The Chester County Intermediate Unit: Supporting education across the county

By JP Phillips, Staff Writer, The Times I’ve driven by the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) Boot Road campus dozens of times.  Except for attending a Forensics (Speech and Debate) competition there once and knowing my neighbor provided CCIU-contracted early intervention services in area homes, I knew nothing else. Apparently, I am not alone in my ignorance.

CCIU celebrating ‘All Abilities’

Pictured here is the Owen J. Roberts Superintendent Dr. Susan Lloyd, Art Teacher Tom Sonnenberg, 2017 Winning Designer Kaylee Uba and CCIU Assistant Director of Student Services Dr. Anita Riccio. DOWNINGTOWN – More than a quarter of a century has passed since March was established as Disability Awareness Month. The Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) is not only committed to supporting the accomplishments...

Coatesville Charter school summit set for April 7

Families with students looking to transition out of a charter or faith-based school are invited to attend an experiential and informational presentation hosted by the Coatesville Area School District aimed at highlighting the wide-ranging opportunities that await them within the District. The Rediscover Coatesville 2018 Charter School Summit will be held April 7, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Coatesville...

New Congressional maps are a karma bomb for GOP

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Republicans across the state of Pennsylvania are howling mad and running to the courts seeking assistance. Karma is a bitch, right? It seems like they may have to compete on a fair Congressional map — not the 2011 map that was among the most Gerrymandered maps in the entire country — and they don’t like it one bit.

Students learn history, get tour of county Justice Center

. Retired Capt. Joseph Carbo poses with students from West Chester Christian School. Assault with a ham sandwich has landed some unwitting schoolchildren in the slammer recently – as least figuratively Those unfamiliar with the legal perils of using lunch to mimic fisticuffs probably haven’t experienced the Chester County courthouse tour of Joseph Carbo, a retired captain with the Chester County...

Op/Ed: Good news on standardized testing?

By Jeff Hellrung, Member, Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education Gov. Tom Wolf joined Education Secretary Pedro Rivera, advocates, and educators last month to announce a significant reduction in standardized testing for elementary students. One test section will be eliminated in both Math and ELA PSSA tests amounting to a 93 minute total time reduction. Also, approximately 22 minutes will be taken...

Silence breeds intolerance in our schools

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” — John F. Kennedy, 1961, who erroneously attributed it to Edmund Burke. By Mike McGann, Editor, the Times As I sat and listened a Board of Education meeting for two hours of discussion about the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District’s largely exceptional standardized testing scores, a week ago, which followed...

Art Watch: Chester County schools make art to beautify their schools

Parents, artists working together to enhance schools By Lele Galer, Columnist, The Times At the end of the school year, several Chester County schools completed huge beautification art projects that have transformed areas of their school environments into vibrant, joyful creative spaces. Greenwood Elementary School, in Kennett Square, just finished a large mosaic mural project for their lobby entrance,...

Keystone FCU honors county’s ‘Shining Stars’

Avery Fink of Lionville Elementary. WEST CHESTER — Keystone Federal Credit Union announces the winners in the Ninth Annual “Shining Star” Awards. The award was created to recognize students who have shown a noticeable improvement in academic performance, extra-curricular involvement, attendance, and classroom conduct throughout the school year.

Grab a No. 2 pencil and underline this: the Keystones are unfair

While the legislature fiddles, teachers and students suffer By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times The good news is that the kids got to sleep in a bit on a school day. And while it’s becoming increasingly clear that our teens don’t get enough sleep — and a movement to delay the start time in Chester County high schools is slowly gaining momentum — that my twins, freshmen at Unionville High School...