Education category, Page 18
Pine-Richland School Board rejects proposal that sought to punish members for not signing document
The Pine-Richland School Board again fell into turmoil as it sought to revise its Board Procedure policy at a meeting Jan. 22. Though most changes met with little to no debate, a brief spat arose when board member Amy Terchick sought to revise a policy that asks members to sign...
Judge sides with Penn State after professor alleges he was not promoted due to discrimination
A federal judge sided with Penn State last week in a lawsuit brought by a tenured associate professor at a commonwealth campus who claimed he was wrongfully denied a promotion, granting the university’s request to rule in its favor as a matter of law. U.S. Circuit Judge D. Michael Fisher’s...
Pine-Richland junior creates petition to oppose school board library policy
A Pine-Richland 11th grader has gathered nearly 1,900 signatures for an online petition against the Pine-Richland School Board’s controversial library policy revisions. Elise Duckworth said she created the change.org petition on Jan. 12 as an outlet for those in opposition to the board’s proposed policy changes and to insist the...
Auberle assisting young people with job placement through YouthBuild program
Auberle in McKeesport will provide youth more opportunities for employment and to build wealth when its YouthBuild program launches in February. The initiative will allow Auberle to serve more than 65 unemployed or underemployed individuals from across Allegheny County from the ages of 16 to 24. Participants will be able...
Westmoreland offers special education certificate program aimed at bolstering teacher workforce
Schools in Westmoreland County are struggling to fill special education teaching positions. They’re not alone. More than 2,000 teaching positions were vacant in Pennsylvania as of October, according to data released by the state. Though schools in and around Philadelphia bear the brunt of the shortages, Westmoreland County needs 30...
‘This is a big deal for Greensburg Salem’: District launches mental health program for its educators
Doug Sweitzer believes he can help transform the personal and professional lives of Greensburg Salem School District staff. A former employee of the Red Lion Area School District in York County, Sweitzer will train about six Greensburg Salem teachers in a mental health program after approval by the school board...
Westmoreland Intermediate Unit to host info session on special education certificate program
The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit will hold an informational session next week on the special education certification process. Slated for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22, the session is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree who is interested in pursuing a special education certificate. The program allows individuals to obtain...
Pine-Richland School Board rejects book during heated meeting
The Pine-Richland School Board voted against incorporating “Angel of Greenwood,” a novel set during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, into its ninth grade curriculum during an often hostile meeting Jan. 13 that stretched nearly to midnight. Board members, administrators and several public attendees traded barbs over the district’s ongoing controversy...
Millions have had student loans canceled under Biden — despite the collapse of his forgiveness plan
WASHINGTON — Despite failing to deliver his promise for broad student loan forgiveness, President Joe Biden has now overseen the cancellation of student loans for more than 5 million Americans — more than any other president in U.S. history. In a last-minute action on Monday, the Education Department canceled loans...
Student information system used by Southwestern Pa. schools grapples with cybersecurity breach
School districts across Southwestern Pennsylvania might be impacted by a cybersecurity breach of global student information system PowerSchool, the company said. PowerSchool is a internet-based platform where educators can store student information, according to its website — including academic performance, class schedule, demographics, behavior and health. Launched in 1997, the...
Regional learning alliance offers school districts opportunities to innovateVideo
California Area School District is 3D printing its way into an elementary orchestra program. The Washington County school district, where a third of residents live below the poverty line, is not able to provide students with costly string instruments, nor are many of its families in a position to rent...
‘Culmination of my life’s work’: Pitt names Jerry Dickinson as new law school dean
When Jerry Dickinson’s mother died in the fall of 2023, he was approached at the service by an older man who introduced himself as George Pettrone, Pitt Law, 1976. “Vice Dean Dickinson, it’s a pleasure to meet you again,” the man said. “I haven’t seen you for 33 years.” Dickinson,...
Greensburg Salem art students display work at Seton Hill gallery, gain ‘authentic’ experience
After four months of brainstorming, sketching and developing a portfolio of artwork, nine Greensburg Salem High School students’ art is on display at the Seton Hill Art Center. The art show, displayed in Seton Hill’s Jodee Harris Gallery, is considered the final exam for Greensburg Salem’s AP Art and Portfolio...
Kansas City Chiefs president among those to be honored at North Allegheny Foundation Alumni Gala
Tickets are now on sale for the 2025 NA Distinguished Alumni Gala to be held Jan. 23 at the Holy Trinity Center, 985 Providence Blvd., in McCandless. “As usual, there is an amazing group of honorees, including the Soergel family, who is receiving the Spirit of NA award for their...
Greensburg Salem considers accepting grant to train teachers in mental health program
Greensburg Salem teacher Taylor Guido has seen firsthand how taking care of her mental health benefits her students. But it wasn’t until she attended a mental health-focused camp in Somerset County that she learned this valuable lesson. That’s why the district has proposed a program to train its teachers in...
Snow doesn’t mean postponements for W.Pa. school districts, although some still opt to cancel
Before snow started to fall Sunday night, many Western Pennsylvania school districts made the decision to cancel Monday’s classes or shift to remote instruction. Districts opting to use a flexible instruction day asked students to use computers to complete schoolwork from home. Students in districts that canceled classes enjoyed what...
New year, new focus on performing arts at Point Park, president says
Point Park University is revamping its performing arts department, it announced Monday. The School of Dance and the School of Theatre, Film and Animation will be the two parts of Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. “With having these two new focused schools, we’re really positioning Point Park and Downtown...
Elon Musk’s preschool is next step in his anti-woke education dreams
Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact. But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture,...
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe aims to fly closer to the sun like never before
NEW YORK — A NASA spacecraft aims to fly closer to the sun than any object sent before. The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. Since then, it has flown straight through the sun’s corona: the outer atmosphere visible during a...
White House starts scrapping pending regulations on transgender athletes and student debt
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is abandoning his efforts to provide some protections for transgender student athletes and cancel student loans for more than 38 million Americans, the first steps in an administration-wide plan to jettison pending regulations to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from retooling them to achieve his own...
International students urged to return to U.S. campuses before Trump inauguration
CONCORD, N.H. — A growing number of U.S. colleges and universities are advising international students to return to campus before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, over concerns that he might impose travel bans like he did during his first administration. More than a dozen schools have issued advisories, even though...
Sarah Heinz House event empowers young girls to break barriers in STEM
Women make up 35 percent of STEM positions across the world, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering. During the Reimagining Opportunities to Achieve and Rise (ROAR) event at the Sarah Heinz House on the North Side on Wednesday, young girls were given the chance to see firsthand...
Plum High School students attend Junior Achievement of Western Pa. Stock Market Challenge
Plum High School student Eli Pollak has a financial strategy. “The earlier you start, like at our age, investing, the more money you will make,” said Pollak, who attended the Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania Stock Market Challenge presented by Citizens on Thursday, Dec. 12 at Stage AE on Pittsburgh’s...
Junior Achievement of Western Pa. hosts high school students for stock market competition
In the volatile world of the stock market, the difference between finishing on top and, say, 98th place is about three minutes. At least that’s one of the lessons learned by budding Deer Lakes School District investors. “The stock market is unpredictable,” said Sam Guthrie, a Deer Lakes senior and...
Hempfield Area police chief set to retire, former Jeannette police chief to take his place
After a decade serving as police chief for Hempfield Area School District, Len Lander will retire from his post. Former Jeannette police Chief Shannon Binda will take the reins in the new year, following a vote by the school board Monday. Lander was a state police trooper from 1991 to...
