(Photo of Dr. Thompson provided with release)

(Midland, Pa.)  The Board of Trustees of the Midland Innovation + Technology Charter School has  appointed veteran educator Dr. Chester D. Thompson as the school’s first Chief Executive Officer. He  assumes his duties on February 10, 2022.

Dr. Thompson, who resides in Rochester, Pennsylvania, was the Associate Dean of the School of Business,  Arts, Sciences, and Technology at the Community College of Beaver County for the past two-and-a-half years.  Prior to that, he spent six years at Robert Morris University as the Assistant Vice President – Underrepresented  Student Achievement, Executive Vice President – Executive Education and Partnerships, Advisor – Academic  Affairs, Director – Student Support and Outreach Programs, and as an adjunct professor. While at RMU, Chet  was the Director of the Black Male Leadership Development Institute. He has held positions with Bristol Myers  Squibb, Verizon, Pfizer, Oracle, and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission and is a  United States Marine Corps veteran.  

“Midland Innovation & Technology Charter School is groundbreaking in its approach to preparing students for  meaningful work post-graduation and we could not be more pleased to have Dr. Thompson at our helm”, said  Jerry Hodge, President of the MITCS Board of Trustees. “His background in education and business makes  him uniquely qualified to not only interact with students and parents, but also work with local corporate  partners, all of whom will ensure our school’s success.”  

Midland Innovation + Technology Charter School, a project of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, is a new  Pennsylvania public high school for boys and girls in grades 9 through 12 that will open in September in the  ultramodern Charles J. Betters Innovation Center in Midland. It will offer the most modern career technical  education available and will adhere to an axiom of Diversity By Design in that it will welcome students from all  backgrounds from across southwestern Pennsylvania. MITCS will be organized through four inter-connected  and collaborative academies that include: The PGT Transportation + Logistics Academy, The Cyril H. Wecht  Forensic Science + Justice Academy, The MITCS Community Development + Sustainability Academy, and  The MITCS Skilled Trades + Technical Careers Academy. Disciplines will include: Petrochemical Studies,  Gaming and Simulations, Safety Engineering, Transportation and Logistics, American Enterprise and Global  Studies, Aviation Technology, Sustainable Water, and Healthcare Innovations.  

Prominent developer Charles J. Betters donated the land on which MITCS is located and has guided the  construction. Pat Gallagher, the founder, owner, and CEO of PGT Trucking donated $500 thousand to  establish the PGT Transportation + Logistics Academy, and famed forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril H. Wecht  gifted and developed curriculum for the Cyril H. Wecht Forensic Science + Justice Academy. The school also  won a $1.5 million start-up grant from the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools.  

Families interested in pre-enrollment and information about MITCS may visit the school’s official website  www.mitcharterschool.org. Enrollment seminars will be scheduled at regional hotel ballrooms and conference  centers soon. Watch the MITCS website as enrollment seminars are added. 

(File Photo)
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, headed into 2021 with $13.4 million in his campaign account, a state record for a candidate heading into an election year. Shapiro, whose campaign report was posted online by the state after Monday night’s deadline, is not expected to face opposition in the primary. He reported raising $13.4 million in 2021. Labor unions gave Shapiro more than $3 million in 2021, while donors who gave at least $50,000 kicked in more than $5.4 million. The double-digits deep field of Republican candidates vying for the party’s nomination turned in relatively paltry results for fundraising through Dec. 31,

(AP Photo)
By PAUL J. WEBER Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses. The blast of frigid weather, which began arriving Tuesday night, put a long stretch of states from New Mexico and Colorado to Maine under winter storm warnings and watches. Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan saw freezing rain, sleet and snow on Wednesday morning. The heaviest snow is expected in Missouri, Indiana and Illinois, while significant ice accumulation is expected in an area from Louisville, Kentucky, to Memphis, Tennessee.

(Hanover Twp, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver said via release that they were called to an address on Pa State Route 18 in Hanover Twp. Beaver County on January 2, 2022 for a complaint from 68-year-old George Roberts of Hookstown that an unnamed known person had dumped a load of trash at the location on route 18. Through investigation the unnamed person admitted to Troopers that he dumped the load of trash at the location. The Robert’s decided not to proceed with charges because the person paid restitution for the offense.

Beaver County previously reported erroneously that Robert’s was the suspect when he is fact the victim who reported to Troopers the person dumping the garbage.

