The Penn-Trafford School District is pleased to announce the hiring of new staff at the August 1, 2022 board meeting. They include:
Taylor Berardi will be a Math Teacher at Penn-Trafford High School. Taylor attended St. Vincent College where she majored in Mathematics and Secondary Education. She worked for Penn-Trafford last year as a St. Vincent Fellow while pursuing her master’s degree in Curriculum Design and Instruction (anticipated completion May 2023).
Brittney Manuppelli will be an English Teacher at Penn-Trafford High School. She held substitute teaching positions for both Penn-Trafford and Jeannette last year and also taught Penn-Trafford summer learning camp for two years. Brittney earned her bachelor’s degree in English from St. Vincent College with a Secondary Education certification.
Taylor Oberdorf will join the Penn Middle School staff as an English Teacher. Previously, Taylor worked at Hollidaysburg Area School District for two years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education/English from Clarion University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Special Education from Slippery Rock University.
Joshua Wood will be a Special Education Teacher at Penn-Trafford High School. He worked for the Pittsburgh Public School District for three years. Joshua earned a bachelor’s degree in American History and master’s degrees in Special Education and 7-12 Social Studies, all from the University of Pittsburgh.
Bethany Faulk will assume the role of School Counselor at Penn Middle School. Bethany spent three years as a counselor for Jeannette City School District. She attended Penn State for her bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation and Human Services with a minor in Psychology and then earned a master’s degree in School Counseling from IUP.
Denise Kubistek was hired as the Director of Student Services. She comes from Jeannette City School District where she was the Director of Special Education for four years. She also worked at the Children’s Institute and the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit. Denise holds multiple degrees in Special Education and both supervisory and principal certifications from Edinboro University, University of Mary Washington and California University of Pennsylvania. Her doctorate degree is in Education/Administrative Leadership.
Rachel Krouse has accepted the position of School Psychologist. Rachel has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Grove City College. She also has a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from IUP, and is currently completing her doctorate degree in School Psychology. She spent the last year as an intern at Penn-Trafford and has worked in various behavior intervention and psychological contractor positions.
Left to right: Bethany Faulk, Denise Kubistek, Taylor Oberdorf, Joshua Wood, Rachel Krouse, Taylor Berardi, Brittney Manuppelli