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Dr. Walters outlines Future Ready plan and sustainability initiatives at Pittsburgh Public Schools signing event
Summary
At a June 17 event, Dr. Walters highlighted Pittsburgh Public Schools' Future Ready plan and sustainability projects, including a districtwide lead-removal program (nearly 900 chilled lead-filtered fountains and almost 400 filtered bottle-filling stations across 70 facilities), energy-saving features in new construction and student garden partnerships with Grow Pittsburgh.
Dr. Walters, who identified herself in remarks at the June 17 event as principal of Frick International Studies Academy and founding principal of the Barack Obama Academy of International Studies, described the district's Future Ready plan and said the district centers decisions on student outcomes and equity.
"It is what I have been able to do for students," she said, listing high expectations, accountability, opportunity and measurable equity as constant priorities. "We are building systems that are sustainable. We are strengthening academic outcomes. We are modernizing structures and ensuring that every decision centers students unapologetically."
Dr. Walters described a set of concrete sustainability efforts the district has undertaken. She said the district has taken a proactive stance on testing for lead in drinking water and "installed chilled lead filtering drinking fountains, almost 900, and almost 400 filtered bottle filling stations across 70 facilities." She framed those investments as part of a broader push to bring energy conservation into new projects and routine maintenance.
As an example of construction designed with sustainability and student learning in mind, a presenter described the Pioneer Aquatic Pool project'which uses LED lighting and routes some heated pool water back into the building's heating system to reduce energy use. The district also described a partnership with Grow Pittsburgh to install above-ground container gardens at schools so students can learn planting, irrigation and harvest techniques and bring vegetables in at the end of the season.
The event doubled as the district's 10th annual senior signing day, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Promise and held at the University of Pittsburgh. Multiple seniors announced their college plans and fields of study, including students who said they would attend Cornell, Penn State, Allegheny College, the University of Pittsburgh, Yale, Brown, Ithaca, Carlow University and others.
"They're going to be our next doctors, lawyers, educators, transformers, entrepreneurs, artists," Dr. Walters said, urging graduates to "continue to dream boldly" and to take leadership roles in their communities.
The district presented these items during a combined program and agenda review session; the board then moved into the formal agenda review portion of the meeting.
The meeting record shows the district intends to continue the Future Ready plan and sustainability projects as part of its regular capital and operations efforts; no board vote on these specific initiatives was recorded during this session.