(AP Photo)
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — There will be six more weeks of winter. That’s the prediction made Wednesday by Punxsutawney Phil after he emerged from his burrow in Pennsylvania to perform his Groundhog Day duties. Thousands of people gathered at Gobbler’s Knob as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he’d seen his shadow. After Phil’s prediction was announced, the crowd repeatedly chanted “six more weeks!” According to folklore, spring would come early if he didn’t see it.

(File Photo)

Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) today announced the launch of its newest High School Academy for students in grades 11 and 12 interested in careers as educators. The Education Academy, CCBC’s sixth of its kind, provides students at participating schools the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in diverse educational settings while learning how to prepare developmentally appropriate lessons and learning environments. CCBC’s Education Academy students can earn up to 28 college credits while still working towards a high school diploma.

“We are pleased to launch the CCBC Education Academy for Western Pennsylvania’s up and coming students interested in early learning and development,” said Joyce Cirelli, dean of high school academies and dual enrollment at CCBC. “At CCBC, we are committed to providing opportunities to students that fill the pipeline of quality education professionals in the region and nationwide. We look forward to seeing this new Academy grow and become a significant part of the pathway here at CCBC.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a net loss of 65,000 public education workers between September 2021 and October. The shortage of teachers includes full-time and substitutes in K-12. 

“School superintendents have expressed the need for teachers across all grade levels,” said Lia Hazelwood, CCBC’s dual enrollment assistant and champion of the Education Academy. “Due to these shortages, schools are desperate to fill voids with educators that are qualified and eager to make a difference in their classrooms and school districts. These demands can be filled by young entry-level professionals with increased knowledge and skills developed through our Education Academy.” 

Education Academy classes will commence in Fall 2022. Enrollment is currently open.

 CCBC High School Academies launched in 2015 with the Aviation Academy followed annually by Health, STEM, Criminal Justice, and Mascaro Construction. Regionally, these five academies educate more than 200 students from 60 school districts allowing them to explore careers in areas of workforce priority while receiving direct instruction from college faculty in labs and classroom environments that stimulate critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Often seniors will graduate high school with up to half of their associate degree completed.

CCBC is one of 43 institutions nationwide able to offer high school students access to Pell Grant funding and the High School Academy program is the recipient of the Carnegie Science Award for Leadership in STEM Education.

Learn more about CCBC’s High School Academies here, or contact the High School Academies and Enrollment Office:

Dean, Joyce Cirelli

724-480-3474

joyce.cirelli@ccbc.edu

Assistant Dean, Lauren Susan

724-480-3418

lauren.susan@ccbc.edu 

Keystone State News Connection

February 2, 2022

Emily Scott

Pennsylvania schools have faced an uphill battle in the omicron variant surge, which led to temporary virtual learning after the winter break. But a new poll finds parents feel overwhelming support for teachers, and for schools’ handling of COVID-19.

In the national survey of 1,300 parents of kids in public schools, 72% said their child’s school provides them with an “excellent or good-quality” education.

Despite the pandemic challenges of the last two years, said Dan Alderson, a teacher at Chartiers-Houston School District in Washington County, he’s never been more proud to be an educator.

“Students in our classrooms, they’re getting to see firsthand what it is to be a lifelong learner just by looking at their teachers,” he said, “and they’ve stepped out of their comfort zones, some of the teachers that weren’t familiar with technology, and they’ve really taken it upon themselves to learn as much as they can.”

In the poll, a big concern among parents is the nationwide teacher shortage, with 65% saying they were “fairly or very concerned” about it. Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill into law in December that allows the state to expand its pool of eligible substitutes.

Alderson said one of many things made more clear about teaching during the pandemic has been the importance of communicating with parents. With lots of contact amid last-minute switches to remote learning, he said he thinks it’s given parents a better appreciation for the job of being a teacher.

“You have to be able to turn on a dime and you have to be able to be flexible,” he said. “I think if anything, this thing has strengthened the bonds between that teacher-and-home connection with students and parents. I really think that it’s allowed me to reach my students and get to know my students better.”

Other pressing issues for parents that surfaced in the polling include concern over a lack of support staff, such as counselors and nurses, and worries about their children falling behind academically.

(AP Photo)
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — It’s Groundhog Day and people are waiting to learn whether a furry critter in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, predicts an early spring or six more weeks of winter. People will gather Wednesday at Gobbler’s Knob as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summon him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow. According to folklore, there will be six more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow. If he doesn’t, spring comes early. Records dating to the late 1800s show Phil has predicted longer winters more than 100 times. The 2020 forecast called for an early spring. The event took place virtually last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.