Classes resume 2 weeks after teacher attacked at Pittsburgh high school, safety changes to come

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh union President Nina Esposito-Visgitis said Pittsburgh public school teachers are drowning in too much responsibility.

“They are not lunch people; they are not social workers and parents ... they need to be able to teach,” said Esposito-Visgitis.

Following an attack on a teacher at Oliver Citywide Academy, she’s talking for the first time with Channel 11 News about the need for more support.

“It comes down to staffing. You have to make sure staffing is complete. People need the supports, and a lot of those supports are personal, and paraprofessionals and those (similar jobs) continue to be the biggest issues,” said Esposito-Visgitis.

PPS said it’s adding additional security guards, monitoring enrollment documents and adding two-way radios in the classroom.

Channel 11 reported the student who attacked the teacher at Oliver had an evaluation last year that identified behaviors of concern as “threatening peers and adults, sexually inappropriate behaviors and disrupting the classroom.”

Esposito-Visgitis believes the security changes, including radios, are a good first step.

“You don’t have to dial somebody — it’s instant. Communication has to be there; communication is such a key and you need someone there with you,” said Esposito-Visgitis.

Esposito-Visgitis told Channel 11 while the teachers were happy to be back in person since the attack, their concerns continue to go back to staffing.

She said in a school that deals with children who may have learning disabilities or behavioral issues, like Oliver, you can never have enough help.

“Of course, they are a little nervous. They are happy about many of the plans that have been made. They’ve been working with the district, but there are a lot of procedures that have to be put in place,” said Esposito-Visgitis.

She said she didn’t want to talk about the attack or how that teacher is doing, as to not interfere with the investigation. We are told that the 15-year-old involved will be charged as an adult.

Nurses hike through wilderness at night to provide life saving blood transfusion The hiker fell approximately 45 feet from the top of Hawksbill Mountain in North Carolina. (NCD)

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