Open Letter to the Editor From Parents of Ralston Students

Dear Editor,

As parents of children in Belmont schools, we are troubled by the events that have taken place within our school district over the past few weeks. The action last week by the School Board to terminate the contract of Ralston Middle School's principal, Mr. Scott Carson, has come as a particular shock.

Neither the parent community nor the school staff were given any warning that the School Board was considering this or any other drastic measure. No context has yet been provided.  Did Mr. Carson do something horribly wrong? Or is this just another case of pointless office politics? We understand that the School Board was elected to serve our community and we deserve as a community to know what Mr. Carson did that the Board considered poses a challenge to his position as a principal and a leader.  Our ears are open to hear more of the objective reasons. Perhaps we will never find out.  

But what we do know is that it sets an unfortunate, and potentially dangerous, precedent for our district.  

Ralston has already had three acting principals in just the past two years.  If Mr. Carson leaves the district, we will soon have a fourth.  This legacy of staff turnover has left a number of outstanding problems to be resolved.  Mr. Carson was already making progress towards resolving these issues.  If he leaves now, we risk losing this progress.  How can this be in the best interests of our children? 

Perhaps most critically, our district risks developing a reputation for discarding its most talented people ... in favor of political “survivors.”  We want to stop this disturbing trend. It’s time for us to attract -- and then retain! -- genuine leaders who can work effectively with our diverse community of teachers, parents, and students.

We know that the school district views this as an internal personnel matter, and thus says that it is obligated to remain silent. But as devoted parents and community members, we have an obligation too. We have to stand up for our children, teachers and school staff, and for our broader community. So when our Board unilaterally acts against their interests, we cannot and will not accept “trust us” as their only explanation.

We have created a petition to ask our school district to reconsider its decision and keep Mr. Carson as Ralston's principal for at least one more year. Nearly three hundred concerned parents, teachers, and other local community members have already signed this petition, and our numbers are growing. We are reaching out to one another to build a stronger educational community for us all.

Many of us have taken to wearing BLACK to protest the district’s lack of communication and failure to consider stakeholder input regarding this decision.

We hope that by wearing BLACK, our silenced voices will be heard.  If there is a sound reason not to continue with Mr. Carson, we have not yet heard it.  What could justify such a disruption?  There are many who admire and respect Mr. Carson for what he has accomplished in such a short time.  We hope that even those who do not know Mr. Carson well can see the questionable nature of the Board’s decision to remove him.  

Allowing Mr. Carson to stay on as principal for at least one year would allow for greater continuity of leadership at Ralston. It would buy the district time to focus on the search for a new superintendent, and the additional principal vacancy created by the impending retirement of Ms. Cherie Ho. It would also allow a year for Mr. Carson to address the concerns, whatever they may be, of the Board.  It buys ample time to search for and transition a new principal at Ralston, if it is decided that change is still needed.  

This is a critical moment in our community. Good leadership is responsive to the voices of their constituents, and can change its course when presented with new information. Let’s put our children first. Let’s give Mr. Carson one more year. Let’s all work together as parents, teachers, students, and elected leaders to build a better community.

We urge you, the Belmont residents, to take action by attending this Thursday’s board meeting, signing our online petition, and urging your School Board members and other elected officials to reconsider and ultimately reverse this decision.

Sincerely,

Adam Wantz & Patti Leggett-Wantz
(parents of a 4th grader and a seventh grader)

Lynn Bell & Ken Felton
(parents of a 5th grader and a 7th grader)

Eileen & Humberto Monge
(parents of two 4th graders and a 7th grader)

Lin & Andrew Pham
(parents of a 7th grader)

Winnifred & John Kwofie
(parents of a 5th grader and a 7th grader)

Jeff & Fumi Marshall
(parents of a 7th grader and a freshman)

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