Memorial Middle School is more than a building. It is a community—and the people who care for our students are what make that community special.

We, the students and members of the Memorial Middle School community, are asking the Fair Lawn Board of Education to listen to our voices following the unexpected departure of our beloved Vice Principal, Sue Otterstedt, on September 8, 2026.

To many students, Ms. Otterstedt wasn't simply a vice principal. She was someone we could trust. Someone who listened. Someone who cared.

She treated students with kindness, dignity, and respect—regardless of their ethnicity, gender, background, opinions, or beliefs. She made students feel welcome and reminded us that our voices mattered.

She knew how to be a strong administrator while still connecting with students. She joked with us, dressed up for school events, took time to listen, and, whenever she could, helped students with assignments and even math problems. She created relationships that students will remember long after leaving Memorial.

But what made Ms. Otterstedt truly special was the way she cared.

She treated students like they were her own children. She didn't just see students walking through the hallways—she saw people. She understood that sometimes a student needs more than a rule or consequence. Sometimes they need someone to listen, encourage them, or simply remind them that someone cares.

Her unexpected departure has left many students heartbroken, confused, and wondering why someone who meant so much to our community is suddenly gone. For many of us, Memorial Middle School simply doesn't feel the same without her.

We understand that staffing decisions are complicated, and we respect the Board of Education and the administrators currently serving our school. But students deserve a voice when a decision affects the community they spend so much of their lives in.

We are asking the Board of Education to hear us.

We are asking you to recognize the incredible impact a caring administrator can have on students.

And most importantly, we are asking you to consider bringing Ms. Otterstedt back to Memorial Middle School.

Because good school leaders don't just manage a school.

They build a community.

Ms. Otterstedt built relationships.
She made students feel safe.
She made students feel respected.
She made students laugh.
She made students feel heard.
She made students feel like they mattered.

That is the kind of leadership our students deserve.

If Ms. Otterstedt made a difference in your life, if you believe students deserve administrators who genuinely care, or if you simply believe that student voices deserve to be heard—

Please sign this petition.

Every signature is another voice asking the Board to listen.

We are not asking for conflict.
We are asking for our voices to matter.
We are asking for our community to be heard.

Our school. Our community. Our voice.