Education category, Page 26
Penn State restructures branch campuses, including New Kensington and Fayette
Penn State University is switching to a regional model of overseeing many of its branch campuses and will bring New Kensington and Fayette under the direction of Chancellor Megan Nagel at the Greater Allegheny campus in McKeesport. It is the latest in a series of moves to confront sharp declines...
Pittsburgh Public Schools name new chief of staff
The Pittsburgh Public Schools board on Tuesday announced that it has a new chief of staff. Superintendent Wayne N. Walters said Lamar D. Blackwell’s appointment became effective on May 23. Minutes from the May meeting indicate he will earn about $14,000 per month. “This appointment marks a significant step towards...
‘It was gaslighting’: Students upset over Pittsburgh Technical College closure
Bryce Bladen of Gettysburg didn’t mince words Tuesday about having moved across state to pursue a degree in graphic design at Pittsburgh Technical College — a degree he suddenly must finish elsewhere. “It was gaslighting,” the 20-year-old said of what turned out to be dubious reassurances. For months, college leaders...
Details of proposed Pa. higher education board tucked into legislation
A new state Board of Higher Education as proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro would consist of 15 voting members, one from each sector of postsecondary education, plus government, business, labor and student representatives. Details are contained in twin pieces of legislation introduced Monday by Sen. Jay Costa Jr. , D-Forest...
Pittsburgh Technical College to close
Pittsburgh Technical College will shut down at the end of the spring quarter, effective August, it announced Monday evening. The move comes days after its accrediting agency said the 80-year-old Oakdale-area college was in danger of imminent closure. In a statement Monday, the college cited declining enrollment, market pressures and...
Cyber charter changes that could save public schools $530M may be in this year’s budget
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s public school districts could save roughly $530 million annually if the legislature makes long-sought changes to how cyber charters are funded. Democratic...
Student teaching stipend aims to fill void for aspiring educators, but some say program needs more support
Almost nothing could deter Brianna Savko from teaching. Generally modest pay, an all-time high annual attrition rate of 7.7% and a statewide shortage of more than 2,000 teachers were not enough to change her mind. “There’s a passion there, and I don’t care what the money is behind it when...
Western Pa. education leaders seek solutions to statewide teacher shortage crisis
Thousands of teaching positions in Pennsylvania were vacant or filled by someone on an emergency certificate in the past year, leaving education across the state in crisis mode, one industry onlooker said. More than 2,000 teaching positions were vacant in Pennsylvania as of October, according to data released by the...
Pa. lawmakers introduce bills to advance Shapiro’s higher education overhaul
Two Democratic lawmakers, one in the House and one in the Senate, are introducing legislation to advance Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposals to reimagine Pennsylvania’s higher education system. The system has long been criticized as underfunded by the state and too expensive for students. The governor on Friday announced the introduction...
Pittsburgh Technical College in ‘imminent danger’ of closing, agency says
The accrediting agency for Pittsburgh Technical College says the 80-year-old school “is in danger of imminent closure” and ordered its leaders to “demonstrate by June 28 why its accreditation should not be withdrawn.” The Middle States Commission on Higher Education on Friday released a summary of board actions taken Thursday...
No tuition increase for CCAC students
Tuition and most fees will not increase for students attending Community College of Allegheny County during the upcoming academic year. The Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a budget of almost $115 million for 2024-25. It keeps tuition for Allegheny County residents at $126 per credit, or $1,890 per full-time...
Point Park University extends offer to students as Philadelphia college closes
The urgent calls and emails to Point Park University started within hours of the abrupt announcement that a venerable arts campus in Philadelphia would close within a week, leaving hundreds of students suddenly without fall college plans. University of the Arts, dating to the 1870s, had become the latest small...
Drums Not Guns helping students to heal through challenging experiences
Students at Westinghouse Academy and other local schools are benefiting from a fairly new initiative that aims to reduce violence through exposure to the arts. Linda “Imani” Barrett, a Hill District native, founded Legacy Arts Project in 2004. One of their programs is an initiative called Drums Not Guns. “The...
