Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Tredyffrin Easttown School District

“Sunrise Berwyn” — Conestoga High School Climate Activists Fighting for a Greener Future

Started in 2017, the “Sunrise Movement” is a national grass-roots movement of young people uniting to stop the climate crisis. The nonprofit , which has become known for its New Green Deal proposal, describes its mission as “building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people.”

The Sunrise Movement has grown to include 400+ local “hubs” across the country. The hubs work in their own communities to grow participation and elevate the urgency of climate change. The organized collectives of volunteers fight for environmental legislation and cultural realignment.

Although I was aware of the national Sunrise Movement, I was surprised to find a “local hub” of young climate activists in the community. A couple of days ago, Lilly Shui, a junior at Conestoga High School and one of the leaders of the Sunrise Berwyn hub reached out to me. During the pandemic and TESD school closure last spring, Lilly and another CHS student, junior Aishi Debroy started the Berwyn chapter of the Sunrise Movement. The Berwyn hub has now grown to 60 members, 50 of which are Conestoga High School students.

Students (L-R) Ainsley Payne (CHS), Bella Gilmartin (GV), Anish Garimidi (CHS)

On Saturday, October 31, the Sunrise Berwyn hub hosted their first action to combat voter suppression at the Chester County Government Services Center in West Chester. The Sunrise Berwyn press release read in part, “… members of Sunrise Berwyn have been watching the news and reading articles about voter suppression in Pennsylvania … They read about how the Supreme Court struggled to uphold the ruling of a Pennsylvania court that would allow mail-in ballots to be counted up to three days after Election Day. They listened to the frustrations of their friends and family about how mail-in ballots would be their only option to vote because of the ongoing pandemic.” According to the press release, the Sunrise Berwyn members, “… were scared for their futures”.

Conestoga HS students (L-R) Lavanya Ahluwalia, Aishi Debroy, Anish Garimidi, Bella Gilmartin (Great Valley HS), Lena Pothier, Clara Steege, Katie Chuss, Lilly Shui, Ainsley Payne, Hanna Monteith, Jonathan Siah

With the support of sixteen Sunrise Berwyn members on Saturday, the leadership deemed their first “hub” demonstration a success. For further information about the Sunrise Movement and the local Berwyn hub, email sunriseberwyn@gmail.com.

Federal Judge Rules that the 2017 Sexual Assault Lawsuit against TE School District and Conestoga HS Principal Amy Meisinger Can Move Forward to a Jury Trial

Do you recall the 2017 federal lawsuit filed against T/E School District and Dr. Amy Meisinger, principal of Conestoga High School?

The federal lawsuit was filed by parents on behalf of their daughter, a 15-year old female student. The lawsuit alleged that administrators and teachers at the high school created and tolerated a culture that emboldened Art Phillips, a 67-year old instructional aide, to repeatedly sexually abuse their daughter. In the lawsuit, fourteen District administrators, teachers and aides were named, citing that they were aware of the inappropriate relationship with the student and alleges that they did nothing. (Click here to read lawsuit).

Phillips caught the attention of police when he crashed his car in what was said to be a suicide attempt. He left a note in the vehicle that read, “I was just a guy trying to help a kid and the boundaries just got gray.”

Former Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan criminally charged Phillips with 100 counts including statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and endangering the welfare of a child, among other related charges. According to the police investigation, the alleged victim was sexually assaulted by Phillips on more than 10 occasions from January until April of 2017. The incidents occurred in various areas in Tredyffrin Township, including in Phillips’ office at Conestoga High School.

In that same year, Phillips was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to 10-20 years for his criminal action. As a footnote, Phillips committed suicide in his Graterford prison cell a few months into serving his sentence. In 2019, Phillips widow, Phyllis Phillips sued the correctional institution, Corizon Health Inc., MHM Correctional Services Inc. and various doctors claiming that her late husband did not receive proper treatment in prison, which caused him to hang himself. No further update on Mrs. Phillips case.

