Allentown Pastor Slams Gentrification at Expense of Education

Rev. Gregory J Edwards

When he was in 8th grade, a guidance counselor first told Rev. Gregory Edwards to forget about college.He thanks her because those negative words inspired him to go on and graduate from Geneva College (B.S.), Drew University (Master of Divinity) and The New Brunswick Theological Seminary ( Doctor of Ministry in Public Policy). He is the founder and Senior Pastor at Resurrected Life Community Church in Allentown. He was the keynote speaker yesterday at the Bethlehem Elks' annual lunch, and took the opportunity to blast away at the gentrification going on in Allentown.

I'm absolutely concerned about the gentrification of our cities. It's happening in Allentown. Allentown now has the largest community development initiative in this state's history. It's happening in Allentown, where 125 acres have been set aside to gentrify and reclaim space that was owned by others that were indigenous here, prior to developers like J.B. Reilly, Zach and Mark Jaindl and Gregory and Lee Butz.

So we have to know that land is valuable. Land is valuable, property is valuable, God is not making any more earth. Through public policy and legislation written by [Senator] Pat Browne and made sacrosanct by Mayor Pawlowski, we have 125 acres that have been set aside, that have been gentrified. Those natives, folk who have been indigenous, going to work there, going to church there, worshiping, walking there, the barber shops, the bodegas, the nail salons, ordinary folk, have been and will continue to be displaced.

We gentrify because there is no talk with $6 billion, give or take, in economic development taking place downtown. There is no talk to do anything with the largest public entity in the Lehigh Valley, which is the Allentown School District. 

We've got 18,000 children, a graduation rate of about 60%, and only 19% of that 60% go on to college. Almost 90% of our children qualify for free or reduced lunch. Eighty or 90% of our children are determined to be "at risk" in terms of poverty. Ninety per cent of the children are children of color and really, if I wasn't a preacher I'd cuss right here, but really, nobody cares.

There seems to be a lack of outrage. We have churches everywhere. We have nonprofits everywhere. But there really seems to be a lack of consciousness on how important and how valuable our children's futures are when it comes to education. 

I firmly believe that one of our greatest civil liberties is public education.    

All of the state tax dollars that are funding Allentown's gentrification come at the expense of those 18,000 children, whether it is deficits in children healthcare funding or in state educational funding.

Bethlehem NAACP Talks Student Walkouts, Education

Esther Lee led the discussion

Against the backdrop of a student walkout in Allentown, Bethlehem's NAACP hosted a forum devoted to educational inequality on September 29 at Town Hall. About 35 people, most of them black or Hispanic, attended. This racial disparity was noted by outspoken moderator and NAACP President Esther Lee. "That's not my fault," she said to laughter. "People hear the word NAACP and ... ."

Wearing her ever present church hat, Lee peppered panelists and even audience members with questions about the walkout, the absence of diversity among teachers and the educational gap between white and minority students.

Student Walkout

"It starts in the home," said Rev. Melvin Tatem

Though opposed to the walkout, Lee stated that "[w]e would not have that situation in Allentown if those young people thought they were being treated fairly." Mayor Bob Donchez, who spent 35 years as a teacher in Allentown, called education "one of the great equalizers," but what sets Bethlehem apart from Allentown is that it is an area school district that includes suburbs like Hanover Township. Many years ago, Allentown passed on an opportunity to create an area school district.that could have included Salisbury, Donchez observed.

Panelists like Lehigh University's Dr. James Peterson insisted there would have been no walkout at all if school board members just listened to student grievances at a crowded and contentious meeting just a few days before the student strike. He said students have many legitimate grievances, like old textbooks and far fewer teachers than just a few years ago.

Chief Mark DiLuzio calls himself "the last teacher"

But Rev. Melvin Tatem, Pastor at Grace Deliverance Baptist Church had a completely different view.

"It starts in the home," the cleric observed, speaking in a soft voice that grew louder as he continued. "If we don't do our job, everything else falls down. ... If you don't respect your parents, you won't respect the police." He want on to speak of three generations in just one family being in jail.

Chief Mark DiLuzio, sitting right next to Tatem, called himself the "last teacher" that a young person sees before being sent to the prison system. Both Chief DiLuzio and Mayor Donchez also decried the poverty in Allentown and elsewhere within the Lehigh Valley. DiLuzio asked how, in a country as blessed as the United States, the poverty rate could go up three per cent in just eight years. Donchez decried a "permanent underclass" with "very limited skills."

Educational Disparity   

Mayor Bob Donchez (L) and Dr. James Peterson (R)

Dr. Joseph Roy, Superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District, not only agreed that there is disparity, but told the audience it starts early. A gap in reading and math proficiency among white, Latino and black students starts in the fourth grade, and widens as students get older.That's why he believes all-day kindergarten is so important. "We have to start young and get kids on a successful track early," he stressed.

But all-day kindergartens and teachers cost money in a "Don't tax me" society that is increasingly unwilling to pay the price.

"We've lost respect for the public good," observed Roy."We don;t have money for roads and bridges," he said, referring to our crumbling infrastructure.

Mayor Donchez blamed extremists on both sides of the ideological divide to whom "compromise" is a dirty word. "We can certainly do better,": he observed.

Minority Teacher Shortage 

Both Dr. Roy and Dr. Peterson agreed with Lee's observation that "the majority of teachers are white while the majority of students are not." But Dr. Peterson explained that there's "no pipeline" to crate minority teachers. He stated more needs to be done to make "teaching a profession to which students aspire."