Gov. Shapiro, Pitt chancellor give vastly different takes on pro-Palestinian encampment than protest’s leaders
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office late Wednesday called it “unfortunate” that a 30-hour pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Pittsburgh “devolved into documented violence, vandalism, and antisemitic rhetoric.” The statement from Shapiro press secretary Manuel Bonder came hours after Pitt Divest from Apartheid, the group that organized the encampment, offered a...
It’s golden: Fox Chapel senior earns highest honor in Girl Scouts
Eliza Davis got the gold. The soon-to-be Fox Chapel graduate earned the highest honor with the Girl Scouts — the Gold Award. In her project to earn the recognition she focused on harm reduction, a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use....
Proposed scholarships would make going to college cheaper in Pa., but there’s a catch
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers are entering into budget season with the joint goal of making it more affordable to attend college in the commonwealth. As...
Reach Cyber graduates 1st students from its carpentry program
Simeon Chappell spent a lot of time in his childhood being handy around the house. “If my dad was fixing something, I’d try and help, or I’d take measurements for him to cut wood,” said Chappell, 19, of Ligonier Township. As the years progressed, Chappell’s interest in woodwork led him...
Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh schools go remote over heat; bee sting causes crash in Mt. Pleasant Township
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, June 4: Pittsburgh Public Schools go remote for extreme heat The largest school district in the Pittsburgh area is going remote Tuesday because of forecasted extreme heat. Pittsburgh Public Schools is moving 39 of its schools to remote...
Tension increases as protests continue for 2nd day outside Pitt’s Cathedral of LearningVideo
A barricaded, pro- Palestinian encampment continued Monday outside the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning and protesters continued to gather in the area, with more than 300 people on the grounds, some of whom clashed with police. A University of Pittsburgh Police officer briefly aimed what appeared to be a...
Idris Elba helps uncover the WWII soldiers of color who never got their dueVideo
NEW YORK — One of Idris Elba’s grandfathers fought in World War II, but he doesn’t know what he endured. No pictures or stories survive. “That part of my family’s history has been erased somewhat,” says Elba. That helped fuel the actor’s push to narrate and executive produce the four-part...
Law changes give options for schools, but don’t expect 4-day weeks
A change in Pennsylvania’s education laws allows school districts to move away from a requirement that students attend classes for 180 days each school year. But anyone dreaming of four-day school weeks shouldn’t get their hopes up. By changing just one word in the state’s school code late last year,...
Pitt names 1st woman as engineering dean
Michele V. Manuel, a leading materials engineer in Florida, is the University of Pittsburgh’s new dean of engineering, a discipline dominated by males nationally that has sought to identify talented women and minorities. Her appointment as U.S. Steel Dean of the Swanson School of Engineering is effective Sept. 1, officials...
New Hampshire’s limits on teaching on race and gender are unconstitutional, judge says
CONCORD, N.H. — A federal judge has struck down New Hampshire’s nearly 3-year-old law limiting what teachers can say about race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other topics in public schools as unconstitutionally vague. The ruling could revive the topic as an election year campaign issue. Republicans pitched the 2021...
Pitt’s David C. Frederick Honors College expands to Greensburg campus
The University of Pittsburgh’s David C. Frederick Honors College is expanding to include high-achieving students enrolled at its suburban Greensburg campus in Hempfield, officials announced Tuesday. Effective this fall, undergraduates with the necessary academic qualifications can enroll in the newly formed David C. Frederick Honors College at Pitt-Greensburg. Students there,...
Local high school musicals highlighted by Gene Kelly Award nominations
Since 1991, the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater have recognized the hard work and passion of music educators and high school students throughout Allegheny County. This year’s nominees — in a variety of categories — were announced on May 8, and the awards will be...