The girl’s parents filed a federal lawsuit against the District saying that the Conestoga High School principal and officials in the school district were aware of “a parade of improper conduct” by a male aide and created an environment that allowed the assaults to occur. They were seeking at least $75,000 in damages from the District.

At the time of the lawsuit filing, Ken Roos, the District’s solicitor claimed that the accusations were false. He stated, “We have yet to see any evidence anybody knew of a sexual relationship between the student and this former aide, nor have we been advised of any by the police.” In response to the lawsuit, the District filed a 28-page “motion to dismiss” on August 14, 2017.

Fast forward three plus years and we have learned that the 2017 federal lawsuit against Tredyffrin Easttown School District and Amy Meisinger was not dismissed (as previously requested by the District).

A Memorandum by U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jan DuBois (filed on October 23, 2020) allows that the lawsuit against the T/E School District can proceed. We also learned from the Memorandum that the plaintiff names (listed as A.B. and C.B.) in the lawsuit has changed. The parents (A.B. and C.B.) originally filed the lawsuit in 2017 on behalf of their daughter, who was 15 years old and a minor at the time. Now 18 years old, the former TESD student is the named plaintiff (D.B.) in the lawsuit against the school district. (Click here to read Memorandum.)

In his ruling, Judge DuBois denied the District’s request for summary judgment on three out of four counts in the lawsuit, including Title IX claims.

The plaintiff, D.B. alleges that the District was liable for the sexual assaults by Art Phillips and cites inadequate training by staff. D.B. claims that the school should have been on notice because of previous instances of misconduct committed by former staff and several specific examples are cited in the lawsuit.

Although the plaintiff argues the District staff was not properly trained in spotting staff misconduct, the attorney for the school district argued that its policies were adequate. However, according to the lawsuit, “Prior to February 27, 2017, TESD did not have a written policy that specifically addressed “precursor misconduct.” The District policy “was adopted on February 27, 2017, while Phillips’s misconduct with D.B. was ongoing.”

In his opinion, Judge Dubois states, “A reasonable jury could find that, in light of the previous incidents of sexual harassment at CHS that occurred under the same policies, the preexisting policies and training were inadequate such that other incidents were like to occur.”

The federal lawsuit against the Tredyffrin Easttown School District now heads to a jury trial.

In the words of John Lewis, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” According to the lawsuit, at least 14 District administrators, teachers and staff knew something was going on between Art Phillips and the 15-year old student — I just do not understand why someone didn’t say something.

School starts for TESD students tomorrow — Best wishes for a school year like no other!

COVID has made the start of the school year tomorrow unlike any in history. I can only imagine what it has been like for friends and neighbors scrambling around on a daily basis trying to keep up with changing schedules and settling on a path that is best for them. And I know that there are parents who have had to alter work and childcare plans because their kids are at home, learning online until at least October. There is so much that needs to go right in these next months if schools are going to be able to open their doors.

We are living in strange times and none of this is easy. One thing that we know for sure — there is no winning here, until we get a proven vaccine that will assure us COVID-19′s time has come and gone. My hope is that out of all of the uncertainty, comes an academic year in which students do not just “get by” but that they strive!

So, here’s to wishing each and every parent, student and teacher a successful 2020-21 school year – Good Luck everyone!

And in the words of Dr. Seuss —

It’s Official — No Fall Sports Competitions for TE Students, Maybe January 2021

There is news that Central Athletic League (of which Conestoga High School is a member) is postponing Fall athletic competitions until 2021. Conestoga Football Facebook page posted the following message this afternoon:

Shortly after this above message was posted, sports families in TE received an email from Athletic Director Kevin Pechin cancelling the Fall competition schedule for District students. However, voluntary off-season practice will resume on September 8 for students who have completed their PIAA paperwork. Here is Pechin’s email:

Conestoga sports team members test positive for Covid-19 — Where will this leave the Fall sports program in TE?

