Pittsburgh City Council accused of 'grandstanding' as it seeks involvement in school district's pandemic response

Pittsburgh Councilman Ricky Burgess on Wednesday proposed setting up a series of televised public meetings with school district officials to update council members on the school district’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The city’s government and school district operate as separate entities.

Pittsburgh Public Schools board members are considering a delay in the district’s reopening plan.

“It is time for us as a council to jointly begin conversation with the schools in a very public way,” Burgess said, adding council has responsibility for students when they are at home, which they have been for much of the pandemic.

The idea had the support of other council members, although Council President Theresa Kail-Smith said council should have been more involved with school district for a while now.

A city education commission has been dormant for several years, Kail-Smith said.

The school board was in a pre-meeting executive session, but school board member Kevin Carter took a call from the Tribune-Review to explain “we are not beholden to city council. … The council is full of (expletive).”

Council doesn’t have “two cares” about the district until there’s a problem, Carter said, and they lack an understanding of school district operations. “Who is city council to have any say on what we do?”

School administrators and board members weren’t contacted before Burgess floated the idea at the end of the council meeting.

Burgess said he’s hesitated to bring it up, but felt the need to do so Tuesday.

“I would not normally go down this road,” Burgess said.

He cited studies that show students are falling behind because of the pandemic. “The status quo is unacceptable,” he said.

Other council members agreed with him, but they also said the overture is overdue.

“We should have been doing this all along,” Kail-Smith said, a sentiment echoed by Councilwoman Erika Strassburger.

“The way I think about it is less of a treading on other people’s turf, (and more) how can we work together?” Strassburger said.

While school board members are not paid for their service, city council members are provided with paid staff members and other resources, Strassburger said, and these factors could assist in helping the school board.

“We have a role to play here. I would like to, even if they resist at first,” Strassburger said.

Carter said he was “sickened” by council inserting itself into the school board’s business.

“What they’re doing is grandstanding at best,” Carter said. “They see the district is in the news. All they want to do is be part of the drama of the district. They are sick to even bring it up.”

Council members don’t visit the schools or speak with board members unless there’s a problem, Carter said.

Councilman Anthony Coghill, who represents South Hills neighborhoods on council, said he has a good working relationship with William Gallagher, the school board member who represents his district.

Carter lamented the lack of guidance at the state level that has put school boards in charge of making the decisions about how to best educate students during a deadly pandemic.

“The governor doesn’t have the gall to make the decision,” Carter said. “Nobody wants to be responsible.”

City council unanimously approved setting up the meetings.

School Board President Sylvia Wilson said in a text message that she wasn’t aware of council’s move. Other Pittsburgh Public Schools officials and board members didn’t immediately respond to requests seeking comment.

In Peduto’s first term as mayor, the city and school district attempted to improve relations, releasing a report from the city’s 21-member Education Task Force in February 2015. The superintendent at the time, Linda Lane, retired later that year, and efforts at cooperation did not continue under the new leader, Anthony Hamlet. In late 2019, Peduto and Hamlet had public disagreements about notions of tax increases by the school district, but pledged to hold quarterly meetings.