A+ give PGH School Board a B-

A+ Schools says the Pittsburgh Public School board earned a B- on the second report card issued by watchdog group this school year. The board is graded in 5 areas that are combined for the final grade. Those grades ranged from a C to a B+. The overall grade was unchanged from the first report card but A+ Schools Executive Director Carey Harris says the Board’s grade for focus and mission fell to a C. That is the lowest score reported to date. Harris says the C most likely is due to excessively long meetings that spent hours hashing out issues that have been carried from one meeting to the next. “Not only does this waste time, it also creates a negative and counterproductive atmosphere,” Harris said. “Everyone benefits when the School Board is able to function in a civil, focused and energized manner. We hope this minor dip is an anomaly and the School Board will be back on track by the next report card.” Harris says they have asked the board to find a way to focus on the reoccurring issues and find a solution. Harris says other recommendations have been followed. She praised the School Board for assigning a staff person to greet visitors at the door and ask them to sign in. A+ also asked the district to place a guard at the main entrance to the building where the board meetings are held to give the public access to the meetings after the other offices in the building are closed and the door is locked.
The full report card can be found at the A+ Schools web page.