At Monday night’s TE school board meeting, the board spent much time discussing the fall sports program with board members on either side. The decision about the fall sports program (as of Monday night) was that team practice would continue as it had in the summer with a final decision coming at the next regular school board meeting, the end of September.

However, it looks like there has been change of plans. On Thursday, the TE coaches received the email below from Chris Groppe and Kevin Pechin. Due to positive Covid-19 test results from several Conestoga sports teams, practices scheduled for August 27 – 30 have been cancelled and there will be no practice the week of August 31. An update on sports activities will be provided on or before Sept. 6.

Before seeing the email from Groppe and Pechin, a parent had told me that the sports programs were “on hold” so as that everyone could focus on the virtual opening of school. (The parent had not mentioned the Covid-19 test results). And to clarify, this email does not specify which sports teams were impacted by positive test results.

I do not see this as promising news for the fall sports program – but perhaps the parents of sports students read it differently.

Good Afternoon,

The District has been in consultation with the Chester County Health Department regarding confirmed cases of Covid-19 among members of several Conestoga sports teams, symptom screening results, and student athlete quarantine orders.

After reviewing the situation, and because this is a voluntary activity, all off-season sports activities scheduled for Thursday August 27, Friday, August 28, Saturday, August 29, and Sunday August 30 have been cancelled. As you are aware, to enable an effective start with virtual schooling next week, we will not hold any off-season sports activities during the week of August 31. We will provide an update on the status of off-season sports activities on or before Sept 6, 2020.

To help mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in our community, please continue to engage in habits that prevent the spread of Covid-19, including limiting close contact with people outside of your household, wearing a mask, engaging in social distancing, and frequent handwashing.

If you have been in close contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19, the Chester County Health Department would notify you directly. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of another person for 15 minutes or longer.

More information about health and safety protocols are available at our website: https://www.tesd.net/Page/16600

Chris Groppe, Ed.D. Director of Individualized Student Services Tredyffrin/Easttown School District

Kevin Pechin Athletic Director Tredyffrin/Easttown School District

School Opens Virtually on Aug. 31 but Students Will Not Return In-Person until Oct. 12 plus … PIAA Rejects Gov. Wolf’s Recommendation and Votes in Favor of Fall Sports – Final Decision Up to TE School Board

The agenda for Monday, August 24 regular school board meeting is available on the District’s website, click here. The virtual school board meeting will start at 7:30 PM — Please visit the T/E School District website at www.tesd.net to access the virtual meeting. The link to the live meeting will be available on the TESD website by 6 PM the day of the meeting.

The community may submit comments/questions by using School Board Meeting Comment Form (the form will close at 5 PM on August 24). Click here for the comment form.

The priority discussion at the school board meeting includes the revised school reopening plan. According to the revised reopening plan for the 2020-21 school year, students will start school remotely on August 31, as previously announced. However, the District is now planning to continue virtual learning until at least October 12.

The plan for in-person teaching option after October 12 will include an “introduction of small groups of students into the schools on a rotating basis for approximately one week.” Parents will have the option to continue virtual instruction or make the choice to transition to in-person instruction.

In the proposed reopening plan, under the category of Special Education, Gifted Education, and 504 Plans is the following:

For some groups of students, the District will be offering in-person instruction. This format will begin on or about September 21 and will allow special education students with significant needs to access in-person instruction while the District remains in the virtual option.

For these students, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, instruction from their special education teachers will occur in person, while they access their regular education teachers virtually. Most related services will also be received in-person on those days. On Wednesdays, students will receive Direct Supported Instruction. Students will attend school and receive adult support while accessing all their teachers virtually. This will enable students to learn the discrete skills needed to access virtual learning to the best of their abilities, while allowing them to come to be more comfortable working with their special education teachers on the virtual platform.

My understanding is that the District’s special education students will be return full time in-person to school on or about Sept. 21. The other students will not return in-person until October 12.

