Dr. Ent and Dr. McNelly Attend Westmoreland County WOrkforce Development Dinner-Hear Pedro Rivera, Secretary of Education Speak

PicturePedro Rivera, Secretary of Education for the Pennsylvania Department of Education
On Wednesday, September 14, 2016, the Westmoreland County Workforce Development Forum hosted their annual dinner event at Greensburg Country Club. The Forum is made of of a group of educators and business leaders from across Westmoreland County, whose mission is to "connect business and education through coordinated opportunities which will improve workforce quality and economic development."  

Speakers for this event included, Dr. William Kerr, Superintendent of the Norwin School District and Chairman of the Forum; Bill Flannagan, TV news personality and Chief Corporate Relations Officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development; and Keynote, Pedro Rivera, Secretary of Education.

During his talk, Mr. Rivera spoke about the need for all stakeholders to focus on what was best, developmentally, for all children, beginning in preschool through post secondary education. He also spoke about the various changes to the current high-stakes testing system that are forthcoming from the Department of Education-instead of relying on one test to determine a child's graduation fate, these new changes will provide multiple pathways for students to demonstrate proficiency. 

The event closed with  remarks from the incoming Forum Chairman, Dr. Gennaro Piraino, Superintendent of the Franklin Reegional School District.  
Top: Dr. McNelly poses for a picture with Mr. Rivera

Bottom: Dr. Ent & Dr. McNelly join administrators, Mrs. Natalie McCracken and Dr. Stacey Snyder,  from the Norwin School District