PIttsburgh+Public+School+District



[|Pittsburgh Public Schools] (PPS) is a diverse district of 64 schools ranging from Early Childhood Centers (PreK) through 12th grade found throughout the City Of Pittsburgh. This includes K-5, K-8, 6-8, 6-12 and 9-12. The schools range in performance and proficiently, and there is currently a great deal of reform happening within the district. Since the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, PPS has been transitioning it's Supertinendent from Mr. Mark Roosevelt to Dr. Linda Lane.

One very unquie component of PPS is the recently developed [|Pittsbugh Promise]. This provides college funding to students who have been within the Pittsburgh Public School system for at least their entire high school experience, as well as maintain a 2.5 GPA. (The individual scholarship increases if the students has been in the PPS longer.) A recentl article in the [|Pittsburgh Post Gazette] outlines a new incentive for students who perform well on their standardized tests. Studetnts now have the opportunity to double the maximum scholarship from $20K to $40K for college. //Students who received scholarships from The Pittsburgh Promise//

Within these schools, magnet programs offer students the opportunity to learn a forgein language, advanced science and technology, as well as other programs. While some students attend a magnet school because of their home feeder-pattern, most students have come through a lottery/waitlist system. Nearly all of the magnet programs require an acceptance test to attend. For example, the International Baccalaureate (IB) school, is a rigourous honors placement, which is houses in Pittsburgh Obama Academy.

One of these magnet schoosl includes the Pittsburgh Montessori School for grades PreK through 8th grade. This school practices the [|Montessori Philosophy]in the approach to teaching, as well as using some of the Pittsburgh Public School curriculum and materials. The Montessori Method was created by Dr. Maria Montessori in Italy in the early 1900s. Her first work with this theory was with children from the poorest slum in her community. She provided these children with a learning environment, and adapted their classroom in response to her observations of the students and their needs.

This philosophy promotes independence and initiative amoing the students. The student classroom time is split between whole group or small group instruction from the teacher, as well as individual or small group "work." The areas of focus include practical life (for motor skill development and real life skills,) math, literacy, science, cultures... Nearly all of their subject work includes a hands-on manipulative, particularly the math. //A kindergarten student learing number sequencing and patterns// Though Pittsburgh Montessori strays from a strict Montessori Philosophy in some ways, the basic daily routine is very unique from all other Pittsburgh Public Elementary School programs. There are about 350 students enrolled in Pittsburgh Montessori, with a healthy mix of race and family income. The Principal is Ms. Cynthia Wallace.

//My personal experience at Pittsburgh Montessori:// //During the months of January and February, I was placed into a PreK/Kindergarten classroom. The students ranged from ages 3 to 6 years old. It was a very enjoyable experience, and interesting to see the range of competency amoung the students.// //While there, I performed lessons ranging from social studies (The Netherlands and community members,) math (one-to-one correspondence,) science (how time works) among other things. Also, for my class project, I brought in two fish, a Goldfish and guppie, for the students could take observations. This led to learning the anatomy of fish, as well as practical pet-care.// //I learned a number of helpful class management teachniques, such as claping a rythm the student must echo to get their attention, or making specific expectations of the child known prior to activities.// //I grew very attached to the students. I found it sweet they made me cards not only for a week I was sick from school, but also as a going-away gift. I would love to work as a teaching within a diverse and challenging environment, such as Pittsburgh Montessori School.//