Dear Dr. Valentine, SHS parents, student athletes, and alumni request that you reconsider your current stance prohibiting department heads from coaching athletic teams. Specifically, we ask that you allow Mr. Todd Parness to continue coaching boy’s soccer, girl’s basketball, and girl’s lacrosse. Coach Parness has earned the respect of the many players he has coached and deserves the right to continue to coach his current teams in the upcoming 2013-2014 season. After some research, we have found the policy of prohibiting department heads from coaching to be unique to Stamford High School and not standard policy for other top high schools in and around Fairfield County. Prohibiting Todd Parness and any other department head interested in coaching from doing so based solely on their department head position is unfair. If the department head proves they cannot handle both coaching and department head duties, then, and only then, should their duties as a coach be relinquished. SHS girl’s basketball and lacrosse teams both had fantastic seasons last year, as did the boy’s soccer team. This coming year should be no different; in fact, the girl’s varsity basketball team has the potential to achieve many SHS school records. This promise is a direct result of the hard work and strong character of Todd Parness, his fellow coaches, and the work ethic they have instilled in their players. Knowledgeable coaches are difficult to find, especially in the public school sector where coaches generally need to be board of education employees. Even more difficult, is to find coaches who love to both teach and coach and are successful in their ability to challenge student athletes. Coach Parness has these qualities and has exceeded as both an educator and a coach. Todd Parness has obviously earned your respect as an educator, having been named the department head of SHS’s physical and health education department. Please don’t penalize him, but rather reward coach Parness with the opportunity to coach the teams he has grown to love. We are confident Todd Parness will be both a successful department head and a successful coach given the opportunity. Sincerely, SHS parents, students, and alumni