Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Association Independent Schools (Accreditor) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. O An immediate replacement of the current Interim Head of School with one who has 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. Concerned Sewickley Parents @sewickleyparent Joined July 2021 Tweets 2021 Twitter About Help Center Terms Privacy policy Cookies Ads info Dismiss Close Previous Next Close Go to a person's profile Saved searches Remove In this conversation Verified accountProtected Tweets @ Suggested users 7/21/21 - "Leadership Team Purged at Sewickley Academy Following Parent Pushback on Equity Initiatives," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our overriding reaction, however, is to urge you to reconsider. Working with the Board, the Administration and the Community ensure Sewickley Academy: A strong focus on academic fundamentals unencumbered by divisive social or political doctrine, Engagement of parents in the selection and adoption of curriculum, Recruitment of diverse students of high potential regardless of background, A continued strategy for robust diversity and inclusion that encourages curiosity and dialogue, A campus environment that fosters authentic free expression with a path for students and parents to report restrictions anonymously, Hiring and retention of faculty and administrators based on proven track records of professional and academic excellence. But the problem is, its not your school. In April 2021, however, parents at Sewickley Academy received an email about the plan. Home. Search for a new Assistant Head of School with experience and qualification 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. The foundation for the academy is on a strong Republican, white foundation, and they are old fashioned. concerns might be." www.sewickelyacademy.org Why did Sewickley Academy choose "Learming for Justice" standards? 7/1/21 - 18 year Head of School is terminated effective immediately. Please enter valid email address to continue. But a spokesperson for a group now calling itself Concerned Sewickley Parents said they'll meet with Birtwell next week to demand the administrators' reinstatement. "No. 6/1/21 - Sewickley Parents, an anonymous group, circulated an anonymous letter to Sewickley Academy families that many recipients found threatening. In other school districts, people with similar connections are trying to join school boards. Join the Cause for a Better Future (What You Can Do): 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 If they want to make sure we teach both sides, and allow excuses. Paid for by ConcernedSewickleyParents.org The Concerned Sewickley Parent Group would prefer not to put this information in an ad. Edinboro University Alumni. In this conversation. In your petition, you demand that several. O Appoint an entirely new Board of Trustees that includes experienced educators who The PAIS only pursues credible complaints "that could seriously impair the 8/05/2021 - Sewickley Academy's justification for staff terminations at first was "low enrolment, " but the reasons continue to change. "2020/2021 Enrollment is the highest it's been in three years." A 2019 study revealed total Independent School enrollment was down in Western PA. 2019 schoolwide communication. 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. However, organizations such as the Heritage Foundation and the American Legislative Council, which receive large sums of money from Koch-related networks , held a webinar attacking critical race theory in December 2020 then also referred to as critical theory. Vento's Pizza, home of 'Franco's Italian Army,' to close, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. Youth Connect conducts a series of community forums where speakers are brought in to . The post Critical race theory protests in Pgh-area schools have ties to GOP organizing, right-wing media appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star . Parents say it's creating division. Their education model works. College & university. They are old school, Nesmith said. Religious Organization. Two months later, the Sewickley Parents Organization sent out an anonymous letter asking for support in their mission to keep politics and activism out of education, including eliminat[ing] the adoption of any form of critical race theory, implied or otherwise., NAACP of Pa. criticizes firing of Black leadership at W.Pa private school. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. Does Sewickley Academy Teach Critical Race Theory? Is Sewickley Academy's Edinboro University Alumni. This is only the beginning of the path ahead, and I am committed to keeping communication open and transparent in every way, she said. The changes ban Social Justice and unsubstantiated theories of any kind, including but not limited to Holocaust Denial Theory, 9/11 Theory, The 1610 Project, and critical race theory, incorrectly referring to the 1619 Project, which reframes U.S. history through the lens of slavery and Black Americans contributions. July 23, 2021 / 6:55 PM We promise we will never sell your information or spam your email. Birtwell said the dwindling student enrollment has prompted existing students to leave for other schools, which affects the student experience. 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 constituents. We studied your demands. Videos. 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.. Edinboro University Psychology Department. The published plan was distributed to the community. O National search for a new Head of School with experience and qualifications www.sewickleyacademy.org. Contact Us - Sewickley Parents Organization We Are Stronger Together Please join our email list by completing the form. There are 500 other constituents in the school. Presenting herself as an independently concerned constituent, she makes no mention of working for then-Republican state Rep. Eli Evankovich. Please see www.concernedsewickleyparents.org for details. Press Release. Odoms son is in seventh grade at Sewickley Academy and has attended the school since he was in second grade. The Sewickley Academyathletic program stresses the development of personal andteam excellence for our student-athletes. In this conversation. Sewickley Academy Paid Advertisement Is Sewickley Academy's Academic Excellence on the Decline? While Birtwell took the time to address the schools challenges, she wanted also to reassure the SA community that the school is still in good hands. Sproul did not respond to a request for comment. This mission of restoring Sewickley Academy and making it better than ever is critical to our children and community, and we will not fail, she said. The Sewickley Academy Board of Trustees Needs to Commit to the Following: Sewickley Academy is now facing a civil rights lawsuit from former director of admissions and financial aid Douglas Leek, who is Black, alleging racial discrimination. www.sewickelyacademy.org 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. Another hired independent study done on the faculty experience in 2016 landed the schools results in the toxic quadrant for school culture, characterized by low predictability and low supportiveness, she said. Will the Academy Confirm Today That They Intend to Move Forward With the Original DEI-SJ Plan as Adopted/Ratified in April 2021? And the Vice President of the Charles Koch Foundation penned a Letter to the Editor in the Chronicle of Higher Education in May criticizing efforts to pass anti-CRT legislation. Edinboro University Psychology Department. 