Education category, Page 53

Following Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement this week that teachers would be moved first in line to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Pittsburgh schools are poised to begin inoculating teachers next week. “The vaccinations of our teachers and school staff will add an additional layer of mitigation strategies we already...

Most teachers across Pennsylvania could be vaccinated and ready to return to classrooms by the end of March, state officials said Wednesday as they announced that educators and school staff will receive priority for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Gov. Tom Wolf said giving educators the first shot at the...

The Pennsylvania Departments of Human Services and Education asked for federal approval Tuesday to issue more than $1 billion in benefits to families with children in remote school during the covid-19 pandemic. The families would have otherwise had access to free and reduced priced meals during the 2020-21 school year....

Several area teachers have been recognized by the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association as Global Educators. The recognition is given to advisers who support the PSMLA Global Scholars program in their schools to lead Global Scholars graduates in two consecutive years with the PSMLA Global Educator Certificate. This year, 17...

Discussions are in progress in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly to possibly move teachers to phase 1A of the state’s vaccine rollout. State Rep. Tim O’Neal, R-Washington, sent an email Sunday alerting House GOP members of the possibility, according to WPXI. He explained that the National Guard would be involved in the...

Point Park University’s faculty union spoke up in opposition of the school’s move to eliminate 17 full-time, non-tenured faculty members this week. Point Park officials announced the contracts of 17 full-time, non-tenured faculty members would not be renewed at the end of this academic year, citing financial difficulties related to...

Gennaro Piraino Jr. said his distaste for state standardized tests has only grown in the past year, despite their absence. “Given the pandemic, what we know our students need to know and be able to do has become even more evident,” said Piraino, superintendent of Franklin Regional School District. “And...

NEW YORK — New York City’s Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza announced Friday he will step down, citing the coronavirus pandemic’s personal toll on his family. He will be replaced by Bronx Executive Superintendent Meisha Ross Porter, who will become the first Black woman to lead the nation’s largest public school...

Mental health. Racial injustice. Student grief and loss. Economic hardships. Self-care in a pandemic. Cultural discrepancies. Misrepresentation in media. These were topics explored by Western Pa. high schoolers on Thursday. A virtual Student Summit organized by students at Woodland Hills High School included peers from Aliquippa, Mt. Lebanon, Hampton, Gateway,...

Penn State is planning to return to a “full on-campus learning environment” by the fall with expanded in-person classes, in another notable step toward normalcy. The university announced Wednesday that it will phase in its return by transitioning to more in-person classes over the summer, using event spaces and outdoor...

Point Park University will not renew the contracts of 17 non-tenured faculty members, the university announced this week. A university spokesman did not answer questions about what specific academic departments would be affected in the Downtown institution, which serves around 4,000 students. The change was allowed through a collective bargaining...

Pittsburgh Public Schools are planning a phased return of students to the classroom beginning April 6, with the first spots reserved for the youngest learners and those who are struggling with online learning. The district late Monday announced student-support categories ahead of in-person instruction. The categories are based on students’...

When Thomas Shea had to quarantine in October, he never stopped teaching. From his home, he continued giving and recording lessons for his 10th-grade social studies students at Kiski Area High School. Shea said about two-thirds of his students are still learning from home, though the school district offers up...

Several area colleges and universities earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly School designation, which is aimed at setting a standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort and success in creating benefits for the military community, according to the Military Friendly website. Chatham University, Seton Hill University, California University of Pennsylvania, Carlow...

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is joining California, Clarion and Edinboro in posting plans for a full return to campus. Fall semester at Indiana school is slated to begin Aug. 27, officials said. Declining covid-19 numbers apparently are playing into calculations as university leaders across the region plot their plans for...

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — When Pennsylvania passed a new formula to distribute money for public schools in 2016, it was hailed as a...

Since the start of the school year, districts in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have been impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, forcing schools to close and students to partake in remote learning to help curb the spread of the virus. The chart below reflects the number of covid cases reported by...

A trio of Western Pennsylvania public universities that shuttered their campuses last fall and only recently began offering more classes on campus say they are making plans for a full-fledged return to campus for fall 2021. Officials at California, Clarion and Edinboro universities say they are cautiously planning to reopen...

The Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) extended the application deadline for its nursing program for the fall 2021 semester. The new deadline is April 1, though applications received by the original deadline of March 1 will receive priority admission consideration. Prospective students can attend virtual workshops for assistance with...

When Edinboro University senior Sam Bohen graduates in May, he’ll bring a wealth of knowledge, lifelong friendships and $40,000 in student debt. “Many students are working our way through college by spending our days in class and our nights on the job so that we can afford rent and books,”...

The Ligonier Valley School Board has less than five months to select someone to succeed Christine Oldham as superintendent. The board, at its February meeting, approved Oldham’s retirement, effective June 30. Oldham said her decision to end her stint at Ligonier Valley was a bittersweet one. “I’m excited about what...

Several area schools are among a little more than 1,100 nationwide being recognized for helping to promote interest in computer science among female students. Greater Latrobe, Deer Lakes and East Allegheny high schools and Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy are among 22 public schools in Pennsylvania that have received the...

The Diocese of Pittsburgh on Friday announced the two mergers of four elementary schools, “as part of the regional school board’s efforts to strengthen Catholic schooling in the south region.” In the 2021-2022 school year, Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin in Whitehall will merge with Saint Elizabeth of Hungary...

The nation’s top public health agency on Friday provided a roadmap for reopening schools in the middle of a pandemic, emphasizing mask wearing and social distancing and saying vaccination of teachers is important but not a prerequisite for reopening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the long-awaited update,...