We point this out not to boast, but to give considerable credit to the faculty and administration of Sewickley Academy. The parents of Somerset Township, Eighty Four, PA. To learn more about this business and its most recent offers. 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. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users College & university. Edinboro Chi Alpha. June 4th school wide communication. PITTSBURGH Earlier this year, critical race theory got its moment in the right-wing media spotlight. They are old school, Nesmith said. 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. I think the Academy has this perception of how they see themselves. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Theyre not changing. To support the mission of Sewickley Academy, Home and School hold four major fundraisers each year. April 2021 - The Board of Trustees President presented "Our Proud History" (YouTube), a community introduction to the plan. Western PA. Sewickley Academy Interim Head of School Ashley Birtwell. Now, much of right-wing media has moved on to protesting mask mandates in schools and criticizing the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. / CBS Pittsburgh. Faculty report a substantial decrease in morale 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 . - Frederick Douglas, North Star, December 3, 1847 We wish to address the Concerned Sewickley Parents who authored the petition advertisement on page 7 in the Sewickley Heralds March 31 edition. 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 Parents of children that attend the Academy, and we are Alumni of Sewickley Academy who are passionate and committed to its long-term success. College & university. Paid Advertisement 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 The letter, which the school also sent to the Sewickley Herald, comes after Academy representatives met with a concerned group of parents July 30 to discuss the school's plans for its. Paid for by ConcernedSewickleyParents.org The Sewickley Academyathletic program stresses the development of personal andteam excellence for our student-athletes. Academic Excellence on the Decline? Go to concernedsewickleyparents.org for survey READ: Sewickley Academy Announces Changes in Leadership, First published on July 23, 2021 / 6:55 PM. 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 schools recent mission to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice measures. In this conversation. Learn the Timeline: 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. In other school districts, people with similar connections are trying to join school boards. 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. Concerned Sewickley Parents. Birtwell also said that having more students enrolled allows for the vocal, music and dramatic arts offered to improve. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sewickley Academy 4/2020 Communication. www.sewickelyacademy.org In doing so, we recognize the passion and beliefs driving your insistence that the school make these radical changes. This ad was originally published on this date and may contain an offer that is no longer valid. Three were people of color. 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. Send a message to info@sewickleyparents.org Become A Member Parents say it's creating division. 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. 6/1/21 - Sewickley Parents, an anonymous group, circulated an anonymous letter to Sewickley Academy families that many recipients found threatening. Why did Sewickley Academy choose "Learming for Justice" standards? In your petition, you demand that several actions be taken by Sewickley Academys Board of Trustees and Head of School. Rather, we are unaware of any private school successfully launching such a dramatic change in its educational focus. Press Release. Recently, the administration enacted practices that prohibited teachers from participating in 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. 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.. Kimberly Rooney is a reporter for Pittsburgh City Paper, where this story first appeared . Vento's Pizza, home of 'Franco's Italian Army,' to close, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source, met with a concerned group of parents July 30. leadership changes that occurred July 21. A group of families, alumni and allies of made up of multiple Concerned Sewickley Parents Sewickley Academy .Celebrates differences, and educates students that every individual is a valued member of our community." Ashley Birtwell has replaced him on an interim basis. Administration cites "mutual separation." 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. 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 . Paid Advertisement Is Sewickley Academy's Academic Excellence on the Decline? Association Independent Schools (Accreditor) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Become a member and together we can make a positive, lasting impact on Sewickley Academy. 2019 - Sewickley Academy engaged a consultant for its Strategic Plan Envision24. Founded in 1838, Sewickley Academy is Pittsburghs oldest independent coeducational school. O Appoint an entirely new Board of Trustees that includes experienced educators who Academy graduates join a network of more than 4,000 alumni across the globe. We're concerned about the impact this will have on the teaching of history and race. Search for a new Assistant Head of School with experience and qualification O An immediate replacement of the current Interim Head of School with one who has hoped-for outcomes that are developmentally appropriate, and thoughtfully conceived." Fall 2020 - After 1.5 years in development, the Board ratified the Strategic Plan EnVision24 and it's embedded DEI-SJ Plan. O Search for a new Head of Senior School with experience and qualifications Please see www.concernedsewickleyparents.org for details. Make all future Board of Trustees meetings open to all Sewickley Academy parents and alumni. 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. experience and qualifications. In April 2021, however, parents at Sewickley Academy received an email about the plan. "The firings were retaliatory. We promise we will never sell your information or spam your email. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users Fergusons youngest child graduated high school in 2019 , but it is unclear whether they attended the local public school. 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. If you have a personal story you wish to share, please submit a comment below. Learn the Timeline: 2014-2021 - 19 professional development workshops were conducted to strengthen the faculty, and define an incremental and sustainable path forward." 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. April 2021 - The Board of Trustees President presented "Our Proud History" (YouTube), a community introduction to the plan. 130 likes. www.sewickelyacademy.org Why did Sewickley Academy choose "Learming for Justice" standards? 2014-2021 - 19 professional development workshops were conducted to strengthen the faculty, and define an incremental and sustainable path forward." All anti-CRT pushes in the Pittsburgh region have occurred in 2021. College & university. The African American Culture club is the only club where the students were not allowed to 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. 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. students are considering leaving Join the Cause for a Better Future (What You Can Do): In short, the scope and scale of the problems faced by our school required the fresh perspective of new leadership, Birtwell said. Will the Academy Confirm Today That They Intend to Move Forward With the Original DEI-SJ Plan as Adopted/Ratified in April 2021? 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. Please let us know how we can help. Get the Facts: Does Sewickley Academy Teach Critical Race Theory? In this conversation. Paid Advertisement 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. hold these positions for the very first time For these reasons, pause to consider your demands. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. to see our latest opportunities and sign-up to volunteer. Why Were Six Senior Leaders Fired (Including All Of The (3) Most Senior Leaders Of Color)? Paid Advertisement CONCERNED SE W ICKLEY PARENTS What Is Happening at Sewickley Academy Affects The Whole Community The Sewickley Academy Board of Trustees Needs to Answer the Following: Why Were Six Senior Leaders Fired (Including All Of The (3) Most Senior Leaders Of Color)? But the problem is, its not your school. 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. TV Q&A: Is a Pittsburgher writing for CBSs East New York? 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