The History department was by far my favorite department out of all of them. Mr. Porcelli and Flug both taught my two favorite courses I took throughout high school. Senior year when history became an elective, I chose to still take two of the courses offered by the department. Why fix what's not broken? There are plenty of other areas within the high school that need this type of a drastic change, but not the history department.
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Alec Petraske
9 years ago
She was the best
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Gamini Dharmasena
9 years ago
Our daughter, although she is science major, has greatly benefited from the awesome social studies program at MHS. We are shocked by this decision by school administrators as we have seen the positive impact has made our daughter and many other kids lives thru the MHS social studies program. Please leave the program unchanged if you are honestly putting kids first.
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Maddie Irving
9 years ago
Signed this w/ my Mtsd account
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Michael Dubs
9 years ago
Members of the Board of Education need to read all the comments people have written on this petition and think deeply about where the real problem is - with a department that clearly has a culture and track record of outstanding success in inspiring and educating its students, or with an apparently out-of-touch and short-sighted administration that would derail this success.
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Respecter of Men
9 years ago
I respect men.
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Lee Pedinoff
9 years ago
MHS c/o 2007
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Respecter of Women
9 years ago
I respect women.
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Nancy Geiger
9 years ago
Grandparent. My granddaughter is in her class and is having a fabulous experience. Don't do this
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Alan C Wirsul
9 years ago
Yes, there is a mistake being made here and only Supt. Gartenberg can correct it. FYI, BOE merely sets policy
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Anonymous
9 years ago
We are sophomores at Montgomery High School and we strongly appreciate and value the History department. We believe this is the best department the school has to offer and because the teachers utilize this current teaching style it makes what is a hard topic for many, a lot easier to understand. This style of teaching allows the students to not only appreciate their teachers as teachers but as people as well. Getting rid of the history department would be depriving the students of one of the best things this school has to offer.
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Megan Case
9 years ago
The Montgomery Social Studies department helped me discover my passion for history and inspired me to become a Social Studies teacher myself. Class of 2012.
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Lexus McAlister
9 years ago
My experience at MHS would not have been as good as it was without the incredible individuality and passion each history teacher had. They brought their own teaching style and personality into each class period which helped me learn and maintain the material much better.
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Kanan Shah
9 years ago
Social studies is one of the favorite subject of my girl and I do not want her to suffer her as she is ready enter the high school. I strongly disprove social studies's supervisor dismissal.
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Thomas O'Shea
9 years ago
I suport the high school's social studies supervisor. Dismissal is unfounded and unacceptable. This department's work with the students is remarkable and should be supported and not vilified.
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Emily Gartenberg
9 years ago
The Social Studies department was a highlight in my high school education. The classes I took in Social Studies prepared me for college much more than any other department at MHS, and the teachers were all caring, intelligent, and clearly adept at their jobs. It would be such a shame to lose this highly functioning system when there are other departments that are seriously lacking in supervision and talent.
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Kelsey Parks
9 years ago
MHS Class of 2013
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Emily Brooke
9 years ago
As so many have already stated, the Social Studies Department at Montgomery High School provides an invaluable learning experience to its students. I echo this sentiment strongly- my favorite teachers, my most understanding teachers, my most academically challenging teachers were all members of the Social Studies Department.
Beyond the teaching abilities and strong leadership the Department has had, I am disturbed by the process, lack of community and colleague input that appears to have gone into this decision.
I currently work as a school social worker in Texas, a state that has made many changes towards standardization similar to those of this proposed change. I cannot accurately state the detrimental effect this has on students- from teachers more focused on a score, less able to engage with student's unique needs and perspectives to students disengaging from the learning experience. My students are constantly in awe when I tell them how little my classrooms were standarized in MTSD and how much I was able to enjoy and engage with learning.
If the central administration is not willing to listen to the clear chorus of voices on this issue from the current constituents, and those who will be most affected, take a lesson from history (the subject currently being debated)- this standardization does not work. It does not work here in Texas and it will not benefit our students in MTSD.
Emily Brooke, LMSW
Class of '09
STOP the craziness ...
The History department was by far my favorite department out of all of them. Mr. Porcelli and Flug both taught my two favorite courses I took throughout high school. Senior year when history became an elective, I chose to still take two of the courses offered by the department. Why fix what's not broken? There are plenty of other areas within the high school that need this type of a drastic change, but not the history department.
She was the best
Our daughter, although she is science major, has greatly benefited from the awesome social studies program at MHS. We are shocked by this decision by school administrators as we have seen the positive impact has made our daughter and many other kids lives thru the MHS social studies program. Please leave the program unchanged if you are honestly putting kids first.
Signed this w/ my Mtsd account
Members of the Board of Education need to read all the comments people have written on this petition and think deeply about where the real problem is - with a department that clearly has a culture and track record of outstanding success in inspiring and educating its students, or with an apparently out-of-touch and short-sighted administration that would derail this success.
I respect men.
MHS c/o 2007
I respect women.
Grandparent. My granddaughter is in her class and is having a fabulous experience. Don't do this
Yes, there is a mistake being made here and only Supt. Gartenberg can correct it. FYI, BOE merely sets policy
We are sophomores at Montgomery High School and we strongly appreciate and value the History department. We believe this is the best department the school has to offer and because the teachers utilize this current teaching style it makes what is a hard topic for many, a lot easier to understand. This style of teaching allows the students to not only appreciate their teachers as teachers but as people as well. Getting rid of the history department would be depriving the students of one of the best things this school has to offer.
The Montgomery Social Studies department helped me discover my passion for history and inspired me to become a Social Studies teacher myself. Class of 2012.
My experience at MHS would not have been as good as it was without the incredible individuality and passion each history teacher had. They brought their own teaching style and personality into each class period which helped me learn and maintain the material much better.
Social studies is one of the favorite subject of my girl and I do not want her to suffer her as she is ready enter the high school. I strongly disprove social studies's supervisor dismissal.
I suport the high school's social studies supervisor. Dismissal is unfounded and unacceptable. This department's work with the students is remarkable and should be supported and not vilified.
The Social Studies department was a highlight in my high school education. The classes I took in Social Studies prepared me for college much more than any other department at MHS, and the teachers were all caring, intelligent, and clearly adept at their jobs. It would be such a shame to lose this highly functioning system when there are other departments that are seriously lacking in supervision and talent.
MHS Class of 2013
As so many have already stated, the Social Studies Department at Montgomery High School provides an invaluable learning experience to its students. I echo this sentiment strongly- my favorite teachers, my most understanding teachers, my most academically challenging teachers were all members of the Social Studies Department. Beyond the teaching abilities and strong leadership the Department has had, I am disturbed by the process, lack of community and colleague input that appears to have gone into this decision. I currently work as a school social worker in Texas, a state that has made many changes towards standardization similar to those of this proposed change. I cannot accurately state the detrimental effect this has on students- from teachers more focused on a score, less able to engage with student's unique needs and perspectives to students disengaging from the learning experience. My students are constantly in awe when I tell them how little my classrooms were standarized in MTSD and how much I was able to enjoy and engage with learning. If the central administration is not willing to listen to the clear chorus of voices on this issue from the current constituents, and those who will be most affected, take a lesson from history (the subject currently being debated)- this standardization does not work. It does not work here in Texas and it will not benefit our students in MTSD. Emily Brooke, LMSW Class of '09
MHS class of 2012