Education category, Page 72
Pittsburgh Public Schools have technical difficulties on 1st school day
The first day of classes at Pittsburgh Public Schools on Tuesday morning was marred by technical difficulties. Parents took to social media to inform the district of their technology’s shortcomings. Some parents said their students couldn’t log in on the laptops the district provided. Others cited issues with specific platforms...
Franklin Regional students return to class amid covid-19 restrictions
Students in the Franklin Regional School District returned to classes Tuesday, and elementary students got to check out the newly renovated Sloan Elementary School. The board last month pushed back the start date to Sept. 8 after state guidelines changed regarding the coronavirus. Students through eighth grade had three options...
West Virginia University suspends in-person classes as covid-19 cases increase
West Virginia University on Monday suspended in-person classes at its Morgantown campus for undergraduate students for at least two weeks. Additionally, the university placed 29 students under interim suspension from its Morgantown campus Sunday, due to violations of the university’s student code of conduct. The university has limited social gatherings...
How Western Pa. schools are making the best of remote learning
It’s too early to say what long-term impact remote learning might have on children in the age of the coronavirus. But experts say whether a child learns at home or at school, parents should be working with them to determine how to best meet their needs. “When you talk about...
Colleges using covid dorms, quarantines to keep virus at bay
STORRS, Conn. — With the coronavirus spreading through colleges at alarming rates, universities are scrambling to find quarantine locations in dormitory buildings and off-campus properties to isolate the thousands of students who have caught covid-19 or been exposed to it. Sacred Heart University has converted a 34-room guest house at...
Here is covid-19 data from Western Pa. colleges
Western Pennsylvania is home to several colleges and universities, attracting students from around the state and country. During the coronavirus pandemic, many are tracking the number of positive covid-19 cases as they emerge on campus. University of Pittsburgh Enrollment: Approximately 35,000 students Number of new cases: There were 40 new...
Pitt reports 35 new coronavirus cases in 3 days
The University of Pittsburgh saw a large increase in covid-19 cases last week, according to the most recent update to its covid-19 data dashboard. Since last week, the university recorded a total of 46 new cases among students — 35 of which were recorded just Friday through Sunday. There are...
NYC delays start of school year to allow more prep time
NEW YORK — New York City is delaying sending students back to classrooms by 11 days to give teachers more time to prepare, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. The development comes after de Blasio emphasized for months that the city’s 1.1 million public school students need schools to resume...
Pittsburgh Public School employees who distributed laptops showing covid-19 symptoms
Two Pittsburgh Public Schools employees from Montessori PreK-5 are experiencing covid-19 symptoms after participating in a technology distribution event at Montessori on Friday. The district said both employees were wearing personal protective equipment and abiding by social distancing guidelines during the distribution. Both employees have been tested and are awaiting...
Pitt promotes use of name pronunciation tool to help avoid uncertainty
It’s the ultimate in awkward moments and it happens all too often. A person has a name that might be difficult for others to pronounce. They are approached by someone who means well but proceeds to butcher their name. It usually leaves both parties feeling bad. But there are ways...
The Pitt News remotely produces print student newspaper during pandemic
The Pitt News released its first print edition of the academic year on Wednesday, keeping alive a 110-year-old Pitt tradition. But things at The Pitt News were far from normal. Jon Moss, the student newspaper’s editor-in-chief, and Mary Rose O’Donnell, the managing editor, weren’t in the newsroom as they worked...
Late laptops scramble remote learning plans at Greensburg Salem, other school districts
When Greensburg Salem School District officials learned more than 1,000 laptops would not be arriving in time for the start of classes, they agreed to delay the school year rather than begin without the technology they’re counting on. Then, the laptops were delayed again, this time until October, leaving officials...
Pitt bars 8 students from campus for violating covid-19 guidelines
University of Pittsburgh officials barred eight students on Wednesday for flouting the university’s rules and guidelines meant to mitigate the spread of covid-19 among students, a spokesperson for the school said. “We must do better,” Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner wrote in an email to students Wednesday afternoon. The eight...
