Please sign the Petition that will enable for a meeting to be held with the board as per the Hillel bylaws:
The bylaws state that “special meetings of the members (that would be parents and certain donors) may be called by the chair, and must be called by the Chair on written request of not less than fifty (50) Members . . .” If I read that correctly, once more that 50 parents submit a written request for a meeting, the Board Chair must call one. I think a petition for a “member meeting” with at least fifty signatures delivered to Rafeal Russ should suffice. Of course, the more signatures the better.
The petition can be located at http://www.petitiononline.com/SSHCDS07/petition.html
Your support is appreciated.
21 responses so far ↓
1 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 12:02 pm
EVIL TRIUMPHS WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING.
Please make your voice heard now and sign.
2 Concerned118 // Mar 29, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I really appreciate the passion and enthusiasm of your petition. I doubt very many Hillel parents will be willing to sign something that negative, however. Calling the Board of Governors names is not the solution. Most of them are good people trying to move the school in a direction that they believe is best. They are misinformed about many issues, however, as most of them do not have children in the Middle and High School. That is why what we are trying to achieve here is dialogue as a step toward repairing a very damaged relationship. I don’t think most board members realize how damaged that relationship is.
Also, I am also not sure an online petition will qualify, as the bylaws require a “written request.”
I think we need to take a little time and care in crafting a more positively worded petition that will not scare people off and a mechanism for people to place an acual signature.
Concerned118
3 Anonymous // Mar 29, 2007 at 12:55 pm
You are welcome to change the petition. we are requesting such dialog!!!!
The information contained herein is truthful in context.
4 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Concerned 118, I thought that petition was poignantly written and did not call anyone names. However, you havewriting ability, could you craft something that we might be able to use that would appease all parties concerned?
5 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Since this is a dialogue we should all take a look and choose the one we all like best.
6 Paul Farago // Mar 29, 2007 at 1:34 pm
The online petition becomes “written” when it is printed out. A document does not need to be handwritten to qualify as “written.”
7 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Are you sure Paul? Are you an attorney or do you know of any? Let’s get this issue clarified for ourselves. Thank you for your help.
8 Michael Newman // Mar 29, 2007 at 2:00 pm
I agree that the petition was a little strongly worded in areas which will cause immense fractionalization among the supporters of this cause.
The petition should read generally as follows:
We the parents/alumni/concerned parties, concerned with the direction the school is currently taking, respectfully request a hearing to discuss what is currently transpiring with regard to the most recent teacher firings. Parents, students, and alumni have come together to support the teachers that have been let go. Many of these teachers represent the spirit of what Hillel is all about. If the board continues along its current course of action, we fear that school enrollment will decline, philanthropy from alumni will cease, and the school will end up in ruins.
_____________________________
In my humble opinion, I do not believe that wealth distribution has any place in the petition. Nor do I think that that petition should be only focusing on the Jewish Studies teachers/curriculum. If you see student and alumni posts, the administration has dealt equally unfairly with General Studies teachers that have also helped shape many of our lives.
Parents should not have to choose btwn a University School/Pine Crest/ Miami Country Day secular education and a strong Jewish curriculum. One does not and should not be sacrificed for the other.
A student should be able to learn Jewish values at school without feeling at a disadvantage if he/she wishes to persue a secular life after high-school.
If I am wrong about what people feel, please feel free to correct me.
9 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 2:06 pm
So glad to have a prospective attorney on board.
Thank you for your help Michael.
Perhaps the parent who so courageously made the petition could implement these suggestions .
10 Michelle S. // Mar 29, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Lets carefully craft the petition to focus on our goal: getting enough signatures to get the meeting.
For this reason, please implement the suggestions above.
Given the support that this website has, I have no doubt we will get a plethora of signatures with a slightly more diplomatic petition.
11 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Good point. Do you have any suggestions Michelle?
12 Michelle S. // Mar 29, 2007 at 2:27 pm
I am actually running to get on a flight to Miami right now.
Perhaps we can start with what Michael did and elaborate. Lets be sure to emphasize our concern rather than our disappointment.
13 Paul Farago // Mar 29, 2007 at 3:18 pm
I am not an attorney and I am not giving legal advice, but it does not make sense that any document of this nature would be required in handwriting. A fairly common example is the requirement that real estate contracts be in writing…I’ve never seen one handwritten.
I also agree with Michael and Michelle.
14 anon // Mar 29, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Re: Adam Holden, PhD?
It is unconcionable that Mr Holden would use the title Doctor now that it is known that he has a bogus PhD.
Several of the dismissed faculty have better educations and degrees than he can ever aspire to obtaining.
It is equally disturbing that Judy Dach, a board member, is quoted to have said “Adam is God’s gift to Jewish education”.
There is no Catholic or Christian school that has hired a Jewish Head Master. Why the board went with a gentile with questionable credentials who happens to be “God’s gift to Jewish education” is anyone’s guess. Perhaps his good looks and accent were enough to sway Mrs Dach.
15 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 4:00 pm
You make some good points. Why not post them in the section about this topic?
I also was very disturbed to read that quote only minutes ago.
16 admin // Mar 29, 2007 at 5:22 pm
I have been asked to remove a comment that singled out a particular board member. The comment was “antagonistic and inflammatory” (which is a concern that the same person has voiced about this website). My reasoning (which I also removed to protect the names of the individuals involved) is below:
I would appreciate it if we not say that people are being “inappropriate,” because again, we can disagree with an action (hiring Holden, firing teachers), but I would really like this to be a forum where we are not pointing fingers at any specific individual (in terms of personal attacks, like saying that someone’s character is flawed which is implied by the usage of the term “inappropriate”), especially since every board member is part of a larger body of individuals who made a number of very big decisions.
That said, I understand the frustration of the parent who has made that particular statement, but please let’s have some civility here. You may feel that your anonymity entitles you to making such inflammatory remarks but I will not condone them. Furthermore, if you agree that any “antagonistic and inflammatory” remarks don’t belong here, please don’t post anything “antagonistic and inflammatory.”
17 Ruben // Mar 29, 2007 at 5:29 pm
I agree with teh above individuals. The petition should be short and to the point. Something in the nature of,
“the alumni request a hearing with board concerning the recent decisions of the board. Ina ddition, we are all concerned regarding the new direction of this school etc….
Something in that manner is relatively easier to get signed and not pointing fingers.
Thoughts are welcomed
18 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Yes. I’d like to hear more from Michelle when she arrives in Miami.
19 Concerned Citizen // Mar 29, 2007 at 6:09 pm
And anyone else who has suggestions. Thank you.
20 Citizen Citizen // Mar 30, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Revised petiton as of Friday, March 30:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/VFSSHCDS/petition.html
21 Citizen Citizen // Mar 30, 2007 at 2:02 pm
PETITION IS FOR PARENTS ONLY.
PARENTS PLEASE CIRCULATE IT RAPIDLY.