Education category, Page 17
Linda McMahon says Trump’s plan to close Education Department would need Congress’ approval
WASHINGTON — Linda McMahon, the former CEO of a professional wrestling and entertainment juggernaut and Donald Trump’s pick as Education secretary, told senators Thursday that the president’s plan to dismantle the Education Department would need congressional approval. “We’d like to do this right,” she said. “We’d like to make sure...
DOGE cuts $900 million from agency that tracks American students’ academic progress
WASHINGTON — A federal research agency that tracks the progress of America’s students is being hit with almost $900 million in cuts after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency found no need for much of its work. It’s unclear to what degree the Education Department’s Institute of Education Sciences will...
Hempfield Area eyes million-dollar roof replacements at 3 more schools
After voting in December to replace the roof at one of its elementary schools, Hempfield Area school directors will decide next week whether to add three additional roof projects onto the district’s to-do list. The board in December hired Garland Co. Inc. to replace the roof on Fort Allen’s gym...
Pine-Richland School Board takes next step in implementing controversial library policy
Pine-Richland School Board took the next step in eventually implementing its controversial library policy at its meeting Feb. 10 in the latest of a series of contentious and sometimes rowdy meetings. Board members offered numerous amendments to the proposed policy and even some supposed attempts at “compromise,” which were met...
Public schools embrace Shapiro plan to cut $378M in cyber tuition costs
Gov. Josh Shapiro is proposing unprecedented funding for Pennsylvania’s K-12 public schools, including $526 million in supplemental funding for poor districts, $125 million to help pay for building projects and $111 million to support student mental health and safety. Jeannette City School District Superintendent Matthew Jones said he’s most interested...
Westmoreland County Community College hires next president after 8-month search
Westmoreland County Community College’s next president will take office in July. The WCCC board of trustees voted unanimously Monday to hire Kristin Mallory, vice president for academic affairs at Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury, Md. Selected from about 150 applicants, Mallory will start a three-year term July 1 with a...
22 states — not Pa. — sue Trump administration over guidelines that could hamper Pitt, CMU research
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine on Monday touted new Alzheimer’s disease research that could contribute to diagnosing the disease and starting treatment of it before it enters its final stage, which ends in death. More than 12 federal grants helped defray the cost of the research. Similar federal...
Saint Vincent College, Westmoreland Intermediate Unit to host career expo for aspiring teachers
After hosting an educator career fair last spring, Saint Vincent College and the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit knew they needed to take a different approach. “I think we both recognized the need to try to target a couple of different audiences,” said Tracy McNelly, chair of the college’s education department, “because...
Greensburg Salem 6th graders foster collaboration, school spirit under new ‘house’ system
A group of 13 Greensburg Salem sixth grade students stood at the front of a middle school classroom this week, waiting for the district’s school board members — seated in wooden chairs — to blindly select a set of colored beads from a box. The color of the beads corresponded...
Westmoreland County Community College names interim president
The former president of a Michigan community college will serve as interim president at Westmoreland County Community College while trustees continue the search for permanent leadership. Ohio native David Devier retired last year after serving a decade as president at Glen Oaks Community College in Michigan. He previously worked as...
Dozens of Education Department workers are put on leave over Trump’s anti-DEI order
WASHINGTON — Dozens of employees at the U.S. Education Department were put on paid administrative leave in response to President Donald Trump’s order banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government, according to a labor union that represents hundreds of workers in the agency. It’s unclear how many...
Colleges around the U.S. cautiously navigate Trump’s DEI crackdown
PHILADELPHIA — In Boston, Northeastern University renamed a program for underrepresented students, emphasizing “belonging” for all. In New Jersey, a session at Rutgers University catering to students from historically Black colleges had to be abruptly canceled. And around the U.S., colleges are assessing program names and titles that could run...
Jeannette couple plans to distribute $10K in scholarships through nonprofit
A $1,000 boost from a local nonprofit helped Jeannette native Noah Sanders buy books and pay for student housing at college while he works on a degree in business and finance. A 2024 high school graduate, Sanders is hoping to become an accountant after completing coursework at Defiance College in...
Author of book rejected by Pine-Richland School Board plans to visit district in late February
Randi Pink, an Alabama-based author, said she will visit Northern Tier Library on Feb. 22 after the district’s school board voted not to include her novel, “Angel of Greenwood,” in its ninth grade language arts classes. The novel, a young adult romance set during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, was...
Greensburg Salem High School students use art, manufacturing skills to honor school board
As Lola Slavnik put the finishing touches on her landscape painting during art class at Greensburg Salem High School, she had no idea her work would be shared with the community. Prints of Slavnik’s painting were among the handmade gifts given to the district’s nine school board members in January...
Pa. student scores on national testing lower than pre-pandemic, results show
Pennsylvania public schools still may be grappling with the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, according to a national report on reading and math proficiency among fourth grade and eighth grade students. The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress — released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics — shows...
Trump’s orders take aim at critical race theory and antisemitism on college campuses
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is ordering U.S. schools to stop teaching what he views as “critical race theory” and other material dealing with race and sexuality or risk losing their federal money. A separate plan announced Wednesday calls for aggressive action to fight antisemitism on college campuses, promising to...
U.S. children fall further behind in reading, make little improvement in math on national exam
WASHINGTON — America’s children have continued to lose ground on reading skills in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic and have made little improvement in math, according to the latest results of an exam known as the nation’s report card. The findings are yet another setback for U.S. schools and...
Seton Hill University shutters student newspaper indefinitely
Seth Stevens was disturbed after learning the student newspaper at Seton Hill University, The Setonian, would be put on an indefinite hiatus. “It was very sad,” said Stevens, 21, of Greensburg. “I was very much looking forward to writing.” This spring was to be his first official semester as a...
Penn State faculty fear the school will close campuses across the stateVideo
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events, and more from north-central PA, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown. Penn...
Students, faculty nervous for future of Penn State branch campuses
Gabrielle Green is in it for the long haul at Penn State New Kensington. The 18-year-old from Altavista, Va., is a second-semester freshman at the Upper Burrell campus. She is studying biobehavioral health and plans to obtain a four-year bachelor’s degree at the school. So conversations among university leadership this...
‘AI-driven’ cyber charter school wants to teach Pa. kids core academics in 2 hours per day
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — A cyber charter school network that says it will use “AI-driven” technology to allow students to learn all the core academics they need...
Shaler Area honors 6 staff members with Extra Mile Awards
The Shaler Area School District recently presented six staff members with its annual Kim Baysek-Young Extra Mile Award, which recognizes those who have “gone above and beyond” in their work for the district. On Jan. 21, Lisa Anderson, Greg DeFazio, Monica McElwain, Cristin Pintar, Steve Siedelson and Mitch Stivason received...
Penn Hills woman creates safe space for student-athletes
Three years ago, Gigi Snodgrass was looking for a purpose. She had just retired from the Penn Hills School District where she worked as a paraprofessional for 17 years. Her husband, Jeff, was still working, and Snodgrass, 67, was adjusting to her new schedule. “The house was clean, the dishes...
Hempfield Area renews contracts for assistant superintendents
Hempfield Area’s assistant superintendents will remain in their roles for another three years following a contract extension approved by the school board Tuesday night. Assistant superintendent of elementary education Kimberlie Rieffannnacht has been in the role since 2020. Her predecessor, Matthew Conner, has served as assistant superintendent of secondary education...