Peterson, who directs the African Studies program at Lehigh, noted that one reason so few high schools offer African American studies is because so few teachers are qualified in that area.

Panelists participating in this forum included Mayor Bob Donchez, Police Chief Mark DiLuzio, BASD Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy, African American Studies Professor Dr. James Peterson, Bethlehem YWCA Executive Director Stephanie Hnatiw and Randi Blauth from the American Association of University Women.

Superior Court Flunks Appeal of C+ Grade

Speaking for a three-judge panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court, Judge Patricia Jenkins has rejected the appeal of a Lehigh University grad student. She had claimed that her C+ grade was both a breach of contract and the result of sexual discrimination. The poor mark hampered her effort to become a professional counselor, she claimed. But following a four-day bench trial before Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano, a Moravian graduate himself, he concluded that Lehigh had it right.

This student, who ironically is the daughter of a distinguished Lehigh professor, appeared to have a bumpy relationship with a professor who awarded her zero out of 25 points in classroom participation. This brought her down a full letter grade.

Judge Giordano sympathized with this student, writing that if he were her father, he would be unhappy, too. But he found no evidence that her grade was based on anything other than academic performance.

Though conceding that "[t]he relationship between a student and a private educational institution such as the University is contractual in nature," Judge Jenkins added that courts “may not override [the school's judgment] unless it is such a substantial departure from accepted academic norms as to demonstrate that the person or committee responsible did not actually exercise professional judgment.”

You can read the Opinion yourself here.

O'Hare and Stoffa in 1899?

This is classic. This is the Shenandoah Herald, 1899. My grandfather (Bernard O'Hare) was about 17. Barbara Stoffa's grandmother (Ella Franey) was even younger, about 14. Both are recognized for making it through the first month of school without being late or absent.

Here's what Jeff Stoffa (John's son) tells me.

"I don't know what I love more, that Bernard O'Hare and Ella Franey are in the same article - or the idea that if you were punctual for just the first month of school, you got your name in the paper! I guess standards were low in Shenandoah in 1899!"

I think that if we had those standards today, more kids might actually graduate. If they made it through the year, they were honored with a parade.

Elementary Arts Academy Planned at Racquetball Club

Allentown's Racquetball Club, shuttered for nearly three years, is being prepared for a new kind of clientele. Instead of of balls slamming along walls or whirring treadmills, the singing and dancing of children will echo through the halls. This downtown Allentown property, located at 601 Union Street, will be the home of the Arts Academy Elementary Charter School.

Dr. Thomas Lubben, who will chair the Board of Directors, announced this new elementary school during a July 22 news conference at the racquetball club. He was joined by other Directors, including business leaders like Lee Butz and Dennis Coffin, fitness consultant Cyndi Po, dance advocate Janet LaCava and educator Beth Peters.

With this elementary school, the Lehigh Valley now has arts schools from Kindergarten through high school. The Arts Academy Charter Middle School is located in Salisbury Township, and the Charter High School for the Performing Arts is located in Bethlehem. Though unaffiliated, it is expected that many who attend the Arts elementary school will wish to continue with the Arts Academy middle and high schools.

Beginning in September of 2014, as many 500 students in grades K-5 will trickle into what were once 16 racquetball courts. Those will be converted into 30 class rooms. Class sizes will be small. Kindergarten and First Grade will be about 15 students per class. Second through fifth grade will be approximately 20.

This school will mean 50 new jobs for fully certified teachers and other personnel. Applications are being taken now.
The charter will be sought from the Allentown School District, but students will be sought from surrounding school districts.

Calling the location "truly ideal," Dr. Lubben noted its location near the Baum School of Art, Allentown Museum, Community Music School and the Parkettes. In addition, a 75-space parking lot will make bus drop off and pick-up much easier than at other schools.

The school will lease, instead of owning the facility with a 30-year lease with rent starting at $400,000 per year and growing to $550,000.

In addition to their regular curriculum, arts academy students will have two hours instruction each week in dance, theatre, visual art, and both instrumental and vocal music. At least once a month, they'll also visit the Steel Ice Center for figure skating.

Janet LaCava, Beth Peters, Lee Butz, Tom Lubben, Cyndi Po and Dennis Coffin

Becahi's 2013 Graduates Will Get $12 Million in Scholarships

Maria R. Spirk

Although 193 seniors graduated from Bethlehem Catholic High School on June 6, Principal John Petruzzelli awarded 194 diplomas. The last one was for Kasey Roman, who passed away after a sudden illness in her Freshman year. Her twin brother, Jesse, accepted the diploma on her behalf, after which the crowded auditorium thundered in applause. Seniors also established a scholarship fund in Kasey's honor.

Before that, as each graduate's name was announced, moms and dads and other family members really tried to be quiet. But when Eva Rodic's name was called, a small tot shouted, "Hi Eva!" Everyone, even Dean Michael Grasso, started laughing.

Salutatorian Maria Spirk, on her way to Bryn Mawr College, took the time to thank her parents for setting a "fundamental example of how we lead our lives." She is the daughter of Bethlehem City Solicitor Jack Spirk, and his wife, Marian.

Bridget M. Smith

Valedictorian Bridget Smith was also named the top female athlete. In soccer, she set a school record of 71 goals. Called a "warrior" in basketball, she helped lead the Golden Hawks to a District XI championship this year. Daughter of Grace and Edward Smith, she will attend the University of Pennsylvania.

