Pittsburgh Public Schools To Adjust Class Start, End Times

Pittsburgh PA

04 August, 2021

3:27 PM

Description

PITTSBURGH, PA — The tentative contract agreement reached between the Pittsburgh Public Schools and Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers could have a significant impact on students and parents. While details of the agreement are available until both sides ratify it, the district said it will enable muti-tiered scheduling with adjustments to daily start and finish times at schools. According to the district, the changes are necessary to address the national school bus driver shortage by increasing the number of routes a yellow bus driver can complete before and after school each day. More information about the scheduling changes will be made available soon, district officials said in a news release. Both the district and the union expressed satisfaction that a new agreement was finally reached more than a year after the last contract expired in June 2020. "After a school year that will go down in the history books as one of the most challenging for teachers across our country, I am pleased that we have reached a tentative agreement that honors our teachers for their commitment to the children of Pittsburgh Public Schools," Superintendent Anthony Hamlet said. Federation president Nina Esposito-Visgitis said she looks forward to taking the contract to union membership "while we continue to work daily on securing similar beneficial contracts for our paraprofessional and technical-clerical bargaining units." Once the union ratifies the agreement, it will go to the school board for approval. With approximately 25,000 students, Pittsburgh Public Schools is the largest district in southwestern Pennsylvania and the second-largest in the state. Be the first to know what's happening in your community and region. With a free Patch subscription, you'll always be up to date on local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe.