In recent weeks, Sewickley Academy settled the federal discrimination lawsuit filed by www.sewickelyacademy.org Why did Sewickley Academy choose "Learming for Justice" standards? Kimberly Rooney is a reporter for Pittsburgh City Paper, where this story first appeared . We studied your demands. 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 received very high marks in 2019 for it's DEI-SJ plan. Login to the Home and School Resource Board on. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. standards set by the Commission on Accreditation" (PAIS website). Paid Advertisement submitted by various constituents. This ad was originally published on this date and may contain an offer that is no longer valid. The top three leadership positions at Sewickley Academy are occupied by individuals who hold these positions for the very first time Faculty report a substantial decrease in morale Recently, the administration enacted practices that prohibited teachers from participating in student led clubs, specifically the African American Culture club The African American Culture club is the only club where the students were not allowed to select their own faculty sponsors. In this conversation. Join the Concerned Sewickley Parents and sign the petition at https://concernedsewickleyparents.org We studied your demands.. He appeared on a July 7 Fox News segment and was introduced only as a father of two running for school board. Similar omissions of affiliations with Republican officials are common across anti-CRT coverage. 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. Faculty report a substantial decrease in morale The sudden dismissal of four administrators and one teacher each one committed to a strategic diversity plan has kindled the controversy over the teaching of the impact of race and discrimination in historical events. Please let us know how we can help. direction; toxic environment." Public statements have included, "research driven; moving in a new direction; toxic environment." 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. In April 2021, however, parents at Sewickley Academy received an email about the plan. 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. 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. Private Schools in 315 Academy Ave, Sewickley, PA 15143 We notice you're using an ad blocker. As parents and alumni, our mission is to be engaged with Sewickley Academy. 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. Consider first: Sewickley Academy has a long and successful record of preparing youth to contribute not only to Sewickley, but to the larger community. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users Association Independent Schools (Accreditor) 7/21/21 - "Leadership Team Purged at Sewickley Academy Following Parent Pushback on Equity Initiatives," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 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. Concerned Sewickley Parents. Concerned Sewickley Parents. Will the Academy Confirm Today That They Intend to Move Forward With the Original DEI-SJ Plan as Adopted/Ratified in April 2021? CONCERNED 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. In your petition, you demand that several actions be taken by Sewickley Academys Board of Trustees and Head of School. READ: Sewickley Academy Announces Changes in Leadership, First published on July 23, 2021 / 6:55 PM. We would like to see the following actions implemented immediately: Ashley Birtwell has replaced him on an interim basis. Fergusons youngest child graduated high school in 2019 , but it is unclear whether they attended the local public school. 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. Since the purpose of this site is to display digital ads, please disable your ad blocker to prevent content from breaking. The school has been experiencing a steady decline in enrollment since 2002, when it had 804 students. 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Sewickley Academy is an independent, private school, giving parents referred to by Odom as stakeholders more influence over the schools actions. In your petition, you demand that several actions be taken by Sewickley Academy's Board of Trustees and Head of School. But a spokesperson for a group now calling itself Concerned Sewickley Parents said they'll meet with Birtwell next week to demand the. Sproul also went to the Capitol for the Jan. 6 insurrection to support the right-wing conspiracy theory that the 2020 election results were tampered with to undermine former President Donald Trump. Paid for by concernedsewickleyparents.org Please see www.concernedsewickleyparents.org for details. Does Sewickley Academy Teach Critical Race Theory? 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." 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. Become a member and together we can make a positive, lasting impact on Sewickley Academy. Sewickley Academy alumni Stephen Nesmith ( Pittsburgh City Paper photo). 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. 8/04/2021 - NAACP described Sewickley Academy as ".misguided in the meaning of the philosophy of diversity, equity, and inclusion when it comes to staff." Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Borocampusrec. 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. Since the purpose of this site is to display digital ads, please disable your ad blocker to prevent content from breaking. Administration cites "mutual separation." Sewickley Academy 4/2020 Communication. Veteran Senior School teachers are Enrollment is like a report card of satisfaction, and Sewickley Academy has been missing the mark, Birtwell said. Cirucci has obfuscated her affiliation with elected Republican officials before, including when she appeared in a conservative super PACs attack ad against Lamb, in 2018. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users conservative super PACs attack ad against Lamb, went to the Capitol for the Jan. 6 insurrection, children attended Clarion-Limestone High School, vice president of the Republican Women of Butler County, affiliated with the Koch family and the American Legislative Exchange Council, Critical race theory protests in Pgh-area schools have ties to GOP organizing, right-wing media. In other school districts, people with similar connections are trying to join school boards. 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. These standards are in practice at comparable independent schools in Western PA. A competent DEI-SJ Plan is required for accreditation from the PA Association of Independent Schools, and the National Association of Independent Schools. We are a Not for Profit organization. to see our latest opportunities and sign-up to volunteer. Cirucci did not mention, however, that she is the executive administrator for state Rep. Bob Brooks, R-Westmoreland, and in charge of constituent outreach for the conservative lawmaker, whose district lies just outside of Gateways boundaries. More. 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 Why Did Two People Of Color On The Board of Trustees Suddenly Resign? 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. But the problem is, its not your school. Theyre not changing. Secondly, please consider the credibility of your demands. 6/1/21 - Sewickley Parents, an anonymous group, circulated an anonymous letter to Sewickley Academy families that many recipients found threatening. 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. Under the former head of school, some parents expressed concern about the current curriculum. Sewickley Academy Home. Make all future Board of Trustees meetings open to all Sewickley Academy parents and alumni. Those involved in Pittsburghs anti-CRT campaigns have been congressional staffers to Republican elected officials such as U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and involved in previous attack ads against local Democrats such as U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-17th District. presented Sewickley Academy with multiple formal complaints 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. 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. TV Q&A: Is a Pittsburgher writing for CBSs East New York? Other leaders in local anti-CRT campaigns also have ties to additional right-wing actions and organizations, despite attempts to rhetorically frame anti-CRT measures as non-partisan concerns for childrens education and emotional well-being. Concerned Sewickley Parents outraged over recent siege of power at the school: If the Sewickley Parents Organization wants to make sure their children aren't ever confronted with uncomfortable topics, fine. There are 500 other constituents in the school. Three were people of color. 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.. 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. Make all future Board of Trustees meetings open to all Sewickley Academy parents and alumni. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. O An immediate replacement of the current Interim Head of School with one who has The parents of www.sewickleyacademy.org. The top three leadership positions at Sewickley Academy are occupied by individuals who Stephen Nesmith is one of many Sewickley Academy alumni who are upset about the schools actions. hoped-for outcomes that are developmentally appropriate, and thoughtfully conceived." Sewickley Academy received very Sewickley Academy Our goal is to see the Academy grow and thrive and provide an exceptional experience to its students. Immediately hire a competent DEI-SJ consultant to transition the school through this difficult time. 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. 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