We, the undersigned, are the faculty, staff, students, and parents at Plainfield High School, the flagship high school in the Plainfield Public School District. Many of us absolutely LOVE our jobs and LOVE being a part of PHS largely because we feel we have one of the BEST principals within the district, Mr. Dion Roach. Mr. Roach is a wonderful leader who has integrity, intelligence, humility, vision, and positivity. He encourages the best from the students and the staff. We parents don’t always agree with him but we respect him because he is kind and thoughtful with his decision-making.

When school was in-person, Mr. Roach could be found in the main office, greeting teachers, answering questions, and preparing for the day ahead. After staff entered, you would’ve found Mr. Roach greeting the students, letting them know he is their principal and he cares about their success. At the end of the school day, Mr. Roach was at those same doors assisting security ensuring students were on their way home or to pick up a younger sibling safely and orderly. Mr. Roach’s daily WORDS OF WISDOM that he’d read every morning helped to inspire staff and students. He’d quote historical persons, past and present, in an attempt to invoke thought and elicit ideas or critical thinking. Mr. Roach attends every single academic awards event and nearly every home athletic competition – he CARES and his transparent style is MOTIVATING!!

Mr. Roach’s OPEN DOOR policy allows any faculty or student or parent to feel welcomed. He shows us that he is ready and wiling to help solve a problem, identify a resource for help, or applaud a job well done. He is such an effective leader. He’s the type of principal one can tell if they’re having a bad day and he will give suggestions on how to make it through the day. What did Bruce Lee teach us? He taught us that one doesn’t have to be a BIG BULLY to win the fight but that there is strength in a disciplined, shared, diplomatic approach in leadership.

Since Mr. Roach has been principal at PHS, the suspension rate has dropped DRAMATICALLY. Before Mr. Roach became principal, there were over 700 suspensions a school year and last school year there were approximately 144. The student attendance rate has increased by just about 10% putting PHS in the 90% range. The next phase of PHS’s improvement plan is to address curriculum and instruction, support programs’ efficacy, and school climate. This, along with a slight increase in the graduation rate, is what the STATE is looking for when deciding to remove PHS from the schools in need of comprehensive support list.

All in all, we IMPLORE you to reconsider Mr. Roach’s removal. PHS NEEDS him. Please know that Mr. Roach is our ROCK, the cement that holds everything together. We cannot imagine our school without him, not at this time with the COVID-19 pandemic upon us, seriously disrupting our lives. We ask that that you VOTE so that Mr. Roach remains the PHS principal and in doing so not only will your VOTE show that you REALLY care about the faculty and students but that you also understand how important it is for all of us to have consistent, excellent leadership. PLEASE think about the importance of your VOTE – thank you so much for your time and consideration!!

Plainfield High School

Signed by: Faculty, Parents, and Students

August 2020