Education category, Page 55
Teachers at Urban Pathways K-5 vote to unionize
This week, educators and staff members at Urban Pathways K-5 Charter School in Downtown Pittsburgh voted 15-7 in favor of organizing a labor union under the Alliance of Charter School Employees AFT Local 6056, a branch of the American Federation of Teachers of Pennsylvania. According to AFT, the 15-7 vote...
Steelers running back Najee Harris teams with Kellogg’s to help young athletes get in the game
Najee Harris was “GRRREAT” on Thursday. The Steelers star running back teamed with Tony the Tiger, mascot for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal, for Mission Tiger at Pittsburgh Public Greenfield Elementary School. Students thought they were going outside just for a pep rally. Once on the field, they cheered and waved...
During Pittsburgh seminar, FDA chief lays misinformation battle on doorsteps of universities, health systems
The head of the Food and Drug Administration called on academic and health systems such as the University of Pittsburgh to take a stance in the battle against misinformation, calling it the “problem of our time.” The call for action from Dr. Robert Califf, FDA commissioner, came during a virtual...
Fox Chapel Area High School students earn top honors at STEM contest at Heinz Field
A team of Fox Chapel Area High School freshmen have a plan for the future of Heinz Field. It doesn’t involve adding seats to the rotundas of the North Shore stadium. Nor does it follow scouting analysis of college players for the upcoming NFL draft. Instead, students Arnim Kuchhal, Varad...
St. Vincent policy reins in speakers, approval process needed
Responding to the controversy over a conservative speaker’s comments about race and privilege, Saint Vincent College has unveiled a new policy requiring all speakers sponsored by its academic centers to be approved by the college president and top leadership. “The hurtful, divisive statements were a stark contrast to our mission,”...
Policy’s gender definition at center of debate for Highlands School Board
The question of what constitutes gender could be front and center at the next Highlands School Board meeting. On Tuesday, board members will consider approval of an education equity policy that at least two members have voiced concern about. The aim of the proposed policy is to remove educational barriers...
Shaler grad wins Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Canary Islands
A 2018 graduate of Shaler Area High School has won a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship for teaching in the Canary Islands. Gabrielle Girton, 21, is a senior at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, where she is majoring in environmental science. She lived in Shaler while attending high school and currently...
Saint Vincent College responds to racism claims following weekend lecture
Saint Vincent College this week denounced racism in the aftermath of a symposium held on the Unity campus last weekend that drew criticism of comments from a speaker who suggested Vice President Kamala Harris ascended to her job only because she is Black. Nine lectures were part of a two-day...
Pa. board passes 4th year of state universities’ tuition freeze
HARRISBURG — Students at Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities won’t see tuition increase next year under a unanimous vote Thursday by the the system’s board. The State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors passed what will be the fourth year of flat tuition, as the struggling system hopes the Legislature will...
Proposal would create formal partnership between Pittsburgh, school district
Legislation introduced to Pittsburgh City Council would form an official partnership between the city and Pittsburgh Public Schools in an effort to address the learning gap resulting from the covid-19 pandemic and the pre-existing racial achievement gap in the city’s schools. The legislation explains that the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission...
Talk of race, sex in schools divides Americans, poll shows
WASHINGTON — Americans are deeply divided over how much children in K-12 schools should be taught about racism and sexuality, according to a new poll released as Republicans across the country aim to make parental involvement in education a central campaign theme this election year. Overall, Americans lean slightly toward...
Chatham University study shows positive results when students spend time in sensory garden
“A breath of fresh air” is more than just a saying. There is some proof that being outside has positive effects on people. For Carlee Domke, a second-year occupational therapy doctorate student at Chatham University in Shadyside, part of the experiential curriculum includes visiting the school’s sensory garden. “When I...
