- Frederick Douglas, North Star, December 3, 1847 Speak out, share this information and help us get answers from the Sewickley Academy Board of Trustees. Youth Connect conducts a series of community forums where speakers are brought in to . In this conversation. Sewickley Academy Interim Head of School Ashley Birtwell. There is a long list of retired Heads of School who would be willing and qualified to help during this transition O National search for a new Head of School with experience and qualifications Search for a new Assistant Head of School with experience and qualification O Search for a new Head of Senior School with experience and qualifications O Appoint an entirely new Board of Trustees that includes experienced educators who represent the makeup of the student body at Sewickley Academy O Search for a new Head of DEISJ with experience and qualifications Paid for by concernedsewickleyparents.org. Login to the Home and School Resource Board on. Administration cites "mutual separation." Sewickley Academy is distinguished by not only its rigorous academics and outstanding faculty, but also by its student-centered approach to learning and teaching, in which every child is challenged to explore and excel to his or her highest ability. April 2021 - The Board of Trustees President presented "Our Proud History" (YouTube), a community introduction to the plan. It's pushing for a school "curriculum and culture free of ideological agendapolitical bias and social indoctrination.". For these reasons, pause to consider your demands. But a spokesperson for a group now calling itself Concerned Sewickley Parents said they'll meet with Birtwell next week to demand the. All anti-CRT pushes in the Pittsburgh region have occurred in 2021. While these small-scale, local campaigns attempt to make anti-CRT actions appear non-partisan and organic born from individual reflection and necessity many of the people leading these campaigns have ties to Republican elected officials and cite or reference right-wing media sources. Rather, we are unaware of any private school successfully launching such a dramatic change in its educational focus. Does Sewickley Academy Teach Critical Race Theory? Photos. To support the mission of Sewickley Academy, Home and School hold four major fundraisers each year. Dr. Douglas Leeks (terms not disclosed) Concerned Sewickley Parents. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. College & university. There are 500 other constituents in the school. 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.. Sewickley Academy College & university. Public statements have included, "research driven; moving in a new 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 . Religious Organization. Commit to all the items listed in the petition at https://concernedsewickleyparents.org Join the Cause for a Better Future (What You Can Do): Speak out, share this information and help us get answers from the Sewickley Academy Board of Trustees. Get the Facts: 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. Go to concernedsewickleyparents.org for survey We need this information to communicate and engage with each other effectively. Learn the Timeline: 2014-2021 - 19 professional development workshops were conducted to strengthen the faculty, and define an incremental and sustainable path forward." Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users While Odom says she and her son have faced incidents of anti-Black racial bias before at Sewickley Academy, Odom says there was a sense that progress was occurring, and that the former head of school Kolia OConnors EnVision 2024 plan, which called for diversity and equity measures when it was introduced in 2019, indicated an interest on the part of the school to continue that progress. 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." Private Schools in 315 Academy Ave, Sewickley, PA 15143 We notice you're using an ad blocker. July 23, 2021 / 6:55 PM 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. select their own faculty sponsors. In short, the scope and scale of the problems faced by our school required the fresh perspective of new leadership, Birtwell said. standards set by the Commission on Accreditation" (PAIS website). / CBS Pittsburgh. College & university. 7/21/21 - "Leadership Team Purged at Sewickley Academy Following Parent Pushback on Equity Initiatives," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Make all future Board of Trustees meetings open to all Sewickley Academy parents and alumni. This ad was originally published on this date and may contain an offer that is no longer valid. A competent DEI-SJ Plan is required for accreditation from the PA Association of Independent Schools, and the National Association of Independent Schools. 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. Astronauts, world-renowned doctors, fashion designers, chefs, filmmakers, zombie experts, world travelers our alumni are proof that students become determined, courageous, and caring individuals ready to take on life's next challenges. Sewickley Academy 4/2020 Communication. 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. experience and qualifications. While Nesmith remembers his years at Sewickley Academy fondly, he also recognizes the longstanding issues that Sewickley Academy has with race. Ashley Birtwell has replaced him on an interim basis. Why did Sewickley Academy choose "Learming for Justice" standards? Birtwell also said that having more students enrolled allows for the vocal, music and dramatic arts offered to improve. 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. In your petition, you demand that several actions be taken by Sewickley Academys Board of Trustees and Head of School. The post Critical race theory protests in Pgh-area schools have ties to GOP organizing, right-wing media appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. 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. Immediately hire a competent DEI-SJ consultant to transition the school through this difficult time. Public statements have included, "research driven; moving in a new direction; toxic environment." "No. The foundation for the academy is on a strong Republican, white foundation, and they are old fashioned. 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. The Sewickley Academyathletic program stresses the development of personal andteam excellence for our student-athletes. SEWICKLEY, Pa. (KDKA) -- Sewickley Academy is a prestigious private school ensconced in one of the region's wealthiest communities, but it is becoming a flashpoint in the national debate over race and education. Founded in 1838, Sewickley Academy is Pittsburghs oldest independent coeducational school. 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. April 2021 - The Board of Trustees President presented "Our Proud History" (YouTube), a community introduction to the plan. The school has had to reduce the number of athletic teams and eliminate some sports over the years. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users Press Release. quality and effectiveness of a school's program and are in conflict with the Home and School membership include all parents, legal guardians, and other persons standing in loco parentis with a child or children enrolled and attending Sewickley Academy, as well as all members of the faculty, staff, and administration of Sewickley Academy. Concerned Sewickley Parents, Sewickley, Pennsylvania. The PAIS only pursues credible complaints "that could seriously impair the Religious Organization. Fall 2020 - After 1.5 years in development, the Board ratified the Strategic Plan EnVision24 and it's embedded DEI-SJ Plan. 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. The standards reflect a set of www.sewickelyacademy.org Often abbreviated to CRT, critical race theory is an academic framework dating back to the 1980s at Harvard University that seeks to understand how racial hierarchies continue to exist, but thats not how right-wing media presented it. 8/05/2021 - Sewickley Academy's justification for staff terminations at first was "low enrolment, " but the reasons continue to change. Members plan to meet with the administration Friday at 1:00 pm to address the unexpected and numerous changes immediately before the start of the school year. Please let us know how we can help. Our Advisory Committee reviews all comments, and we will not share them publicly unless you direct us to do so . In the Pittsburgh area, 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 CRT. 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. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users 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. O Search for a new Head of DEISJ with experience and qualifications Presenting herself as an independently concerned constituent, she makes no mention of working for then-Republican state Rep. Eli Evankovich. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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 problem is, its not your school. Sewickley Academy is an independent, private school, giving parents referred to by Odom as stakeholders more influence over the schools actions. Somerset Township, Eighty Four, PA. SE W ICKLEY PARENTS Follow the link to read our updated Privacy Policy, We wish to address the Concerned Sewickley Parents who authored the petition advertisement on page 7 in the Sewickley Heralds March 31 edition. Learn the Timeline: 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 Concerned Sewickley Parents. Concerned Sewickley Parents. Paid Advertisement In this conversation. Three were people of color. Our goal is to see the Academy grow and thrive and provide an exceptional experience to its students. Sewickley Academy received very Sponsors were assigned by the administration In recent weeks, Sewickley Academy settled the federal discrimination lawsuit filed by Dr. Douglas Leeks (terms not disclosed) The Concerned Sewickley Parent Group would prefer not to put this information in an ad. 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. Last week, The Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) Consider first: Sewickley Academy has a long and successful record of preparing youth to contribute not only to Sewickley, but to the larger community. Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. www.sewickelyacademy.org Why did Sewickley Academy choose "Learming for Justice" standards? 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