PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh-area teacher has been fighting for more than two years to keep his job.
Joe Giansante told Channel 11’s Aaron Martin that he didn’t start teaching until he was 45 -- but it’s his passion.
Giansante said he shouldn’t have been fired from Brashear High School, and he has evidence to prove it.
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Giansante has been fighting to keep his job for more than two years, and school board members will decide his fate Tuesday night.
After a career as an IT programmer, Giansante began teaching math at Pittsburgh Public Schools.
“I’ve done odd jobs, and I’ve done everything I can to make ends meet. It’s been nothing short of hell,” said Giansante.
Giansante said he was terminated in July 2013 for poor performance -- a charge he’s fighting.
He showed Channel 11 his “value-added measures” report, better known as VAM. It’s a system used by Pittsburgh Public Schools to track effectiveness through student achievement.
Over two years, Giansante scored 97 and 99 percent, significantly higher than the Brashear average,
“I’m obviously effective. That’s the part that stabs me in the heart,” he said.
Pittsburgh Public Schools declined to comment, so Channel 11 News investigated the district’s policy.
Teachers are evaluated based on student growth, student input and professional practice -- meaning their planning and preparation -- but not VAM scores.
Dismissal begins after two unsatisfactory ratings -- a review Giansante said was conducted by principals at Brashear.
Instead of going through arbitration, Giansante demanded a hearing with the school board.
"I will continue to fight if things go against me," he said. "I want to be back in the classroom where I belong."
Giansante has done everything from landscaping to teaching courses at CCAC over the past two-and-a-half years.
If the Pittsburgh Public Schools board rules in his favor, he hopes to be back in the classroom by next semester.