MASD’s MacFann: ‘All Students Can Learn’

Weeks after assuming role, top educator says communication will drive district improvement

By Adam Reinherz
The Tube City Almanac
April 29, 2025
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

(Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)

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Two months after taking the helm of McKeesport Area School District, Superintendent Don MacFann has routinely employed a practice he’s long preached: communication. 

“The one thing I've always believed in is that communication is key,” he said. “Not to sound redundant, but that's the truth.”

MacFann signed a five year contract with MASD in January; his first day was March 3. During the 30 years prior — whether at Bethlehem-Center, East Allegheny or Clairton City — the school leader has advocated horizontal and vertical communication.

The former, he said, includes everyone in the school “from the part-time bus driver all the way up to the president of the school board and everybody in between.” When it's effectuated properly, “everyone’s on board,” he continued. “They’re fully aware of what’s going on in the district and that’s half the battle.”

As for vertical communication, that includes everyone from local, state and federal representatives to the newest parent or guardian just entering the district.  

If those parties are properly communicated with, MacFann said, “nothing but positivity can happen for the kids, for the teachers, for the staff, for the students. And that's what I'm striving to do.”

Two months isn’t enough for facetime with everyone in the district, but MacFann said he’s more than impressed with the numerous parties met to date. 

“The administrators that I've worked with so far, both central office and building level, are just truly dynamic,” he said. “They truly put kids first at McKeesport, and that's refreshing.”

Still, the new superintendent is well aware of the district’s challenges. 

McKeesport Area High School is ranked among the lowest in the state by U.S. News & World Report. Subject proficiency in mathematics, reading and science among McKeesport students significantly trails fellow Pennsylvanian high schoolers, according to data from the Keystone Exams. 

Whereas McKeesport students demonstrated a 39 percent proficiency in math, 34 percent proficiency in reading and 25 percent proficiency in science, statewide scores were 60 percent proficiency in math, 60 percent proficiency in reading and 40 percent proficiency in science. Additionally, although advanced placement courses are offered at McKeesport Area High School, just 2 percent of students passed at least one.

The district’s educational state is one story; the area’s economy is another.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that nearly 33 percent of McKeesport residents had an income below the poverty level in 2023. And, approximately 66 percent of the district’s students are considered economically disadvantaged and eligible to participate in the Free Lunch Program under the National School Lunch Act, a federally assisted nutrition program, according to U.S. News & World Report.

MacFann believes district-wide change is possible, especially when it comes to academics.

“I think the opportunity is there to do that,” he said. “Right now, it's just a matter of looking at what curricula, what instructional strategies, we can do to meet the individual groups.”

Differentiating instruction is the path forward, he explained.

Whether a teacher is guiding 25 or even 30 students in a classroom, best practices require delivering instruction “four to six different ways to truly meet those students’ academic needs,” he said.

Meeting these demands is fundamental, he continued. “Any educator, any superintendent, any administrator, you have to truly have the belief that all kids can learn. And they can. We've proven that over time — over decades, if not centuries — that all kids can learn. You just simply have to understand in the 21st century all kids can learn, but some require a different rate or pace. Some require different instructional opportunities. Some require assessments that meet their needs. And that's one of the things I like to look at, the data, and see how we can manipulate or differentiate the curriculum.”

MacFann believes a “team-like mentality” will propel the district forward.

That path is paved by communication, he said. “Everybody within the school, everybody within the community should know what's going on. And if they do, you’re going to build that positive learning community. You're going to have involvement. You're going to have volunteers. You’re going to build partnerships. You’re going to have a teaming aspect that involves people getting involved within the school.”

Before closing, the new school leader, who shared his thoughts while visiting Tube City Online's “Two Rivers, 30 Minutes,” reiterated his personal belief that every child can learn and that the entire district, “all those stakeholders — teachers, administrators, students, parents and guardians, community members — need to have that belief.”

“People learn differently,” he said. “Some require more time. Some require different questioning. Some require different instructions. Some require different assessments. But at the end of the day, there's no student out there that can't learn. That's one of the things I've always thought, and it's one of the things I'll bring with me. And I'll continue to do everything in my power to make sure that comes true within the McKeesport area School District.”

Adam Reinherz is a Pittsburgh-based journalist. He can be reached at adam.reinherz@gmail.com.

Originally published April 29, 2025.

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