Devon Taliaferro, a first-term Pittsburgh Public Schools board member from the North Side, has announced her intention to run for reelection in 2023.
Taliaferro, who was recently named the board’s first vice president, has served as the District 2 director since 2019.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve the children of the city of Pittsburgh in this capacity over the last four years, but there is still so much more work to do,” Taliaferro said. “We are at a critical time in public education where the fight for our children requires real champions. I look forward to being your champion again.”
Taliaferro has held numerous leadership roles on the board, including as chair of the safety and operations and government relations committees and co-chair of the education committee. She also serves as the board liaison for the district’s Career and Technical Education program.
Taliaferro’s first term coincided with a challenging period for Pittsburgh Public Schools.
The COVID-19 pandemic began just months after she joined the board. This led to the shutdown of most in-person schooling in the city for more than a year — a decision supported by most board members, including Taliaferro.
She was also part of the board majority that approved a new contract for Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, only to see him resign less than a year later over fallout from ethical violations.
Taliaferro convened stakeholders for the Reimagine School Safety task force and has been a staunch supporter of student voice in the district. She has also worked with municipal leaders to create partnerships between the city and the district.
School board seats are nonpaid volunteer positions. Taliaferro is a talent acquisition coordinator for the city’s Human Resources and Civil Services Department.
Taliaferro said she hopes to continue to use her professional experience to provide myriad career opportunities to the children of Pittsburgh, and wants to ensure that the district offers quality, equitable education and a loving, healthy learning environment for students.
“We must never lose hope that we can build a public school system in the city of Pittsburgh rooted in justice, equity and rigor, but only together can we make that happen,” Taliaferro said.
The spring 2023 primary election will likely decide the race because Taliaferro’s district skews heavily toward Democrats. It is unclear if Taliaferro will have any competition in the race.
District 2 is made up of all or part of the neighborhoods of East Allegheny, Spring Hill, Spring Garden, East Liberty, Polish Hill, Lawrenceville, Highland Park, Morningside, Troy Hill, Stanton Heights, Bloomfield and the Strip District.
The news of Taliaferro’s intention to run for a second term comes the same week as board member Pam Harbin, of Squirrel Hill, announced that she will not seek reelection.
Harbin — who was first elected to the board in 2019, the same year as Taliaferro — said she decided against running again due to health concerns.
Andrew writes about education and more for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at agoldstein@unionprogress.com.