Smith joked that her uncle, who never quite made it, still proudly wears a "I survived Catholic School" T-shirt. She claimed that despite the "Go Home Freshmen" taunts she took in her first year, she was able to meet all kinds of interesting people from China, Korea, Spain, Germany "and even New Jersey."

The top male athlete honored was two-time state wrestling champ Darian Cruz, who will take his 153-8 record to Lehigh University.

Another senior wrestler, Connor Hedash, has been appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Dean Michael Grasso

Principal Petruzzelli stated that over $12 million in scholarships have been awarded to the Class of 2013. "They left quite an impression," he remarked. Although agreeing that "you're each on your own journey now," Petruzzelli concluded, "Always be Beca proud. ... We love 'ya."

Bethlehem Catholic High School is a private co-educational community of the Diocese of Allentown, with approximately 760 students between grades 9 through 12. Established on the south side in 1925 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, the school is currently located at 2133 Madison Avenue. Children of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome, but students are required to participate in faith-based activities.

A Charter High School For the Business-Minded

The Business and Entrepreneurship Charter High School, located at 601 East Street in West Easton, is looking for students. Below is a very lengthy overview, prepared by Mark Lang. I am publishing all of it. If this is something you are considering for your son and daughter, I know you'll take a close look at it, especially after you see a video of the above young entrepreneur from Allentown, who worked on a business with skateboards.

"This is my time to shine," this young man said.

You can contact Mark Lang with any questions at 610-691-8459.

Summary

The Business and Entrepreneurship Charter High School is pioneering a new paradigm for education that engages students through hands-on, meaningful project activities and helps the students achieve their full potential to advance business and society in the ways they are gifted. We are leveraging the best lessons from entrepreneurs to address all the education needs and opportunities of the 21st Century's global creative economy within the context of today's social challenges.

A culture of learning is created by helping each student understand and develop his or her natural abilities and passions. The resulting environment supports engagement and fulfillment, which makes learning meaningful. Students master the core academic subjects through specially selected, team-based and student-directed projects. In this way students learn to research the information needed for a given task or project, critically evaluate what is important, and communicate and collaborate with peers and other resources to co-create outcomes that address goals. Further, all students learn to solve problems creatively just like entrepreneurs by engaging in challenging, multidisciplinary "incubator" projects to the point of creating their own innovative businesses and social initiatives that address real issues for real customers.

The project-based approach provides a learning environment that naturally engages and develops a wide variety of students with diverse abilities and interests. This includes academic standouts bored with traditional schools; to hands-on learners who are disconnected from book learning; through kids who have not had the role models and opportunities to be all they can be. Each has the opportunity to contribute in his or her own unique manner and to take the projects as far as he or she wants to go, so there is no need for separate advanced placement courses. By working together students experience the power that diverse people with different skills and abilities can bring to a productive collaboration. Finally, all students learn to lead within the context of their own gifts and personal styles.

Need for New Education Paradigm

It is widely recognized that in the 21st Century we face an economy globally integrated to an unprecedented degree, along with unimagined advances in science and technology. Hungry people in faraway lands are ready and able to take on any job that is predictable and routine enough for them to master, if it is not automated first. This includes the vast majority of jobs within the traditional middle class. U.S. based organizations must constantly move the bar forward by innovating to survive. The knowledge and skills required for adults to achieve their full potential as citizens, employees, leaders, parents, volunteers, and entrepreneurs in this world are dramatically different from those in prior ages. People require real mastery in English, math, science, and other school subjects so they can apply their understanding to new situations. Further, business and political leaders are increasingly asking schools to develop such skills as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, leadership, and even innovative problem solving―often referred to as "21st Century skills."

Recognizing that schools in the U.S. are falling behind on measures such as international tests and dropout rates, new testing regimens have been forced on public schools to hold them accountable for performance. We believe that the targets for these assessments and the education reform movement in general are misplaced because, even if they are achieved, schools will at best satisfy basic content learning in the tested subjects―leaving out the range of newly important 21st Century skills and, in particular, the need for regular innovation.

Educational Philosophy

The Business and Entrepreneurship Charter High School is being designed from the ground up to address all of the education needs dictated by the 21st Century global economy, as well as various societal challenges that get in the way of learning. That includes:

1. Engaging students in learning so they have the motivation to stay involved;
2. Identifying and building on the strengths and styles of each individual student so he can achieve his full potential as gifted;
3. Getting beyond memorization of facts and formulas so that students truly master the core academic subjects and can apply them to any situation; and
4. Developing the innovation and leadership skills to question, think, collaborate, and creatively address problems and opportunities (the 21st Century skills).

It is pretty obvious that changing or improving the current education system cannot accomplish such ambitious learning goals. This effort requires an entirely new paradigm of learning that integrates all of the goals.

