Education category, Page 39
PennWest University unveils its plan to seek a new president
PennWest University announced that it is embarking on a search for a successor to president Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, who stepped away from the job in February, effective immediately. “When I say embark, I mean we’re at the very, very beginning stages. We will communicate more as we go along,” PennWest Council...
For millions, the return of federal student loan payments brings angst
Marin Exler, who grew up in Crafton, held no illusions that her college education would be free, nor did she procrastinate paying down the debt of almost $120,000 that she incurred at Case Western Reserve University. She worked multiple campus jobs, made bigger-than-required loan payments after graduating, refinanced double-digit interest...
Art show, blood drive part of Pitt-Greensburg Blue & Gold activities
Members of the public are invited to enjoy a showcase of regional art and are encouraged to roll up their sleeves to give the gift of life during the annual Blue & Gold Celebration this week at the Pitt-Greensburg campus. The American Red Cross will conduct a public blood drive...
North Allegheny School District 1 of only 20 in state offering Seal of Biliteracy
North Allegheny School District is one of two local school districts that offered the Pennsylvania Seal of Biliteracy program in the Pittsburgh region last school year, honoring its students who attain an intermediate to high proficiency in English and one other world language. North Allegheny and Hampton Township school districts...
Hempfield to seek bids for outside professional to navigate delayed high school project
Hempfield Area School District is a step closer to hiring an outside professional to oversee its stymied $150 million high school renovation, one of the first public steps forward since the project ground to a halt this summer. The school board this week approved advertising for possible candidates for an...
7 months after PennWest president announced departure, the search for a successor has yet to begin
Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson announced in February that she was leaving PennWest University’s presidency, but in the seven months since, Western Pennsylvania’s largest state-owned university has yet to begin seeking a permanent successor. Now, the person serving as its interim president, R. Lorraine “Laurie” Bernotsky, could be poised to leave too. State...
‘He’s just one of those kids’: Pitt student balances heart research, academics, hockey
Ben Leslie works in a Pitt heart research lab while maintaining a full academic load. In his time off? He serves as a captain for the university’s varsity hockey team. Leslie, a 2019 Penn-Trafford graduate, used to doubt there was enough time in the day to pursue all of his...
University of Pittsburgh says it’s willing to freeze in-state tuition in 2024-25 — if it gets a larger state subsidy
The University of Pittsburgh says it’s willing to freeze in-state tuition for the 2024-25 academic year, provided the state delivers a larger-than-usual state appropriation that year: a 9.25% increase. The dollar request was conveyed to state officials in a letter of intent Friday. An in-state freeze would apply to thousands...
New leader of Penn State branch campuses tasked with boosting enrollment
The linguist and administrator who will oversee Penn State University’s 20 branch campuses starting Oct. 1 has talked about their importance as educational game-changers for students and economic anchors for the communities in which they’re located. Margo DelliCarpini also has seen how competitive the higher-education market can be when it...
Shortage of substitute drivers disrupts bus routes at Hempfield Area
Hempfield Area School District’s bus contractor is facing a shortage of substitute drivers. The district’s primary school bus contractor, First Student, is struggling to field substitutes to fill in for four regular Hempfield drivers who are out sick, according to a letter sent to parents Monday. The lack of substitutes...
Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Class of 2028 will be last to receive Pittsburgh Promise scholarships
Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Class of 2028 will be the final group of students to receive Pittsburgh Promise scholarships, the nonprofit behind the scholarships said in a letter to district parents. Saleem Ghubril, executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise, said he is confident that the nonprofit will be able to complete...
More cuts planned at deficit-plagued West Virginia University
West Virginia University Libraries, already hit this year with a 30% cut in its operating budget, now faces up to $800,000 in personnel cuts under measures announced Wednesday to shore up the university’s deficit-plagued finances. The action is outlined in one of the letters delivered by the provost’s office to...
