Esther L. Bush

Esther L. Bush is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh. She began her career as a high school teacher and has served in many facets in the Urban League movement. Esther has been involved with A+ Schools since it's inception and believes strongly in A+ Schools' mission: to be a community force advancing the highest educational achievement and character development for every public school.

Frederick Thieman

Fredrick Thieman, president of the Buhl Foundation and former partner at Thieman & Ward, has been involved with A+ Schools since it’s inception in 2002. He has served as both an officer and a member of the Executive Committee. Fredrick believes that public education is the cornerstone of the American way of life and a key to our success as a region. He says, “To thrive, the region needs a healthy core and the core cannot be healthy without a strong public school system.”

Amanda Godley

Amanda Godley is an associate professor of English Education at the University of Pittsburgh, a former middle and high school teacher, and the parent of two children in Pittsburgh public schools. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with teachers in urban school districts across the country to improve literacy instruction in middle and high schools. She believes that high-quality public education is the key to building strong communities and to increasing equity in our society.

Judy Johnston

Judy Johnston is an educator with experience as a teacher, chairperson, and as a principal. Most recently her focus has been coaching and supporting emerging principals as well as working with principals who are more experienced. She supports A+ Schools because of their focus on educating community members and showing them how they can impact students’ lives. Judy believes that “a strong community goes hand in hand with a strong school.”

Jim Turner

Jim Turner works for OnHand Schools, Inc., an organization that provides technology leadership, advocacy, and support for schools. Prior to working for OnHand Schools, Jim worked for an initiative to improve student achievement at the University of Pittsburgh. Jim has a board member of A+ Schools since 2006.  He believes that a quality center city school district is essential to the overall quality of life in the Pittsburgh region.

Sala Udin

Sala Udin is the President and CEO of the Coro Center for Civic Leadership in Pittsburgh and served on Pittsburgh City Council for eleven years. In his early days of community organizing, Sala was involved in establishing several community development projects.

Richard King

Richard King has been a District Judge in Pittsburgh for the past 17 years and is married with three children. Richard has been with A+ Schools since its inception and was a member of the Mayor’s Commission on Public Education, which called for the creation of an organization that would provide the leadership to recommit the community to high expectations for our public school system.

Alan Lesgold

Alan Lesgold is a professor and dean of the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. Alan believes that our nation may be in danger of losing public education as a result of the flight to private, charter, and home schools. He is committed to trying to keep this from happening and to upholding the public school system in Pittsburgh.