Allentown School District Hosts Middle School Transformation Kickoff Event, Featuring Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera
On Friday,
December 13th, the Allentown Chamber of Commerce hosted the official kickoff
of Middle School Transformation within the Allentown School District. To
commemorate this innovative, historic event, Secretary of Education, Pedro
Rivera (PA) joined Allentown School District Superintendent, as well as the
Lehigh Valley United Way at the Miller Symphony Hall to make the
announcement. Just as noteworthy, is the generous philanthropic funding
of this initiative by the Century Fund Trust. Established in 1985, the Trust
seeks to fund arts/cultural, education, conservation, human services, and
community development projects throughout the Lehigh Valley.
During the
development of the District’s Strategic Framework, in the summer of 2017, families and
community residents participated in a series of community-based meetings
designed to capture feedback and input on what the District could do better
under the leadership of the ASD School Board of Directors and Superintendent
Parker. Among the themes that emerged from our families and community
members centered around our middle schools.
“Hundreds of
students, families and community members came out excited to meet the new
Superintendent but also have their voice be heard. One resounding theme was the
dire need for more support in ASD middle schools,” said Parker. Realizing the
resources and support needed to improve middle schools could not be solely
leveraged by ASD, Mr. Parker began to convene local and state-level partners to
develop what we are here to announce this morning.
“I applaud
the trustees of The Century Fund and the Board of Directors from the Allentown
School District for collectively committing to addressing the needs of our
children,” continued Parker.
Middle School
Transformation is a core deliverable in the district's Strategic Framework. The
robust Middle School Transformation model will have many components including
the identification of a local business as the school’s transformation partner
who will help provide wrap-around services to students and staff. Schools will
develop corporate and community councils, to support continual partnership and
sustainability. A dedicated college and career and counselor will work to
engage students with partners such as the Workforce Board, Lehigh Career &
Technical Institute and Lehigh Carbon Community College.
During this
process, each school will also become a full Community School, expanding an
already robust partnership ASD has with the United Way.
“Congratulations
to the Allentown School District on becoming the first district in Pennsylvania
to adopt the Community Schools model across all of its middle schools. At
United Way, we fight every day for equity for our students,” said David Lewis,
President, and CEO, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. “
Expanding the
full community school model to Harrison Morton and Trexler Middle Schools will
allow for further development of supports that foster improved social-emotional
growth and development in all students.
Lee Butz,
Century Fund Trustee states, “Allentown School District's Middle School
Transformation addresses the needs of its students at the time when they are
most vulnerable and is sure to have a positive impact on their classroom
performance and, ultimately, their lives.”
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