PITTSBURGH — Just weeks away from the start of the 2021-2022 school year, 31 teachers in the Pittsburgh Public School District learned their jobs were at stake.
“Due to the pandemic a lot of parents decided that they wanted their children five days a week and PPS was very safe in not allowing students back five days a week last year,” explained Federation representative Harold Grant. “A lot of parents didn’t like that and chose to remove their students from PPS.”
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That’s exactly why teachers spent the summer knocking on more than 5,000 doors across the city to talk to families.
“To try to let parents know that we are going to be back five days a week full time and wanted them back into the district,” Grant said.
If the furloughs do happen, they would go into effect on August 18th, which is the first day teachers are scheduled to begin the upcoming school year.
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“I just truly believe that the number is going to be down to zero hopefully soon and we are going to continue to work as the Federation of Teachers to ensure that when there is an opportunity to call members back they will be called back,” Grant said.
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