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Parents support Pittsburgh Public Schools board resolution opposing 'harmful' state bills

Post-Gazette

Parents support Pittsburgh Public Schools board resolution opposing 'harmful' state bills

A resolution by the school board claims several state bills target students of color and LGBTQ individuals.

Several parents and community members spoke in support Monday night of the Pittsburgh Public Schools board considering a resolution opposing state legislation that the board says is “harmful” to Pittsburgh students. 

The resolution, which will be voted on Tuesday night, opposes four bills that “would threaten the ability of the school district of Pittsburgh to build a culture of belonging that embraces differences, reflects our local community and allows all students and educators to be their authentic selves.” The board’s resolution says the state bills “seek to place fear in teachers” and are harmful to LGBTQ individuals and people of color.

Nearly all of the dozen speakers at Monday’s meeting favored the board passing the resolution. 

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“I urge you all to vote yes … to ensure that all of our students are provided with the same opportunity to learn in a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment and keep harmful legislation out of our district,” said Ghadah Makoshi, a parent of a Pittsburgh Public Schools student.

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The bills are currently in the state House and Senate education committees. Democrat Governor-elect Josh Shapiro has veto power if the bills land on his desk. Gov. Tom Wolf had promised to veto at least two of the proposals if they had reached him. 

One of them, House Bill 1532, is known as the Teaching Racial and Universal Equality (TRUE) Act, and is “aimed at curtailing” educators from teaching about “critical race theory.” The school board’s resolution says that this bill “prohibits our educators from accurately teaching history, improperly bans anti-bias training, and would make culturally relevant teaching nearly impossible.”

Parents speaking at Monday’s meeting agreed with that sentiment.  

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Beth Sondel said as the parent of a pre-K student in the school district, she wants her daughter to grow up understanding how racism and xenophobia has harmed the United States.

“As a mother of a white child, I find it very important that she learns from teachers that are committed to teaching an accurate portrayal of the history and current state of our nation,” Ms. Sondel said.

The resolution also says that House bills 1277 and 1278 — known as the “Parental Control of Sexually Explicit Content” and “Empowering Families in Education Act” bills  — “compromise thorough, fact-based health education” and “further devalues our students and families of color and LGBTQ+ students and families.”

House Bill 2813, known as “Parental Rights in Education,” prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school board’s resolution says the bill intends to “censor, marginalize, exclude, and discriminate against LGBTQ+ students and families.”

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Sabia Prescott, a Highland Park resident involved with the organization Campaign for Our Shared Future, called the bills “a direct and unnecessary attack on our kids.”

Kate Harris, a social studies teacher at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts 6-12 facility and a parent of a first grader in the district, said she would consider withdrawing her son from the district and resigning from her position if some of the bills passed.

“The bills pushed by extremist politicians in Harrisburg threaten our ability as teachers to create safe inclusive classrooms where all students can thrive,” she said.

Andrea Kubis, a parent of two students, said it’s extremely important to her that her sons be in a district “that embraces differences, allows students to be their authentic selves, and teaches the messy and uncomfortable parts of American history.” 

Ms. Kubis said that is currently happening in her son’s classrooms, where teachers are creating a safe, inclusive environment for students, but she worries what could happen if any of these bills are passed. 

The proposal of the bills comes amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation filed this year in states across the country.

NBC News reported in March that the annual number of anti-LGBTQ bills filed rose from 41 in 2018 to 238 in less than three months of 2022. In 2021, 191 anti-LGBTQ bills were filed, according to NBC News.

First Published: November 22, 2022, 12:56 a.m.

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An exterior view of the Pittsburgh Public Schools board building as seen Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, in Oakland.  (Post-Gazette)
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