Administration cites "mutual separation." 7/1/21 - 18 year Head of School is terminated effective immediately. Association Independent Schools (Accreditor) 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. Become a member and together we can make a positive, lasting impact on Sewickley Academy. O An immediate replacement of the current Interim Head of School with one who has Religious Organization. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Teachers come under pressure as politicians, parents battle over critical race theory. Our overriding reaction, however, is to urge you to reconsider. - Frederick Douglas, North Star, December 3, 1847 Paid for by ConcernedSewickleyParents.org. Concerned Sewickley Parents outraged over recent siege of power at the school: 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). 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? experience and qualifications. In other school districts, people with similar connections are trying to join school boards. We are one, our cause is one, and we must help each other; if we are to succeed. 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. Two more teachers have since left the school, as well as many minority families. / CBS Pittsburgh. 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. Sewickley Academy .Celebrates differences, and educates students that every individual is a valued member of our community." Similar omissions of affiliations with Republican officials are common across anti-CRT coverage. Fall 2020 - After 1.5 years in development, the Board ratified the Strategic Plan EnVision24 and it's embedded DEI-SJ Plan. 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. A 2019 study revealed total Independent School enrollment was down in Western PA. 2019 schoolwide communication. We have witnessed so much of this over the years, beginning with our four children who completed 43 student-years at the academy all flourished thereafter, each in their own way. The standards reflect a set of Over 150 individuals from the Sewickley Community (Board of Trustees; Faculty and Staff representatives; Student Leaders; 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. To support the mission of Sewickley Academy, Home and School hold four major fundraisers each year. 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CONCERNED When Inequality Exists In One Area of a Community, It Affects the Whole Community In your petition, you demand that several actions be taken by Sewickley Academy's Board of Trustees and Head of School. 7/1/21 - 18 year Head of School is terminated effective immediately. 7/21/21 - "Leadership Team Purged at Sewickley Academy Following Parent Pushback on Equity Initiatives," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. College & university. 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. Press Release. There is a long list of retired Heads of School who would Why Were Six Senior Leaders Fired (Including All Of The (3) Most Senior Leaders Of Color)? 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. 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. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users Our objective is to shine a spotlight on our childrens experiences at Sewickley Academy. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. O Appoint an entirely new Board of Trustees that includes experienced educators who In this conversation. 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." Faculty report a substantial decrease in morale A group of families, alumni and allies of made up of multiple Concerned Sewickley Parents Academic Excellence on the Decline? Three were people of color. We promise we will never sell your information or spam your email. The Parent Programming Chair actively participates with Youth Connect, a group of concerned adults from a variety of schools and organizations in the Sewickley area who are working to provide the information, resources, and support our young people need to avoid risky behaviors and enjoy their teen years. Somerset Township, Eighty Four, PA. Our Advisory Committee reviews all comments, and we will not share them publicly unless you direct us to do so . to see our latest opportunities and sign-up to volunteer. The Sewickley Academy Board of Trustees Needs to Answer the Following: A 2019 study revealed total Independent School enrollment was down in Western PA. 2019 schoolwide communication. hoped-for outcomes that are developmentally appropriate, and thoughtfully conceived." "Learning for Justice supports the educational outcomes that we want for our students. 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. 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. Fergusons youngest child graduated high school in 2019 , but it is unclear whether they attended the local public school. 8/05/2021 - Sewickley Academy's justification for staff terminations at first was "low enrolment, " but the reasons continue to change. Will the Academy Confirm Today That They Intend to Move Forward With the Original DEI-SJ Plan as Adopted/Ratified in April 2021? 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. 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 . 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. 10 In April 2021, however, parents at Sewickley Academy received an email about the plan. Hi! Youth Connect conducts a series of community forums where speakers are brought in to . Paid for by concernedsewickleyparents.org Consider first: Sewickley Academy has a long and successful record of preparing youth to contribute not only to Sewickley, but to the larger community. One even attended the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. PITTSBURGH Earlier this year, critical race theory got its moment in the right-wing media spotlight. "The firings were retaliatory. In your petition, you demand that several. Learn the Timeline: The school has been experiencing a steady decline in enrollment since 2002, when it had 804 students. The published plan was distributed to the community. A group of families, alumni and allies of made up of multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds, immensely concerned See more 134 peoplelike this 157 people follow this http://www.concernedsewickleyparents.org/ admin@concernedsewickleyparents.org Does Sewickley Academy Teach Critical Race Theory? select their own faculty sponsors. We studied your demands.. 130 likes. Our goal is to grow and maintain an active group of members that collectively can support Sewickley Academy. 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. 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 We wish to address the Concerned Sewickley Parents who authored the petition advertisement on page 7 in the Sewickley Heralds March 31 edition. 2019 - Sewickley Academy engaged a consultant for its Strategic Plan Envision24. 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. 26 More. Low enrollment was one of the reasons Birtwell cited as an influence for the leadership changes that occurred July 21. 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