comebacks." To realize the city’s fullest potential, Pittsburgh’s city school system needs to meet the challenges of this century and beyond. That means teachers, parents and students working together to create great successes in every Pittsburgh Public School.

As a part of the PPS Envisioning work, the district is partnering with New Voice Strategies to launch this online forum to seek your ideas and input. This Idea Exchange provides you the opportunity to engage with others committed to the success of Pittsburgh students, and share your ideas for creating high quality schools and student experiences. There is a simultaneous conversation occurring among teachers in the PPS community. At the end of this collaboration, a small group of you will be invited to present your ideas to PPS leadership.

YOU SHARED AND YOU SPOKE OUT! CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT REMAKING PUBLIC EDUCATION IN PITTSBURGH.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT AS A PDF.

Moderator Message

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Idea Exchange.

I am Peter Mele and I will be your moderator.

How the VIVA Project Works

STEP 1:

Educators working in Pittsburgh Public Schools and parents and community members of PPS share their ideas about redesigning local schools to meet the needs of today and expectations of tomorrow.

STEP 2:

Thought leaders from the conversation are invited to join a Writing Collaborative charged with synthesizing the ideas of the group as a whole into a report.

STEP 3:

Members of the Writing Collaborative meet together with PPS Superintendent Linda Lane to discuss the recommendations for Pittsburgh schools to achieve their full potential.

Our Question:

What should Pittsburgh Public Schools do to ensure high quality schools that prepare ALL students -- both academically and non-academically – to succeed in all aspects of life? What supports should the district provide to help school-based staff build positive teaching and learning environments? What changes need to be made at the school-building level for the district to accelerate academic achievement and eliminate racial disparities? How can the district improve the culture and sense of community in their schools so all students are Promise-ready? How can we combine these solutions to ensure that every student walks across the stage at graduation into a brighter future for themselves and the city of Pittsburgh?