Penn Hills students push for their voices to be heard

Time is being reserved at Penn Hills School Board’s next public meeting for a group of students to speak publicly after their comments were cut short during the Feb. 26 voting meeting.

The Linton Middle School Media Center was filled with students and teachers seemingly wanting to show support to those intending to speak about teacher contract negotiations and a recently deceased teacher, Joshua “Josh” Willy.

The meeting initially adjourned shortly before 6:30 p.m. when a Penn Hills parent, Alexis T. Russell, demanded the board reconvene due to the quick nature of the board’s voting and adjournment. Board President Erin Vecchio asked for public comment before the initial adjournment. Once the board agreed to call the meeting back to order, senior student Emma Macioce voiced her support for teachers during their ongoing negotiations.

“During last week’s meeting, Dr. (John) Mozzocio stated that during a student survey, 89% of students felt they had a trusted adult at their school,” Macioce said.

She said she and some of her peers attended the Feb. 26 meeting to either speak or support their teachers. Macioce touched on the fact that teachers were seemingly being asked to stay after school for clubs and work overtime without pay.

“I’ve heard a lot ‘do it for the kids,’ as if these teachers should give their time to a district seemingly unable to commit to them,” Macioce said. “I would love to continue to have these clubs, but I would never ask my teachers to sacrifice their rights to do so.”

She said she and “many other students” support whatever actions the teachers deem necessary to get the compensation they deserve even if that means going on strike and delaying graduation.

Macioce’s comments received applause from the audience, and the board members thanked her for her time.

The next person to speak was Russell. She brought up complaints about how the district handled the recent passing of Willy, a high school history teacher. Willy died on Jan. 17 after his car plunged from Pittsburgh’s Parkway East and came to rest in a stream below. She said she found out about Willy’s death from her son, who found out from the news.

“I understand the school district did a little bit of work to make sure that the kids were supported after Mr. Willy’s death,” Russell said. “It wasn’t enough.”

Russell said she volunteered her vehicle to drive as many students as she could to Willy’s viewing and funeral services on Jan. 22 in Bridgeville and Jan. 24 in Upper St. Clair. Some of those students attended the meeting to speak publicly.

“I was the recipient of the emotional distress that these children went through,” Russell said.

She also referenced the student survey statistic saying 89% of students felt they had a trusted person at the school.

“(Willy) was their person,” Russell said. “This is beyond us as parents. They’re starting to get older, and they’re having interactions with people who aren’t just mom and dad. They have a different set of emotions. They had a different reaction to this. I don’t think the district did enough to support these kids.”

Russell said rather than the responsibility falling to parents, there should have been some type of transportation organized for students who wanted to attend Willy’s service. The district gave students the day off on Jan. 24 for those who wanted to attend his funeral. But Russell said even a bit of coordination to help arrange some type of student drop-off and pickup would have been easier than what occurred.

She claimed the school’s emotional care for students was lacking as well. In her opinion, the students weren’t prepared to see the remnants of Willy’s life on display during his services, Russell said.

She said she had students asking her why Willy didn’t look like himself during the funeral service.

“When they walked up and saw him in that condition, it messed with these kids,” Russell said. “This was an emotional thing that these kids went through.”

Russell was cut off by the district solicitor, Dayne Dice, after speaking for five minutes — two minutes over the allotted time for individual public comment. Dice asked her to “please bring it to a conclusion.”

This request began a heated exchange between Russell and Dice. Russell said he should not cut her off when she’s advocating for students who were crying in the audience at the meeting. Dice said he already had given her two extra minutes. Russell continued to say how inappropriate it was for Dice to force her to stop speaking. Dice responded repeatedly with the phrase, “Thank you, ma’am.”

In what seemed like an attempt to respond to the first speaker’s comments, Dice stated: “I’d also like to say that we came to an agreement on the teachers’ contract today so write that down, too. Thanks.”

Neither school officials nor the Penn Hills Education Association has announced the official end to negotiations.

“(Willy) is dead and that’s what you do?” Russell responded. “I don’t care about that mic, and I don’t care about (speaking) time. He’s dead, and that’s your response?”

“Yep,” Dice responded.

“Garbage,” Russell said.

After the exchange, Mozzocio assured the public that the district takes Willy’s death incredibly seriously.

“We will never be able to replace Mr. Willy. I think everybody knows that in this audience here today,” Mozzocio said. “We do have counselors available. We haven’t scratched the surface of what we can do for the students, and we appreciate you being here.”

He said the student survey results were varied in what students requested supportwise.

“Some students said they wanted to move on. Other students, they want more,” Mozzocio said. “This is an individualized process.”

Since the funeral, students have arranged memorials in remembrance of Willy.

“We’re mourning as a community, as a district — nobody has moved on,” Mozzocio said.

Directly after Mozzocio’s comments, Dice stated the meeting was adjourned despite students still waiting in line to speak. Some students shouted at the board that there were still people waiting to speak. After the board’s initial adjournment, the meeting’s livestream ended and did not capture public comment, nor has the recording of residents’ comments been made public.

Mozzocio gathered the students to take down their names and reserve time during the next public meeting for them to speak.

“Student voices are important to us here,” Mozzocio said.

He told TribLive there are group therapy sessions planned for interested students and “therapy jobs” are coming in to help students and staff with their mourning and healing process. He said he will meet with the students and speak with each of them individually.

He also said each student will be given time to speak and the district will help them with transportation to ensure their presence at the next public meeting, March 12, in the Linton Middle School Media Center.