Hits and Misses
MISS: Western Pennsylvania may be in the heart of the Rust Belt, but it’s also been dubbed an “inequality belt” when it comes to education, according to the authors of a new study. The think tank Ed Build reported that the region is home to five of the 50 most economically segregated neighboring school districts in the country. This means that students in well-off districts attend schools just a hop and a skip from students who don’t enjoy the same kind of amenities or the same quality of education. The districts the report cites include West Jefferson Hills and Clairton City in Allegheny County, and Beaver County’s Hopewell Area Schools alongside the Aliquippa district. Possible remedies to such gaps include reducing the number of school districts and moving away from a funding system so reliant on property taxes. Zahava Stadler, director of policy with Ed Build, told Pittsburgh radio station WESA-FM, “We need to say your neighborhood can’t be on its own and the more we think of being in this together we can avoid the ups and downs.”
HIT: The Canon-McMillan School District received some unwanted attention in October when some high school students posted racial slurs on Facebook. Now, some of their peers are trying to let the world know that those social media posts did not represent the views of the whole student body. Last week, the school launched a “No Place for Hate” campaign to celebrate diversity and combat discrimination and bullying. Students have produced T-shirts that say “No Hate, Just Love,” and proceeds from their sale will benefit the Anti-Defamation League’s Victims of Hate Crimes and Genocide Fund. Meg Pankiewicz, an English teacher at Canon-McMillan High School who also teaches about the Holocaust, explained that “I tell my kids hate speech doesn’t end with hate speech. I teach in my Holocaust unit that if you’re silent, you’re complicit. I try to teach students to be proactive when injustices occur. This is an opportunity to do something good here.”
HIT: The Observer-Reporter has published an occasional series of stories about immigrants who live in this area, and a story published in the Monday edition about Scott Township resident Leila Zoubeidi illustrates the hardships many new arrivals face, and the promise they hold for this region and the country as a whole. After enjoying a successful career within Tunisia’s Ministry of Tourism, and helping to organize high-profile events like a Michael Jackson concert, Zoubeidi came to this country with her husband knowing little English and adjusting to motherhood at the same time. She is now studying business administration at the Community College of Allegheny County and earning straight As. Zoubeidi and her husband are considering settling in the United States permanently. If they opt to do so, we should welcome their talents and the contributions they would make.
HIT: The Constitution’s 15th and 19th amendments expanded voting rights to African Americans and women, and now a monument that is set to be placed on the Pennsylvania Capitol grounds in Harrisburg will be the first in the country to commemorate the extension of the franchise beyond the ranks of white men. PennLive reported Monday that the monument, “A Gathering at the Crossroads,” “will feature four bronze life-size depictions of abolitionists and famed orators with ties to the region and Pennsylvania and who worked to help fulfill the nation’s founding fathers’ promise that ‘all men are created equal.'” Groundbreaking is set for March, with an expected completion date in June. All Pennsylvanians should be proud that such a monument will have a home in our state.