Education category, Page 65
NYC schools chancellor exits, citing virus’ personal toll
NEW YORK — New York City’s Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza announced Friday he will step down, citing the coronavirus pandemic’s personal toll on his family. He will be replaced by Bronx Executive Superintendent Meisha Ross Porter, who will become the first Black woman to lead the nation’s largest public school...
Woodland Hills hosts summit on tough topics with Western Pa. high schools
Mental health. Racial injustice. Student grief and loss. Economic hardships. Self-care in a pandemic. Cultural discrepancies. Misrepresentation in media. These were topics explored by Western Pa. high schoolers on Thursday. A virtual Student Summit organized by students at Woodland Hills High School included peers from Aliquippa, Mt. Lebanon, Hampton, Gateway,...
Penn State aims to return to full in-person instruction for fall semester; here’s the plan
Penn State is planning to return to a “full on-campus learning environment” by the fall with expanded in-person classes, in another notable step toward normalcy. The university announced Wednesday that it will phase in its return by transitioning to more in-person classes over the summer, using event spaces and outdoor...
Point Park won’t renew 17 faculty contracts
Point Park University will not renew the contracts of 17 non-tenured faculty members, the university announced this week. A university spokesman did not answer questions about what specific academic departments would be affected in the Downtown institution, which serves around 4,000 students. The change was allowed through a collective bargaining...
Pittsburgh Public Schools plan phased return to in-person classes in April
Pittsburgh Public Schools are planning a phased return of students to the classroom beginning April 6, with the first spots reserved for the youngest learners and those who are struggling with online learning. The district late Monday announced student-support categories ahead of in-person instruction. The categories are based on students’...
Western Pa. school districts cope with teacher, staff shortages
When Thomas Shea had to quarantine in October, he never stopped teaching. From his home, he continued giving and recording lessons for his 10th-grade social studies students at Kiski Area High School. Shea said about two-thirds of his students are still learning from home, though the school district offers up...
Western Pa. colleges, universities received Military Friendly designation
Several area colleges and universities earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly School designation, which is aimed at setting a standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort and success in creating benefits for the military community, according to the Military Friendly website. Chatham University, Seton Hill University, California University of Pennsylvania, Carlow...
IUP plans for full campus reopening in August
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is joining California, Clarion and Edinboro in posting plans for a full return to campus. Fall semester at Indiana school is slated to begin Aug. 27, officials said. Declining covid-19 numbers apparently are playing into calculations as university leaders across the region plot their plans for...
The $1B plan to close the gap between growing and shrinking Pa. school districts
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — When Pennsylvania passed a new formula to distribute money for public schools in 2016, it was hailed as a...
Covid report card: A look at first semester cases in Allegheny, Westmoreland school districts
Since the start of the school year, districts in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have been impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, forcing schools to close and students to partake in remote learning to help curb the spread of the virus. The chart below reflects the number of covid cases reported by...
3 Western Pa. public universities plan for campus reopening this fall
A trio of Western Pennsylvania public universities that shuttered their campuses last fall and only recently began offering more classes on campus say they are making plans for a full-fledged return to campus for fall 2021. Officials at California, Clarion and Edinboro universities say they are cautiously planning to reopen...
CCAC nursing program extends application deadline
The Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) extended the application deadline for its nursing program for the fall 2021 semester. The new deadline is April 1, though applications received by the original deadline of March 1 will receive priority admission consideration. Prospective students can attend virtual workshops for assistance with...
State university program would offer free education in exchange for staying in Pennsylvania
When Edinboro University senior Sam Bohen graduates in May, he’ll bring a wealth of knowledge, lifelong friendships and $40,000 in student debt. “Many students are working our way through college by spending our days in class and our nights on the job so that we can afford rent and books,”...
Christine Oldham set to retire as Ligonier Valley superintendent
The Ligonier Valley School Board has less than five months to select someone to succeed Christine Oldham as superintendent. The board, at its February meeting, approved Oldham’s retirement, effective June 30. Oldham said her decision to end her stint at Ligonier Valley was a bittersweet one. “I’m excited about what...
Greater Latrobe, Deer Lakes among area schools lauded for computer science diversity
Several area schools are among a little more than 1,100 nationwide being recognized for helping to promote interest in computer science among female students. Greater Latrobe, Deer Lakes and East Allegheny high schools and Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy are among 22 public schools in Pennsylvania that have received the...
Diocese of Pittsburgh to merge 4 elementary schools
The Diocese of Pittsburgh on Friday announced the two mergers of four elementary schools, “as part of the regional school board’s efforts to strengthen Catholic schooling in the south region.” In the 2021-2022 school year, Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin in Whitehall will merge with Saint Elizabeth of Hungary...
CDC: In-person schooling can be done safely if guidelines are followed
The nation’s top public health agency on Friday provided a roadmap for reopening schools in the middle of a pandemic, emphasizing mask wearing and social distancing and saying vaccination of teachers is important but not a prerequisite for reopening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the long-awaited update,...
RMU partners with 4 community colleges for new dual enrollment program
Leaders of five higher education institutions in the region announced a new partnership Thursday, with the goal of improving college accessibility and affordability. Officials from Robert Morris University, Community College of Allegheny County, Community College of Beaver County, Butler County Community College and Westmoreland County Community College signed an agreement...
Kiski Area looks to data quantifying ‘learning loss’ during pandemic
After nearly a year of adjusting class schedules and learning models because of the covid-19 pandemic, school districts are grappling with how to quantify and assess learning loss. “It’s not entirely accurate to say that online learning is a complete failure,” said Kiski Area High School Principal Chad Roland. “It’s...
Pitt-Greensburg, Saint Vincent snare grants for construction projects
The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and Saint Vincent College will tap a pair of state grants to expand campus facilities. The schools were among scores of businesses, colleges and government agencies that were approved for Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program (R-CAP) grants during the final round of grant awards for...
Covid exposure closes 2 Greensburg Salem schools through Feb. 18
Two Greensburg Salem School District buildings will be closed through Feb. 18 because of “the number of faculty, staff and students who were in close contact with a positive covid case,” according to district officials. Students at Amos K. Hutchinson Elementary School and Greensburg Salem Middle School will learn remotely...
Jill Biden promises free access to community college
WASHINGTON — Jill Biden is promising free access to community college and training programs, saying the schools will be an important part of Biden administration efforts to rebuild the economy. A longtime community college professor and advocate, the first lady said people struggling to get by during the coronavirus-induced economic...
Schools plan for potential of remote learning into the fall
Parents of schoolchildren learning from home shouldn’t necessarily count on reclaiming the dining room table any time soon. After seeing two academic years thrown off course by the pandemic, school leaders around the country are planning for the possibility of more distance learning next fall at the start of yet...
Covid cases temporarily close 2 Hempfield elementary schools
Two Hempfield Area elementary schools are closed Monday because of positive covid-19 cases, district officials said. Fort Allen and West Hempfield elementary schools shuttered after cases were reported among staff and students, according to Superintendent Tammy Wolicki. District leaders announced Fort Allen’s closure Friday after an additional student tested positive...
IUP alums dig deep as the university works to remake itself
Fighting an uphill battle to cut costs and end declining enrollment, Indiana University of Pennsylvania raked in record levels of financial support and set a new record among state-owned schools in a recently completed fundraising campaign. The 30-month comprehensive fundraising campaign, dubbed Imagine Unlimited, recently ended six months early with...