The new education paradigm being pioneered by the Business and Entrepreneurship Charter High School involves hands-on, student directed learning organized around real projects that are meaningful to students. First, the curriculum includes specific activities to help each student identify his or her natural strengths and interests. Every person is born with unique skills (things he or she can do better than many others) and interests (things that invoke passionate responses). We help each student get in touch with his or her specific life purpose, where he or she is gifted and passionate, and then to develop the knowledge and skills he or she will need to achieve their full potential in that purpose. Second, we teach the majority of core academic subjects (broadly reading and writing, math, science, and humanities) through hands-on projects. We select key questions that are interesting to the students and also require specific knowledge they need to learn, and have students work on projects in teams to develop the answers. In this way students learn the important content as it is used to address real and meaningful applications. At the same time the students are developing 21st Century skills including critical thinking, collaboration, communications, creativity, research, and project management. Finally, we have all students work on challenging, multidisciplinary projects chosen largely by the students where they develop innovative solutions to real problems and opportunities in business, school, or community. Students learn initiative, innovation, dealing with ambiguity, learning from failure, and related advanced skills while they incubate new businesses and social initiatives.

The Business and Entrepreneurship Charter High School has been launched with significant support from business leaders and entrepreneurs within the community. We expect them to help the school keep aware of dynamic business and human resource requirements. Further, many will interact with the students as project mentors, hosts for interns, and sponsors of projects students undertake for specific organizations.

This learning approach borrows from several national education models including High Tech High in San Diego and the Buck Institute for Education in Novato, CA. It also incorporates extensive knowledge from the school's principals and supporters on entrepreneurship and the non-linear innovation process practiced by creative entrepreneurs (called "lean entrepreneurship" in many circles today). Our new education paradigm emerges at the integration of entrepreneurial innovation and leadership. We expect it to become a national model for the future of education, and we expect to develop extensive tools, guides, lessons, and support for the approach that we will share with other Lehigh Valley schools as well as nationally.

Who Will Benefit

The curriculum of the Business and Entrepreneurship Charter High School, which includes mastery of the core academic subjects, advanced 21st Century skills, and even innovation, represents the full range of knowledge and skills cited by every major recent government and business survey of education requirements. All students will graduate with confidence and understanding of themselves, with a mastery of core academic subjects, with an understanding of business and the free market system, with experience to research and address new issues, and with experience and understanding of how to collaboratively find creative solutions to problems and opportunities. For that reason, the school aims to be a model for how other public educational institutions can transform to finally address the needs of the global creative economy.

More specifically, we see several student constituencies for which the Business and Entrepreneurship Charter High School is particularly suited. First, students who now do well in the current academically focused institutions but may be bored because they are not fully challenged, can greatly broaden the value of their education. The projects provide a vehicle to take the learning as far as a student is capable, and teaches him to collaboratively apply his academic knowledge to address real problem situations and to creatively solve problems. This kind of hands-on experience will prepare the student to be productive in any job setting or to get the maximum advantage of higher education. Second, students who are turned off by the highly structured academic environment, with its focus on learning the right answers, will thrive in our hands-on, project-based approach, where questions are welcomed and work is largely student directed. Third, we have made a special effort to address students who are lost because they have not had the role models, opportunities, encouragement, and support within and beyond the school. We will engage them and open their eyes to their specific gifts, help them catch up where they may have fallen behind with project activities and individual computer-based learning, and provide opportunities for them to develop those gifts while getting the education they need to achieve their full potential.

Students with the natural interest and drive to start businesses will graduate not only with relevant knowledge about business and entrepreneurship but also with real experience in starting and growing a business. Those whose purpose is focused more on improving society or contributing to an existing organization will graduate with the confidence, fundamentals, initiative, innovation, and leadership skills to help any employer or colleague constantly advance through innovation.

Particulars

The Business and Entrepreneurship Charter High School is a publicly supported alternative for high school students in the Lehigh Valley under Pennsylvania's charter school law. Thus, there are no costs to attend. We plan to open in September 2013 with approximately 150-200 students in grades 9 and 10. Additional classes will be added in the next two years until the school covers grades 9-12 with approximately 400 students. If demand is as expected, attendance will also be expanded in each grade to reach 600-800 high school students. The school is located in a facility in the Wilson Area School District (West Easton) newly renovated for our use. However, students from any district in the Lehigh Valley and beyond may apply, and transportation will be provided by the home district for districts up to 10 miles from the school. As required by law, if demand exceeds available slots, students will be selected from the applicant pool by a qualifying criteria or lottery system yet to be determined. We expect the focus of the school to be the hand-on projects and other related activities that will incorporate much of why students at traditional schools look to extracurricular clubs and activities. However, students who desire can participate in sports programs and other extracurricular activities offered in their home districts, if not provided by our school.

How to Apply

The Business and Entrepreneurship Charter High School is currently seeking applicants who are interested in registering for either the 9th or10th grade starting in September 2013. Please complete the online form at the website at www.busacad.org. This form gets a student on the list for application but does not commit him or her to attend. You can also find contact information for questions at the website, and additional material will be added as development proceeds.

Nickel and Dimed

Two years ago, when it was more powerful, the local tea party demanded that Easton School District stop using Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed," as part of it curriculum for some students. Ehrenreich's tome, like the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, was yet another step along the slippery slope of socialism, they argued.

As part of a story about a year the author spent as a waitress and doing other low-skilled jobs, Ehrenreich describes how pre-employment drug tests are evaded.

Former school board candidate and dad Ronnie DelBacco has carried on this crusade, persuading school directors to place this matter on the agenda in May.

Now as most of you know, I don't like writing about school boards. But on Friday night, while having dinner with my grandson at Pizza Joe's, I saw a real example of Nickel and Dimed.

Our waitress is a Spanish teacher who's been laid off by the Catasauqua School District. Twenty-four per cent of the staff is gone, across the board. So instead of teaching children Spanish, our waitress was asking us whether we wanted cheese with our meatballs.

