January 6, 2016: From the earliest stage of planning, leaders from both school districts agreed that the students who will be affected by the Partnership should have multiple opportunities to voice their opinions and to become change-agents by designing and leading activities that they feel will optimize the transition process.
As a means to gain student input and to encourage their active participation, a brief survey was recently distributed to students in each building. Specifically, the survey was intended to accomplish the following objectives:
- Collect information about how students feel about the partnership.
- Inform the design phase of student-led leadership opportunities.
- Provide baseline data for future planning endeavors.
- Identify perceived strengths and challenges associated with the Partnership.
Once the surveys have been analyzed and interested students are identified for leadership roles, committees will be formed and coordinated by Pittsburgh Public Schools sponsor, Ms. Brigette Bethea, and Wilkinsburg School District sponsor, Mr. Nicolas Marlton. Ms. Bethea and Mr. Marlton have been working diligently to create a structure that empowers students and brings their voices and talents to the forefront.
As a means of motivating students to become involved, Ms. Bethea and Mr. Marlton have organized a variety of kick-off activities, including a full-scale concert sponsored by Kid Nation Foundation, scheduled for January 14, 2016. Needless to say, the concert is expected to be a tremendous hit!
As always, thank you for your time and continued support of the Pittsburgh Public Schools-Wilkinsburg School District Partnership. Stay tuned for ongoing updates and reports.