Black Women for a Better Education

It has been two weeks since the vote to approve the PPS Future-Ready Plan, and we are still sitting with what it means for Black children and families across Pittsburgh.

In the days ahead, we will be in conversation with our advisory committee and our members about next steps. We are being very intentional about a path forward because the approximately 20,000 children this decision most directly affects deserve a response that is informed, thoughtful, and thorough--not reactive.

The well-being of Black children in this region remains nonnegotiable. It is the foundation on which BW4BE was formed, and it will remain at the center of every decision we make.

BW4BE had the opportunity to present about our work at the Black Alumni Collective Conference hosted by the University of Pittsburgh last month. With Black alumni from over 50 universities in attendance, the Collective has a mission to unify and empower Black alumni individuals and groups through civic engagement, economics, and advocacy.

🗣 BW4BE supports paid parental leave for all in Allegheny County!

"In a region where academic outcomes for Black students have been perennially poor, and where racial, economic, and health disparities are some of the worst in the nation, it will take the collective efforts of all of our systems to improve the quality of life for Black families. Paid parental leave is an important step in addressing the health and economic security of working families in Allegheny County, while laying the groundwork to improve educational outcomes." (Dr. Allyce Pinchback, Executive Director, BW4BE)

Make YOUR voice heard about paid parental leave. Public comments will be accepted via email until 11:59pm EST on June 16th. Learn more here: https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Services/Health-Department/Legal/Public-Comment-Notices

🗣 Happening now: The PPS legislative meeting, where the board will vote on this month's agenda items, including the Future-Ready Plan.

Legislative Meeting - May 27, 2026 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Lots of powerful testimony last night. Check out our Executive Director, Dr. Allyce Pinchback (Speaker #19), calling on the PPS board to do some reflecting before today's vote.

Public Hearing - May 26, 2026 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Happening this evening!

Hey Pittsburgh 👋 Today is the day to tell your school board directors to VOTE NO on the Future Ready Plan aka School Closure plan. We can't afford to destroy our children’s precious education

The Board already rejected this plan in November 2025 — and nothing has changed

Same school closures and consolidations
Same unanswered questions
Same missing details
Same risks to students
Same lack of accountability
Same disproportionate harm to historically underserved students
If this plan was not good enough then, there are to approve it now.

Rally Public Hearing (Sign up by noon today) link here 👇
Public Hearing Procedures https://share.google/XJXq0SeOaZH3SzmNT

pittsburgh-naacp.org

Today, in collaboration with several advocacy and parent groups, BW4BE sent a letter to the PPS board and superintendent calling for a "no" vote on the Future-Ready Plan at the May 27th legislative meeting.

We had hoped that after the plan failed in November, the district would do its due diligence to address:
-the absence of critical specifics about how the plan will improve academic outcomes
-internal capacity and infrastructure issues that will prevent successful implementation
-the lack of collaboration to ensure the plan reflects broader community and regional goals and aspirations

Unfortunately, those things did not happen, despite us sharing tangible recommendations in our November letter. Therefore, we cannot in good faith support the plan at this time.

Read our letter in the comments, sign on if you agree, and learn more about additional efforts to make your voice heard about the the PPS Future-Ready Plan.

Tune in this evening at 6:30pm for the PPS Agenda Review, the monthly meeting where the board and district administration discuss the items that are up for a vote at the monthly legislative meeting.

This month, the PPS Future-Ready Plan is back on the agenda, meaning the board will vote for or against the plan at next week's legislative meeting.

There is still time to make your voice heard about the plan. Check the comments for more information.

Agenda Review - May 20, 2026 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Speaking of strong school leadership, check out this virtual event on June 3rd!

School principals play a critical role in shaping school culture, improving teacher retention and driving student success. Yet states across the country are facing growing challenges in recruiting, supporting and retaining effective school leaders, particularly as the role becomes increasingly complex and demanding.

This interactive session will explore innovative policies and strategies designed to strengthen the school leader pipeline and sustain effective school leadership. State leaders from Kentucky, Delaware and Louisiana will share how they are addressing these challenges through leadership development efforts and policy reforms.

ECS Live: Innovative Policies for Strengthening the School Leader Pipeline​