Because there are fewer teachers, seniors at Catty have an "opt out" program that allows them to skip their first and final classes of the day. Not enough teachers. Naturally, most love arriving late and leave early.

I always thought children were our most precious resource, but aren't they being nickel and dimed on their education?

1.7% Tax Hike Approved For Bethlehem Schools

Even though one of them was participating by phone, all of Bethlehem's nine school directors managed to weigh in on next year's budget at their June 13 meeting. As children and televisions blared in the background, Director Rosie Amato phoned in a Yes to a $203.8 million budget that makes nobody happy. It imposes both a 1.7% tax increase while simultaneously furloughing 49 teachers, as well as another 48 workers. The remainder of the 145 total positions eliminated are the result of attrition.

"I hate this budget," declared Director Michael Faccinetto, placing the blame on himself. "The blame cannot go any further than this room." Then he voted for the budget he hates.

So did Director Aurea Ortiz, who complained about the loss of 16 bilingual staffers in a school with a heavy Hispanic contingent.

They were joined by President Michele Cann and Directors Bill Burkhardt, Gene McKeon, and Rosie Amato.

Amato hung up as soon as he cast his vote.

Karen Becker, a professor at The College of New Jersey, slammed Faccinetto for his vote. "If you didn't like it, you shouldn't have voted for it," she chided, adding that he just approved a budget that will have an adverse academic impact. In the Middle Schools alone, there will now be 45 additional lunch hours and 60 less instruction hours.

Three Directors - Loretta Leeson, Irene Follweiler and Benjamin Tenaglia - voted No. Explaining her vote, Leeson noted taxes have already risen 11% over the past two years "in the worst economy we've ever seen."

As approved, the budget eliminates high school resource officers and guidance counselors, teaching teams and co-ed soccer at the middle schools. It also dips $1 million into the $2.6 million budgetary reserve. The pre-school SPARK building will be closed and leased.

A 1.7% tax hike means $57 more from a homeowner assessed at $75,000.

Is It Time to Ban Teacher Strikes?

That's what State Rep. Justin Simmons thinks. He's sponsoring legislation that will ban teacher strikes. Calling Pennsylvania the "teacher strike capital of the United States," Simmons claims that the Keystone State is now home to 60% of all teacher strikes.

"We have constantly led the nation in one category, and that is teacher strikes," Simmons stated during a news conference. He added that he believes teacher strikes violate the Pennsylvania Constitution, "and it's time to put a child's education first by banning them." Pointing to the Saucon Valley School District, located in his legislative district, Simmons notes there have been two strikes within the last four years.

Thirty-seven other states already ban teacher strikes, according to Simmons.

Other prime sponsors of this legislation are Reps. Todd Rock (R-Franklin) and Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler).

According to the PSEA, there is no evidence that teacher strikes have an adverse impact on education.

What concerns me about a ban is the binding arbitration that will follow. Police officers, who are unable to strike, do pretty well with arbitration.

Bethlehem Schools Poised For 1.7% Tax Hike, 56 Fewer Teachers

Nearly 100 people, many of them students, braved sweltering temperatures on June 8 for Bethlehem Area School Board's final budget workshop on a proposed $204 million spending plan guaranteed to make nobody happy. It eliminates 147 jobs - 56 of them teaching positions - and raises taxes 1.70%.

Although temperatures were cooler in the cavernous auditorium at East Hills Middle School, the crowd was still hot. Teacher furloughs and the elimination of middle school soccer, as well as East Hill's popular Harmonium program, guaranteed a raucous crowd.

Freedom High School English teacher Jamie Ott, one of 56 teachers facing the budget axe, was their lead-off hitter. In her classroom, she told the Board, is a poster about cheaters, who "risk everything and gain nothing." She pointed to the elimination of 6 English and 6 math teachers at the secondary level, and asked, "How much are our own students being cheated?"

Following Ott, three East Hills Middle School students presented board members with a petition signed by over 200 families, asking that the soccer program be retained for the 38 students who currently participate. That program would cost $24,000.

A small army of students, all uniformed in white "Music is Our Thing" T-Shirts, begged School Board members to retain the Harmonium program, in which 38 students spend the final two periods of the day as a team, engulfed in music. "We're like family," 9th-grader Tori Scovens told the Board. "This is the first time I received straight As on my report card all year," she added.

Aside from Board member Loretta Leeson, school board members were unwilling to tinker with the budget, which is scheduled for adoption on June 11. "We're getting rid of something that we haven't looked at that closely," she complained. But Board member Michael Faccinetto pointed to other team programs slated for elimination and cautioned, "You just can't focus on one program."

Leeson, noting the relatively low, $18,000, cost of Harmonium, questioned whether there was any study showing that it had a positive academic benefit. Superintendent Roy retorted that all day kindergarten provides a positive academic benefit, too, and that is being eliminated.

Leeson continued to question budget details, from dues and fees to professional organizations to the $1,000 travel cost projected for Summer school. "How do we have travel expenses for Summer School?" she asked.

Nobody answered, as Board members appear to be resigned to accept the budget. In fact, two School Board members, Rosario S. Amato and Eugene C. McKeon, were absent.

Superintendent Roy did offer some hope. If some state money is restored, he will restore full-day kindergarten and school resource officers at Liberty and Freedom High Schools. He also suggested new computers for slow learners in the middle schools.

