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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board of Directors
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Click portraits to learn more!
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Gene Walker
President | District 9
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Gene Walker
Council of the Great City Schools Representative
About Mr. Walker:
Gene Walker has worked in finance, education, direct support, marketing, and nonprofit management. He is a graduate of Peabody High School and received his bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Walker returned to Pittsburgh in 2009 to work alongside the team at the Pittsburgh Promise in various capacities, including becoming the first Director of Workforce Development in 2015. During his time with the Promise, he was responsible for creating numerous programs, including the District’s We Promise program focused on African American male mentoring, The Promise college tours, and The Promise ambassador program. In 2018, Mr. Walker left The Promise to launch a new nonprofit, Mission C, to provide financial education and support for families facing eviction. In 2019, he left Mission C to support adults with intellectual and physical disabilities with Gene Cook Supports Inc. That same year he became an Accredited Financial Counselor and now provides affordable personal finance management counseling to individuals and families. Mr. Walker and his wife Jenny have two children, both recent graduates of Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Mr. Walker can be reached by email at gwalker1@pghschools.org.
Areas Represented in District 9:
- Sheraden
- Windgap
- Brighton Heights
- Perry Hilltop
- Oakwood
- Ridgemont
- Crafton Heights
- Chartiers City
- Parts of Northside
- Westwood
- Fairywood
- Elliott
- Esplen
- Marshall-Shadeland
- East Carnegie
- West End
- Summer Hill
District 9 Schools:
- Pittsburgh Chartiers Early Childhood Center
- Pittsburgh Classical 6-8
- Pittsburgh Gifted Center
- Pittsburgh Langley K-8
- Pittsburgh Morrow PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Perry High School
- Pittsburgh Westwood K-5
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Devon Taliaferro
First-Vice President | District 2
Ms. Devon Taliaferro
Pennsylvania Schools Boards Association PSBA Representative
Committee Chair:
- Government Relations
Committee Co-Chair:
- Policy
About Ms. Taliaferro:
A native of Pittsburgh and resident of North Side, Devon Taliaferro currently serves as Community Engagement Coordinator for The Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health. Ms. Taliaferro’s commitment to public service began early with Public Allies, where she served a year of AmeriCorps service at Amachi Pittsburgh (2015-2016). As a former Program Associate with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh, Ms. Taliaferro worked to facilitate mentoring matchups with elementary students in PPS and community enrichment opportunities for students at Pittsburgh Brashear through mentor 2.0. Ms. Taliaferro has been recognized for her efforts as part of The Incline’s Who’s Next: Community Leaders & Activists (2017), Pittsburgh Circle of Courage in Education (2018) and The New Pittsburgh Courier’s Women of Excellence (2018). Ms. Taliaferro can be reached by email at dtaliaferro1@pghschools.org.
Areas Represented in District 2:
- Spring Hill
- East Allegheny
- Polish Hill
- Morningside
- Parts of East Liberty
- Spring Garden
- Washington's Landing
- Strip District
- Highland Park
- Fineview
- Troy Hill
- Lawrenceville
- Stanton Heights
- Parts of Bloomfield
District 2 Schools:
- Pittsburgh Arsenal PreK-5
- Pittsburgh Arsenal 6-8
- Pittsburgh Dilworth PreK-5
- Pittsburgh Fulton PreK-5
- Pittsburgh Schiller 6-8
- Pittsburgh Spring Hill K-5
- Pittsburgh Sunnyside PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Woolslair K-5
- Pittsburgh Spring Garden Early Childhood Center
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Tracey Reed
Second-Vice President | District 5
Dr. Tracey Reed
Committee Chair:
- Education
Committee Co-Chair:
- Business & Finance
About Dr. Reed:
Tracey Reed grew up in Pittsburgh and attended Beltzhoover Elementary School. She taught high school English in Frederick, Maryland. Currently a Program Officer at The Grable Foundation, Dr. Reed has obtained a B.A. in English from the University of Pittsburgh and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Educational Policy from the University of Virginia. Dr. Reed serves on the boards of A+ Schools, Connecting Champions, and Women for a Healthy Environment.