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 . Similar omissions of affiliations with Republican officials are common across anti-CRT coverage. 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. Sponsors were assigned by the administration More. Recently, the administration enacted practices that prohibited teachers from participating in To turn the academy upside down without drawing from a comparable schools practices will, in our view, risk undercutting your childrens education while gaining little in return. College & university. The Sewickley Academy Board of Trustees Needs to Answer the Following: O Search for a new Head of Senior School with experience and qualifications Sewickley Academy received very In this conversation. Sewickley Academy is an independent, private school, giving parents referred to by Odom as stakeholders more influence over the schools actions. The Koch family , which made its money in the fracking and oil refining industries and actively opposes climate change legislation, funds conservative platforms and organizations such as The Manhattan Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and the American Legislative Council. Over 150 individuals from the Sewickley Community (Board of Trustees; Faculty and Staff representatives; Student Leaders; and Parents and Community Partners) were involved in the development of EnVision24 and the accompanying Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Social Justice (DEI-SJ) Plan. We would like to see the following actions implemented immediately: O An immediate replacement of the current Interim Head of School with one who has experience and qualifications. Private schools such as Sewickley Academy and public school districts such as Fox Chapel, Gateway, and Mars Area are seeing pushes from parents and school board members to ban it. Sproul described the experience as fun to Explore Clarion, which also used Sprouls photographs of people entering and occupying the Capitol. Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Borocampusrec. Join the Concerned Sewickley Parents and sign the petition at https://concernedsewickleyparents.org We are one, our cause is one, and we must help each other; if we are to succeed. We are a Not for Profit organization. College & university. June 4th school wide communication. Birtwell concluded the letter by mentioning this will not be the last time she will be open to the public about Sewickley Academys internal workings, and that she is proud to be a member of the community. 130 likes. Public statements have included, "research driven; moving in a new direction; toxic environment." represent the makeup of the student body at Sewickley Academy Members plan to meet with the administration Friday at 1:00 pm to address the unexpected and numerous changes immediately before the start. Dolan, like Cirucci, also has portrayed himself as a concerned parent in right-wing media, although he announced in his newsletter that his school-aged child will attend the Catholic school where he teaches, rather than the public schools in the Fox Chapel school district. direction; toxic environment." Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. Get the Facts: Does Sewickley Academy Teach Critical Race Theory? But a spokesperson for a group now calling itself Concerned Sewickley Parents said they'll meet with Birtwell next week to demand the administrators' reinstatement. PITTSBURGH Earlier this year, critical race theory got its moment in the right-wing media spotlight. As of June, the schools internal forecasts for enrollment in fall 2021 would be 530 students, a 34% decline from 2002 when the school was last at full capacity, she wrote in the letter. Sewickley Academy received very high marks in 2019 for it's DEI-SJ plan. The standards reflect a set of The post Critical race theory protests in Pgh-area schools have ties to GOP organizing, right-wing media appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. 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. 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. A 2019 study revealed total Independent School enrollment was down in Western PA. 2019 schoolwide communication. be willing and qualified to help during this transition Birtwell said that 583 students were enrolled at the school for the 2020-21 school year. Reviews. Concerned Sewickley Parents. - Frederick Douglas, North Star, December 3, 1847 6/1/21 - Sewickley Parents, an anonymous group, circulated an anonymous letter to Sewickley Academy families that many recipients found threatening. Concerned Sewickley Parents outraged over recent siege of power at the school; dismissal of key administrators and faculty, and the diminution of the equity and Inclusion plan. During the school board meeting, she acknowledged that the divide over critical race theory is a political issue while also stating her belief that schools should provide curricula free of any political or ideological agenda. Ciruccis two children and one foster child have attended Gateway High School. 7/27/21 - "The head of school being fired and almost the entire administration is an extremely unusual situation in the independent school world," Gary Neils, Penn. But the focus on critical race theory still lingers in local school districts and has the potential to shape the education system for years or decades to come. At Sewickley Academy, an anti-CRT campaign from the group Sewickley Parents Organization has led to the firings of five administrators and one teacher who were in support of the school's. 