Last spring, as a school community we saw significant budget cuts, but the one that stood out the most to me was  the elimination of the position of Director of Guidance at Columbia High School. Mr. Vecchione who held the position at the time was responsive, knowledgeable, solutions-focused, and played a critical role in the creation of the master schedule and the smooth operations of the the Guidance Department. As I expressed via letters to Central Office administration and the BOE, and at public speaks on multiple occasions, my concern was rooted in the impact this would have on our students. My fears were realized in the ongoing scheduling debacle at CHS. Schedules that should have been finalized before the 10-month position guidance counselors went on break, were, it appears, haphazardly thrown together over the course of the summer. It's not clear who was responsible for them. CHS students spent the final days before school started stressed about the errors in their schedules and have spent the first few days of school waiting in lines to seek corrections. Parents have taken to social media to find solutions for the children's schedule issues. I keep hearing about more and more problems resulting from this scheduling debacle. This mess was completely avoidable if they had retained Mr. Vecchione. I am also sympathetic to the guidance counselors who have been working tirelessly to remedy the many issues relating to the master schedule and the students' individual schedules.

Our students deserve an organized start to the school year, a correct master schedule, and thoughtfully prepared and reviewed schedules. The chaos we are seeing is completely unacceptable. Columbia High School, a high school of nearly 2,000 students, needs a Director of Guidance and Counseling, the only 12-month position in the department.

Please sign this petition to demand that the Board of Education and Superintendent reinstate the position of Director of Guidance and Counseling at Columbia High School immediately.