Education category, Page 31
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...
Forbes Road students take cybersecurity presentation to national business competition
This time last year, Forbes Road Career & Technology Center teacher George Karnbauer was keeping an eye on three of his students as they gave a cybersecurity presentation, making sure to jump in if he felt like something needed clarified or explained. Last month, Karnbauer sat in the audience as...
New PennWest University president called right pick at a pivotal time
Jon Anderson, provost and vice president for academic affairs and a professor at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, is Pennsylvania Western University’s new president. The State System of Higher Education board of governors chose Anderson Wednesday during a special meeting held by Zoom to find a permanent leader for...
New Hempfield Area architect approaching high school project from the ground up
Hempfield Area School District’s new architect is beginning at square one as it takes over the district’s proposed multimillion-dollar high school renovation project. “While … being respectful of all the work that’s been done, we are still asking all the questions as if we’re starting from scratch, to make sure...
Penn State trustees approve $700M renovation of Beaver Stadium
Penn State University trustees approved a $700 million renovation to Beaver Stadium on Tuesday after a sometimes heated debate about the athletic and economic benefits versus financial risks. The 26-2 vote during a special meeting followed a 90-minute presentation and discussion. There were three abstentions. Earlier Tuesday, the project passed...
PennWest students on whirlwind storm-chasing trip
PennWest California student Jared Riley says he’s an adrenaline junkie who keeps a close eye on the weather. When he clambered out of the van he was sharing with classmates last week and saw a supercell thunderstorm up close, his excitement was palpable. Once he and his group drove close...
Heat forces 39 Pittsburgh public schools to move to remote learning
Pittsburgh Public Schools announced it will transition students and staff to remote learning Tuesday and Wednesday at more than half its schools because of hot weather. Thirty-nine facilities that lack air conditioning will be closed as the district triggers its extreme heat protocol. Teachers will conduct classes over Microsoft Teams....
Penn State trustee opposes $700M stadium renovation on eve of vote
Penn State University trustees are expected to vote Tuesday on whether an institution that is both a football powerhouse and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt should spend $700 million for a stadium renovation. One trustee has made it quite clear publicly how he feels. On his website, trustee...
Franklin Regional Intermediate School named among Discovery Education Schools of the Year
During the 2017-18 school year, Franklin Regional administrators and staff opted to partner with Discovery Education, which helps educators integrate modern technology into their lesson plans, and provides academic support through multimedia content and other classroom tools. During the same time period, district officials were working to put a Google...
Greensburg Salem preliminary budget contains nearly $2.4M shortfall
Greensburg Salem School District is facing a nearly $2.4 million shortfall in its preliminary budget for next school year. The school board has until the end of June to pass a balanced budget for 2024-2025. That can be achieved by cutting expenses, increasing revenue through a tax hike or other...
Hempfield Area School Board approves district’s next superintendent
Incoming Hempfield Area School District Superintendent Mark Holtzman is keenly aware of the stalled high school renovation project. “The large construction project that’s been kind of looming over the last couple of years really needs to take shape,” he said. “I think kind of orchestrating and getting those things tied...
70 years ago, school integration was a dream many believed could actually happen. It hasn’t
WASHINGTON — Seventy years ago this week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled separating children in schools by race was unconstitutional. On paper, that decision — the fabled Brown v. Board of Education, taught in most every American classroom — still stands. But for decades, American schools have been re-segregating. The...
Beaver Area School District head recommended as Hempfield Area’s new superintendent
Former McKeesport Area and current Beaver Area Superintendent Mark Holtzman is set to become Hempfield’s top school official. Holtzman will be recommended for appointment as superintendent of Hempfield Area School District at a special board meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to a letter sent to parents Tuesday from the...
IUP prepares for academic overhaul with proposed college name changes
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is poised to undergo an academic restructuring that would include name changes for three of its five colleges, discontinuing low-enrolled programs and identifying areas for future growth. Those moves and others will be reviewed by the State System of Higher Education in Harrisburg in the coming...
As low attendance persists, school districts weigh the role of the magistrate
Students who habitually log unexcused absences could be in for more than a trip to the district judge. Instead, they might get a teacher-mentor, access to a licensed therapist or a home visit from a social worker — all steps that school leaders are taking in hopes of reversing a...
From fossil fuels to Israel, university divestment debates can be lengthy struggles
Protesters yelling “divest” outside the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning had a bullhorn, a well-honed message and a chest-high yellow banner that read: “We’re Still Here.” But their focus wasn’t the Israel-Hamas war. On that day in January 2020, they were demanding that Pitt rid its multibillion-dollar endowment of...
‘I put five years of my life into this’: Seton Hill graduates first class of doctor of physical therapy students amid open job market
As Morgan Simkovic watched her brother receive treatment following a brain tumor diagnosis in 2010, she knew she wanted to be a physical therapist one day. Simkovic sat in on some of her brother’s physical therapy treatments at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. He completed seven months of...
