Alyson+Open+Letter

A Power Change Dear Mr. Sahm, My name is Alyson Goldner, and I am a graduate of Bishop Chatard High School. There were various changes that you made to the school that several people, including myself, greatly disliked. You first got rid of the free days we had when various sports teams won state. This was a Chatard tradition. Although it was not crucial to a high school experience, it definitely disappointed many people. I wish that you had asked students and teachers about different Chatard traditions. You did not attend Chatard for high school. Nobody would require you to learn everything about the traditions right when you started, but it would have made students much happier had you allowed these traditions to continue. You spent school funding on many unnecessary items, such as new doors for classrooms, signs around the parking lot, and new technology, which most teachers do not know how to use. The technology does not work half of the time. Teachers should be required to go to workshops or something in order to learn how to use the new technology properly. You bought a new sound system for the theater department, which was needed. As an active participant in the theater department, I can honestly say that the sound system did not work very well. No professional was able to figure out how to set it up. People were constantly trying to find different ways to hook the sound system up, but it never worked. The sound system continued crashing, and the theater department abandoned most attempts to fix it. The school's money would have been better spent if you had consulted somebody before making a purchase instead of buying something which you knew nothing about. I have heard that you bought a new sound system that works very well. That was a very good move on your part, but it would not have been necessary if you had taken the right approach in the first place. The Walk-A-Thon money that was made from my freshmen year was supposed to be used to buy new air conditioning for the school. This was yet another necessary thing. When the air conditioning was bought, it did not work. One of the teachers said that her father installed and fixed air conditioner for a living, and her father said that the air conditioning the school bought was the cheapest and worst that anyone could buy. I understand that the school has very little money to spend on these things, but it seems to me that the money would be better spent on something that would work and would not constantly break down.

Your major mistake was firing members of Chatard's staff. Miss Fry was every students' favorite teacher. She cared about the students and took the time to give many people advice during troubling situations. The band and choir both had many members and both were very good. When Miss Fry was dismissed as choir director, several students decided either to join the band or quit music all together. When you fired Miss Fry, many of the students were very angry. They wanted to protest until you agreed to compromise on her contract. You fired Miss Jennings, who was the coordinator of most of Chatard's events. She helped with Chatard-A-Bration and Dance Marathon. She was in charge of open houses, ambassadors, and student shadowing. Many members of the Chatard family were shocked when they heard this news. Miss Jennings had devoted all of her time to Chatard and its students. When Mr. Holok, the principal, was fired, everyone wanted to riot. He was the backbone of the school. He gave everything he had to Chatard and always made time to talk to the students. He always attended every student event, from football games to dance team performances to theater productions. There were times when he would gather up classes and tell them how much he cared about each individual person.. You had your reasons for firing different members of the staff, but based on what some teachers have said, you fired Mr. Holok because he did not share the same views you did for the school. Mr. Sahm, you tried to turn the school into a business. I understand that the school’s programs needed to be expanded. I understand laying teachers off for the sake of saving money. But you have made so many unnecessary changes. My friends at the school said that there are no more senior privileges, which is a big deal. That was one of the best things about being a senior. I understand that you and the new principal need to exercise control over the students, but there was no reason to take senior privileges away immediately. The seniors should be allowed some privileges, and if they misbehave, you can take them away. Also, my friends said that you want to be able to send the student section at the football games home. Mr. Sahm, the players need support of the students. Also, the students will not listen to you. No disrespect, but there are so many of them. They don’t listen to anybody at the games. And if you try to send them home, they will just go and sit somewhere else. Then, they will laugh at how you tried to send them home. I know these people. They may compromise a bit, but in the end, they will do whatever they can to get their way. Don’t try to compromise with them in a football game. They will not take you seriously. In the future, they will just become even madder at you for trying to keep control. Unless the students are being incredibly rude, please leave them alone. This is just part of the high school experience for them.

Sincerely, Alyson Goldner