Also on the agenda is the approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between the District and the teachers union (TEEA). The MOU addresses virtual teaching, usage of cameras in the classrooms, etc. In addition, one of the points in the MOU protects the teachers from losing their jobs in the 2020-21 school year and reads as follows:

The District agrees there will be no involuntary furloughing or involuntary, non-disciplinary demotion of any Employee, which furlough or demotion would take effect during the 2020-2021 Contract Year. The District shall continue to employ at least 508.7 full-time equivalent bargaining unit employees for the term of this MOU.

The future of fall sports in the District remains unclear; and I did not see it listed on the school board agenda. We know that Gov. Wolf has strongly recommended against fall sports until at least January 2021, due to the pandemic. However on Friday, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Board of Directors rejected Wolf’s recommendation and voted (25-5) in favor of fall sports.

Although the PIAA gave the go-ahead for fall sports, the organization said every school in the state must now decide if it wants to participate, so it will be up to the individual school boards or superintendents to choose the fate of their sports teams.

Some Pennsylvania schools have already cancelled fall sports prior to the PIAA announcement but the remainder of the school districts (including TESD) will have to make a decision. It’s not just about football – boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball, boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross country and field hockey are also the fall sports in the PIAA. Presumably, whatever decision the District makes, will be for all and not individual sports.

With in-person teaching on hold until at least October 12, what will our District decide about fall sports? PIAA gave the green light for fall sports; will TE follow their lead? Will the District announce the fall sports decision on Monday night?

Interesting that students can play football but the elementary age kids cannot use the playground equipment at recess. Can someone help me understand?

Gov. Wolf Strongly Recommends No School Sports or Youth Sports until 2021 – Where does that leave high school football?

The Wolf administration left the decision about whether students should return to in-person classes, remote learning or a blend of the two up to the individual school administrators and school boards. Apparently, that suggestion also applies to sports.

The governor’s office released the following press release regarding school and recreational youth sports. The Wolf administration is strongly recommending that school and recreational youth sports be postponed until at least Jan. 1 to protect children and teens from COVID-19 – but it is only a recommendation, not an order or a mandate, made by the Department of Health & Education.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health and Department of Education today jointly recommended that Pre-K–12 school and recreational youth sports be postponed until at least Jan. 1, 2021, to protect children and teens from COVID-19.

The administration is providing this strong recommendation and not an order or mandate. As with deciding whether students should return to in-person classes, remote learning or a blend of the two this fall, school administrators and locally elected school boards should make decisions on sports.

Highlights of the recommendation to pause youth sports until Jan. 1, 2021:

    • Applies to team and individual, school and non-school recreational youth sports;
    • Includes competitions, intramural play and scrimmages;
    • Continue conditioning, drills and other training activities on an individual basis;
    • Does not apply to collegiate and professional sports;
    • Gathering limits remain unchanged – no more than 25 persons may gather indoors and 250 outdoors.

The administration is updating existing sports guidance to reflect this recommendation.

Immediately following the release of the Wolf administration recommendation on sports, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) issued this statement:

Today, Governor Wolf issued a statement of strongly recommending no interscholastic and recreational sports until January 1st. We are tremendously disappointed in this decision. Our member schools have worked diligently to develop health and safety plans to allow students the safe return to interscholastic athletics.

The Board of Directors with the PIAA will meet Friday afternoon to review the action. At that time, they will have an official statement.

Who will ultimately make the decision for fall sports in T/E? School board and/or administration? PIAA? Will the parents of the players have a say?

T/E School Board Approves District School Reopening Plan 9-0

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for parents, students, teachers and the administration to figure out what they will need to do for an August 31 start to the 2020-21 school year.

With little state input, TESD like every other school district in Pennsylvania, grappled with its reopening plans. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, Gov. Wolf and his administration gave permission to the state’s 500 school districts to restart in-person instruction with a plan approved by the local school board. Sadly, this approach placed the superintendent and school board in a position to make public health decisions where they have no training or expertise.

