Sarah Mueller
Education reporterAn experienced journalist, I joined LehighValleyNews.com as its education reporter. I bring several years of media experience at public radio stations including NPR Illinois, WFSU Public Media and Delaware Public Media. I’ve covered state and local government, interviewing lawmakers, governors and congressional leaders. In my personal life, I’m a passionate animal lover, hiker and documentary enthusiast. A documentary for which I worked as a researcher, Fire in the Meadows, won first place at the 2022 Tallahassee Film Festival for best documentary short film. It explored the effects of an investor buying a local mobile home park, raising rents and forcing tenants out of their homes. Contact me at SarahM@lehighvalleynews.com or and subscribe to my newsletter here.
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Schools Superintendent Carol Birks hosted the forum. She said she wanted to make sure the public understands how the district is spending its money. -
Lehigh Valley state Rep. Mike Schlossberg's legislation to create more local teachers received the support of 19 Republicans and now moves to the state Senate.
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Five Republican candidates have signed a pledge to ban transgender students from using the bathroom of their choice and review the curriculum for "wokeness."
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Executive Education Academy Charter School wants 90 more Allentown students.
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Dieruff High School principal Michael Makhoul resigned this week, on heels of William Allen principal being put on administrative leave
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Afterschool Satan Club is asking a federal court to be let back on campus.
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The Bethlehem school was closed for two days after the wall on an exterior stairwell collapsed Monday.
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The Bethlehem Area School District formally accepted Superintendent Joe Roy's resignation and hired assistant superintendent and chief academic officer Jack Silva for the role.
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A Children First report looked at Allentown, Pittsburgh, Chester-Upland and Philadelphia school districts.
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Allentown schools Superintendent Carol Birks said she plans to form a task force find ways to enroll more young children into early learning programs, with families on waitlists across the Lehigh Valley and statewide.
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Sources with information about the situation say Cheryl Clark will likely be demoted at Thursday's Allentown school board meeting. She was placed on administrative leave in April.
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Students are paid $15 an hour to work up to 30 hours a week. They can work in various areas such as schools or the central office.
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The Allentown school is looking for barbers, stylists and braiders to help students look their best for picture day on Oct. 13.
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The flower show is being hosted by Bethlehem Garden Club Friday and Saturday.
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The Allentown School District Foundation awarded 77 scholarships to students graduating from Allentown high schools this year, totaling more than $65,000.
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Dieruff High School junior Faith Gross competed against other aspiring actors at talent auditions in Orlando. Gross said she got three callbacks, including from a music producer.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro made a deal with Senate Republicans to include vouchers in the budget, angering Democrats and unions. He reversed that course of action after facing backlash and has promised to veto them.
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The Bethlehem Area School Board kept secret the findings of an independent investigation paid with taxpayer funds. The probe focused on an incident involving the superintendent and a Liberty High School assistant principal at a football game. The assistant principal filed a civil rights lawsuit against Roy and the district.
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The farmers' market almost disappeared in the early 2000s, but community support helped revitalized it.
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A pretrial conference was held Wednesday in federal court stemming from Liberty High School Assistant Principal Antonio Traca's federal civil rights lawsuit against retiring Superintendent Joseph Roy and the Bethlehem Area School District.
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Speakers accuse public school officials, teachers' unions of trying to "sexualize children" or indoctrinating them. Some called for restricting LGBTQ books. Protestors traveled from the Lehigh Valley and beyond to stand against the Moms for Liberty's "extremism" and in support of LGBTQ people.
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Public school advocates worry vouchers will divert money from public education into charters or private schools.