That's not enough for Karen Becker, a professor at The College of New Jersey. She told the Board that Bethlehem Area School District is ranked 356 of 498 Pennsylvania school districts, based on five years of standardized tests. "The lowest tax rate gets you what you pay for, the bottom third."

After the meeting, she mentioned she has three children. Two go to Charter Schools and one goes to Bethlehem Area School District.

"He won't be returning next year," she said.

Photos:

Above right: Furloughed FHS teacher Jamie Ott (center), poses with students Anna Thomas (left) and Kaleigh Birdsong (right)

Above left: East Hills Middle School students Tori Scovens, Christa Abert, Vicki Lorah and Jordan Haas, from left to right, after their plea for Harmonium to Bethlehem School Board.

Below: Harmoinium student army at Bethlehem School Board

Lehigh Valley Academy Needs Elbow Room in Hanover Township

There are no more than 25 students to a class. They must wear uniforms. Their school day is one hour longer, and school year is ten days longer, than most other schools. There are no athletic facilities on site, and students who want to play sports will have to do that in their own school district. Foreign language instruction starts in kindergarten.

This is Lehigh Valley Academy, a K-12 Charter school located on Valley Center Parkway in Hanover Township. When it first started in 2002, there were just 185 students. Student census now is 970, and there are actually several hundred students on a waiting list, according to Director of Operations Holly Parkinson. She projects the school will grow to 1,300 by 2017.

That's why Parkinson, along with Attorney Joseph Fitzpatrick, appeared before Hanover Township Supervisors on May 24. They are seeking the Board's blessing to a major, 28,000 sq ft expansion, that will add a gymnasium, new cafeteria, library and eight classrooms.

Supervisors had some questions about parking in a courtyard that is also used for recesses, and the Academy is willing to ban parking at that location.

Students from 17 different school districts currently attend Lehigh Valley Academy, which charges no tuition.

Supervisors will decide whether to grant the expansion at their June 14 meeting.

Dent, Toomey To Host Service Academy Day

If you're the parent of a high school student, especially a junior, you might want to visit Parkland High School (2700 North Cedar Crest Boulevard, Allentown, PA) on Saturday, April 30, at 10 AM. LV Congressman Charlie Dent and U.S. Senator Pat Toomey will host representatives from West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy and Merchant Marine Academy. Competition for Congressional appointments to these fully funded schools is stiff.

An application for a Congressional appointment is located here.

US Service Academy Information Day Flyer (1)

Straight A 7th & 8th Graders to Get Free IronPigs Tickets

Did you know that there are more honor students in India and China than total students in the U.S.? Dean Browning wants to change that and thinks he knows how to do it.

Baseball.

Yes, the magical sport that transforms lives.

When he first ran for County Commissioner in 2007, then candidate Browning proposed the “Lehigh County Straight-A All-Stars,” which would reward deserving 7th and 8th graders in Lehigh County schools who earn straight As in their last semester. He got the idea as a Cincinnati boy, growing up with the Reds' franchise, which has a similar program. "When I was a kid, a program like this made a real difference for me," Browning claims.

I wonder if he had a moustache then.

If you've ever been a supplicant before a municipal body, you'll know that Dean the candidate was politely ignored. That continued even after he was elected to one of nine Commissioner seats. But now as a Chairman, he's become a little more influential.

It took four years, but that plan is a reality. On April 13 Browning was finally able to unveil a "Straight A All Stars" program that offers two free tickets, free parking and two Coca Cola beverages to any Lehigh County 7th or 8th grader who can maintain a straight A, or 4.0 average, in the most recent marking period. All Lehigh County schools - public, private and parochial - have been invited to participate. So far, 26 schools, from Lower Macungie Middle School to Notre Dame of Bethlehem, have said yes. So far, 820 vouchers have been awarded.

Browning by no means accomplished this on his own. He's had help from Executive Don Cunningham, who made sure schools were informed and set up the infrastructure for the process. The IronPigs, Coca Cola, New World Aviation and other private benefactors have provided the financial support.

So on a rainy afternoon, a school bus full of cheerful Allentown 7th and 8th graders, invaded an otherwise deserted stadium, to gaze in awe at its beautiful green diamond. "It's so beautifully manicured," one seventh grader said between the rain drops. Led by a soft spoken Superintendent Gerald Zahorchak, they were honored with cookies and other treats, which included those baseball hats full of popcorn. They got to meet Ferrous, who was sneaking cookies until FeFe caught him. They were awarded two box seat tickets to future IronPigs games, along with free parking and two Coca Cola beverages. Most importantly, they were thanked for their achievement by Browning, Dr. Zahorchak, IronPigs GM Kurt Landes and Coca Cola's Sales Director Jonathan Isaacs.

Browning summed it up. "Our intent is to demonstrate to those 7th and 8th graders in Lehigh County who have worked hard and achieved success by earning straight As, that their efforts have been noticed and are appreciated. We want to reward them for their success and encourage them to continue to perform well."

I tried to scalp a few tickets, but those little brats wanted too much money.

Above is a brief video montage.

Hey Teachers ... Thank You For Your Service

On Monday night, before going to Bethlehem Township's Board of Commissioners' meeting, I decided to drop in at Barnes & Noble and pretend I'm smart. I got a cup of coffee and flipped open my laptop to make snotty remarks. I was sitting close to two women, and tried not to, but ended up eavesdropping.

