Education category, Page 31
Penn State New Kensington rallies against proposed cuts to branch campuses
Anthony Palyszeski can speak firsthand about the impact his time as a student at Penn State New Kensington has had on his life. “My years at Penn State New Kensington turned me into a professional, to enter the workforce with pride,” said Palyszeski, 27, of Harrison, a network coordinator at...
Washington & Jefferson names new president
Washington & Jefferson College has named as its 14th president Elizabeth MacLeod Walls, now serving as president of William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. She will succeed John Knapp, who earlier disclosed plans to retire on June 30, officials said Tuesday. MacLeod Walls has led William Jewell College since 2016....
Gov. Shapiro releases specifics of higher education restructuring plan in Pittsburgh visit
A combined system of 15 community colleges and 10 state universities would treat both tiers as equals, and they would equitably split a 15% funding increase in his proposed state budget, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday. In an appearance at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, the governor...
100 Black Men of Western PA, Pittsburgh Public Schools host African American History Challenge
A question about Pittsburgh’s first Black college stumped participants in the 30th African American History Challenge Bowl: A Legacy of Academic Excellence. The longtime collaboration between Pittsburgh Public Schools and 100 Black Men of Western PA, Inc., took place on Friday at Pittsburgh Greenway. Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Wayne N....
Kids are using phones in class, even when it’s against the rules. Should schools ban them all day?
SAN FRANCISCO — In California, a high school teacher complains that students watch Netflix on their phones during class. In Maryland, a chemistry teacher says students use gambling apps to place bets during the school day. Around the country, educators say students routinely send Snapchat messages in class, listen to...
BridgeUP program gives districts a chance to ‘grow your own’ teacher
LeAnn Dupree “always wanted to be a teacher,” but paying for a four-year college degree wasn’t in the cards for her. So she settled for an associate degree and entered the workforce, working three jobs including as a paraprofessional educator to make ends meet. She switched from special to early...
Former Franklin Regional superintendent tapped as consultant to find new leader at Hempfield Area
Hempfield Area School District’s superintendent search is officially on. The district board tapped education consultant Peter Emery D’Arcangelo to begin its search for a new district leader to replace Tammy Wolicki. Wolicki announced her retirement Jan. 22, following an extended leave of absence. Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Kimberlie Rieffannacht...
Robert Morris seeks to build $28M hockey arena
Robert Morris University wants to build a $28 million arena on campus for its Division I men’s and women’s hockey programs and is seeking $10 million from the state for the project. If it comes to fruition, the state-of- the-art venue would hold 2,500 people through general spectator seats “with...
Tired of diesel fumes, these moms are pushing for electric school buses
Areli Sanchez’s daughter, Aida, used to be one of 20 million American kids who ride a diesel bus to school each day. Aida has asthma. When she was little, she complained about the smell and cloud of fumes on her twice-daily trip. “When she would come home from school or...
Saint Vincent students give younger counterparts a boost at Greensburg Salem
Saint Vincent College junior Gabriel Graham knows what it’s like to struggle in school. “I definitely didn’t have a normal upbringing,” Graham said. “Because of that, my education definitely was impacted in a negative way. Pretty much all through high school and all of my schooling, I was very much...
West Virginia University police investigate campus burglaries and arsons
West Virginia University police are investigating multiple burglaries and arsons reported this week inside the school’s Life Sciences Building, including one faculty office targeted twice in two days. The university issued an alert Friday following the incidents on its Downtown campus. In the first burglary, reported Wednesday morning, testing material...
Student loan forgiveness plan in Pennsylvania wipes out $45.1M in debt for 5,600 borrowers
The Biden administration this week canceled $1.2 billion in student debt nationwide. In Pennsylvania, that means 5,600 borrowers with a total of $45.1 million in debt have had their loans wiped clean, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The agency on Friday released a state-by-state breakdown of where the...
Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center sets open house for prospective students
Students at Derry Area, Greater Latrobe and Ligonier Valley school districts who are considering enrolling in career-oriented programs will have the chance to check out local offerings Monday at Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center. Students currently in grades 8-11 at any of the three member districts are invited to...
Pitt becomes latest to extend student decision deadline amid FAFSA worries
The University of Pittsburgh Friday became the latest institution to extend the deadline for first-year admitted students to decide whether to enroll. The May 1 deadline will be extended to May 15, officials said Friday. The move impacts thousands of applicants to Western Pennsylvania’s largest university and is the result...
La Roche University names new president
La Roche University has named as its eighth president Christina Clark, former provost at Marywood University in Scranton, who has spent two decades as an academic at comprehensive Catholic universities. Officials announced the hiring Thursday. She takes office in July as the school’s second lay president in its 61-year history....
State System of Higher Education chancellor faces tough questioning over more than next school year’s budget
Were this any other year, the leader of Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities simply might have needed to defend next year’s appropriation request and explain how it would enable a sixth consecutive tuition freeze. Instead, State System of Higher Education Chancellor Daniel Greenstein faced sharp questioning from state senators Wednesday about...
University of Pittsburgh students create KDKA Radio show
Four Pitt students are taking what they’ve been learning in the classroom and broadcasting it. KDKA Radio and the university are collaborating on the “KDKA Next Take” news show. The slot runs from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., Monday through Friday. Senior Jaime Ely, junior Margaux Rentzel and freshman Ryan...
Student debt wiped clean for 153K borrowers
About 153,000 student borrowers nationwide learned by email this week that their college debt has been wiped clean by the federal government. The U.S. Department of Education says it has discharged or eliminated $1.2 billion in student loans under the Biden administration’s new income-driven student loan repayment plan called Saving...
Student pushes for ‘seat at the table’ with Pittsburgh Public Schools board
Allderdice High School senior Pavel Marin hopes part of his legacy gives students a voice with the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Directors. A resolution to establish the role of student board representative was put on hold during January’s board meeting. Marin is frustrated by the delay. He’s been pushing...
Carnegie Mellon students sickened from on-campus eatery, officials say
Food safety inspectors from Allegheny County report finding violations in a campus eatery at Carnegie Mellon University after the school said numerous students reported symptoms consistent with a foodborne illness. The Allegheny County Health Department inspected Stack’d Underground in the basement of the Morewood Gardens residence hall on Thursday. Their...
Jeannette school board approves relaxed dress code
A relaxed student dress code policy at Jeannette City School District is official as school board members unanimously approved it Monday. School directors in December suspended the district’s dress and grooming policy, which allowed students to wear clothing they already had in their wardrobe instead of more structured and specific...
Pitt to launch doctor of chiropractic program
Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and evidence indicates chiropractic care effectively treats pain with less reliance on opioids, some experts say. Those are among the reasons cited by the University of Pittsburgh for establishing a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) program, the first at a research-intensive...
Supreme Court leaves in place the admissions plan at an elite Virginia public high school
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday left in place the admissions policy at an elite public high school in Virginia, despite claims that it discriminates against highly qualified Asian Americans. A panel of the federal appeals court in Richmond upheld the constitutionality of a revamped admissions policy at the...
FAFSA delays prompt Pa. state-owned universities to extend enrollment deadlines
Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities are extending the deadline for thousands of prospective new students to review financial aid offers and decide whether to enroll for fall. The move is intended to mitigate delays being experienced nationwide with the U.S. Department of Education’s revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known...
Students and parents are frustrated by delays in hearing about federal financial aid for college
NEW YORK — For many students, the excitement of being accepted into their first-choice college is being tempered this year by a troublesome uncertainty over whether they’ll get the financial aid they need to attend. The financial aid decisions that usually go out with acceptance letters are being delayed because...
