Markilinski Calls for State Intervention in Lenape Academics

Michael J. Markilinski

Armstrong School District (ASD) Board Member Michael Markilinski has requested the Department of Education to intervene at Lenape Tech and close its academic program.

In a letter dated February 27, 2010 and sent to Harrisburg with copies to the four sending school districts of ASD, Apollo-Ridge, Leechburg, and Freeport, Markilinski charges the school has consistently failed the PSSA test scores for the last seven years.

He further charges that employees and their spouses of Lenape Tech are “involved in this political movement to protect their turf.”

Markilinski alleged that Dr. William Kerr was asked by an ASD school board member to resign from Lenape Tech as its chief school administrator. Kerr allegedly refused.

Markilinski cited a Rhode Island school district that took a drastic step in removing all the teachers and administrators from an underperforming school with the applause of the United States Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

“I am asking you, as Secretary of Education, intervene and close the failing academic program of LVTS,” Markilinski wrote in his letter to Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak. “The Commonwealth has an obvious financial state in this educational facility. The technical programs should not be touched at this time. I am also asking that you remove Dawn Kocher-Taylor as Director of LVTS, and that you remove Dr. William Kerr as Chief School Administrator of LVTS. These are guidelines that are obviously spelled out by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and are attached herein.”

Leah Harris, Deputy Press Secretary for Department of Education speaking on behalf of Secretary Zahorchak, said the letter is being reviewed by the Department of Education’s Bureau of Career Technical Education.

“Any complaints we receive, we follow up with,” Harris said. “A response letter will be sent to Mr. Markilinski.

While the Bureau of Career Technical Education has oversight of technical schools in the Commonwealth, Harris pointed out that so does all four school districts since they have to sign off to send their students there.

“They have chartered the technical center to be in operation,” she said. The school districts have to respond, insuring the students are getting the quality of education required by the Department of Education. We will look into that complaint.”

Harris explained that when students take the PSSA test, the scores are not only attributed to that tech school but also the school district in which the student resides. “There is a clear link of responsibility that go hand in hand. The sending school district has to count them as part of their overall score also.”

“We don’t close down schools,” Harris said. “We have oversight to make sure they are meeting all standards of the law from the State’s perspective. That is what we will look into.”

Harris would not give a specific timeframe for the review process. “That is a fluid method. As we get it, we review it for as long as it takes, then get it back to the individual filing the complaint in as speedy of a fashion as we can.”

Fleeger Pleads Case for School Choice Option for Lenape Hybrid Program

Hailey Fleeger is a teen with a dream that doesn't include going back to Kittanning High School for her academics!

by David Croyle

Fleeger, the daughter of Anna and Jerry Fleeger of Worthington, attended Evangel Heights Christian School in Sarver. However, to enroll as a junior this year at Lenape Tech, she had to first be placed on the rolls at Kittanning High School in order to qualify. Even so, she does not consider herself to be a student from Kittanning and still feels a bond with her former school.

“If you vote to take away Lenape aca-demics, what happens to me?” she said, questioning the Armstrong School Board at their monthly meeting held last night in the Elderton Junior-Senior High School gymnasium. She included examples of students now at Lenape that were formerly cyber-schooled, home schooled, and private-schooled. “There is a clear reason we did not want to go to your sending school in the first place, so why would we go now? Will you give us a choice of where we [are able to take our academics]?”

Fleeger’s appeal was different. Although registered as a Kittanning High School student, she had spent no educational time there. She, and others like her, would be forced to attend academic classes in an environment they opted out of during their prior scholastic years. It set up the premise for the first real debate on school choice.

“Even at private school, it was not what I was looking for. It was all very generalized. They only taught you what you needed to know to pass the test – not how to apply it to real world.”

She applauded Lenape and wore the K.O.L.A. tee-shirt – “Keep Our Lenape Academics” designed and sold by Lenape students. “They taught me public speaking, which prepared me to speak to you tonight. The standardized testing scores at Evangel Heights beat the scores from your sending schools. I have to work for my grades at Lenape because it is difficult.”

The sixteen-year-old is taking Bio-Med at Lenape and is planning her future. She hopes to become a nurse anesthetist. “I am planning on going to school in Pittsburgh [for college] but I am not sure where I want to live yet.” One thing is sure… a daily trip to Kittanning High School for her academics is not on her radar screen.