Billy Hileman
President
William "Billy" Hileman has been a PFT Executive Board member since 2006 and is the Federation President, an AFL-CIO Pennsylvania Vice-President, the AFT Pennsylvania Assistant Legislative Director, and a delegate to the Allegheny County Labor Council.
Hileman began his teaching career in 1986 at Westinghouse High School and transferred to CAPA in 2001. Between the two schools, Hileman taught General Science, Chemistry (mainstream, PSP, and CAS), Biology (mainstream, PSP, and CAS), and Physics (mainstream and PSP). Hileman served as the Science Instructional Teacher Leader (ITL) at both schools. Hileman coordinated student participation in the Intel Science Talent Search, Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science, PPS Science Fair, Charles Drew Science Competition, Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and the Gates Millennium Scholarship Program.
Hileman joined the PFT on his first day of work in 1986, served as an assistant PFT building representative at Westinghouse and a main building rep at CAPA. In 2006, he became a PFT Board member when he was elected by the executive board. He was elected by the membership in 2008 when he ran on the CCEU slate. While still in the classroom, Hileman wrote the contract language for the district’s domestic partner health benefits, was a member of the advisory committee for the Science and Technology Academy, and co-chaired the High School Grassroots Committee. As a PFT Staff Representative, Hileman facilitatee the Early Childhood Grassroots Committee and wrote the language to give early childhood teachers the opportunity to transfer to school age positions.
Hileman is the PFT lead on the Teaching and Learning Environment (TLE) initiative that has resulted in ten consecutive successful implementations of the Working Conditions Survey, inclusion of TLE in school improvement plans, and the creation of the Learning Environment Specialist (LES) career ladder position.
Hileman has been increasingly critical of the District's failure to realistically address the less than adequate teaching and learning conditions in many of our schools. After ten years of teacher evaluation work, grievances, and due process meetings, Hileman continues to be convinced that Pittsburgh Public Schools will not see student achievement gains or reversal in the declining enrollment until it begins to repair the damage that the accountability system has done to the teacher-student relationship.
"Principals need to stop looking for reasons to write memos for teacher files, and talk with educators about the ways they can support relationships in the classroom. Every time a principal admonishes a teacher in front of their students, that principal has undermined learning."
Hileman attended Colfax Elementary School and is a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School. He was a member of International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 95 while working at Mercy Hospital in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Hileman attended Pitt night school during the time he was a union worker in the maintenance department at Mercy Hospital. After receiving an undergraduate degree, Hileman worked in dermatology research in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He holds a B.S. in Microbiology (1983) and an M.Ed. (1986), both granted by the University of Pittsburgh.
The PFT Executive Board elected Hileman as the union President in December 2023.
Hileman began his teaching career in 1986 at Westinghouse High School and transferred to CAPA in 2001. Between the two schools, Hileman taught General Science, Chemistry (mainstream, PSP, and CAS), Biology (mainstream, PSP, and CAS), and Physics (mainstream and PSP). Hileman served as the Science Instructional Teacher Leader (ITL) at both schools. Hileman coordinated student participation in the Intel Science Talent Search, Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science, PPS Science Fair, Charles Drew Science Competition, Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and the Gates Millennium Scholarship Program.
Hileman joined the PFT on his first day of work in 1986, served as an assistant PFT building representative at Westinghouse and a main building rep at CAPA. In 2006, he became a PFT Board member when he was elected by the executive board. He was elected by the membership in 2008 when he ran on the CCEU slate. While still in the classroom, Hileman wrote the contract language for the district’s domestic partner health benefits, was a member of the advisory committee for the Science and Technology Academy, and co-chaired the High School Grassroots Committee. As a PFT Staff Representative, Hileman facilitatee the Early Childhood Grassroots Committee and wrote the language to give early childhood teachers the opportunity to transfer to school age positions.
Hileman is the PFT lead on the Teaching and Learning Environment (TLE) initiative that has resulted in ten consecutive successful implementations of the Working Conditions Survey, inclusion of TLE in school improvement plans, and the creation of the Learning Environment Specialist (LES) career ladder position.
Hileman has been increasingly critical of the District's failure to realistically address the less than adequate teaching and learning conditions in many of our schools. After ten years of teacher evaluation work, grievances, and due process meetings, Hileman continues to be convinced that Pittsburgh Public Schools will not see student achievement gains or reversal in the declining enrollment until it begins to repair the damage that the accountability system has done to the teacher-student relationship.
"Principals need to stop looking for reasons to write memos for teacher files, and talk with educators about the ways they can support relationships in the classroom. Every time a principal admonishes a teacher in front of their students, that principal has undermined learning."
Hileman attended Colfax Elementary School and is a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School. He was a member of International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 95 while working at Mercy Hospital in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Hileman attended Pitt night school during the time he was a union worker in the maintenance department at Mercy Hospital. After receiving an undergraduate degree, Hileman worked in dermatology research in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He holds a B.S. in Microbiology (1983) and an M.Ed. (1986), both granted by the University of Pittsburgh.
The PFT Executive Board elected Hileman as the union President in December 2023.