Pittsburgh Public Schools delays spring return to in-person learning

PITTSBURGH — Officials with Pittsburgh Public Schools said they are delaying the spring return to in-person learning.

“I talked to the board about not coming back Jan. 4 because I knew the numbers would be high. We tentatively are going to bring our educators and staff back into our buildings on Jan. 18,” said Superintendent Dr. Anthony Hamlet.

Hamlet said there could be a hybrid model in place for students by the end of the month.

“We know that this is not ideal being online. It’s work for some but for some it’s not working and how do we really get those students who are not experiencing success online back into the buildings and in front of teachers as soon as possible?” Hamlet said.

Hamlet said he’s hopeful that things could return to normal in the spring with the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine. He said right now, in their virtual school model, attendance was more than 90% every day, with 98.5% of active students logging into the online system.

“By the end of Jan., we will be a one-to-one district. One-to-one means every student in PPS has a PPS computer and internet access as well,” he said.

Impactful 2020 included widespread calls for social justice

Cox Media Group