Education category, Page 7
McKeesport behavioral intervention specialist on paid leave following incident with daughter, a student
A McKeesport Area behavioral intervention specialist is on paid leave following an incident between the employee and their daughter, who is a high school student in the district, Superintendent Donald MacFann said Wednesday. The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon and school officials were made aware within minutes, MacFann said. The employee,...
Perfect homework, blank stares: Why colleges are turning to oral exams to combat AI
The assignment involves no laptop, no chatbot and no technology of any kind. In fact, there’s no pen or paper, either. Instead, students in Chris Schaffer’s biomedical engineering class at Cornell University are required to speak directly to an instructor in what he calls an “oral defense.” It’s a testing...
Duquesne opens new nursing simulation center thanks to $4 million gift
Duquesne University has opened a new nursing simulation center thanks to a $4 million gift from a financier and philanthropist. The Joanne Barkett Conway Simulation Center is an 8,600-square-foot training facility located at Duquesne’s Fisher Hall and housed in the School of Nursing. University officials say the lab was made...
Young graduates face the grimmest job market in years
In January, an administrator from the career center at the University of Delaware posed a question on a private message board for educators: “Has anyone else noticed a decrease in employer fair registration for their spring events?” Responses came swiftly. “We are definitely seeing similar issues!” “It seems the current...
East Allegheny school counseling program recognized nationally
Emilia Mattucci and Joseph Pedulla, school counselors at East Allegheny Jr./Sr. High School, try to avoid what Mattucci calls “random acts of guidance.” Rather than being reactive to students’ needs, the counselors focus on data-driven, planned lessons and conversations with students on topics ranging from social and emotional learning, to...
Pittsburgh-area colleges get funding for programs to combat sexual assault
Carrie Benson remembers a day, semesters ago, when a student stopped at the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Office at the University of Pittsburgh to ask about certain signs in the bathrooms. The signs, posted on bathroom stalls, outlined resources available to sexual assault survivors. The student asked who put...
Solar project at Carlynton high school will power most of building
When complete, a solar panel system on the rooftop of Carlynton Jr.-Sr. High School will power the majority of the building’s annual electricity needs. District officials are moving forward with a 716-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system with Energy Independent Solutions, at a cost not to exceed $1.41 million. Assistant Superintendent Jeff...
Damar Hamlin starts scholarship initiative at alma mater Central Catholic
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday returned to his alma mater, Central Catholic High School in Oakland, to announce a scholarship initiative for students and those planning to go into building trades. Through Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, 10 scholarships — each worth $1,000 — will be given annually to...
Rising job opportunities in sports management attract students
Kaleb Tkacs became involved in sports management from the moment he stepped foot on Duquesne University’s campus in August 2023. Tkacs, of Scottdale, joined as a volunteer film crew member with the Duquesne football team that fall. In 2024, he was elevated as a student assistant, overseeing the film crew,...
College-in-high school programs offer ‘head start’ to aspiring educators
When aspiring teacher Ainsley Martin enrolls at Pitt-Greensburg in the fall, she will have six education credits under her belt with the help of a program launched by one of the university’s professors. Martin, a senior at Southmoreland High School, has known that she wants to become a teacher since...
Hampton superintendent retiring after 42 years in public education
Michael Loughead remembers having a positive experience when he was a student growing up in eastern Pennsylvania years ago. That curiosity inspired him to consider a career in public education — and that’s where he has been ever since. Loughead, 66, of Oakmont, will retire as Hampton Township School District’s...
Trump administration sues Harvard, saying it violated civil rights law and seeking to recover funds
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department filed a new lawsuit Friday against Harvard University, saying its leadership failed to address antisemitism on campus, creating grounds for the government to freeze existing grants and seek repayment for grants already paid. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, is another missive in...
Penn State faculty criticize administration’s unionization meetings
Penn State faculty trying to start a union are calling foul after university administration plans college-by-college meetings regarding unionization efforts. Members of the Penn State Faculty Alliance — a group of faculty pushing for unionization — say the meetings planned by administration are “anti-union.” On Tuesday, Penn State announced the...
