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.
-
Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, invited the state Senate’s top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee for a visit Tuesday of the Allentown School District’s oldest school buildings. -
The all-day conference is being hosted by The Thrive Hub.
-
The after-school program at Trexler Middle School will offer seven courses.
-
Birks was given a four-year contract as schools superintendent, serving until 2027. She has served in an interim capacity since last Oct. 31.
-
Local state lawmakers are reacting to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s call for $1 billion in new public education spending for the state’s students and schools.
-
Board Director Phoebe Harris blasted the board leadership's lack of transparency in a radio interview.
-
Groups that represent the district's majority-minority population are crying foul over what they describe as a lack of transparency and involvement in the process of identifying a new leader.
-
As interest in the education field continues to decline, the report recommends systemic changes. A hearing of the state Senate Education Committee to examine the issue is set for this week.
-
The city says by reducing the number of sponsored concerts at West Park, programmers will be able to include other bands in more neighborhoods.
-
Liz Bradbury has been an LGBTQ activist in the Lehigh Valley for more than 30 years.
-
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.
-
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.
-
The Allentown school is looking for barbers, stylists and braiders to help students look their best for picture day on Oct. 13.
-
The flower show is being hosted by Bethlehem Garden Club Friday and Saturday.
-
The Allentown School District Foundation awarded 77 scholarships to students graduating from Allentown high schools this year, totaling more than $65,000.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
The farmers' market almost disappeared in the early 2000s, but community support helped revitalized it.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Public school advocates worry vouchers will divert money from public education into charters or private schools.