Hempfield Area officials to vote on health, safety plans
Hempfield school leaders are holding a special meeting Wednesday to update health and safety plans. The meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., will update the athletic health and safety plan prior to a Thursday golf competition, which needs approval before “student participation in a competitive event,” Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said....
Pittsburgh school board to vote on superintendent’s contract
The Pittsburgh Public School Board will vote Wednesday on whether to renew the contract of Superintendent Anthony Hamlet and retain him for a four-year term. Hamlet’s contract, which began in 2016, expires June 30, 2021. If passed, his new contract will end at the end of the 2025 school year....
‘Acknowledgement of risk’: the first paper facing many college students in covid era
When it comes to mitigating the spread of covid-19 on campus, college administrators have been consistent: it all comes down to student behavior, they say. “We’ve been communicating our expectations all summer to students,” Pitt Dean Kenyon Bonner said during a Monday news conference. College students everywhere are being asked...
DeVos softens position on schools reopening in Georgia visit
CUMMING, Ga. — U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has softened earlier comments that called for schools to reopen for in-person instruction for all, saying during a visit to a Georgia high school Tuesday that what she really wants to see is “100% learning.” “I think perhaps there’s been a...
A look at key moments in Falwell’s relationship with Liberty
During 13 years under the stewardship of Jerry Falwell Jr., Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, has grown into a powerhouse with an endowment of over $1.7 billion, more than 15,000 on-campus and over 94,000 virtual students and a Division I athletics program. However, Falwell’s tenure at Liberty has become increasingly...
Point Park freshmen move in for unusual college experience during pandemicVideo
Kristy Thomson drove more than 16 hours from Winfield, Kansas, to help her son move Tuesday into a Point Park University dormitory. For a little peace of mind, she stocked him up with face masks and hand sanitizer. “It’s crazy,” she said. “I can’t believe we’re going through all of...
Pitt suspends 9 Greek chapters over health and safety guideline violations
The University of Pittsburgh has placed nine Greek life chapters on interim suspension of registration status after reports that the groups violated the university’s Health and Safety Guidelines and Student Code of Conduct. Pitt announced the interim suspension of Alpha Tau Omega, Chi Omega, Kappa Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha, and...
Official says Falwell leaving Liberty; Falwell says he’s not
RICHMOND, Va. — Jerry Falwell Jr.’s future at evangelical Liberty University was unclear late Monday, with a senior school official saying he had resigned from his leadership post but Falwell telling at least one news outlet that he does not plan to leave permanently. A formal announcement from the school...
First day of school for thousands and Zoom gets glitchy
Zoom is experiencing partial outages during the first day of school for thousands of students who are relying on the video conferencing technology to connect with educators. The company said Monday that it began receiving reports of disruptions around 9 a.m. Eastern time. It has identified the issue causing the...
Here are 5 brain breaks to help kids and parents with successful remote learning
When Miriam La Forest’s 11-year-old daughter, Chelsea, took an hour to complete 20 minutes worth of online school work, La Forrest knew a break was in order. “It was literally after every subject just because she was over it,” said La Forrest, 47, of Brookline. “It means she fell asleep...
Pitt-Greensburg, Westmoreland workshops to explore racism, diversity and social justice
The time has come for residents of Westmoreland County to have some tough conversations, says Al Thiel, director of the Student Center and Student Involvement at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. “This has been an unprecedented year for American life, and I believe that more people than ever are...
AP: U.S. faces back-to-school laptop shortage
SAN FRANCISCO — Schools across the United States are facing shortages and long delays, of up to several months, in getting this year’s most crucial back-to-school supplies: the laptops and other equipment needed for online learning, an Associated Press investigation has found. The world’s three biggest computer companies, Lenovo, HP...
