It was winter 2002 when Rick Shaner graduated from then-California University of Pennsylvania with a degree in technical education and was out job hunting.
“I was thinking, nobody’s going to be hiring now,” Shaner said. “I stopped at Kiski, Burrell and Valley just to get substitute teaching packets.”
When he stopped in the New Kensington-Arnold office, the secretary was surprised when Shaner told her his background was in technology education. The current shop teacher at Valley had been out.
“I ended up starting the next day,” Shaner said.
Shaner, 47, of Washington Township, has worked at Valley Jr.-Sr. High School ever since and has worked to grow and expand the program.
“It’s important, first and foremost, to know how to do things with your hands, and the knowledge to do basic things,” Shaner said. “We’re so technologically advanced. Kids are designing CO2-powered cars, and anytime we (3D) print them, we race them.”
Shaner said his high school technology education teachers, Chris Heater and Dean Ridgeway, inspired him when he was a student at Kiski Area High School.
“They changed the program and made it more technology-based,” he said. “They were good guys, and we related to them.”
Ridgeway remembered Shaner as a student at Kiski High.
“As a student, he seemed to have a good attitude about schoolwork and definitely showed an interest in technology education by taking as many of the classes from our department as he was able,” Ridgeway said. “His work ethic and effort allowed him to excel in our environment. And that showed in the quality of the projects and work he produced.”
Shaner becoming a technology education teacher was a natural fit because of his interest and attitude, Ridgeway said.
“Even today as he has been teaching for several years, we still keep in contact every once in a while,” Ridgeway said, “and he still shows a passion for what he brings to kids in helping them find their path in life.”
He’s done similar work at Valley.
What was once a hallway is now a technology education computer lab. And other space was revamped as a video production studio where students broadcast morning announcements.
“When we started, we were all pencil-and-paper drafting. Now, we have 3D printers, laser engravers, and still, traditional woodworking equipment.”
Classes Shaner teaches include: video production, 3D modeling, wood technologies, screen printing, graphic arts, coding and robotics.
Robotics courses work with Penn State New Kensington’s Digital Foundry, a business development service.
Shaner estimates he has anywhere between 90 and 100 students per semester. Those numbers have grown over the past 24 years he has been teaching.
Shaner, who teaches freshmen through seniors, attributes the growth to a strong middle school tech-ed program under Tim Cignetti.
“He does a nice job of introducing his kids to the things that the high school students get to do,” Shaner said. “He spends small sections related to my content area in order to boost interest. I think that’s a big contributing factor to the growth of the program at the high school.
“I have had several students from Mr. Cignetti’s classes tell me how they can’t wait to take my classes once they get to high school.”
Shaner said it has been rewarding working with students and growing the program.