The younger of these two is a teacher, apparently in Whitehall. I listened to her discuss a student who wants to drop out because he's sure he'll fail. But he carries a notebook full of rap rhymes everywhere, and she often sees him jotting down his thoughts. He finally let her take a look. Once she got past the vulgarity, she told her friend she was blown away by this young man's complexity and depth. She's told him how gifted he is, and is begging him to stay.

This boy, and several of his classmates, had no Winter jacket. Too proud to admit their poverty, they'll just claim they aren't cold or that they forgot their coat. This woman and several others chipped in and bought outerwear. Anonymously. These students have no idea that, for the most part, their benefactors are their own teachers.

As I listened to her selfless talk about her students and her efforts to reach them, I began to think there's still hope for us.

When she and her friend got up to leave, I told them I could not help overhearing them and that I was sorry, but I wanted to say one thing.

"Thank you for your service."

It's what we say to our soldiers and vets every day. They certainly deserve this commendation. But this teacher, embroiled in a different kind of war, deserves a few accolades of her own.

The same goes to the rest of you bastards out there, who open young minds.

Scott Armstrong: Eliminate Middle Schools?

He's the conservative you all love to hate. I'm speaking, of course, about Allentown's Scott Armstrong, who is always interesting. Today, he's giving Allentown schools a detention.

Is the newly proposed idea by the just hired superintendent of the Allentown School District a brilliant idea or a sign of real concern? As an Allentown parent, I see it as a problem, a big problem. I would ask any doubters to stand outside Raub Middle School in the morning and ask themselves if, as parents, they would want to drop their elementary aged child off with these kids. I would ask them to go back at dismissal time to ask themselves if they would want their second grader intermixed with these urbanely sophisticated teenagers. I think the answer will be immediately obvious. The mere fact that K through 8th grade schools are under consideration is reason for real concern.

The new superintendent uses parochial schools as a model for his suggestion of the idea. This indicates to me that the poor soul is clueless as to the drastic differences in the make up of the student bodies of these two entirely different scholastic entities.

When one thinks they have seen it all in Allentown this sort of absurdity is presented as feasible in the news. Remember the police contract? One can only scratch his head and keep an eye on the exit. Clearly, the new superintendent is off to a very bad start with this idea.

If Mr. Rooney Had a Web Cam, He Could Finally Bust Ferris Bueller

I could see it now. Mr. Rooney would call Ferris into his office and show him incrminating pictures from a secretly activated web cam on a school supplied laptop, conveniently stashed in Ferris' bedroom.

"Les jeux sont faits. Translation: the game is up. Your ass is mine."

Then a judge slaps Rooney with an injunction faster than Ferris can drive a Porsche, and the FBI seizes his computers for forensic analysis.

Bueller? Bueller?

Update: Thi post concerns a Lower Merion School District practice of spying on high school kids, even in their bedrooms, by remotely activating web cams on school-supplied laptops.

Pa. House Scholarship Applications Available

State Rep. Rich Grucela, D-Northampton, has aked me to tell you that applications for the 2010-11 Pennsylvania House of Representatives Scholarship are now available.

"It's approaching that time of year when high school seniors are searching for every scholarship opportunity out there," Grucela, a former teacher and member of the House Education Committee, said. "This is a good program that is open to most good students, so please share this information to anyone you think may be interested."

The scholarship is open to all college-bound high school seniors who plan to attend a Pennsylvania college, university or career school on a full-time basis. To qualify, students must have a 3.0 grade-point average, display leadership qualities and a commitment to their community, and exhibit financial need. They also will be scored and reviewed based on a personal essay. The topic of this year’s essay is William Penn’s role in creating the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its representative government. Better that than bonusgate, eh?

The deadline to apply is March 1, 2010.

Two scholarships are awarded each year equal in value to the cost of one semester's tuition at a State System of Higher Education university, approximately $2,500, but scholarship recipients may attend any Pennsylvania public or private post-secondary institution. The scholarship may be renewed each year for four years.

Students also may be eligible to receive matching funds from SAGE Scholars Inc. and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency’s PATH Program. Recipients’ names will automatically be submitted to PHEAA, and a matching award may be given based on remaining financial need.

The House Scholarship is privately funded by individual and corporate donations; no taxes or other public funds are used.

Grucela's constituent service offices are located at 239 S. Broad St. in Nazareth, 610-614-1312 or 1-888-222-2143; and 5 Mt. Bethel Plaza in Mt. Bethel, 570-897-0401 or 1-877-461-9336. You can also apply online.

LCCC Prez Donald Snyder: The Versatile, Nimble, Efficient & Practical Community College

As President Barack Obama kicked off a national listening tour about the economy last week in the Lehigh Valley, the setting of his keynote speech communicated volumes about the very institutions that are poised to fuel our country’s recovery.

Lehigh Carbon Community College was honored to host President Obama. His continued message of hope and opportunity – tempered with a dose of reality – was welcome inspiration for individuals and businesses facing economic hardships.

President Obama believes in the importance of community colleges. In fact, he has proposed the most significant support for community colleges since the Truman era, when two-thirds of the nation’s community colleges were created.

The President’s “American Graduation Initiative” is intended to strengthen our nation’s community colleges, giving them the resources that students and schools need -- and the results workers and businesses demand. The plan aims to help an additional 5 million Americans earn degrees and certificates in the next decade. He wants the United States to have the highest college graduation rate of any nation in the world. Ambitious? Certainly. Possible? Yes, but only with the involvement of community colleges.

