Photo by Alyse Horn
NSLC Education Committee Chair Larry Ehrlich shares valuable options for improving Northside public schools with attendees.

By Alyse Horn

In the pursuit of connecting the Northside community and its public schools, the Northside Leadership Conference Education Committee held an outreach meeting on Wednesday for educators and administrators, among others.

The Andy Warhol Museum, 117 Sandusky St., generously hosted the event where over 40 people attended to discuss how to address long and short term goals of improving the Northside’s public schools and what the community can do to help.

Larry Ehrlich, education committee chair for NSLC, led the event and said he believes the Northside can make a difference in bettering its public schools by making its resources and facilities readily available to children.

Others who spoke during the two hour meeting were John Canning, Kelly Day and Anita Perry. Each expressed their ideas and concerns on what it will take to make Northside public schools run at top efficiency.

Canning explained how the NSLC created the education committee after the organization became concerned with public schools closing on the Northside.

“We are committed to working together to improve schools for youngsters because they are our future,” Canning said.

Day and Perry spoke after Canning, both outlining specific concepts that will build a stronger community and in turn its schools. One of the most common initiatives talked about during the meeting was to improve networking between the schools and community.

After the presentation, attendees split into small groups to brainstorm and set future goals on how to intertwine schools and community resources.

Ehrlich said the meeting was “beyond my expectations.”

“It shows the commitment from Pittsburgh Public Schools and the community for what is possible,” Ehrlich said. “It’s an exciting start.”

Ehrlich said he is aiming to hold another meeting in early September to check up on the progress of the goals addressed during the meeting.