Rising up: Where to find resources to support your child

2022 | Written by Faith Schantz, Report Editor

Following are district and community resources to help parents and guardians support their children’s education. We have many more! If you don’t see what you need here, email info@aplusschools.org or call the Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative (PLC) Family Hotline at 412-256-8536. Please note: district resources apply to PPS families only, except early intervention services. Community resources apply to PPS families and other families.

How’s my child doing?

• PPS parents have the right to view all information the district has about their children’s progress, including grades, grade point average (GPA), test scores, and transcripts. To find out how your child is doing academically, you can ask to speak to a teacher at any time during the school year, and/or log into the Home Access Center (also linked to your school’s home page) to view your child’s schedule, grades, absences, and more.

How do I request additional support?

• You have the right to request that your child be screened for academic support, behavior support, or gifted education. Contact your child’s teacher to make the request (a gifted education screening should be sent in writing). Click here to read more about the Gifted Program at Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Who should I talk to about an issue?

• Your first point of contact is your child’s teacher. You can also talk to your school’s social worker or counselor (type in “social worker” or “counselor” in the search area of the staff directory on your school’s home page for names and contact information, call the school’s main office, or find them here), or the principal.

• If you’re not satisfied with the response to an issue or concern, you can call the PPS parent hotline at 412-529-4357, email parenthotline@pghschools.org, or complete a “Let’s Talk” ticket (“Let’s Talk” requires you to download an app for a mobile device). Be sure to note your ticket number!

• You can also contact a district-level staff member (find the appropriate department here). If you’re still not satisfied or you haven’t heard back within a reasonable time, you can contact the superintendent or your school board member.

How do I get help if my child is having trouble attending school regularly?

• If you’re having trouble getting your child to school for any reason, contact us or talk to your school’s social worker or counselor to get connected to resources. This school year, you should receive a letter and/or text messages with offers of help from Everyday Labs if your child is at risk of becoming chronically absent from school. (Everyday Labs was made available to the district by A+ Schools with a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.) Chronic absence means missing 10% or more of school days—just two days a month—for any reason. Chronically absent students are more likely to read below grade level and eventually drop out of high school.

How do I get my child mental or emotional support?

• Seek help right away if you think your child needs mental or emotional support. Talk to your child’s teacher and/or the school counselor or social worker. District staff members want to hear from parents if a child is experiencing stress for any reason. You or your child can also request help through the Student Assistance Program.

• Resources to address bullying can be found here.

• Call or text 988 to reach a free, 24-hour suicide prevention and crisis support hotline. UpStreet Pittsburgh (412-586-3732) offers free therapy services for 12-22 year olds, as well as suicide prevention resources, including for LGBTQI+ youth. Find more resources here.

How do I get my child a tutor?

• Pittsburgh has many options for students to participate in tutoring, mentoring, and after-school programs that meet their interests. To request information about tutoring opportunities, complete this form or call the PLC Family Hotline at 412-256-8536. You can view a list of partnering organizations here.

• Other options include Pittsburgh Reads for reading supports for younger students, the Khan Academy, which provides free online lessons and personalized learning activities, and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. With a library card, students can sign up for free tutoring from Tutor.com, or choose tutoring offered by the library. If your child needs accommodations to participate in a program, plan to have a preliminary conversation with the provider. Click here to read more about tutoring opportunities in Pittsburgh.

Where can I get help if my child has a disability?

• If your child receives special education services, you can find resources at the PEAL Center, including help for families new to special education.

• The Pittsburgh Local Task Force on the Right to Education is a family support and advocacy group. Each district school is assigned a program officer for special education and parents may contact them.

• The district provides early intervention evaluation and services (412-529-4000) for children under 5.

• Another local early intervention resource is the Alliance for Infants and Toddlers (412-885-6000).

Where can a family find help if they speak a language other than English?

• PPS families with English Language Learners have the right to have school information translated into their home language and/or have an interpreter who speaks that language at meetings. Call PPS at 412-529-NINE (6463) to request translation/interpretation services or to speak to someone about a school issue in your home language.

• Local organizations that offer tutoring, mentoring, and support for immigrant and refugee students and families include ARYSE, Casa San José, Hello Neighbor and the Latino Community Center. For more support in Spanish, call the PLC Family Hotline at 412-335-7446.

How can I choose a school for my child?

• Check out our School Choice and Enrollment Guide.

• Magnet school and program applications for the 2024-25 school year are due by December 8, 2023. Contact the Magnet Office at magnetoffice@pghschools.org or 412-529-3991.

A+ Schools staff can coach parents/guardians through conversations with school staff about a child’s academic progress, a disciplinary action, a Student Assistance Program referral, a special education referral, and other issues. Contact us by emailing info@aplusschools.org or calling the PLC Family Hotline at 412-256-8536 if you need help supporting your child.