Next Steps in Our Fight for Charter Renewal
#BackPACS & Make Your Voices Heard
June 28, 2024
On Wednesday, June 26, the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Public Education voted to proceed with the nonrenewal process for our school’s charter. This means an official nonrenewal hearing will be scheduled, where the district will have to make their case and we’ll have the opportunity to present our own testimony. Often, more than one hearing is necessary for this process to play out. This can be time-consuming, and no discussions have happened yet regarding when the first hearing will take place.
What happens now?
First and foremost, we’ll continue to operate as usual. Our upcoming school year will not be impacted, and there is no immediate threat to our school. However, we also must continue to fight and make our voices heard.
PPS’ Board of Public Education holds public hearings every month—separate from our school’s charter renewal proceedings. These meetings give district residents a platform to speak on school matters. The next meeting is July 22 and we ask that our community partners, parents/guardians, students, staff and alumni continue to show up and be loud about why our school is crucial to the community.
If you plan to speak at the July 22 hearing:
- Submit a request to speak beginning July 15 via the PPS Public Hearing Request Form. Requests must be submitted by noon July 22.
- Brush up on public hearing procedures, outlined here on the PPS website. You’ll participate virtually via Zoom and your testimony will be limited to three minutes.
- Prepare your speech in advance. Lay out your personal connection to the school, why it matters to you and what it would mean if it had to shut its doors. Offer unique facts or perspectives on why the board should renew the charter. Plus, be sure to close with a very clear call-to-action to keep the school open.
What else can supporters do to help?
Our best path forward involves all of us continuing to work together to protect our school. Beyond being visible and vocal at the monthly PPS public hearings, here are two ways to stand up for PACS:
- Sign and spread the petition: Each signature helps to demonstrate the difference our school makes. Send this link to your friends and family to ask them to sign.
- Reach out to the PPS board: For those with personal and professional relationships with PPS Board of Public Education members, continue to reach out to them. Encourage them to engage in collaborative discussions with PACS and share why our school is worth saving.
If you have questions at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at joliphant@passportacademycharter.org. We know this process might be confusing, and I’m here to answer your questions. There is still a long road ahead with multiple opportunities to secure our charter’s renewal, and we have complete confidence that we’ll do just that.
Sincerely,
Principal Oliphant
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