Wilkinsburg Senior High School

The principal does not support the students on what we like such as pep rallys and school dances. We had one dance the whole school year. Personally I think the teachers are cool with the exception of one.
--Submitted by T, a student

This district has come a far way from when they were first put on the empowerment list. The leadership that resulted from the empowerment plan has helped to revitalize the publics perception of the school district. There are many new innovative things going on in the district and they are slowly starting to switch the perception of the district carries from being 'Wilkinsburg'. The district recently has been able to remove itself from the empowerment list and there are many collaborations with the school district to bring much needed change and support. They recently had great success with a collaboration with the Pittsburgh Symphony which raised $27,000 over two years to reinstitute the elementary instrumental music program.
--Submitted by a teacher

Im sorry I'm hearing all these terrible things about the school. some true but as a former student who began in 99 and graduated in 2002 I've seen major changes. I know former classmates who went on and are very successful and with the former students getting accepted to larger and better colleges its opening doors and there setting examples. Students no longer want to slack like in the past they want to suceed. I know this because I have little cousin who go there and they actualy care about an education. I do agree that parent involvement is an issue but can easily be solved.
--Submitted by ryan thompson, a former student

I think the school is terrible. There is no parental involvement at all. There is no discipline. The school is like a zoo. I grew up in Wilkinsburg when there were mostly Italians living here. Now, it's a disgrace. Just look at the pie chart.
--Submitted by Joe Angelicio, a former student

It had been a lack of parent involvement, it had been a lack of teacher involvement. Pryor to 5-10 years ago gangs ran rampant in Wilkinsburg, the student body made up the gang groups. Most of the parents of those students were on drugs themselves or had lost control of the rearing of their child. Wilkinsburg is now in what I would call Recovery, this borough is no where near what it was 5-10 years ago. Progress has been made, the students who have been or still are victims of their parents problems and neglect need to know that they do not have to settle for what society or their parents faults are. I happen to know there are very intelligent young ladies and gentlemen throughout the Wilkinsburg School District who may need to trust someone else to pull them through...Teachers dont give up on them now...It can still work!
--Submitted by Angela Barry, a parent

It's been my experience that the parents who complain about Wilkinsburg Schools really don't know much about them. There is practically no parent involvement. Administrators have held meetings to inform parents about the things that are happening in the schools and a handful of parents show up. Wilkinsburg may not be the best school in the state but it surely is not the worst. I have children who attend Wilkinsburg schools. They like it and so do I. In many ways, I think they're better off than they would be in some other districts. There are many mandates handed down from the Federal and State levels that school districts must comply with but then there's no money given to accomplish these mandates. I think if parents would spend the same amount of energy to help the district as they do to send their children out of the district, then Wilkinsburg would be a much more successful district.
--Submitted by a parent

This school district is a nightmare, the school itself shouldn't even exist. The low test scores and student achievement isn't all the students fault or lack of parent involvement. You might as well homeschool your child if you live in Wilkinsburg and can't afford to send your child to a private school or find a way to dupe the system like a lot of other families I knew and get your child into a school in another district.