Pittsburgh will still have public schools in the fall, they just won't be called "public" — at least not officially — anymore.
Pittsburgh Public Schools is dropping the word "public" from its name in hopes of avoiding the negative attitudes and perceptions that some people have about public schools. Superintendent Mark Roosevelt unveiled the policy at a school board meeting Thursday.
The district will refer to itself as "Pittsburgh Schools" and begin using its slogan, "Excellence for All" on its stationery and printed materials.
The district will also standardize the names of its schools by using the word "Pittsburgh" in each school name. Schenley High School, for example, will now be referred to as Pittsburgh Schenley.
A marketing consultant who helped develop the policy said the district is more interested in promoting the "Excellence for All" slogan and Roosevelt's efforts to improve academic performance than it is in shedding the "public" tag.
