Educator, 88, and others honored
At age 88, Rita Havran has had a long career in education, continuing to serve until her retirement early this year.
For her 50 years of service to The Pathfinder School, Ms. Havran, of Bethel Park, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.
She is one of seven AIU employees honored with outstanding educator awards. The AIU provides education services for the 42 suburban school districts in the county, as well as for somenonpublic schools.
The other honorees are Lynn Langford of Crafton; Susan Magill of Monroeville; Maria Magnotta of Sharpsburg; Sandy McDade of New Kensington; John Reig of Eighty Four; and Amy Renegar of Mt. Lebanon.
Ms. Havran started at The Pathfinder School, which serves students with disabling conditions, in 1966. She retired in 1993 but continued to serve as board secretary of the South Central Area Special Schools Committee, the consortium of districts responsible for maintenance of Pathfinder. She retired from that post in February.
Ms. Langford and Mr. Reig received the Award of Excellence, which honors staff members from the AIU’s alternative education program,which provides instruction, counseling and advocacy for students in detention centers, jails, child welfare shelters and community-based learning centers.
Ms. Langford has been an instructor at various locations for 25 years, working with students at the Allegheny County Jail and McKeesport Education Center/Auberle Shelter program.
Mr. Reig is a technology education teacher with the alternative education program. He teaches at CommunitySchool West.
Ms.Magill is the recipient of the Helping Hands Award, which is presented to a support employee. She is a paraprofessional at Sunrise School and has worked with the AIU since 1999. She works with students in a secondary learning support classroom and provides onsite learning through her family business, Magill’s Autoand Towing.
Ms. Magnotta, a teacher in the AIU’s English as a Second Language program, received the World of Gratitude Award, which recognizes an ESL teacher who serves students in public schools across the county.
Students from more than 50 countries attend schools in Allegheny County. Ms. Magnotta has worked with the AIU since 2011 and taught in several districts, including Sto-Rox.
Ms. McDade is a school nurse in the AIU’s special education department and received the 2017 Annie Sullivan Award, named for HelenKeller’s teacher.
She has been with the AIU since 1997 and works as a nurse and community advocate at Sunrise School in Monroeville.
Ms. Renegar, a reading specialist and math instructor, is recipient of the Apple Award, which recognizes professionals in nonpublic schools. She has worked with the AIU since 2009 and teaches remedial math and reading to kindergarten througheighth grade.