Dr. Reed can be reached by email at treed1@pghschools.org.
Areas Represented in District 5:
- Southside
- Lincoln Place
- Greenfield
- South Oakland
- Central Oakland
- Hays
- Summerset at Frick Park
- Hazelwood
- Swisshelm Park
- Parts of Squirrel Hill
- Glen Hazel
- New Homestead
District 5 Schools:
- Pittsburgh Greenfield PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Mifflin PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Minadeo PreK-5
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Sylvia WIlson
District 1
Ms. Sylvia C. Wilson
- District 8 PIAA Athletic Advisory Committee Representative
Committee Co-Chair
- Safety and Operations
About Ms. Wilson:Ms. Wilson is a retired PPS teacher who worked for 26 years at Spring Hill, Miller, and Manchester Elementary Schools. While teaching, she served on the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers Executive Board from 1977 through 2010. She was the elected secretary on the board from 1979 through 2010. She later was a full time staff member of the PFT as the Assistant to the President for 14 years prior to her retirement in 2013. Sylvia Wilson has been active in the community with various organizations. For more than twenty years, she was an active volunteer with community youth baseball and football organizations. Additionally, Ms. Wilson serves on the ALCOSAN Board as the joint city-county appointee and is currently the Board Chair (first woman and first African American to hold the position). Ms. Wilson is also active in the Democratic Party as a committee woman, ward chair, and DNC member representing PA. Ms. Wilson can be reached by email at swilson1@pghschools.org.Areas Represented in District 1:
- Homewood
- East Hills
- North Point Breeze
- Parts of Point Breeze - Park Place
- Regent Square
- Friendship
- Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar
- Friendship
- Larimer
- Parts of East Liberty
- Parts of Shadyside
District 1 Schools:
- Pittsburgh Crescent Early Childhood Center
- Pittsburgh Faison K-5
- Pittsburgh Liberty K-5
- Pittsburgh Lincoln PreK-5
- Pittsburgh Montessori PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Sterrett 6-8
- Pittsburgh Obama 6-12
- Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy 6-12
- Pittsburgh Student Achievement Center
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Sala Udin
District 3
Mr. Sala Udin
About Mr. Udin:
Native Pittsburgher, born and raised on the historic Lower Hill District, Mr. Udin has decades of leadership and activism in civil and human rights. In 2002, Mr. Udin and Rev. Johnnie Monroe founded the Hill District Education Council (HDEC). He hopes to help create a major transformation of education, to provide high quality education for all public-school students, but most especially for black and poor students who compose most of the students in District 3. Mr. Udin resides in the Hill District with his wife, Jacqueline. Mr. Udin can be reached at sudin1@pghschools.org.Areas Represented in District 3:
- Garfield
- Crawford-Roberts
- Terrace Village
- Middle Hill
- Upper Hill District
- Sugartop
- Parts of Stanton Heights
- Parts of Oakland
- East Liberty
- Bedford Dwellings
- Parts of Bloomfield
District 3 Schools:
- Pittsburgh Miller PreK-5
- Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12
- Pittsburgh Science and Technology 6-12
- Pittsburgh Weil PreK-5
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Yael Silk
District 4
Ms. Yael Silk – District 4
Committee Chair:
Safety and Operations
About Ms. Silk:
Yael Silk has called Pittsburgh home since June 2011. Ms. Silk developed a career in arts education with a focus on professional learning, program evaluation, and advocacy. Currently serving as Executive Director at Arts Ed Collaborative, Ms. Silk obtained a bachelor’s degree in Music from Barnard College and a master’s degree in Arts in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Ms. Silk can be reached by email at ysilk1@pghschools.org.
