PITTSBURGH — Gerald Watkins knows the other teachers at Perry High School have his back and the backs of four other staff members who were told their positions were no longer needed.
“It makes me want to cry,” Watkins said. “It makes me feel loved. It makes me feel appreciated.”
He’s the music director at the high school. Over the past few months, Channel 11 has told you about how Pittsburgh Public Schools is facing a $39 million deficit.
Watkins said he’s going to miss the other people and students he’s worked with each day.
“I definitely would like to stay there and keep building the relationships I have because the staff as well, we are pretty much a family,” Watkins said.
District officials have not said if the staff members will be assigned to a new school or why their positions were being eliminated.
“Site-based budgets are adjusted based on student enrollment. Schools make decisions on staffing based on their site-based allocation. As part of Pittsburgh Perry’s staffing adjustments, five staff members are no longer guaranteed to hold a position at the school. The school-based professionals are considered displaced from their assignment at Perry. Displaced school-based professionals can apply for posted vacancies across the District during the internal transfer season to acquire a position within another school in which they are properly certified for,” the district said in a statement.
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