University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher to step down
After nine years of leading the University of Pittsburgh, Patrick Gallagher announced Thursday that he intends to step down as chancellor in the summer of 2023. “Serving as chancellor at one of the greatest public research universities in the nation is deeply fulfilling and rewarding,” wrote Gallagher in a message...
Greenfield man charged after police say he tried to force way into Pittsburgh Public Schools offices
A man from Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood is accused of forcing his way into Pittsburgh Public Schools’ administrative building in Oakland on Monday. Kevin McSwiggen, 40, faces two counts of aggravated assault after police said he injured two school police officers during a scuffle in which the officers were trying to...
Region’s school districts leading the way in opportunities for female superintendents
Women long have played a central role in education, but they often are left out of central administration. Women make up up 3 in 4 public school teachers nationwide but account for only about 1 in 4 superintendents, both in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Still, there have been inroads over the...
Female superintendent salaries near parity with male counterparts
Male superintendents may outnumber their female counterparts 3-1, but the gender pay gap is nearly nonexistent. Female superintendents make about 96% of what male superintendents make, according to a study released recently by the AASA, the School Superintendents Association. That’s significantly higher than the average for all women in all...
Carnegie Mellon to build Moonshot command center to monitor space missions
Anyone old enough to remember those static shots of the men in button-down shirts and ties sitting in front of computer screens during NASA’s Mercury and Apollo endeavors likely understands the importance of having a mission control for space flights. Carnegie Mellon University certainly does. That’s why the school is...
Fewer applications for college financial aid could signal continued dip in higher ed enrollments
The number of high school students applying for state and federal college aid has continued to decline across Pennsylvania, state leaders said, nixing hopes that figures would begin to rebound. Applications for the FAFSA — short for Free Application for Federal Student Aid — were down by about 30,000 by...
Quaker Valley officials approve variety of high school upgrades
Quaker Valley High School will receive some upgrades at the end of the school year while the school board moves forward with plans to replace it. The school board recently approved several contracts for work there. The upper asphalt drives and parking lot will be paved and restriped by Bedford-based...
State aid combats sexual assault, harassment by raising awareness
State-funded programs to combat sexual harassment and violence on campus through education is paying dividends, state education officials were told Friday at Seton Hill University in Greensburg. The programs are raising awareness through plays, speakers, activities, workshops and frank discussions, according to Seton Hill officials. In a 45-minute roundtable discussion,...
Debate continues about teaching ‘Persepolis’ at Franklin Regional schools
Franklin Regional School Board members, administrators and parents on Wednesday continued their discussion about the district’s decision to pause the teaching of “Persepolis,” Marjane Satrapi’s award-winning graphic novel, in the ninth grade honors English class. District officials said earlier this month that the school board’s curriculum committee wanted to make...
Book challenges are becoming more frequent, driven in part by social media
The time, thought and effort that English teachers and librarians put into their work is not random, says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director for the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “They have college degrees, they care very deeply about the work they do, and to suggest that the objections of...
Pittsburgh’s proposed 1% tax on college tuition, medical bills met with opposition
A proposal to impose a 1% tax on college tuition and medical bills in Pittsburgh is facing opposition and potential legal problems. Councilman Ricky Burgess introduced the measure Tuesday. Students seeking higher education in colleges, universities and advanced technical schools would be assessed a 1% tax on their tuition before...
Pittsburgh Councilman Ricky Burgess proposes 1% tax on higher-ed students, medical patients
A proposal introduced to Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday would impose a 1% tax on people seeking higher education and receiving medical care in the city, with the proceeds going toward a new fund for repairing the city’s aging infrastructure. “The strongest part of our economy is the educational and...
Quaker Valley teacher Dado named Pennsylvania STEM Ambassador
Matt Dado, technology and engineering teacher at Quaker Valley High School, has been accepted as one of 19 ambassadors in the Pennsylvania STEM Ambassador Program. The program aims to shape the future of STEM education in the commonwealth by targeting vital policy conversations to legislative leadership in the areas of...
