Pittsburgh Fulton PTA & PSCC

Happy Summer, Fulton Families! ☀️

We have a few important announcements from the district and Ms. Beakley.

Free Summer Meals:
Free breakfast and lunch are available for children and teens up to age 18 this summer.

Locations include:

* Carnegie Library branches offer snacks, and some locations (including Homewood) serve lunch from 12:00–1:00 p.m.
* Fulton Elementary is a Community Food Bank meal site offering breakfast and lunch. You can also search by ZIP code to find a location near you @ pittsburghfoodbank.org/
* Pittsburgh CitiParks also published a list of parks and recreation centers offering free summer meals.

Please see the attached flyers for locations, schedules, and additional details.

The 2025–26 PPS Parent Survey is now open.

PPS says your feedback will help improve schools, strengthen programs, and guide implementation of the Future Ready Plan. This year’s survey also includes questions about the transition plan.

If you’ve been frustrated by the lack of information surrounding the closures and transition process, they claim this is one of the few official opportunities to make your concerns part of the record.

We have been asking for town halls at the closing schools for years, and encourage you to do so as well.

Families still have many unanswered questions. Here’s just one example, what will happen to the elementary magnet program? Will Fulton students have access to the same programming currently offered at Dilworth? Do our kids need to play an instrument? Will they have french? These are basic questions that deserve clear answers before families are expected to navigate such significant changes.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Whether your experience has been positive, negative, or somewhere in between, let PPS hear from you. The more Fulton families who participate, the stronger our collective voice will be.

We made it, Fulton. ❤️🐾

Tomorrow is the last day of school and somehow… here we are. Another year of learning, growing, celebrating, showing up for one another, and making memories together is coming to a close.

Today we want to give a huge congratulations to our 5th graders as they head off to middle school! We know exciting things are ahead for each of you. Fulton has helped prepare you not just academically, but as kind, curious, resilient kids who know the value of community. And we know you’re ready because Fulton teachers are incredible. Thank you to every teacher and staff member who helped shape this class.

To our students, teachers, staff, and families: thank you for making Fulton what it is. This year reminded us that the heart of a school isn’t a building...it’s the people inside it.

As we look ahead to next year, our goal is simple: make it the best year possible for our kids and our teachers. We want to celebrate our community, create joyful experiences, support classrooms, strengthen connections, and be there for one another as we navigate the uncertainty created by forces outside our control. We will not let anything stop us from celebrating the things that make Fulton special.

That work starts now and we’d love your help.

❤️ Join the Fulton Community & Alumni Directory
Stay connected for updates, events, celebrations, fundraising efforts, and future opportunities to support Fulton.
📱 Scan the QR code in the attached flyer or complete the survey here: https://forms.gle/zXqgQWURnPMPKe5v6

Interested in helping the PTA, soon to be PTO, next year?
Whether you have one hour, one event, a special skill, or want to get more involved, we would love to have you.
📱 Scan the QR code or complete the volunteer interest survey:
https://forms.gle/bc8xXMjQ6ZnZibit8

Let’s finish strong tomorrow and get ready to make next year one to remember.

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. 🐾❤️

Join 412 Justice tomorrow night to learn how to ensure our voices are reflected in the transition plan.

It’s not over, your voice still matters. Join us tomorrow Tues. June 9th at 6pm for online meeting. Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/198K4QZf2Z/

ps. WE don’t use AI to make fliers😘

Do you think PPS made a complete and well thought out plan that incorporates community input?

Last night hurts. There is no way around that.

Many of us spent the last two years fighting for Fulton because we know exactly what this school means to our children, our families, and this community. Fulton is a place where every child feels seen and that magic doesn’t stop because of this vote. Our resilience is part of the fabric of this school. The reason so many of us fought, testified, organized, emailed, protested, and showed up over and over again is because we believed our kids deserved better than a process that often felt rushed, predetermined, and performative.

We know it is hard to find hope right now but our voices still matter and can still make a difference in how this transition plan is carried out. Many of us continue to believe this plan is unrealistic and leaves serious unanswered questions for students, families, and staff. Since the board voted to move forward with this decision, it is now our responsibility to hold both the board and the district accountable for every commitment they made (or didn’t think through) during this process.

Fulton has long been more than just a school building. For generations, it has been part of the fabric of this neighborhood and a place deeply connected to community. That legacy matters. The relationships built here, the pride carried through these halls, and the sense of belonging so many families found at Fulton cannot simply be measured in reports or enrollment numbers.

We all know the vote did not go the way we hoped, and the Fulton PTA wants to take a moment to thank the incredible people who stood beside this community throughout this fight. Thank you to our fierce Fulton advocate and Board Director Devon Taliaferro, 412 Justice & Education Rights Network - for giving us a place we felt acknowledged and seen when the district did not provide that space, the Highland Park Community Council - for cheering us on and sharing information, and to our former PTA President Rebecca who never gave up on us, also our parent and student advocates, community organizers, neighbors, and every single person who used their voice to fight for our students and public education. Your time, energy, compassion, and persistence mattered deeply.

We also want to thank Fulton's teachers and staff for being a steady source of care, stability, and support for our children through an incredibly difficult and uncertain time.

We won’t sugarcoat it. This vote sucks
but we want to remind Fulton families of something important…

Fulton is still Fulton.

The teachers who love our kids are still here.
The friendships our children built are still here.
The community that doesn’t stop showing up is still here.

