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Pittsburgh Public Schools is shutting down for the NFL Draft. Students won’t be heading to class April 22-24. Instead, they’re staying home while the city hosts what’s expected to be a massive event – one that could bring up to 700,000 visitors to the region.
The district told families and staff that it’s switching to remote learning for those three days. But it’s not the kind of remote setup schools used during the pandemic; this is what they’re calling “asynchronous teaching and learning.”
What that means is teachers will assign work through online platforms, but students won’t be logging into live classes or Zoom sessions.
Superintendent Dr. Wayne N. Walters said the district’s trying to balance keeping kids on track academically while also acknowledging the reality of what’s about to hit Pittsburgh. Travel around the city is going to be a mess – anyone who’s been to a major NFL event knows how these things work.
“Our priority is maintaining continuity of learning while recognizing the extraordinary circumstances the city will experience during the NFL Draft. Transitioning to asynchronous learning allows us to support students academically while helping families navigate the logistical challenges expected across the region.”
The decision came after city officials started looking at the numbers and realized the draft’s going to create serious disruptions across Pittsburgh. Roads will be closed, traffic will be backed up, and getting around the city won’t be easy for anyone – let alone school buses trying to run their normal routes.
It’s not just about transportation either. With that many people flooding into the area, the district clearly decided it made more sense to avoid the chaos altogether rather than trying to work around it.
The NFL itself isn’t taking credit (or blame) for the school closures. League spokesman Brian McCarthy pointed back to the district’s announcement when asked about it and made it clear the league didn’t push for this.
So Pittsburgh kids are getting three days off from regular school – though they’ll still have work to do. Whether they see it as a snow day or not probably depends on how much homework their teachers assign.
