It’s a monthly meeting where people in Pittsburgh can speak in a public forum with the Board of Directors of Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS).

Time:
First Monday of each month at 5 PM
See below for other upcoming dates!

Location:
PPS Administration Building
341 S. Bellefield Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Recordings of past PPS public hearings and meetings are on YouTube.

The sign-up link should be available on the PPS website one week before the meeting.
- Make sure to sign up as soon as possible.
- The last possible time to sign up is no later than noon on the day of the public hearing.
Unfortunately, recently the Board eliminated the option to provide testimony virtually on Zoom. This decision was made by Board President Gene Walker.

You’ll have 3 minutes to speak.
Try to think through what you’d like your key points to be, and make sure to cover your most important point first.
Try to think through what you’d like your key points to be, and make sure to cover your most important point first.
- Get inspired by our demands and key talking points!
Before you start, take a deep breath!

Encourage your kid to speak! The voices of children are a powerful way to remind the Board Members of their duty to do what’s best for Pittsburgh children. If you’re speaking, you’ll need to do a separate sign-up for yourself and your child.
Bring snacks! The meeting starts at 6 and can run several hours (if you plan to stay until it ends).
Bring screens. If you’re comfortable with screentime, bring a tablet to keep your kids occupied.
Tag-team. Consider planning with another parent/family to tag-team so you can take kids outside for wiggle breaks.

Order of speakers: The day of the board meeting, you should get an email from a {name}@pghschools email that includes a document listing the order of speakers. You can use that to determine roughly when you’ll be speaking, so you can plan accordingly if you need to arrive late or leave early.
Format: The meeting is basically just people speaking at the microphone. Board Members will not respond to questions or comments, they’re just there to listen.
Translation: You may request a translator.

When you speak: You will stand at a pedestal in front of the Board Members. There is a microphone stand with a button. When you’re ready to speak, push the button. This starts a 3-minute timer. Start speaking. When 3 minutes is up, the microphone will turn off. Then you’re done!