Education News category, Page 82
Charter school reform topic of debate at Pine-Richland board of supervisors meeting
The Pine-Richland board of supervisors discussed the issue of charter school reform at its February meeting and is expected to take an official stance on the topic next month. “This has been gaining a lot of attention (with the Pennsylvania School Board Association), and for very good reason,” school board...
State grant aims to align local education with employers’ expectations
If Franklin Regional teachers are going to prepare their students for the modern workplace, it only makes sense to find out what that workplace looks like and how its expectations align with the district’s curriculum. Staff members were given that opportunity, along with professional development training in college and career...
Trump used Philly girl’s story to attack ‘failing’ schools. But she’s at one of the city’s most desired charters
PHILADELPHIA — President Donald Trump turned a Philadelphia fourth grader into a poster child for the school-choice movement Tuesday when he told the nation thousands of students were “trapped in failing government schools” and announced that she was finally getting a scholarship to attend the school of her choice. But...
Pitt-Greensburg charity basketball game will raise money for United Way
The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania will benefit from Pitt-Greensburg’s 12th annual charity basketball game, set for Wednesday. Part of a tradition that has assisted various regional charities for more than a decade, the game that pits a team of students against another featuring faculty and staff will begin at...
Carnegie Mellon, Penn State students to compete in ‘Jeopardy!’ College Championship
Emma Farrell, a Carnegie Mellon University senior from Telford in southeastern Pennsylvania, will compete in the “Jeopardy!” College Championship in April. The 10-day special event airs from April 6-17. Fifteen students from across the country will compete for a $100,000 grand prize and a berth in the next edition of...
West Hempfield Elementary School recognized for Veterans Day programVideo
Teachers at West Hempfield Elementary School were awarded a plaque from AMVETS deeming their Veterans Day program excellent. The program drew several veterans — who were related to students — to the school for breakfast and a music show. “I was stunned,” said Rege Riley, former National Commander for AMVETS....
Seton Hill to offer RN to BSN program online
Seton Hill University is joining the growing list of colleges and universities offering online bachelor of science programs for registered nurses. Officials at the Greensburg private university said the new program will offer working professionals the ability to complete a bachelor’s degree in a flexible format. The move comes as...
Walls of Kiski Area High School covered in student-painted, historical muralsVideo
Students at Kiski Area High School don’t just hang their artwork on the walls. They paint the walls. As part of a mural project called “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words,” students have painted murals modeled on iconic artwork or images from history. The project started in 2011. “At...
Beating away the day: WCCC uses drum circle to help students handle stressVideo
The sound of drums on Tuesday echoed through the recently renovated Student Achievement Center at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. Students gathered for the monthly drum circle and worked together to beat away the stress of the semester. “It’s meant to help them learn to work together, to collaborate...
Students return to Quaker Valley Middle School after evacuation due to odor
Students have returned to Quaker Valley Middle School on Tuesday after an odor forced the building’s evacuation for about an hour. Quaker Valley Middle School was evacuated after staff reported an unusual odor near the nurse’s office, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page. The school reported that...
Grove City College seniors write full-length musical, ‘Antigone & the King’
Grove City College students could be forgiven for not recognizing the name of the musical playing on the Little Theatre of Pew Fine Arts Center at the end of the month. That’s because the full-length musical “Antigone & The King” was written by two Grove City students, Noah Gould and...
Carnegie Mellon tuition among the highest in nation, inching higher
No one said it would be cheap or easy to get through college, but annual costs at Carnegie Mellon University are edging toward a six-figure sticker price. Officials at the Pittsburgh research university recently approved a 3.2% tuition increase for the 2020-21 school year. Parents of incoming freshmen may be...
Women gain increasing numbers on Pitt faculty
Women are gaining an increasing stake on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. A new report, published in Pitt’s University Times, revealed that women made up 46% of the full-time faculty, up from 44% three years earlier. While that falls short of the 51% of the population that is...
New report shows liberal arts education has a higher return on investment
A new report shows that a private, liberal arts education may have a better return on investment than attending a public university — but it will take some time. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that bachelor’s degrees from private colleges typically have a higher return than...
Art competition aims to raise awareness about ticks, Lyme disease in Pa.
Pennsylvania residents were afflicted with about 10,000 cases of Lyme disease in 2018, according to the state health department, and if a child’s drawing is enough to prevent even one, it’s worth the effort. “Ticks that cause Lyme disease are everywhere, which is why it is so important to know...
Highlands hires new principal for elementary school
Highlands Elementary School has a new principal. Stan Whiteman was hired at an annual salary of $108,000. His start date is not yet known, school board President Misty Chybrzynski said. Whiteman is coming to Highlands from the Duquesne City School District, where he was director of curriculum, instruction, assessment and...
Western Pa. colleges in line for grants to prevent sexual violence on campus
Four years after Pennsylvania officials signed on to a national initiative designed to prevent sexual violence on college campuses, three dozen colleges and universities across the state are getting a boost to help them implement programs to assist in the effort. Gov. Tom Wolf said the state will provide about...
Penn Hills School District, Charter School of Entrepreneurship receive $35,000 in state grants
Five school districts will each get a total of $35,000 in state grants for computer science classes and teacher trainings, Sen. Jay Costa Jr. announced Friday. “I was honored to stand with Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera today as we made this announcement at the Allegheny County Intermediate Unit’s annual...
J.E. Harrison students make pouches to help orphaned animals in AustraliaVideo
Students at J.E. Harrison Middle School are doing their part to help animals struggling to survive through the massive wildfire plaguing Australia. For nearly a week, students inside Samantha Parks’ gifted classroom in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District have been sewing pouches to send halfway across the globe that will help...
Tenaska offering scholarships to students from Belle Vernon, Yough
Tenaska Pennsylvania Partners LLC, owner of the Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station near Smithton, is offering $6,000 in scholarships for college-bound students in Westmoreland County this year. Tenaska manages scholarship programs in communities where its power plants are located and has given out approximately $760,000 in scholarships to date. This is...
Highmark opens school grant program
Schools looking to support wellness programs, encourage professional development among school nurses or support the basic health needs of low-income students can apply for grants for the 2020-21 school year from the Highmark Foundation. Applications for the program, now in its eighth year, will be accepted from public, parochial and...
Water main break closes North Allegheny’s Marshall middle and elementary schools
North Allegheny’s Marshall elementary school and middle schools will be closed Thursday because of a water main break on the Marshall campus, the school district said. All after-school activities scheduled for Thursday, including the Marshall Elementary School Orchestra concert that was scheduled to be held at the North Allegheny Senior...
Harrisburg University, Nerd Street Gamers partner for new esports degreeVideo
Harrisburg University has launched a new esports degree in partnership with Nerd Street Gamers. Beginning this spring semester, students at the Pennsylvania school will be able to enroll in Harrisburg’s esports program, which will help provide with them skillsets for a career in this industry, reports Cheddar Business. Nerd Street...
Game Commission honors Latrobe student for bringing help to entangled deer
A Greater Latrobe ninth-grader’s sharp eyes and caring response helped free a white-tailed deer trapped in Unity this past fall. Pennsylvania Game Commission officers surprised Parker Williams on Friday when they arrived at her school and presented her with a certificate, recognizing the initiative she took on Nov. 4 to...
Penn-Trafford wrestler diagnosed with MRSA, school says
A Penn-Trafford High School wrestler recently was diagnosed with MRSA, a contagious staph infection, the school district said Tuesday. The wrestler, who was not identified, is receiving medical treatment and will not return to the team until he receives a medical clearance, said Tony Aquilio, high school principal. The student...
