Association Independent Schools (Accreditor) Sewickley Academy received very considering leaving 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. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users Get the Facts: 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." 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. In this conversation. Sponsors were assigned by the administration 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. 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). Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "2020/2021 Enrollment is the highest it's been in three years." 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. 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. Paid Advertisement Religious Organization. Dr. Douglas Leeks (terms not disclosed) 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 . In recent weeks, Sewickley Academy settled the federal discrimination lawsuit filed by 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. "Learning for Justice supports the educational outcomes that we want for our students. When Inequality Exists In One Area of a Community, It Affects the Whole Community Public statements have included, "research driven; moving in a new 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 Through these volunteer efforts, our funds are used to enhance student life and support faculty, staff, and administration of Sewickley Academy: Interested in volunteering with Sewickley Academy's Home and School Association? The school has had to reduce the number of athletic teams and eliminate some sports over the years. O Appoint an entirely new Board of Trustees that includes experienced educators who Now, much of right-wing media has moved on to protesting mask mandates in schools and criticizing the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. hoped-for outcomes that are developmentally appropriate, and thoughtfully conceived." Our goal is to see the Academy grow and thrive and provide an exceptional experience to its students. Three were people of color. 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. College & university. June 4th school wide communication. This ad was originally published on this date and may contain an offer that is no longer valid. But the problem is, its not your school. www.sewickelyacademy.org Why did Sewickley Academy choose "Learming for Justice" standards? Under the former head of school, some parents expressed concern about the current curriculum. presented Sewickley Academy with multiple formal complaints - Frederick Douglas, North Star, December 3, 1847 Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. 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. They are old school, Nesmith said. In doing so, we recognize the passion and beliefs driving your insistence that the school make these radical changes. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. www.sewickleyacademy.org. 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. In your petition, you demand that several actions be taken by Sewickley Academy's Board of Trustees and Head of School. 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. Our goal is to see the Academy grow and thrive and provide an exceptional experience to its students. 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. If they were, and diversity was something that was important then we wouldnt be in this situation now.. The Facebook page shared anti-CRT content as far back as April 2021, claiming the Biden administration want[s] to rewrite American history.. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users Ashley Birtwell has replaced him on an interim basis. www.sewickelyacademy.org The African American Culture club is the only club where the students were not allowed to 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. "2020/2021 Enrollment is the highest it's been in three years." 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. The published plan was distributed to the community. Sewickley Academy Interim Head of School Ashley Birtwell. Hi! Contact Us - Sewickley Parents Organization We Are Stronger Together Please join our email list by completing the form. 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. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users 8/05/2021 - Sewickley Academy's justification for staff terminations at first was "low enrolment, " but the reasons continue to change. To learn more about this business and its most recent offers. Go to concernedsewickleyparents.org for survey NAIS Principles of Good Practice. 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. Make all future Board of Trustees meetings open to all Sewickley Academy parents and alumni. Administration cites "mutual separation." hold these positions for the very first time Similar omissions of affiliations with Republican officials are common across anti-CRT coverage. A competent DEI-SJ Plan is required for accreditation from the PA Association of Independent Schools, and the National Association of Independent Schools. Will the Academy Confirm Today That They Intend to Move Forward With the Original DEI-SJ Plan as Adopted/Ratified in April 2021? We're concerned about the impact this will have on the teaching of history and race. The anti-CRT advocacy at Sewickley Academy is not unique in the area, though, and barely concealed ties to right-wing officials, organizations, and media are a common thread among the people calling for bans of critical race theory throughout the region. Does Sewickley Academy Teach Critical Race Theory? Ashley Birtwell has replaced him on an interim basis. 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. Edinboro University Alumni. The standards reflect a set of Birtwell said that 583 students were enrolled at the school for the 2020-21 school year. Learn the Timeline: 2014-2021 - 19 professional development workshops were conducted to strengthen the faculty, and define an incremental and sustainable path forward." College & university. We are one, our cause is one, and we must help each other; if we are to succeed. 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. Two more teachers have since left the school, as well as many minority families. Somerset Township, Eighty Four, PA. 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. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Veteran Senior School teachers are 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 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. 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O National search for a new Head of School with experience and qualifications 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. 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. We wish to address the Concerned Sewickley Parents who authored the petition advertisement on page 7 in the Sewickley Herald's March 31 edition. At least one of Sprouls children attended Clarion-Limestone High School , but the youngest of Sprouls children graduated high school more than 10 years ago. 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. 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. July 23, 2021 / 6:55 PM 7/1/21 - 18 year Head of School is terminated effective immediately. Academic Excellence on the Decline? A group of families, alumni and allies of made up of multiple Concerned Sewickley Parents direction; toxic environment." Our goal is to grow and maintain an active group of members that collectively can support Sewickley Academy. Please see www.concernedsewickleyparents.org for details. 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. Since the purpose of this site is to display digital ads, please disable your ad blocker to prevent content from breaking. Stephen Nesmith is one of many Sewickley Academy alumni who are upset about the schools actions. Fall 2020 - After 1.5 years in development, the Board ratified the Strategic Plan EnVision24 and it's embedded DEI-SJ Plan. These connections indicate that the anti-CRT pushes in the Pittsburgh area, like those in other regions across the country, while having some connections to parents of school children, appear to be mostly driven by right-wing officials and media rather than the organic desire of concerned parents. 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. 130 likes. quality and effectiveness of a school's program and are in conflict with the Send a message to info@sewickleyparents.org Become A Member Our objective is to shine a spotlight on our childrens experiences at Sewickley Academy. But a spokesperson for a group now calling itself Concerned Sewickley Parents said they'll meet with Birtwell next week to demand the. We studied your demands. Birtwell said the dwindling student enrollment has prompted existing students to leave for other schools, which affects the student experience. 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. 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. We studied your demands.. 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 schools plans for its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice plan dubbed EnVision 2024. 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. Concerned Sewickley Parents outraged over recent siege of power at the school: It's pushing for a school "curriculum and culture free of ideological agendapolitical bias and social indoctrination.". Three were people of color. 7/1/21 - 18 year Head of School is terminated effective immediately. "The firings were retaliatory against anyone in support of diversity in education and plans to attract recruit and retain people of color. 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. 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