Please see www.concernedsewickleyparents.org for details. Search for a new Assistant Head of School with experience and qualification Last week, The Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) Now, this appears to be part of the growing national debate over the teaching of critical race theory a view of history seen through the lens of racial discrimination and its impact. Odoms son is in seventh grade at Sewickley Academy and has attended the school since he was in second grade. Sadly, we feel this is our only recourse. Birtwell said the dwindling student enrollment has prompted existing students to leave for other schools, which affects the student experience. The PAIS only pursues credible complaints "that could seriously impair the If the Sewickley Parents Organization wants to make sure their children aren't ever confronted with uncomfortable topics, fine. They are old school, Nesmith said. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. But the problem is, its not your school. Follow the link to read our updated Privacy Policy, At ceremonial swearing-in, Pa. Rep. Deluzio says hell be a fighter for western Pa., Poll confirms worrying spike in antisemitism | Thursday Morning Coffee, What Norfolk Southerns accident reports say about the company and industry, A Norfolk Southern policy lets officials order crews to ignore safety alerts, Quaker Valley Parents and Community group, large sums of money from Koch-related networks. Please let us know how we can help. 2019 - Sewickley Academy engaged a consultant for its Strategic Plan Envision24. Founded in 1838, Sewickley Academy is Pittsburghs oldest independent coeducational school. Private Schools in 315 Academy Ave, Sewickley, PA 15143 We notice you're using an ad blocker. For these reasons, pause to consider your demands. Sewickley Academy "Learning for Justice supports the educational outcomes that we want for our students. Paid Advertisement CONCERNED The school won't comment except to say the moves were made to "ensure academic excellence," but the firings came after pressure from a parent group called the Sewickley Parents Organization. 6/14/2021 - In spite of its policy to "not engage parents," the Board of Trustees agrees for "clarity," to reach out to the Sewickley Parents to "Invite them to share more specifically what the central issues of their Concerned Sewickley Parents @sewickleyparent "The Man Who Fired Dr. Wolfe is a Coward & Not Half The Educator She Is" - Dr. Barrett Gough High School History Teacher Concerned Sewickley Parents Retweeted Talia Kirkland @talia_kirkland Removal of restrictions on free speech "that damages the rep. of the school," a reference to the S.A. Handbook. In several cases in Pittsburgh-area school districts, the individuals leading the charge against critical Race Theory are members of local school boards who also have ties to Republican officials and organizations, and many cite similar, if nearly identical talking points, to those pushed by conservative media groups. Sewickley Academy .Celebrates differences, and educates students that every individual is a valued member of our community." Association Independent Schools (Accreditor) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Edinboro University Alumni. Ashley Birtwell began as the interim head of school effective June 25, and less than one month later on July 21, she fired the five administrators and one teacher, three of whom were Black. Edinboro Chi Alpha. 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Paid for by concernedsewickleyparents.org Fall 2020 - After 1.5 years in development, the Board ratified the Strategic Plan EnVision24 and it's embedded DEI-SJ Plan. The post Critical race theory protests in Pgh-area schools have ties to GOP organizing, right-wing media appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star . Join the Cause for a Better Future (What You Can Do): Association Independent Schools (Accreditor) Three were people of color. We point this out not to boast, but to give considerable credit to the faculty and administration of Sewickley Academy. Press Release. 6/14/2021 - In spite of its policy to "not engage parents," the Board of Trustees agrees for "clarity," to reach out to the Sewickley Parents to "Invite them to share more specifically what the central issues of their concerns might be." Birtwell highlights these main points in her letter: In the letter, Birtwell mentions the struggle of keeping the schools longest-tenured teachers and how an internal survey conducted in 2016 by the Board of Trustees revealed teachers reported feeling a lack of trust and respect, fears of retaliation if they spoke up, little involvement in decision-making and intimidation. Enrollment is like a report card of satisfaction, and Sewickley Academy has been missing the mark, Birtwell said. Become a member and together we can make a positive, lasting impact on Sewickley Academy. In Clarion County, about 90 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh, school board member Gary Sproul worked on and succeeded in passing changes to the Philosophy of Education/Mission Statement of the Clarion-Limestone School District. When Inequality Exists In One Area of a Community, It Affects the Whole Community The Sewickley Academy Board of Trustees Needs to Commit to the Following: Immediately hire a competent DEI-SJ consultant to transition the school through this difficult time. select their own faculty sponsors. I think the Academy has this perception of how they see themselves. The standards reflect a set of June 4th school wide communication. In other school districts, people with similar connections are trying to join school boards. We are a Not for Profit organization. Sadly, we feel this is our only recourse. 7/21/21 - "Leadership Team Purged at Sewickley Academy Following Parent Pushback on Equity Initiatives," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our objective is to shine a spotlight on our childrens experiences at Sewickley Academy. 7/1/21 - 18 year Head of School is terminated effective immediately. Although the school does not teach critical race theory, the school has severed ties with outgoing head of school Kolia O'Connor, who had adopted a strategic plan called EnVision 2024 calling for equity, inclusion and social justice initiatives. The published plan was distributed to the community. 10 But at public school districts, parents such as those at Quaker Valley School District, in which Sewickley Academy is located, are also rallying against CRT. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users Our Advisory Committee reviews all comments, and we will not share them publicly unless you direct us to do so . www.sewickelyacademy.org Why did Sewickley Academy choose "Learming for Justice" standards? We are one, our cause is one, and we must help each other; if we are to succeed. Cirucci argued that CRT teaches children to be victims not Over-comers and that it judges people collectively not individually, which she, similar to Prager U talking points, calls racist and a threat to meritocracy due to its focus on equity not equality. According to the National Society of High School Scholars, equality gives everyone the same resources and opportunities while equity takes into consideration individuals specific needs. "The firings were retaliatory against anyone in support of diversity in education and plans to attract recruit and retain people of color. The Interim Head of School at Sewickley Academy, Ashley Birtwell, sent out a letter Aug. 4 to parents addressing the recent turmoil of events that have occurred at Sewickley Academy over the past six weeks. Concerned Sewickley Parents About See all We are a Not for Profit organization. Sewickley Parents Organization does not contain any identifying information for its members, which Odom finds very interesting and quite contradictory as the letter is full of racial animus, and definitely anti-Black., But the language of the letter mimics rhetoric found in right-wing media, such as framing childrens academic excellence as mutually exclusive with social justice concepts.. At least 1 dead, 3 injured in McKeesport shootings, authorities say, Morning Roundup: State gives $272K to Allegheny County for 'clean' vehicles, Death of Penn Hills couple treated as murder-suicide, police say, GZA, Donnie Iris, John Mayer among top concerts to see around Pittsburgh in March, How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people. Sewickley Academy 4/2020 Communication. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users "The firings were retaliatory. We seek to ensure that Sewickley Academy provides academic excellence in a diverse environment, attracts, retains, and celebrates the best faculty in the country, and provides a curriculum and culture free of ideological agendas. Sewickley Academy received very high marks in 2019 for it's DEI-SJ plan. experience and qualifications. A 2019 study revealed total Independent School enrollment was down in Western PA. 2019 schoolwide communication. Were seeing it as a movement and instead of take back your country, its take back our school, saidDominic Odom, a representative of Concerned Sewickley Parents, which formed in response to the firings of the five Sewickley Academy faculty and administrators. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Administration cites "mutual separation." - Frederick Douglas, North Star, December 3, 1847 Paid for by ConcernedSewickleyParents.org. One even attended the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Ashley Birtwell has replaced him on an interim basis. Ferguson is also the vice president of the Republican Women of Butler County , which shares election truther articles as well as anti-Joe Biden, anti-lockdown posts, and content from Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit that targets high school and college-age people and is affiliated with the Koch family and the American Legislative Exchange Council . O Search for a new Head of Senior School with experience and qualifications College & university. Sponsors were assigned by the administration www.sewickelyacademy.org The ban, which passed several days before Sprouls measure in Clarion-Limestone, is part of a patriotism amendment, framing critical race theory in a light similar to right-wing media platforms. The Home and School Association is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization with a purpose to support the education of the children at Sewickley Academy by fostering relationships among parents, faculty, and the administration. The PAIS only pursues credible complaints "that could seriously impair the quality and effectiveness of a school's program and are in conflict with the standards set by the Commission on Accreditation" (PAIS website). In your petition, you demand that several. We wish to address the Concerned Sewickley Parents who authored the petition advertisement on page 7 in the Sewickley Heralds March 31 edition. Whoever you are, whatever you love, wherever you want to go, learning and self-discovery take place here. April 2021 - The Board of Trustees President presented "Our Proud History" (YouTube), a community introduction to the plan. We are Parents of children that attend the Academy, and we are Alumni of Sewickley Academy who are passionate and committed to its long-term success. Please enter valid email address to continue. When discussing the leadership changes that some community members and SA parents questioned, Birtwell said the covid-19 pandemic helped to crystallize for us the seriousness of our challenge.. 2014-2021 - 19 professional development workshops were conducted to strengthen the faculty, and define an incremental and sustainable path forward." If you have a personal story you wish to share, please submit a comment below. In this conversation. We studied your demands.. 8/05/2021 - Sewickley Academy's justification for staff terminations at first was "low enrolment, " but the reasons continue to change. If they were, and diversity was something that was important then we wouldnt be in this situation now.. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Immediately hire a competent DEI-SJ consultant to transition the school through this difficult time. See All standards set by the Commission on Accreditation" (PAIS website). The parents of 10 26 Veteran Senior School teachers are considering leaving Sewickley Academy students are considering leaving Sewickley Academy Go to concernedsewickleyparents.org for survey Last week, The Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) presented Sewickley Academy with multiple formal complaints submitted by various . College & university. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. In Gateway School District in Monroeville, school board member Mary Beth Cirucci organized a meeting for community members opposed to CRT directly before an Aug. 10 school board meeting . Despite the parents organizations claims of being non-political, their anti-CRT advocacy led to the departure and replacement of OConnor less than a month later. We're concerned about the impact this will have on the teaching of history and race. high marks in 2019 for it's DEI-SJ plan. Commit to all the items listed in the petition at https://concernedsewickleyparents.org Nesmith attended Sewickley Academy from 1994-98 and made a YouTube video and several Facebook posts in response, during which he expressed his disgust, disappointment, and anger with the events that unfolded. Readers write in to address the "Concerned Sewickley Parents" who authored the petition advertisement on page 7 in the Sewickley Herald's March 31 edition. Since the purpose of this site is to display digital ads, please disable your ad blocker to prevent content from breaking. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice, Grants for Innovative Frameworks in Teaching, Instructional Technology Upgrades including iPads for all faculty members,Wireless Network Expansion, Robotics. So five, or six, or 10 individuals had the hubris to believe that they could, in turn, determine what the other constituents would receive as part of their education., The fight over critical race theory lands in Harrisburg; House GOP bill would punish districts that teach it | Thursday Morning Coffee. We wish to address the Concerned Sewickley Parents who authored the petition advertisement on page 7 in the Sewickley Herald's March 31 edition. Make all future Board of Trustees meetings open to all Sewickley Academy parents and alumni. O Appoint an entirely new Board of Trustees that includes experienced educators who Does Sewickley Academy Teach Critical Race Theory? Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. 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