Areas Represented in District 4:
- Squirrel Hill
- Parts of North Oakland
- Point Breeze
- Point Breeze- Park Place
- Parts of Shadyside
District 4 Schools:
- Pittsburgh Colfax K-8
- Pittsburgh Linden K-5
- Pittsburgh Allderdice High School
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Emma Yourd
District 6
Ms. Emma Yourd – District 6
Right to Education Liaison
Committee Chair:
Business and Finance
About Ms. Yourd:
A Pittsburgh-area native, Emma Yourd spent six years in Washinton D.C. managing international development programs before moving home in 2018 to focus her skills on making Pittsburgh a more equitable city. Ms. Yourd is the ARM Institute’s Education and Workforce Development (EWD) Partnership Manager, where she facilitates all aspects of EWD regional and community outreach with the goal of building bridges between Pittsburgh’s tech sector and our most under resourced communities.
Ms. Yourd joined the ARM Institute in 2022 from the Forbes Funds, a philanthropic foundation in Pittsburgh, where she co-created capacity building solutions with Allegheny County nonprofits. Her career has always been driven by working in collaboration with under resourced communities to address systemic issues.
Ms. Yourd holds a master’s in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in Economics from Smith College. She currently resides in Beechview with her husband.
Ms. Yourd can be reached by email at eyourd1@pghschools.org.
Areas Represented in District 6:
- Brookline
- Beechview
- Banksville
- Parts of Overbrook
- Duquesne Heights
- Mt. Washington
- Westwood
- East Carnegie
District 6 Schools:
- Pittsburgh Banksville K-5
- Pittsburgh Beechwood PreK-5
- Pittsburgh Brashear High School
- Pittsburgh Brookline PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Carmalt PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Pioneer
- Pittsburgh South Brook 6-8
- Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8
- Pittsburgh West Liberty K-5
- Pittsburgh Whittier K-5
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Jamie Piotrowski
District 7
Jamie Piotrowski
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees Liaison
Committee Chair:
- Policy
Committee Co-Chair:
- Education
About Ms. Piotrowski:
Pittsburgh native, Jamie Piotrowski, has worked in equitable community planning, and development initiatives in Pittsburgh, and towns, cities, and boroughs throughout the United States. She is currently employed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh as a Program Analyst. She previously served as a caseworker for several Pittsburgh based non-profit organizations before returning to graduate school.Jamie is a licensed Social Worker in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, holds a B.A. in Sociology-Family Studies from Waynesburg University, a Master's Degree in International Development (Governance and International Public Management), and a Master's in Social Work (Community Organizing), both from the University of Pittsburgh. During her time at Pitt, Jamie completed the Bridging the Gaps program to promote public health initiatives in underserved neighborhoods, and studied abroad in Havana, Cuba, and Kathmandu, Nepal.
Ms. Piotrowski resides in the Carrick neighborhood with her husband, Geoffrey, and their daughter.
Ms. Piotrowski can be reached by email at jpiotrowski1@pghschools.org.
Areas Represented in District 7:
- Allentown
- Arlington
- Bon Air
- Carrick
- East Brookline
- St. Clair
- Knoxville
- Mt. Oliver
- Overbrook
- Southside Flats
- Southside Slopes
District 7 Schools:
- Pittsburgh Arlington PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Carrick High School
- Pittsburgh Concord PreK-5
- Pittsburgh Phillips K-5
- Pittsburgh Roosevelt PreK-5
- Pittsburgh Online Academy
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Dwayne Barker
District 8
Mr. Dwayne Barker - District 8
Committee Co-Chair:
Personnel / Negotiations
About Mr. Barker:
Dwayne Barker is a graduate of Pittsburgh Public Schools, and a parent of three children. An advocate for young people, he has been a leader in the educational field for over 15 years. Mr. Barker has been a powerful community organizer, an advocate in our schools, and an effective mentor to students. His dedicated work has bridged the home-school connection, helped to improve students’ performance and supported teacher practice.
