Calling all Woodland Hills Residents (Past, Present, and Future) (Pittsburgh: for sale, real estate)

[ElijahAstin]

Good evening, everyone. I am a senior creative writing / political science dual major at the University of Pittsburgh. Before heading to UPenn Law next year, I have to complete a 40-page creative nonfiction manuscript. The Woodland Hills School District has always fascinated me on a case study basis (what many would consider an example of failed bussing/forced integration). In order to make this a good (and fair) piece, I will need to interview people of all ages, races, and colors. I invite past and present Woodland Hills parents, students and teachers/school district personnel to give me their perspective on the district. I would also love to talk to those who graduated from the pre-merger Churchill Area, Edgewood, Swissvale, Turtle Creek, and General Braddock high schools. My aim is to chronicle the recent history of the area, examine the pros and cons of the merger, and, if possible, come up with possible solutions for the future.

Thanks in advance!

[TimGyves]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

Good evening, everyone. I am a senior creative writing / political science dual major at the University of Pittsburgh. Before heading to UPenn Law next year, I have to complete a 40-page creative nonfiction manuscript. The Woodland Hills School District has always fascinated me on a case study basis (what many would consider an example of failed bussing/forced integration). In order to make this a good (and fair) piece, I will need to interview people of all ages, races, and colors. I invite past and present Woodland Hills parents, students and teachers/school district personnel to give me their perspective on the district. I would also love to talk to those who graduated from the pre-merger Churchill Area, Edgewood, Swissvale, Turtle Creek, and General Braddock high schools. My aim is to chronicle the recent history of the area, examine the pros and cons of the merger, and, if possible, come up with possible solutions for the future.

Thanks in advance!

This sounds like a fascinating project, and one that I hope you'll share w/ the forum when you're done - I'm not from the area but know several who have been and would happily help introduce you.

[Copanut]

Email Paul Alexander at The Fan. He was a Churchill grad and always talks about it.

[mhen]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

Good evening, everyone. I am a senior creative writing / political science dual major at the University of Pittsburgh. Before heading to UPenn Law next year, I have to complete a 40-page creative nonfiction manuscript. The Woodland Hills School District has always fascinated me on a case study basis (what many would consider an example of failed bussing/forced integration). In order to make this a good (and fair) piece, I will need to interview people of all ages, races, and colors. I invite past and present Woodland Hills parents, students and teachers/school district personnel to give me their perspective on the district. I would also love to talk to those who graduated from the pre-merger Churchill Area, Edgewood, Swissvale, Turtle Creek, and General Braddock high schools. My aim is to chronicle the recent history of the area, examine the pros and cons of the merger, and, if possible, come up with possible solutions for the future.

Thanks in advance!

Hello friend.

I graduated from Woodland Hills in 2001 and managed to make something out of my life, which might come as a shock to many on this forum!

Let me know what you'd like to know and I can provide some insight.

I will say that Woodland Hills is not nearly as awful as people seem to think it is, or at least it wasn't 10 years ago. I was friends with many people of different races (mainly black and white) and SES levels. I took many AP classes and was in the gifted program. Nothing bad ever happened to me at school. I went to college and graduate school, I have a great career.

The merger was really before my time, so I don't have any perspective on that.

[PeterRabbit]

When the merger was finalized people who had their homes up for sale in Forest Hills, Edgewood, etc., reduced their prices drastically. Those with money fled. I was in real estate at the time and a perk to selling homes in the area was being in the Churchill School System.

[jmantra]

I graduated WH in 2002. Unlike the other poster I came out to be a loser but it's partially my own making, partially the economy.

Your initial post seems vague, PM me and let me know if I can answers some specific questions for you.

[Uptown kid]

I'm not from Woodland Hills but I heard the merge was a horrible idea. I talked to some civil something guy and the biggest problem school he said hands down was WH highschool. According to him Braddock vs. North Braddock, Swissvale vs. Rankn, Rankin vs. Braddock & Swissvale vs. Braddock fights occur in high school very often. He told me that if one big kid pushes someone into the teacher douring a fight that the fallen person gets expelled or suspended. In 2009-2010 there where like 11 blacks expelled or suspended with "pushing" the teacher. Then most of those kids went down, down, down hill and end up in detension centers or juive...
WH has a lot if racial issues with the better nieborghood's parents being racist to the more hood school's kids and vise versa. I also was told that its known thay multable teachers are more discrematory towards the blacks from the hood and the nicer suburbs. I'm telling you this as a second hand story though.

[ElijahAstin]

I've gotten a lot of great responses so far, but in order to flesh this out to 40 good pages, I'll need more.

Any past/present residents of Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, Churchill, East Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Forest Hills, North Braddock, Rankin, Swissvale, Turtle Creek, and Wilkins who are willing to talk about the district are much appreciated.