She thanked Birks for her work during the pandemic, but Kalichak said she is looking forward to see what other positive traits someone else can bring out in the district. Johnson said Baughns successor will have to be a quick study with the pending transition in the receiver position and the districts next recovery plan set to be unveiled to the public in January. "These three people are the people that we felt best represent what we heard from the community we need in our next leader," board president Ben Lindy said Thursday. In laying out the vision for the district, the receiver stressed the importance of stability. But she added that many of the problems lie with the school board. More:Middletown superintendent to Ohio legislators: Stop discriminating against students living in poverty. Thats our number one job as a district, I believe, not just to educate our students, but to prepare them for the journey ahead. Nichols said the concept of parceling out parts of the Chester Upland School District is no longer on the table. After Baughns announcement, however, board members challenged the decision to let Birks go. Ive been doing this now for 55 years, and I want some me-time. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. It has struggled through decades of challenges; since 2012, the district has been through four recovery plans, four receivers, and three chief recovery officers. It will always be a significant chapter in my story, and for that Im forever grateful, Baughn said in the statement. Im really excited about this great opportunity to enhance the lives of the students in Chester, working collaboratively with everyone.. It wouldnt just be a decision on my own, I would of course work with the receiver and board, parents, extended community, educators, so it would be a collective decision and always keeping the best interests of the students at the center of the overall district.. Would people hire the cheapest babysitter? Why would the POWERS TO BE hire Dr. Carol D. Birk? Resources / Online Resources - Chester Upland School District If this was the only option that I have, they were going to have to go to school in Delaware, because I cant have them doing that, Raymond said. Dr. Shannon was hired away from the . I think it does add a bit of caution to the decision but from what I read its hard to gauge the situation she was working under. Chester Upland School District; Superintendent's Meetings . I look forward to working closely with Receiver Baughn, board members, students, families, staff, faculty, and administration to continue to move Chester Upland School District on a path of continuous improvement.. Birks, who last year left her position as superintendent of the New Haven Public Schools in Connecticut after one and a half years on the job, has previously stated her support for school choice and reiterated that support Tuesday. Her cover letter recounts what she has done in that position so far. In July, Nichols gave a State of the District presentation that addressed six areas: curriculum and instruction, pupil services, human resources, business office, operations and student activities. Chester Upland School District 232 W. 9th Street Chester, PA 19013 Phone: 610-447-3600 Superintendent's Messages Expand All Superintendent's Messages 2021-2022 Superintendent's Messages 2020-2021 Superintendent's Presentations Expand All Superintendent's Presentations 2020-2021 Superintendent's Meetings Dawson currently serves as the chief academic and accountability officer for city schools in Birmingham, Ala. School funding in Pa. has to change. I also believe the receiver will try to maintain some semblance of a Chester-Upland School District. But, yes. As such, a court-appointed receiver assumes the duties of a chief recovery officer and school board, essentially putting them in a position to have a final word on most administrative and financial decisions in the district. I am excited about the three finalists, and I truly believe that we cannot go wrong. By Kenny Cooper June 30, 2021 Chester High School (Emma Lee/WHYY) This is just an ANALOGY for yall however let me narrow the SCOPE for those willing to listen. Chester Upland School District confronts the prospect of charter takeover. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. What we need is a woman or man with the GUTS OF JOE CLARK! PDF Chester Upland School District Superintendent Search - Aasa Nce 2020 Directory - Chester Upland School District View Craig Parkinson Ed's email address: pxxxxxxxxc@chesteruplandsd.org & phone: +1-480-xxx-xx43's profile as Superintendent at Chester Upland School District, located in Greater Philadelphia. . Dr. Carol D. Birks officially took her position as the new superintendent of the Chester Upland School District Tuesday and comes highly qualified with her HBCU undergraduate degree and Ivy League advanced degrees. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. By David Bjorkgren. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. PDF Superintendent Spotlight - Chester Upland School District Ballotpedia covers public school districts in the 100 largest cities in America by population, as well as the 200 largest public school districts by student enrollment. Chester Upland superintendent and receiver: 'We're energetic' The search team would say that we vetted her, we had five school board members involved, plus the former receiver and myself involved in the interview process, and she came out the most qualified and the best, we felt, for Chester Upland, he said. One teacher said little or no information had been provided about how the search for the superintendent took place, what the criteria were or how many people were interviewed. She previously was chief of schools and an assistant superintendent for Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Florida, the nation's 20th largest district. Dr. Parkinson graduated from Millersville University with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and earned a Master's Degree in Education from West Chester University. Its history is the history of every movement undertaken to fix schools. One of Nichols first actions upon reappointment was to approve a new five-year contract for Parkinson with an annual salary of $220,000. Keeping labor costs low helps earn profit. Birks brings an extensive career, serving in nearly every facet of public education, to the Chester Upland community, said Baughn. For additional information contact Dr. Maria Edelberg, Executive Director at 610-938-9000 ext. About: Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) located in Chester-Upland, Pennsylvania serving 4,000 students in grades K-8 on four campuses, is seeking a proven leader with demonstrated turnaround success in The charter saga may be over for now, but Baughn made several other moves Tuesday night that will alter the course of the district. None of this would be possible, either, without the strength and dedication of our board of education, our parents, and families, and, of course, our remarkable