Keystone Oaks junior wins statewide award for career readiness — 4 years after immigrating from Ukraine
One thing led to another for Kira Voichenko, a junior at Keystone Oaks High School. Voichenko immigrated to Pittsburgh from Ukraine in March 2022, one month after Russia’s full-scale invasion. In the fall of that year, she started at Keystone Oaks Middle School as an eighth-grade student. Toward the end...
Carlow University names Rhonda Maneval as provost
Carlow University has elevated Rhonda Maneval to the position of provost and vice president for academic affairs. Maneval joined Carlow in 2022 as dean of the College of Health and Wellness and began also serving as interim provost in fall 2023. Her appointment as provost was announced Wednesday. “Rhonda stands...
Women technology experts give advice to South Fayette students
High school can be like a buffet when it comes to career exploration, says Ethan Hudson, a sophomore at South Fayette High School. “You have to try a little bit of this and that, so you know what it’s like,” said Hudson, 15. That was part of the thought process...
How much energy does AI really need? Anthropic official weighs in at CMU Energy Week
It’s obvious that energy industry leaders have been talking about artificial intelligence a great deal late, said Benjamin Della Rocca, national security lead at Anthropic, a leading AI company. But it’s still uncertain, Della Rocca said, exactly what AI’s energy needs are going to be in the upcoming years. “AI’s...
Pitt’s ‘homegrown’ approach to training rural dental providers aims to make it easier to access care
This story first appeared in Talk of the Town — a free newsletter with the news that matters from the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA. Sign up for curated local stories and unique events at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown. A new initiative from the University of Pittsburgh will train future dental...
Penn State Greater Allegheny social work program earns accreditation
Penn State Greater Allegheny’s bachelor’s of social work program has earned national accreditation. Greater Allegheny’s program earned accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education’s Board of Accreditation, the university announced this month. Located near McKeesport, Greater Allegheny is the only Penn State campus where students can complete an undergraduate...
Pittsburgh Public Schools plan online learning during NFL Draft
Students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools will learn remotely from April 22 to 24 as the city hosts the NFL Draft. PPS officials say shifting to asynchronous learning will reduce transportation challenges, minimize disruptions to the school day and ensure students learn safely and effectively. As many as 700,000 people...
Mt. Lebanon school district faces a $1.2 million shortfall next year
Mt. Lebanon school officials have a few weeks to make up a $1.169 million shortfall in the district’s budget for next year. Patricia Connolly, the district’s director of operations, told the school board this week she is projecting just above $130 million in expenses and $128.8 million in revenues next...
Keystone Oaks plans renovation projects at its 3 elementary schools
The Keystone Oaks School District is undergoing a multimillion-dollar project to renovate its three elementary schools. The district plans general maintenance upgrades like HVAC, electrical and window and door replacements at Fred L. Aiken, Dormont and Myrtle Avenue elementary schools over the next couple of years. “The schools have not...
Penn State police crack down on e-scooter use
Penn State police will be cracking down on students’ e-scooter use following spring break. In a Facebook post before spring break, Penn State University Police and public safety asked those who currently use an e-scooter on campus to “please take it and leave it at home when you return.” “Police...
College of 2nd chances: Professor who has taught at CCAC since it opened reflects on 60-year tenureVideo
Microbiology professor Francis Maxin has taught at Community College of Allegheny County since it opened its doors 60 years ago. He has no plans to retire anytime soon. “How can I retire? The college can’t afford my retirement present,” Maxin joked. “I want a BMW with a heated steering wheel.”...
With SATs optional for many colleges, are the tests still relevant?
Greater Latrobe senior Autumn Blozowich took the SAT three times before and during her junior year, yet when she applied to Pitt, Kent State and Penn State, she didn’t submit her scores once. “I wasn’t really happy with my scores,” she said of the standardized entrance exam. “If you don’t...
