An open letter to the Administration and Board of the Baldwin Whitehall School District:

As a board your recent actions make me and many other district residents question your motives. How do you justify your actions? With recent cuts in the district how is it acceptable to make up a, not needed,  $120,000 position and then just give it to someone without ever posting the job, taking applications and conducting interviews? What are Marty Schmotzer's qualifications? Why are you allowed to appoint anyone you choose to vacated board positions, making travesties like this possible?  If that is in the district bylaws it should be changed; they should be elected by the residents of the district, not handpicked by the existing board. Why have you decided to no longer recognize some of the extracurricular clubs and allow fundraising (for example the Robotics Club)? Why is it that you let personal agendas guide personnel issues?

For me this is personal, as a 31 year resident of Whitehall Borough I began volunteering in the Baldwin Whitehall schools in 1994. In 2005 I accepted the position of Costume Supervisor for the Baldwin High School Musicals. Over this past summer and through September we began preparations for the 2014 musical. Imagine my surprise when I receive a call, the first week of October, from a friend, informing me that item 8.10 of the October 9th school board meeting agenda was to open all positions of the musical staff. In other words, I no longer have my job. (Funny, I didn't receive official notification from you, the district, until October 17th.) I believe the board has no idea the work involved in producing a quality show. The director and assistant director spent many days over the summer looking for a show, meeting more than once with administration. My question is why were they not told of the decision to go in a new direction? I would like to have my 40 plus hours of costume research time back as I'm sure the director and assistant director would rather have been enjoying their summer break instead of going through scripts and scores finding the musical to showcase our students talents that we now will not produce, but your new staff will.

What puzzles me is why the district would decide to go in a new direction, with all new staff, when we have an award winning program. The last two years our musicals have won The Gene Kelly Award for Best Musical in our budget category.  Why fix what is not broken?  Why, to get rid of the people that certain board members, administrators and their friends do not like or feel threatened by, of course.

It all became clear when I found out that the director's job had already been offered to a "professional", who is married to a Baldwin teacher, (before the jobs were even officially opened), he accepted the position then turned it down because he got a better offer. He was then asked for a recommendation, you then offered the job to that person but it turns out that the second candidate, a Baldwin graduate,  is a friend of several ex-staff members, one of whom he called to find out what was going on. He too turned down the offer, being uncomfortable with the way the administration was handling the situation. According to the new director, you found him, he did not apply for the job, plus you gave him a super-sub position so he could be in the building every day.

Keep in mind your goal should be to provide students with the best education, both in the classroom and through extracurricular activities. Being positive role models while preparing them to be responsible, functioning citizens. What I see, in some of the board members and administrators, is people that lie and scheme behind the backs of those they do not like or those who disagree with them. Some of you are bullies. You should be proud, you're setting a great example for the students and don't for a minute think they are unaware. You, bullies and liars, you know who you are,  you should be ashamed, you have dismissed a group of people whose goal was to provide students with an experience they will never forget, making something from nothing, working side by side with others they normally would never interact, learning the importance of organization and responsibility.

My salary this past  year was $2,494, (how many hours will Marty Schmotzer work for his $120,000 salary). I worked from August thru mid June, averaging 25 hours a week August thru December, starting in January I would work 50 to 80 hours a week. After closing night all of the costumes were laundered by me and one volunteer, in our homes, using our washers, dryers, water, gas. There were over 420 costume changes, many with multiple pieces. Then after the Gene Kelly Awards, in late May, where our students preformed on the Benedum stage, the two of us again laundered 80 costumes. I certainly did not do this for the money. You had a dedicated staff and you threw us away because some of you don't like a few of the staff members. We have helped change many lives for the better. As they have changed ours. Good luck finding that dedication with your new staff.

As the board and administration, you have done a great disservice to your employees, the community and most importantly the students. You are cowards and bullies unwilling or unable to see that you are bringing the district down. Petty jealousy has nothing to do with building a better district,  I could understand going for better but this has nothing to do with making the district better, it is all about getting rid of the people you don't like and putting your hand picked group in place. Your schools are in trouble because you, the people in charge, are too busy playing politics, making sure your side wins. Putting  people in place who will do your bidding regardless the cost to the students. Guess what? The students, our country's future, are suffering because of your arrogance. Grow up and do your job. Our school district has become a joke run by puppets.

Two pieces of advice: First, when opening positions, notify the affected personnel before posting the information on the internet and then make sure to actually post the openings so qualified applicants can apply for the jobs. Second, just because someone has you ear does not mean everything they tell you is the truth. Talk to all parties involved, you would be surprised at what you might learn.

I'm proud to have been associated with the Baldwin musical since 2003. To my fellow ex-staff members and all of the students who have touched my life "because I knew you, I have been changed for good" ("For Good", Wicked the Musical).

To the board and administration, shame on you.

Sincerely,

Jean Hense