students themselves. Michael Gaal, former deputy chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools. The Cincinnati Public Schools board announced the three finalists in its superintendent search late Thursday morning. Assistant Superintendent: Pennsylvania, USA oxxxj@chesteruplandsd.org: Danielle Harding: Elementary School Teacher: Pennsylvania, USA . Prior to his work with the school district, Nichols, who is a Chester Upland High School alumnus, served as a Chester city councilman from 2011 until his receiver appointment last year. Does N.J. have the answers? The financially distressed Delco district, now in receivership, is on the cusp of being dismantled. Transgender activist brings ambitious plan to Delaware youth sports association, Philly community baby shower bridges resource gap for expecting mothers, Glenside business celebrates Black-owned spirits, and promotes Black excellence. Dr. Anthony Iacona and his wife Toni cared about the Chester-Upland School District and the staffing. At least eight new superintendents taking over Philly-area school If you want good teachers, you have to hire good teachers, and they cost more. While on council, he served as deputy mayor, director of accounts and finance, and compliance monitor. I want to finish my career here as superintendent of Chester Upland School District and I want to be able to see the transition thats going to take place, Parkinson said. Chester Upland School District Central Administration Organization Reporting on Latino news and culture since 1992, Latino USA brings depth of experience, on-the-ground connections and knowledge of current and emerging issues impacting Latino and other people of color to every broadcast. Dr. Birks says she has no preference and thinks parents should have the opportunity to choose what is the best learning experience for their children. The biggest news is that Baughn has rejected all charter proposals. hb``Pc``b ZP#0p4 A1C4 K00}cbzh$#L5%=M-DuC ,e~b9 LoipQ6P^0 3n Much public support has been reported for these end-of-year twists. Does Chester welcome the new school superintendent? Dr. Craig Parkinson comes to Chester Upland School District with nearly 20 years of serving in educational leadership, and numerous years as a teacher working with special needs students. Chester is among the poorest communities in the state, leading to an often-underfunded and underperforming school district. Administrative Agreement between CUSD and MCIU, Chester Upland School District Facilities Study, Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program, 2023-2024 STEM Academy Application for New Students. . For operations, a plan of action was created for vendor payment and an assessment is underway on the district vehicle insurance policy. Part of his function as receiver for Chester Upland includes creating a financial recovery plan and implementing it. Both the New Haven Independent and New Haven Register catalogued numerous issues Birks had at her last position, including one federal lawsuit for retaliation and a complaint from a chief operations officer that she had created a hostile work place. "When I was secretary of education [for the Rendell administration], we used to meet on Chester-Upland regularly," said Barnes. h{i_B I$c!02n oDdde{7cHDg-++3s xaM6]Xo6Ejo;[/Bmgx,sr8O[h$]2J[ [dk+m.7t6z3"Jwc!DLD[.. Problem Child: Leading Students Living in Poverty Towards Infinite Possibilities of Success. To some, a story of education mismanagement had the potential to devolve into a preventable tragedy: the partial collapse of a public school system. September 14, 2022 Superintendent Craig Parkinson (L) and Receiver Nafis Nichols (R) welcome back Chester Upland students in August 29, 2022 bell-ringing ceremony. My opinion of school choice means students should be able to attend high achieving public schools within the county, but no one is talking about consolidating into a countywide school district. School, assistant principal at Wyoming HIgh School and Northwest High School and taught middle school math in Pleasant Run and Winton Woods. We had many accomplishments, but we decided to separate, said Birks. Right now, Nichols added, the district is staffed at 95 percent with only two or three teacher positions unfilled. After twice leaving retirement, this marked his third stint at the district since 1970. Parkinsons passion for young people, for students is what really had me say, This is our guy. The nearly 3,000-student district has been under a Financial Recovery Status designation as part of Act 141 of 2012. new superintendent was named to the Chester-Upland School District. Careers in CUSD. Dr. Craig Parkinson | A warm welcome from our new Superintendent, Dr Some were crying. And, theres even a pilot program being devised for students to explore careers in aviation right up to piloting planes, following the success of a program last year where students had air traffic controller opportunities. Its not a Craig Parkinson thing. While Dr. Birks, whos here for our children, and I commend her for that, and Im glad that she wants to put our children first. 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Times were difficult yet the teachers and Administrators were dedicated across the board. 2023-2024 Academic Calendar. At least here, shell be working directly with Dr. Baughn who believes theyll work well together and sees something in her. This process, and the way it plays out, is important, kind of beyond Chester, because its the guardrails for ensuring that once a school district is in receivership, that district is sort of making decisions in a way that is going to actually get them out of financial recovery. The superintendent said one of the largest challenges in the district was establishing trust, in particular with the rate of turnover. I would engage multiple stakeholders to see what that would look like. Birks enters the scene at a potentially world-shaping time for the district. CHESTER The Chester Upland School District announced Friday that Superintendent Juan R. Baughn, Ed.D., has submitted a letter of resignation to Interim Receiver Gregory Thornton, Ed.D. Craig is a member of the National Association of Black School Educators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, a public service fraternity. I definitely plan on staying.. Old Chester, PA: Biographical Sketches: Harold Tilghman Smith As a community journalist, she certain has this platform to express herself to the readers if she sees fit. The state of the schools garnered national attention as well as a parent-driven legal intervention. Shannon submitted his resignation, effective next month. Nichols said the district is crafting a new recovery plan through PFM and Boston-based Mass Insight Education & Research that is anticipated to be complete by December or January. A message from our Superintendent, Lynn Carmen Day. I know we can create transformational change here and we will. 173 0 obj <> endobj Before Lakota, Styles served as principal at Mt. hbbd```b``@$?,. He did not have to be here but hes here. .