From masks to buses to recess to sports, the public provided many questions about how the TE School District reopening plan will work.  And based on the questions from the original reopening plan presentation on Monday and then again at the special school board meeting last night, the families in our District are deeply divided as how to proceed. The administration responded easily to some questions from parents but others remained unanswered or with yet-to-be decided responses.

The special school board meeting began Wednesday night at 7:30 PM but unfortunately, the questions from the public did not begin until 11 PM. The ninety minutes of public questions was followed by school board deliberation and vote. In the early hours of Thursday, the school board voted unanimously 9-0 to approve the District school reopening plan as proposed.

In the approved District plan, schools will open on August 31 but with full virtual instruction for at least the first three weeks of school.  There will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction.  Parents will be given the option to transition to in-person instruction after Sept. 21 or continue with all virtual instruction.

(For full details about the reopening plan, visit the Tredyffrin Easttown School District website, www.tesd.net ).

TESD Reopening Plan Now Available – District Opens August 31 w/Remote Learning Only, In-Person Instruction after Sept. 21

With notification that the District would release the school reopening plan the “week of July 20”, parents waited anxiously all week. On Friday night, after work hours, the public finally learned about the plan on the TESD website. (Click here for the District’s reopening plan page).

Below please read the reopening post on the District website with links highlighted. There are individual links to the slide presentation, feedback form, FAQ, Phased School Reopening Health and Safety Plan and Continuity of Education Plan. Please make sure to click on all the links to review the specifics.

The timeline is very short for your review and response – you only have until Monday, July 27 at noon to make comments and you must use the highlighted feedback form link.

In my first quick review, a few points – the District will open on August 31 but with full virtual instruction for at least the first three weeks of school. There will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Parents will be given the option to transition to in-person instruction after Sept. 21 or continue with all virtual instruction.

Classrooms to be arranged to allow social distancing of 6 ft. in all instructional settings although the District states that 6 ft. social distancing cannot be managed in hallways or on buses. Facemasks required for all students and staff.

One question that I have – In an in-person school scenario, what is the process if a student or teacher tests positive to Covid-19. What happens to the class? Or to the entire school? Are the other families notified? What is the process to re-close schools if there is a positive Covid-19 outbreak?

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Reopening Schools: 2020-2021

On Monday, July 27, 2020, the T/E School District Administration will present its proposed plans for reopening T/E schools this fall. The presentation slides on the reopening plans are available here.

The District Meeting to Present the Reopening Plans will be held at 7:00 PM on July 27. In accordance with state guidelines, the meeting will be held virtually. The link to the live meeting will be available on the TESD website by 6:00 PM the day of the meeting. The meeting will be live streamed and also recorded. Barring any technical issues, a video of the meeting will be posted on the District website later on Tuesday, July 28.

Community members may submit comments or questions about the reopening plan by using the Reopening Plan Feedback Form.

    • The feedback form will close at noon on Monday, July 27.
    • Comments received by noon will be forwarded to all School Board members for their information.
    • The administration will attempt to incorporate the answers to as many questions as possible in Monday’s meeting presentation.
    • During the meeting, at the conclusion of the reopening plan presentation, the feedback form will be available again for community members to submit additional comments and questions. There will be a short break in order for the public to submit additional comments and questions. The administration will answer as many of the new questions as possible during the remainder of the meeting.

On Wednesday, July 29, 2020 the School Board will hold a special meeting at 7:30 PM to take action on the proposed reopening plans. In accordance with state guidelines, the meeting will be held virtually. The link to the live meeting will be available on the TESD website by 6:00 PM the day of the meeting. Community members will also have the opportunity to submit public comment about the reopening plans at the Special School Board Meeting. Public comment submitted for the July 29 Special School Board Meeting will be read at the meeting, time permitting. The agenda materials for the July 29 Special School Board meeting and information on how to submit public comment will be available on the TESD website on Tuesday, July 28.

Additional documents on reopening schools include Frequently Asked Questions, Phased School Reopening Health and Safety Plan and the Continuity of Education Plan.

