Newsroom

Pittsburgh Public Schools launches pilot program to diversify teacher workforce

Pittsburgh Public Schools is launching a pilot program this school year that would enable classroom aides to become teachers and earn the required state certification, an initiative designed to narrow racial disparities between the district’s students and instructors… More

Wolf expected to sign bill that could help Stevens, other schools combat skills gap

Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to sign a bill that advocates say may help diminish the skills gap in Pennsylvania by boosting resources and awareness for career and technical education… More

State sets school district tax increase limits for 2020-21

School districts will be allowed to raise real estate taxes at a higher rate for the 2020-21 school year. The Pennsylvania Department of Education Monday released the Act 1 indices for approximately 500 districts to tell them how high they may raise real estate taxes in the 2019-20 school year… More

Report: Special education costs are ballooning, as state funding lags behind

State aid to school districts has failed to keep pace with rising costs of special education, where expenditures have ballooned by a whopping 58 percent over the past decade, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Philadelphia-based Education Law Center… More

Come early to conference for extra learning on equity and charter authorization

The PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference opens October 16. Come one day early to take advantage of these learning opportunities, offered on October 15, 10:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m. in the Cocoa Rooms at Hershey Lodge & Convention Center. Register now on myPSBA! Separate registration is required… More

Senate advances bill to enhance career and technical education, workforce development

The Pennsylvania State Senate recently advanced a comprehensive bill that aims to improve the state’s career and technical education system.The bill is designed to modernize the career and technical education system, streamline the process by which students receive and transfer credits and help students learn about training options and possible career paths… More

PA lawmakers accidentally took away school police officers’ ability to make arrests

Lawmakers who were instrumental in the legislation say they didn’t intend to strip school police officers of their arrest power. The goal of the bill that Wolf signed in June was to increase training requirements for school security personnel… More

Evolution of school lunch: Local districts offering wide variety, healthier prep

Between the tendency of more families traveling and the abundance of restaurants offering various cuisines, today’s students are exposed to more foods and flavors than those of a generation ago, and that is reflected in modern school lunches… More

Pennsylvania Senate panel hears testimony on school food waste, accessibility

While strides have been made in school meals programs across Pennsylvania in recent years, a range of experts said at a recent Senate panel meeting that more work is still needed. Members of the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee took testimony from officials working in the areas of food and education… More

No free lunch: Schools grapple with outstanding student meal tabs

For most of his 10-year career overseeing food services in the Palisades School District, Gerald Giarratana has focused on serving kids cost-effective, nutritious meals that they want to eat. Recently, though, he finds himself devoting more of his work day reminding parents there is no such thing as a free lunch… More