Steel+Valley-based+TEACH+group’s+video+wins+award

=By Stacy Lee= =Published in the McKeesport Daily News= =1/30/12= = = = = =The Steel Valley-based education activists group Tell Everyone All Cuts Hurt group has won a state-wide video contest.= =The video placed first in the group category at the Education Voters Pennsylvania's "Education Gets Reel" project.= =The TEACH video features furloughed Steel Valley School District teachers Jonathan Edwards, Heather Huber, Jen Pecora and Rebecca Russell. It lists their accomplishments, what they have done for the school district, and student comments about them.= =Edwards directed the video.= ="It feels great to be recognized, but more important, hopefully it spreads the word about how cuts are affecting many districts in the state, including Steel Valley," he said. "I'm sure teachers from other districts can watch and relate to staff and program cuts that are happening everywhere."= =Edwards said he heard about the contest from Steel Valley teacher Steve Singer, who came across an ad for the contest.= ="We had a short brainstorming session with another English teacher, Bethany Fenyus," Edwards said. "Then we began filming shortly after."= =He said the video was recorded last May with approximately 15 students in grades 6-8 writing down their thoughts about certain teachers.= ="We then cut those voices together to really paint a picture of the impact those teachers had on students," Edwards said.= =Huber said she hopes people who see the video -- especially legislators -- understand what education cuts have done to the community, teachers and children.= ="I wanted to get the message across that there're not just hurting the teachers and putting teachers out of work, they're hurting the kids as well," she said. "It's all about the kids. I wanted people to see how they felt about their teachers and how they love their teachers, and all the work the teachers put into their day that we don't get acknowledged for or paid for."= =Huber is going back to school for business with the hope she can get hired in another field. She said she'd still rather be a teacher.= ="I have master's degree in education and I can't use it," Huber said. "There are 5,200 teachers without a job in Pennsylvania."= =Russell said she was asked to do the video because she was the most senior teacher being furloughed, with 17 years at Steel Valley.= ="They don't realize how much the layoffs affect students," she said. "My band students were the best. I would have done anything for those kids. It's disheartening that you put in that much time and this is how you end your career."= =Russell works half days at Steel Valley's alternative education Batch Center.= ="I thought it was a good way to get the word out," Pecora said about the video. "Even if just the Steel Valley community would view it to see what was being lost. It's not just in our community, but it's all over Pennsylvania."= =Pecora said she loved that the video had students talking about the teachers.= ="Everything the kids said they thought of on their own," she said. "You could tell it was coming from the kids' hearts and it wasn't us telling them to say it."= =Since her furlough from Steel Valley, Pecora has been subbing and just had a baby.= ="I found out that I was being furloughed on the day I found out I was pregnant," she said. "It was ironic."= =Edwards said the furloughed educators wanted to make the point that teachers do more than simply teach 45-90 minutes per class period.= ="So many of the teachers at Steel Valley are involved with programs after school," he said, citing art club, tutoring, coaching sports, drama club, music lessons and other activities.= ="When you cut teachers, you cut many of these programs as well," Edwards said. "It's not a knock on those teachers that are left behind to pick up the pieces. They have to work twice as hard now to achieve the same results."= =He now is teaching in the Pittsburgh Public school district at the Science and Technology Academy in Oakland.= ="I know that many of my colleagues who were furloughed have been less fortunate and I just hope that those who care about public education keep fighting the good fight and get the word out there: Public schools need funding if they are to survive," Edwards said.= =This is the first time Education Voters Pennsylvania has had a video contest. EdVotersPA program manager Ian Moran said the contest was a good way to draw attention to education issues and involve voters and taxpayers by inspiring them to call their legislators.= =He said he enjoyed TEACH's video.= ="I thought it really put a face on the cuts that happened and what kind of talented teachers ended up on the chopping block," he said.= =Moran said approximately 25 submissions were made to the contest. Winners were announced Jan. 18.= =Steel Valley Education Association said that, of 41 teachers furloughed last year, six retired or resigned and 28 teachers remain unemployed.= =Steel Valley School District administration and school board said the teacher furloughs were necessitated by declining enrollment. Pennsylvania School Code does not allow school districts to furlough teachers for economic reasons.= =Other staff positions were eliminated because Steel Valley received less funding from the state than had been expected, district officials said.= =TEACH also has members from other school districts. The video can be viewed at www.svteach.wikispaces.com.= = = = Read more: [|Steel Valley-based TEACH group’s video wins award - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review] [|http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailynewsmckeesport/s_779079.html#ixzz1kzdwKoDG] = = = = = = = = = = = =News= =home=