Furthermore, a 2009 report from the Council of Economic Advisers described a shift towards jobs that require greater analytical and interactive skills, and the benefits of higher education. It is expected that jobs requiring at least an associate’s degree will grow twice as fast as jobs requiring only a high school education. In essence, the associate’s degree will soon be the new high school diploma.

As the first decade of a new millennium closes, community colleges stand on the verge of unprecedented magnitude to society. Increasingly, they are being viewed as catalysts for recovery, as engines for prosperity. While none of this is surprising to community college educators, administrators and students, the general public has a newfound appreciation for the unsung educational institutions in today’s challenging economic environment.

Community colleges are versatile. Their curricula reflect an evolving marketplace. It’s likely that community colleges will handle much of the front-line training for President Obama’s initiatives on green energy and infrastructure. They provide instruction on nextgeneration industries such as nanotechnology, robotics and geographic information systems. They offer much of the job retraining that helps the unemployed transfer their job skills to market sectors with more growth potential. For instance, with the reauthorization of the federal Workforce Investment Act, LCCC’s partnership with the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board in providing training for high-priority jobs will be an example of the model that the country needs for utilizing the 1200 community colleges to create a national workforce development structure.

Community colleges are nimble. They can expand rapidly to meet demand. Lehigh Carbon Community College has seen its enrollment double in the past 10 years. Other community colleges have seen similar increases. They were among the first to embrace distance learning to make education convenient for working families. Simply put, they find a way to meet the needs of their community.

Community colleges are efficient. They cost a fraction of traditional four-year colleges, making education more accessible for more Americans. And community colleges have a high return on investment – every $1 of investment yields a $3 net return.

Community colleges are practical. Educators usually have recent industry experience that they can impart to students. Community colleges frequently partner with local companies to ensure a steady supply of talented employees. For example, H1N1 vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur funded two biotechnology laboratories for LCCC, provides scholarships for students, and assisted in the development of the College’s Biotechnology Program.

That’s not to say that our country’s traditional four-year colleges and universities are obsolete or ineffective. Hardly. They will remain global cornerstones of research and innovation. In fact, nearly half of students at LCCC plan to transfer to a four-year institution with the intent of obtaining a bachelor’s degree – or more. For them, community college is an affordable beginning to their post-secondary education. And thanks to partnerships with local school districts, a distinct higher-education pathway has been established for high school and even middle school students to better prepare them for success in higher education and achievement of their desired career choice.

In a June 2009 speech announcing his American Graduation Initiative, President Obama drew comparisons to the bill creating land grant colleges in the mid-1800s and the GI Bill in the mid-1900s. “Time and again, when we placed our bet for the future on education, we have prospered as a result -- by tapping the incredible innovative and generative potential of a skilled American workforce,” he said.

That’s exactly what community colleges are all about – helping Americans reach their potential as individuals. And helping America reach its potential as a country.

There are no better institutions than our nation’s community colleges to help the United States rebound and emerge from the recession smarter, stronger and more competitive. Now more than ever, our nation’s community colleges are at the picenter of our economy.

We call on our federal and state legislators to continue their crucial support of community colleges. Millions of American workers – not to mention the entire American economy – are relying on it.

Blogger's Note: This essay was written by Donald W. Snyder, President,
Lehigh Carbon Community College.

Mothers! Hide Your Daughters and Sons From Barack Obama!

Most parochial and public schools are off to an early start this year, and these first few weeks are always a very scary time for most children (and parents). Kids worry about getting lost in a big building around people they don't know. Will others laugh at how they're dressed? Will teachers be miserable? Will there be violence and bullying? Will my Johnny fall in with the wrong crowd and start doing drugs? Will there be gangs? But there's a deeper, darker fear preying on most minds this school year - Barack Obama.

Some parents are scared to death that the President's desire to speak to schoolchildren is some goofy plot designed to brainwash them. What's next, Obama youth? It makes no difference that Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush did pretty much the same thing.

The Lehigh Valley's seventeen different school districts - kingdoms unto themselves - have about seventeen different reactions to this firestorm of protest. You can see that in the approach the three city-based, school districts.

Allentown School District - "Technical difficulties" will prevent schools from showing the speech to all students. But parents who think Obama is trying to brainwash their kids can send a note.

Bethlehem Area School District - In a letter written by someone who desperately needs a few English lessons, we're told this is a class-by-class decision. Even if a class decides it wants to see the Prez, those opposed will be afforded the opportunity to engage in an "alternative activity."

Easton School District - Before exposing schoolchildren to the President, administrators will pre-screen the video. If considered appropriate, the experts will then decide on a procedure for future use.

I have an advance copy of Obama's speech, and let me tell you, it's very dangerous. He actually asks our children to take responsibility and work hard. He even offers them bribes.

"Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team."

He orders them around, too!

"I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter."

Finally, he mocks rap, basketball and reality TV.

"I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things."

Who the hell does he think he is, President? Oh, that's right, he is. And it's a sad commentary on us that this nation has become so divided that we're unable to recognize that this might actually mean something to our kids.

It will mean something to my grandson. Like Obama, he is half black and has no father. When Obama was elected President, he asked his mom if he could have a sign from one of the streets to put in his yard. It's still there. This nine-year old actually went to D.C. in freezing weather to watch the Inauguration, and had to give his class a report when he returned home. If Obama can keep my grandson and other children interested in school instead of drugs or gangs, why not listen?