We, the students of Tenafly High School, are writing to strongly protest the decision to let go of Ms. Kohan due to budget cuts, one of the most compassionate, dedicated, and impactful counselors this school has had. We are heartbroken, and frankly, confused.

Ms. Kohan has been a guiding light for so many of us during some of the most stressful and pivotal years of our lives. As The Echo (a student run newspaper at THS) put it "Ms. Kohan is an advocate for students who consistently feel stressed, whether it be by college decisions, personal conflicts, or assignments in general."

To put it simply, she was a source of stability in a time when everything felt like chaos. Her office was a safe space, and her presence in this school made many of us feel seen, heard, and valued. Personally, I can say without hesitation that she changed the course of my high school experience and helped me believe in myself when I didn’t think I could, and any one of her students that I’ve managed to talk to has said the same thing.

Hearing that she was let go due to budget cuts came as a shock. It didn’t make sense. This is someone who loves her job, who showed up for her students every single day with care and dedication.

Most importantly, it’s important to remind each other that our school just passed a referendum meant to improve the quality of education, buildings and resources available to students. And yet, instead of investing in people like Ms. Kohan (people who are the foundation of a thriving student body), we’re losing them. How does that make sense?

For the upcoming senior class, this is more than just disappointing. Many of the rising seniors were finally beginning to build a relationship with Ms. Kohan. Now, they’re expected to start over again with their THIRD counselor in just four years. Some students may not have any counselor at all to write them a genuine letter of recommendation. This instability is UNFAIR. Why are the educators who give the most being treated as the most expendable?

Tenafly High School is supposed to be a place where “students come first”, but rash decisions like these make us feel like we don’t matter and the administration would rather save a few bucks than truly invest in its student body. We urge the administration and board to reconsider this decision, to listen to the voices of the students who are directly affected, and to act in alignment with the values this school claims to uphold. Even if the decision is irreversible, we hope the Board thinks deeply about the people they’re removing and the students they’re hurting, and that next time, they choose more wisely.

Sincerely,

The students of Tenafly High School