Mr. Barker was recently appointed to the PA Title 1 State Parent Advisory Council where he serves as a parent advisor to the PA Department of Education. He has received awards from the PA State AfterSchool Youth Development Network, Youth Works of Western PA, United Way of Southwestern PA, and more.
As a member of the School Board, Mr. Barker will prioritize improving family/community engagement, increasing access to mental health services, and expanding and funding community schools.
Mr. Barker can be reached by email at dbarker1@pghschools.org.
Areas Represented in District 8:
- Manchester
- Beltzhoover
- Central Northside
- Northview Heights
- North Shore
- Chateau
- California-Kirkbride
- Allegheny Center
- Allegheny West
- Parts of Knoxville
- Parts of Hill District and Downtown
District 8 Schools:
- Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5
- Pittsburgh Allegheny 6-8
- Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
- Pittsburgh Clayton
- Pittsburgh Conroy
- Pittsburgh Grandview K-5
- Pittsburgh King PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Manchester PreK-8
- Pittsburgh Oliver Citywide Academy
BOARD MEETING SCHEDULES
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ABOUT
The Pittsburgh Board of Public Education is an elected body made up of nine representatives of districts within the City of Pittsburgh and the Borough of Mt. Oliver. It also serves as the Board for the Pittsburgh-Mt. Oliver Intermediate Unit, one of 29 regional Intermediate Units in Pennsylvania established to provide such services as Special Education and programs for non-public students. Board Members are elected to four-year terms.The Board is the policy-making body for the School District. It is committed to providing the best education possible for every student by providing outstanding teachers, programs and services that enable every student to achieve their maximum potential.As a part of its commitment to continuously improve its governance, the Board adopted its own set of Core Beliefs, Shared Goals and Commitments, found below, at its February 27, 2008 Legislative Meeting.
Goals
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- Maximum academic achievement of all students
- Safe and orderly environment for all students and employees
- Efficient and effective support operations for all students, families, teachers and administrators
- Efficient and equitable distribution of resources to address the needs of all students, to the maximum extent feasible
- Improved public confidence and strong parent/community engagement
- Maximum academic achievement of all students
Core Beliefs
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- We want maximum academic achievement of all students
- We want a safe and orderly environment for all students and employees
- We want efficient and effective support operations for all students, families, teachers and administrators
- We want efficient and equitable distribution of resources to address the needs of all students, to the maximum extent feasible
- We want public confidence and strong parent/community engagement
- We want maximum academic achievement of all students
Commitments
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- We will educate all children to their highest level of academic achievement
- We will provide a safe and orderly environment for all students and employees
- We will provide efficient and effective support for all students, families, teachers and administrators
- We will distribute resources in an efficient and equitable manner to address the needs of all students, to the maximum extent feasible
- We will improve public confidence and encourage strong parent/ community engagement in the District
- We will educate all children to their highest level of academic achievement
Code of Conduct/Protocol
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At its Legislative Meeting on April 23, 2008, the Board adopted the following Code of Conduct and Protocols:
- Our first and greatest concern is the educational welfare of all students in the City of Pittsburgh.
- Our second concern is our fiduciary responsibility to our constituents and the tax payers of the City of Pittsburgh, making our role that of a policy maker not administrator.
- Abide by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) Code of Conduct, as adopted and State Ethics Code.
- Respect staff and Board Members.
- Prepare ourselves for all meetings so our comments and questions are clear, concise, and allow timely conversation.
- Listen carefully and with courtesy to other members’ comments, responding only when appropriate.
- Respect the confidentiality of privileged information.
- Board Members shall recognize that the Superintendent has administrative authority in accordance with school board policy and state law, and that Superintendent shall take into account any Board input prior to acting on personnel matters.
- Complaints and problems from parents or community members should be discussed with the Superintendent to seek solutions before making District matters public.
- Be open, fair, and honest and encourage communication among board members, staff, students and the community.
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Laura Getty, Board Executive Assistant
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