News

YOUR VOICE ANSWERED: Quick answers to questions you asked

Your Voice gives you a voice in the news you see on television and WPXI.com each day. Since we launched this initiative, we have received several questions about our community.
Your questions prompted us to look at education in regards to the opioid problem, impact on transportation changes in New Castle, bullying policy and more. 
Here’s a quick rundown to some of your questions:
1.       Do the schools do any education in regards to the opioid problem? Yes, and the amount of education is increasing. While most schools have drug education for students, there’s a new push to offer education for teachers as well, offering them new insight into what they need to be aware of in their classrooms. Reporter Gabriella DeLuca attended new specialized training being offered to schools across Allegheny County to see what goes into the education.
2.       Will Ambridge teachers ever get a new contract, or will they go out on strike and strike till the end of October? Teachers in the Ambridge School District announced in August they would not go on a strike and instead accepted a new three-year contract offer.
3.       What are they doing about security at schools? Each school has different policies, but WPXI has done in-depth looks at the changes districts like Gateway and Plum have undergone in an attempt to ensure students’ safety.
 
4.       Now that we’re a couple of years into PA Core Standards, what has the impact been? Because of the rate of change, it’s hard to gauge simply by looking at test scores what the impact has been. WPXI looked at the test scores, though, and found they dropped substantially once the new standards were put in place. The governor and secretary of education were quick to point out that doesn’t tell the entire story, however.
5.       What impact will transportation changes in the New Castle Area School District have on students that live within 2 miles of the school? None. WPXI reached out to the district after hearing concerns from parents and found out there was some confusion. The superintendent said that budget cuts from the state meant the district was forced to cancel all busing to day care centers because of the $58,000 cost. However, all school busing remains the same.
6.       What is the bullying policy at Pittsburgh Public Schools? What is in place for bullying? Pittsburgh Public Schools’ bullying policy is available online. However, 11 Investigates’ Aaron Martin found that when it comes to reporting bullying to the state, there are big discrepancies between school districts and their definitions of “bullying.”