Overhaul of Ohio’s K-12 education system is unconstitutional, new lawsuit contends
COLUMBUS — Seven Ohio school board members are alleging that a Republican-backed overhaul of how the state oversees K-12 education — including decisions on academic standards and school curricula — violates the state’s constitution, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. Through changes included in the latest state budget, oversight of...
A Black student is suspended twice for his hairstyle. The school says it isn’t discrimination
MONT BELVIEU, Texas — A Black high school student in Texas has been punished with an in-school suspension over his hairstyle for over two weeks. The family has argued he is not violating the dress code, but when he arrived Monday wearing his hair still in twisted dreadlocks tied on...
Saint Vincent graduate fellows pursue advanced degrees, support local school districts
There are two additional students in the classrooms of Franklin Regional School District this year: two graduate students from Saint Vincent College. The Saint Vincent College Fellowship program brings two students enrolled in Saint Vincent’s master’s of education program to Franklin Regional for the next two academic years. “It’s a...
IUP professor collaborates with Queen guitarist on book about Bennu asteroidVideo
An Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor is part of a group of authors whose recent book explores the Bennu asteroid, which scientists believe is a sort of “time capsule” from the dawn of the solar system. And since they were studying a rock, they recruited a rock star to help...
West Virginia University will make wide-ranging cuts to academic programs and faculty
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia University will make wide-ranging cuts to academic programs and faculty positions as it addresses a $45 million budget shortfall, with the board’s vote Friday culminating an impassioned back-and-forth between the campus community, students and officials. The state’s largest university will drop 28 of its majors,...
Greenfield Elementary students help design schoolyard proposal
Students at Greenfield Elementary often play in a parking lot or on a grass field during recess and after school. Soon, they’ll have a new community schoolyard with playground equipment, a turf field, trees and other amenities. Students on Wednesday helped unveil designs for the schoolyard, which were crafted, in...
Chatham University reduces staff, streamlines operations to address budget deficit
One of Pittsburgh’s small, private universities is facing layoffs and cuts, joining a dubious trend hitting institutions of higher education across the country. The university said it is working to reduce its budgetary deficit and reviewing academic programs as possible areas to cut costs. Chatham projected an operating budget deficit...
Study: Pennsylvania public schools underfunded by $6.2 billion
Pennsylvania needs to increase its investment in public schools by $6.2 billion to help students meet graduation rate goals and proficiency on state exams, according to a school finance expert. Penn State assistant professor Matthew Kelly told a panel of policymakers the figure was his conservative estimate of what was...
The ‘science of reading’ swept reforms into classrooms nationwide. What about math?
For much of her teaching career, Carrie Stark relied on math games to engage her students, assuming they would pick up concepts like multiplication by seeing them in action. The kids had fun, but the lessons never stuck. A few years ago she shifted her approach, turning to more direct...
Hempfield considers hiring ‘owners rep’ to navigate stalled high school project
Hempfield Area School District may consider hiring an outside professional to lead the district through its increasingly expensive high school revitalization project, board members said at a meeting Monday. The district is considering hiring an owner’s representative — someone to navigate the project as an independent fiduciary, said board member...
Penn State to consider asking state for millions more next year while awaiting this year’s funding
Penn State has yet to receive any state funding to support the university’s operating budget this year but its trustees are poised to ask for millions of dollars more for next year. A university trustees’ committee on Thursday voted to recommend the full board consider requesting $368.1 million from the...
West Virginia University faculty express symbolic no confidence in President E. Gordon Gee
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia University faculty approved a symbolic motion on Wednesday expressing no confidence in President E. Gordon Gee as the university addresses a $45 million budget shortfall. The university is struggling with the financial toll of dwindling enrollment, revenue lost during the covid-19 pandemic and an increasing...
Pitt Seed program invests in projects proposed by faculty, staff
Boosting the teacher pipeline in Pennsylvania and helping marginalized students succeed in college are among the five projects that have been selected for investment by the University of Pittsburgh. The program, called Pitt Seed, provides internal financial support for pilot projects that have growth potential and could have direct impact...
