Grads plea for reprieve for Governor's Schools FOR PENNSYLVANIA IPERS

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

I saw the impact of the  School for Science my son went to at CMU in  
'86. . It had a major impact on his career. This is another example of  
ignoring our best at a critical time in their career.

I signed and hope you will.

http://www.petitiononline.com/pgse2009/petition.html

Dave




Grads plea for reprieve for Governor's Schools
By Chuck Biedka
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Friday, February 6, 2009

A man who went on to win a Pulitzer Prize attended the Pennsylvania  
Governor's Schools of Excellence while in high school, but the state's  
vaunted five-week summer program for exceptional students is now at  
risk.

Gov. Ed Rendell is proposing a $29 billion budget that doesn't include  
$3.2 million for the eight schools for high school honors students.  
Rendell has said cutting money for the program is painful.

It's also frustrating for former students and the people who put  
together the governor's schools for the arts, science and six other  
fields of study.

"I hope there is some way to maintain it," said Pulitzer Prize-winning  
composer Aaron Jay Kernis. "The school was extremely important for me  
when I started."

Kernis, now 49, said he attended the governor's school in the 1970s  
while attending high school in Bucks County.

He won a Pulitzer for music composition in 1998.

Now a Yale music professor, Kernis was advising the Minnesota  
Orchestra when contacted Thursday. He now lives in New York.

The governor's schools "have been unique for Pennsylvania and for  
students," Kernis said.

Like Kernis, a number of Alle-Kiski students have attended the schools  
during its 30-year history.

Those contacted mirrored Kernis' hope that the program can be salvaged.

"It's a huge opportunity and helped me to adapt for college," said  
Alea M. Kuczynski of Cheswick.

Now a sophomore at Penn State Altoona, Kuczynski attended the  
agriculture school of excellence in 2006.

Shei is majoring in veterinarian and biomedical science and hopes to  
become a zoo vet or provide care for horses.

Upper Burrell resident Doug Woods was surprised that Rendell mentioned  
the governor's schools when he unveiled budget plans Wednesday.

For the past 13 years Woods, 58, of Oak Lake Road, has directed the  
governor's school of excellence in the arts held at Mercyhurst College  
in Erie.

Other governor's schools are for science, teaching, agricultural  
science, information technology, international studies and global  
entrepreneurship.

"It doesn't look good, but I'm waiting for the dust to settle," said  
Woods, a retired teacher. "I'm still hopeful, but there's a 50-50  
chance that the schools will be shut down."

Governor's school alums are filing appeals with Rendell and  
legislators to save the program.

Thousands have replied to a Facebook appeal entitled "Save the  
'Govies.'"

Since 1973, about 15,000 students have attended one of the eight  
schools.

Other graduates include actor Kevin Bacon, author Alison Sebold and  
hundreds of doctors, attorneys and others with Ph.D.s Bacon and Sebold  
were not available for comment Thursday.

The schools emphasize excellence and give the students a chance,  
through hard work, to see if their field of interest will be their  
career path, after all.

The schools also encourage leadership and community involvement.

"We use the capital letter 'A' to describe it," Woods said. "Each one  
stands on a leg: inspire artists, show them new audiences and how to  
advocate for the arts."

For five weeks in the summer, governor's school students live at state  
colleges or universities and receive instruction from internationally  
known professors. High school juniors and seniors are selected on merit.

Until now, the state has paid full tuition.

Philadelphia-area prep school teacher Kate Plows, who attended the  
governor's schools and later was a residential director, said Gov.  
Rendell was faced with hard choices.

"Certainly he has put forth so many good things that it's particularly  
hard to be critical," she said.

"Still, the news hit hard."

The $3.2 million is a "drop in the bucket," Plows said, but that drop  
"holds a big investment for the future."

Chuck Biedka can be reached at cbiedka () tribweb com or 724-226-4711.



Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from  
PghTrib.com



-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com