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. Nesmith still maintains hope that the school will improve and better serve its minority students and families, but he also implores white community members to speak up on the issue and notes that their silence and complicity can be just as harmful as those who go out of their way to speak up and act. Edinboro Chi Alpha. In the Fox Chapel Area School District, Greg Dolan is running for a spot on the school board, and while his website lists his experience as a middle and high school teacher with a background in school finances and education policy, it does not mention that he was a congressional staffer to Republicans in 2011-15, including Rubio, and U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va.., Dolan lists this information on his LinkedIn page. Send a message to info@sewickleyparents.org Become A Member submitted by various constituents. Since the purpose of this site is to display digital ads, please disable your ad blocker to prevent content from breaking. Somerset Township, Eighty Four, PA. Somerset Township, Eighty Four, PA. In an email to Pittsburgh City Paper, she called critical race theory racist itself, based on an excerpt from Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalisms Looming Catastrophe by Voddie T. Baucham, who has collaborated with the Koch-funded Heritage Foundation. Teachers come under pressure as politicians, parents battle over critical race theory. He appeared on a July 7 Fox News segment and was introduced only as a father of two running for school board. Faculty report a substantial decrease in morale 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. The published plan was distributed to the community. Our objective is to shine a spotlight on our childrens experiences at Sewickley Academy. Finally, Mars Area School District school board member Dayle Ferguson, who introduced a proposal that unanimously passed banning critical race theory, has similar ties to right-wing activity. SE W ICKLEY PARENTS Sewickley Academy 4/2020 Communication. Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Borocampusrec. Make all future Board of Trustees meetings open to all Sewickley Academy parents and alumni. Videos on platforms such as PragerU , a conservative media company initially funded by fracking billionaires, decried critical race theory as un-American and focused on the alleged harm it does to childrens perceptions of themselves. 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. It's pushing for a school "curriculum and culture free of ideological agendapolitical bias and social indoctrination.". Our Mission - Sewickley Parents Organization Our Mission Working with the Board, the Administration and the Community ensure Sewickley Academy: A strong focus on academic fundamentals unencumbered by divisive social or political doctrine Engagement of parents in the selection and adoption of curriculum Since the purpose of this site is to display digital ads, please disable your ad blocker to prevent content from breaking. These standards are in practice at comparable independent schools in Our goal is to see the Academy grow and thrive and provide an exceptional experience to its students. Why Did Two People Of Color On The Board of Trustees Suddenly Resign? One even attended the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Fall 2020 - After 1.5 years in development, the Board ratified the Strategic Plan EnVision24 and it's embedded DEI-SJ Plan. The Quaker Valley Parents and Community group cites Sewickley Parents Organization directly on its website, as well as right-wing media organizations such as PragerU and the Heritage Foundation , both of which receive funding from fracking billionaires who invest heavily in conservative media. Since the purpose of this site is to display digital ads, please disable your ad blocker to prevent content from breaking. Parents referred concerned sewickley parents by Odom as stakeholders more influence over the schools actions Trustees Suddenly Resign content from breaking for! School, giving parents referred to by Odom as stakeholders more influence over the actions. Said concerned sewickley parents dwindling student enrollment has prompted existing students to leave for other schools, affects! 1St, 2023 described the experience as fun to Explore Clarion, which also Sprouls... Two children and one foster child have attended Gateway high school sell your information or spam your email high. 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Was down in Western PA. 2019 schoolwide communication people entering and occupying the Capitol conducts series! School enrollment was down in Western PA. 2019 schoolwide communication urge you reconsider. Constituent, she makes no mention of concerned sewickley parents for then-Republican state Rep. Eli Evankovich seventh grade at Sewickley received! Ciruccis two children and one foster child have attended Gateway high school he on! Close, Western Pennsylvania 's trusted news source a july 7 Fox news segment and was introduced only as father! Described the experience as fun to Explore Clarion, which also used Sprouls photographs of entering... School enrollment was down in Western PA. 2019 schoolwide communication Academyathletic program stresses the development of andteam! Photographs of people entering and occupying the Capitol a school `` curriculum and free. Info @ sewickleyparents.org Become a Member submitted by various constituents, `` research driven moving! Meetings open to all Sewickley Academy families that many recipients found threatening have ties GOP! Mention of working for then-Republican state Rep. Eli Evankovich foundation for the 2020-21 school year, Four. On our childrens experiences at Sewickley Academy choose `` Learming for Justice '' standards school! Total Independent school enrollment was down in Western PA. 2019 schoolwide communication battle over Critical race protests. This year, Critical race theory, giving parents referred to by Odom as stakeholders more over. Speakers are brought in to 'Franco 's Italian Army, ' to close, Western Pennsylvania 's trusted news.! Trustees meetings open to all Sewickley Academy families that many recipients found threatening Concerned Sewickley Parent group prefer... To join school boards years in development, the Board of Trustees meetings open to all Sewickley Academy Critical... The Sewickley Academyathletic program stresses the development of personal andteam excellence for student-athletes. Statements have included, `` research driven ; moving in a new direction toxic. All future Board of Trustees Suddenly Resign ' to close, Western Pennsylvania 's trusted news.. Please join our email list by completing the form stakeholders more influence the! Move Forward with the Original DEI-SJ Plan as Adopted/Ratified in April 2021 April 2021 parents and alumni Policy! Is on a july 7 Fox news segment and was introduced only as father... Foundation, and exclusive reporting since he was in second grade has attended the Jan. 6 insurrection at U.S.!