Penn Hills prepares for students' return; parent forum set

Big changes are coming to the Penn Hills School District as students head back to the classroom Aug. 20.

Teachers and staff already have been in the buildings preparing for students since Aug. 13.

In the days leading up to students’ return, there will be multiple events hosted for students, parents and teachers.

Parent forum and policy changes

The district is hosting a parent forum at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at the high school.

The forum will cover new policies, and parents also will be able to ask questions and meet school principals.

Among the new policies and changes:

• Students will be required to turn in their cellphones to school personnel at the start of each school day. The district added the measure “to minimize distractions and promote a positive learning environment.” Phones will be returned to students at the end of their eighth-period class.

Special arrangements will be made for students attending Forbes Road Career & Technology Center who leave from Penn Hills High School and for those with early dismissals.

• Changes to the dress code also were made. The district’s revised policy will prioritize health, safety, appropriateness and comfort of students. In a statement from the district, Penn Hills reserves the right to establish dress and grooming guidelines as the school year goes on.

• This also is the first year security is made up completely of district employees.

Back-to-school event is Aug. 17

Penn Hills is hosting its annual back-to-school event at noon Saturday, Aug. 17, at the high school. The event will include music, giveaways, games, free food and free district swag.

“It’s for all students in every grade,” said Lydia Richardson, spokesperson for the district. “It’s from noon to 3 p.m. There’ll be some district swag, giveaways, inflatables — just a bunch of things to get kids excited for the school year.”

There also will be a welcome event for new families and for students enrolled in the district’s cyber academy at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, the night before the first day of school, at Linton Middle School. The same type of event will be hosted at 4 p.m. at the elementary school that night as well.

“As we embark on this new school year, our focus is on making connections—building and strengthening them to ensure every student feels valued, supported and inspired to reach their full potential,” Superintendent John Mozzocio said. “Here’s to a fantastic school year filled with growth, learning and meaningful connections for all.”

New hire

One new face in the district is high school Principal Bernard Taylor Jr.

Taylor, who was hired June 25 at a salary of $129,000, has experience as a superintendent, assistant principal, instructional teacher lead and high school social studies teacher. He earned a doctorate in education in 1995 from the University of Pittsburgh, from which he also has a bachelor’s in secondary education and a master’s in public administration.

He previously served as superintendent of the Kansas City School District, Grand Rapids Public Schools and East Baton Rouge Parish School System. Kansas City did not renew his contract, with its board citing dropout rates, academic achievement, declining enrollment and front office turnover, according to the Kansas City Star. Other news reports show Taylor sued and won a case against Grand Rapids for severance pay, and East Baton Rouge declined to renew his contract, claiming poor performance.

Taylor also served as principal of Westinghouse High School before allegations of abuse toward a student while breaking up a fight led to a reassignment in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. He is coming to Penn Hills after serving as principal of Oliver Citywide Academy.

Taylor addressed his past during the school board’s June 25 voting meeting.

“There are things that have happened in my career that have even shocked me,” he said. “In terms of who I am as an education professional, is available at the click of a button. I’m sure when some of you learned my name, you started to Google left and right and looking on social media, but I’ve done nothing I am ashamed of.

“Are there things that I would do differently? Absolutely. Are there mistakes I’ve made? Absolutely. Are there things I wish I could take back and do again? Absolutely. No one can say — and I don’t care if you call Baton Rouge, Grand Rapids, Kansas City, Pittsburgh Public. No one will ever tell you that my No. 1 interest was not making sure students came first.”

The Penn Hills School Board deferred comments about Taylor’s past lawsuits to the district’s superintendent, who did not respond.

When he was hired, Taylor said he plans to cultivate a “positive school culture that values collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.”