Hello Edison Township Board of Education,

Our names are Ambar Phatak ‘27, Xavier Chung ‘27, and Kris Cunningham ‘26, all of whom are serving on the Student Leaders Board for the 2025-26 school year in the EHS Choir. There is a rising concern among the students for next year due to there not being a second teacher assisting. Over the past four years that our current choir director, Mr. Lisner, has served, the choir program has nearly tripled in size; in fact, more than 180 incoming and current high school students are enrolled in the program next year. This number is astounding and such an amazing achievement. With it, though, comes a lot more work and a whole lot more time taken to get things done for our director. A singular person working to manage 180 students when it comes to class time, grading assignments, health forms, and more, is a very difficult task that can be extremely tedious at times. As a result, there may be meaningful and impactful performances or events that have to be cut in order to save time and energy for both Mr. Lisner and the students, such as our annual Pasta and Performance, Broadway Night, or even Carnegie Hall. 

In our personal opinions, we believe that these three performances specifically are imperative for our program, especially for the incoming freshmen. Pasta and Performance is the first event that takes place after the Choir BBQ, which involves both group performances and individual, auditioned performances. This boosts confidence in every member of the program because they get to sing in front of a live audience of family and friends and show off their talents. There is always positive feedback from this event from both students and parents alike because we are able to show people that we are more than just a choir; we are a community. With this performance being at risk, alongside other very influential events, we are asking that you take adding an assistant director into consideration. In doing so, it would allow us and our whole community to keep these rewarding experiences on our agenda, and take extra work off of our current director. Mr. Lisner is a caring and loving teacher and always wants the best for us and our community. He believes in our efforts and believes that we can be the best we can be in concerts and competitions. Under his direction, he has continued the legacy of both Mr. Hughes and Mr. Brown in bringing our program here at EHS to the top of every competition and has shown off our breathtaking talents in concerts. Performing at Carnegie this school year was a next-level achievement and is marked in the history books for this school. We, as the student body, want to help our director continue to provide these opportunities to future classes so that our legacy can live on here at EHS. 

Now is the time to add a second director, as our community is growing to record-breaking numbers in the township. Based on the growth of the department in the past four years, this number will become exceedingly larger as the next few years go by. Only a year from now will bring brand new opportunities for the students here with a larger choir, but only if a second director is hired. Edison Board of Education, it is with your help that we can rise to new heights here at EHS. Now is the time to act. We sincerely thank you for your attention to this letter, a we hope that you truly consider everything in this letter. We hope to hear back soon. 

With gratitude,

The Student Body of the Edison High School Choir