Parents don’t have — and shouldn’t have — the only voice in public education

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa I hate to break it to you, but parents don’t — and shouldn’t — get the last word when it comes to public education. Should parents have some say? Sure, and they do (arguably an outsized voice already), but they are far from the only constituency school districts and school boards have to balance to truly represent the greater community. The needs...

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.    Send article as PDF...

It’s not just Coatesville: funding crisis coming to your school, too

As poorer districts struggle, they are everyone’s future without state action By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times If you’ve been in and around Coatesville recently, you may have seen picketing teachers — as was the case at the district’s three middle schools Thursday night. The contract between the district and the Coatesville Area Teachers Association expired in late August and there has...

Letter: Dinniman, Wolf have failed our schools

To The Editor: Governor Wolf and Senator Dinniman failed students, teachers and taxpayers this past week.  House Bill 805 would ensure that the best teachers are protected from layoffs and not simply the ones who are there the longest.  Rather than working to improve our education system and provide real accountability, Wolf and Dinniman opposed this legislation to protect the interests of a few...

UCF board member questions teacher tech education courses

Officials update progress of Patton renovations, other projects By Karen Cresta, Staff Writer, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH – The agenda for the Unionville Chadds Ford School Board’s work session on Monday night went rather quickly but board member Keith Knauss added a statement that was not included in the agenda regarding courses being taken by teachers that he felt were unnecessary and fall into...

UCF board gives prelim approval to 2.01% tax increase, 5-4

Teachers express offense at educator award proposal By Karen Cresta, Correspondent, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH – After much review of what items are new to the budget and the presentation of three scenarios by Robert Cochran, the district’s director of business and operations, the proposed final budget for 2015-2016 for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Distrct was approved at Monday night’s...

UCF, teachers appear far apart in contract talks

Sides sparring over benefits, salary as negotiations continue By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH — New talks for a contract between the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and its teachers may be more protracted and complicated than similar talks two years ago, as both sides appear to be far apart on terms for a new three-year deal to replace the pact that expires June 30. The...

Unionville schools, teachers reach contract deal

Both sides must ratify new pact, after ‘quiet’ talks net two-year deal UPDATED, 11:07 a.m.: Corrects detail on negotiation representation. By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH — The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and its teachers union have reached tentative agreement Monday on a two-year contract, potentially avoiding a repeat of the contentious 2010-11 wrangling...

Letter: UCF class sizes too small, fail to follow policies

To The Editor, It has been reported that the Unionville Chadds Ford School District operates its four K-5 elementary facilities with average class sizes of 13.1 to 14.1 students. Similarly the UCF High School operates with average class sizes of 15.1 students. Unfortunately, I do not have data for Patton Middle School, but suspect these students experience similar class sizes. The UCF class sizes are...

Pocopson teacher named tops in state

Stephens Recognized as National History Teacher of the Year for Pennsylvania By Suzanne Misciagna, Correspondent, UnionvilleTimes.com Ryan Stephens, Pocopson Elementary School teacher and Recipient of the 2011 National History Teacher of the Year Award for Pennsylvania POCOPSON – Students at Pocopson Elementary School weren’t the only ones put in the spotlight during the school’s Geography Bee...