For families feeling scared right now, we understand. But we cannot let fear drive an exodus from a school that continues to do incredible things for students every single day. Our children deserve stability, joy, friendship, and consistency next year. They deserve classrooms full of familiar faces and adults who know them well.

One of the bright spots of this painful process was watching our community rise up together.

Tonight’s Spring Carnival gives us an opportunity to be together, to laugh, and to remember why we fought so hard. DJ Dolla Bill can cheer anyone up. Just ask your kids! Dance party starts at 5 pm.

And next, we hold this district accountable for every promise they made about transparency, support, transition planning, and protecting students. We will not allow them to overlook us.

Thank you for being a part of the magic that is Fulton.

The NAACP Pittsburgh Branch released a powerful statement about the School Closure and Reconfiguration plan. Thank you for standing with us and asking for more from the district before rushing through a plan that is not complete. You can read the statement below.

pittsburgh-naacp.org

Reminders for the week Fulton Families,
The Scholastic Book Fair starts today through May 29th.

The easiest way to let your child shop the Fair independently is by creating an eWallet. It's easy to set up and easy for others to add funds.

Create an eWallet, and you'll also have the opportunity to contribute to Share the Fair - the giving program that supports students at our school who need help buying books. Please consider participating so that no child leaves the fair empty handed.

Here’s the link with more details:

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/pittsburghfultonelemschool

Also, tonight is the rally and public hearing before the board votes on the school closure plan. You may testify over zoom but you have to register before noon today.

https://pghboe.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3t2rKx6cJ1tqT1Y

And finally Spring Fling/Carnival is this Thursday. The Fulton teachers and staff have outdone themselves this year. We hope to see you there.

PPS Public Hearing Request PPS Public Hearing Request

Fulton Families, Tonight the Board sits down to discuss the Agenda for school closures. Here is the link to watch it live at 6:30 pm this evening. If you still have questions, let them know. Emails below.

Superintendent
Dr. Wayne Walters
[email protected]

Board Directors
Gene Walker
[email protected]
Dr. Tracey Reed
[email protected]
Erikka Grayson
[email protected]
Tawana Cook Purnell
[email protected]
Dwayne Barker
[email protected]
Devon Taliaferro
[email protected]
Eva Diodatie
[email protected]
Emma Yourd
[email protected]
Yael Silk
[email protected]

https://www.youtube.com/live/C-DirTrSrTo

The district has finally released ESY sites and information. See below. If you have questions, reach out to Ms. McIntyre or your IEP team.

🌞📚 Pittsburgh Public Schools Extended School Year (ESY) 2026 is almost here!

From July 6–24, students across PPS will engage in enriching academic, therapeutic, vocational, and community-based learning experiences designed to support their individualized goals and continued growth.

This summer’s programming will include:
✅ Reading, math, communication & socialization support
✅ Community-based instruction & vocational education
✅ Daily living and independence skills
✅ Exciting partnerships with organizations like the Pittsburgh Zoo, Playnotes, Attack Theatre, OpenUp Yoga, Pittsburgh Fire Department, and more!

We’re proud to provide engaging, student-centered opportunities that help our learners build confidence, independence, and real-world skills all summer long. 💙🖤

FULTON COMMUNITY UPDATE

First, we want to thank 412 Justice for the enormous amount of time, organizing, education, and community engagement they have invested into this process over the last two years. Their newly released community report reflects what many Fulton families have been saying for a long time: communities deserve to be heard BEFORE decisions this large are finalized.

We also want to acknowledge and thank Devon Taliaferro for consistently showing up for the Fulton community throughout this process. Director Taliaferro hosted a Fulton listening session last fall, regularly attends Fulton events, engages directly with families, and has continued to maintain an open door to constituents even during difficult conversations. Whether people agree or disagree on every aspect of this plan, families deserve accessible leadership and genuine community engagement. We sincerely wish more members of the board and the district administration had invested in this level of visibility, communication, and relationship-building with impacted school communities.

What stood out most to us in the report was how specifically it captured what makes Fulton special.

The Fulton section highlights:
• our culture of inclusion and acceptance
• small class sizes and personalized supports
• strong support for students with disabilities
• low staff turnover
• strong academic outcomes
• positive student behavior supports
• the sense of safety, warmth, and belonging families feel here
• the value of Fulton’s French magnet program

One parent described Fulton as:
“a warm and safe place” where “the principal knows every single kid in the building.”

Another parent shared:
“I know I keep saying community, but there's so many facets to the community. It's not just the teachers, it's not just the students, it's the neighborhood, the teachers, the students, all of it together.”

The report also raised major concerns that many Fulton families continue to have about:
• overcrowding and larger class sizes
• transportation and student safety
• transition planning
• impacts on students with IEPs and vulnerable learners
• preserving successful school cultures and programs
• lack of clarity about staffing and supports

One of the clearest takeaways from the report is this:
Families are not saying they oppose all change. They are asking for a process that is transparent, collaborative, thoughtful, and centered on students and neighborhoods.

WAYS TO TAKE ACTION:
• Attend the 412 Justice Community Rally on Tuesday 5/26 at 5 PM
• Testify at the Final Public Hearing on Tuesday 5/26 at 6 PM
• Submit written testimony to the Board
• Email PPS Board members directly
• Share your family’s story publicly
• Sign and share the petition at 412justice.org
• Encourage friends, neighbors, alumni, and community members to stay engaged

Families may testify in person, via Zoom, or submit written testimony.

Read the full report here:
412 Justice Community Report and sign the petition. Links in comments.