TESD to Provide School Reopening Plan on Friday, July 24 – All Public Comment Due by Monday, July 27, 7 PM

Below is the letter regarding school reopening procedure from Superintendent Richard Gusick which was posted on the TESD website today. Although we expected the District to post its reopening plan this week – it turns out that the public will only have a few days to review and comment on the proposed plan. According to the letter, the District since has been “working non-stop in preparation for the new school year” since June.

The reopening plan will be posted on the District website on Friday, July 24 and public comments are due by Monday, July 27, 7 PM. The school board will vote on the final plan at a special board meeting on Wednesday, July 29, 7:30 PM.

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July 20, 2020

Dear T/E Families and Staff,

I wish you all good health and wellness. As the summer progresses, I would like to provide you with an update on our planning process for the 2020-2021 school year and to announce some important upcoming dates.

Planning for Reopening

Since June, TESD has been working non-stop in preparation for the new school year. We have been meeting with stakeholders, receiving input, monitoring guidance and developing different plans and scenarios. A sampling of the preparation work happening over the summer includes:

  • Distance Learning Survey Results were compiled and posted on the District website.
  • The District continues to review feedback received through the Distance Learning Inboxes (open through July 31) on a daily basis.
  • A TESD Pandemic Team was formed to develop a formal reopening plan.
  • Teacher representatives and District administrators collaborated to review ideas for reopening.
  • District administrators met with representatives from TESD parent groups to gather additional input on reopening.
  • Review of the health and safety recommendations with local health officials and our school nurse team has been ongoing.
  • The District continues to monitor state guidance and recommendations from a variety of health and research organizations.
  • District administrators met with teachers by level to discuss reopening, receive feedback and answer questions.

New Guidance from the State Impacts Schools

New and ever-changing health guidance has required TESD to continually pivot and adjust our plans for how to reopen our schools this fall. You may have heard that on July 15, Governor Wolf released new directions for schools to help further reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. In addition, on July 16, the Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Health provided further clarification on these directions. This latest guidance includes limiting indoor gatherings to no more than 25 people and a recommendation for social distancing of six feet or more in schools. These changes prompted a complete review and reworking of the District draft plan.

Timeline for Reopening Plan Presentation and Approval

As mentioned previously, the draft reopening plan will be shared with the community this week. The plan will then be publicly presented to the School Board and voted on next week. Key dates include:

  • Friday, July 24 – Draft Reopening Plan to be posted on the District website on a new page dedicated to sharing emerging information about school reopening
  • Monday, July 27 – District Meeting to Present Reopening Plan and receive public comment at 7:00 PM
  • Wednesday, July 29 – Special School Board Meeting to take action on Reopening Plan at 7:30 PM

In accordance with state guidelines that limit indoor gatherings to 25 people, both upcoming meetings will be held virtually. Links to the live meetings will be available on the TESD website by 6:00 PM the day of the meeting. Directions on how to submit comments or to ask questions will be provided on Friday.

Elements of the Plan

Pennsylvania school districts are charged with developing a plan that describes how schools will operate under a red, yellow and green pandemic phase. Red phase plans operate under the assumption that school buildings are closed to students, and instruction is delivered virtually to all students. The virtual learning program will include increased live synchronous instruction at all levels. Yellow and green phase plans allow for a combination of in-person instruction and virtual learning. Because in-person instruction must follow the health and safety guidance, modifications to our typical program will be required. A 100% virtual learning model will be available as a choice for families in the yellow or green phases.

I trust that when we post our plan on Friday, some of your questions will be answered, but more will be generated. I would like nothing more than to open school safely on August 31 in the same manner as in previous school years, and I am saddened as an educator and as a parent that health directives will require major changes to what we normally do. Please know that we are doing our very best to maintain the safety of our school community and the integrity of T/E’s educational program delivered by T/E teachers and staff, either remotely or in person.

Sincerely,

Dr. Richard Gusick
Superintendent of Schools

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