Mr. Allen's Fans

Yes, the silence IS deafening. The question is, while we all sign and comment, IS ANYONE LISTENING??? Who will bring back Mr. Allen? Who will protect our remaining faculty and staff? Who will demonstrate leadership to the student body commensurate with our school's values? Who will Save Our School?? A headmistress responsible for these decisions who has yet to provide answers? Who sends an email to the entire school attempting to portray Mr. Allen's departure as a surprise?? Longtime Board Members who support her? As for me, until Mr. Allen is returned home AND leadership changes are made, I plan to: 1. BOYCOTT EXTRAVAGANZA!! Let's bring Mr. Allen back and make him this years' Extravaganza honoree! 2. Call, write, email (the school, the board, the network of sacred heart schools) all week - Flood them with your demands until someone listens!! 3. Pray. Feel free to include these hashtags with your comment if you agree: #BRINGMRALLENBACK #BOYCOTTEXTRAVAGANZA

Please don't wait to contact the media! Nothing has been done. No answers given. It really appears as if they're just waiting for this to blow over. While our image may be temporarily tarnished, this step seems necessary to force the administration's hand and our school will be better for it tomorrow!!

I miss you Mr. Allen, I hope you are back soon.

As a visitor to this fine school, it was always a pleasure to have Mr. Allen greet and welcome us. My parents were regular visitors to the school, and also had the pleasure of Mr. Allen's professional demeanor. It is travesty what the administration has done to him and to Mrs. Gleaves. Making up stories to get both these long time dedicated employees fired is a total injustice. The Board needs to act to rectify the situation now.

Dear Mrs. Swenson, I attended Duchesne Academy for three years in middle school. Every day, without fail, Mr. Allen was there to greet me. He knows every girls name, and he makes every person who visits our campus feel safe and welcome, regardless of color, race, class, or creed. I recently visited last spring, and he still remembered my name. This is the type of dedication and compassion that is not found elsewhere. Mr. Allen is the heart and soul of Duchesne Academy, and the school will not be the same without him. Shame on you and your administration for “reassigning” a wonderful man who loves all the girls dearly. Shame on you for claiming to “not know” about his reassignment. Shame on you for deliberately masking the real issues going on at Duchesne. If you really "did not know” about the incidents that were occurring on your own campus, you are unfit to hold your position as a headmaster. You and the staff who made this decision do not embody the spirit of the Sacred Heart community. You should be ashamed of yourselves for choosing a perceived public image over thirty years of dedicated service from Mr. Allen. If your perception of the Sacred Heart values includes “reassigning" dedicated members of the staff, your resignation should be at hand. Please take a moment of your day to look at these signatures and comments. Possibly these 545 comments and 1,542 signatures from current students, retired faculty, and alumni across the country will help override the 1 complaint about Mr. Allen. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mr-alans-fans James 4:17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Mr Allen, you are simply the best school security guard in Texas. As a student at SH we received Notes for good/bad behavior. Excellent was the highest level. I think a new category should be created to include your performance at DASH. That would be OUTSTANDING. Take care, Sir I trust you will be back on campus soon. Mrs Gleaves, I am so sorry to hear about your situation. You were an excellent teacher, coach and mentor to my youngest daughter. Simply put, you rocked! Hope all gets sorted out soon.

What a great stand up man. I will have his back till the end. Keep your head up Mr. ALAN you number one in my book

We presume that leadership in SH schools make decisions based on the philosophy of SH education as articulated in the Goals and Criteria. Seems not to be so in the case of this Head of School. The uproar around Mr. Allen's transfer is a measure of the community's fidelity to relationships, it's commitment to social justice, it's respect for tradition and a belief that people == all people == really, really matter. Ms. Swenson purports to transparent, open communication, but keeps her door shut. What a shame. What a shame.

Thank you for the suggestion! If you are able please do let the teachers and extended faculty know what they mean to you; they are hurting too.

I am a Duchesne alum, and I am outraged by this decision. The school spent every day shoving the five goals of the Sacred Heart down our throats, but they could not be bothered to follow them themselves. They should be ashamed of themselves. I have many powerful connections in the media and online, and I'm prepared to use them if they refuse to do anything besides send a lame email that does nothing to address the problem. Duchesne should be /our/ school - us being the curent students, the past students, the families of students. We have all dedicated a lot of time and money. We cannot let shady administration ruin a once great school. We should fight back. And Mr. Allen, we love you!

I heard that we have gotten some attention at various levels of the Sacred Heart so please don't despair yet of a positive outcome. Frustration can lead to giving up or acting out. As we wait, I urge you to email your daughter's teachers and let them know how much they mean to you, bring some cookies for the office staff and yes, for the other security guards. It is not their fault. On the Go Fund Me site this morning I saw a lovely testament to Mr. Allen and his influence on a family when they first visited the school. I have copied it below. I hope the school realizes how much they have gained from Mr. Allen's bubbly personality and his unabashed love for Duchesne all these years. "Mr. Allen... you were the first person I met at Duchesne when we came to tour the school! You personally walked me into the admissions office so that I wouldn't be confused where to go. You made me feel welcome and I could tell you were protective of the school. You seemed to know everyone and were aware of who did or did not belong there. That kind of dedication is irreplaceable. It was an impressive first impression of you and the school in general. On that walk, you told me about the school community and how much it meant to you. I remember thinking that you had convinced me that this was an amazing place to be and I felt hopeful that we too could be a part of what you described. We feel so fortunate to be a part of Duchesne and the entire community which includes you. We always looked forward to seeing you on campus. We are hopeful that you will be back soon because it isn't the same without you! Emily wants you to know that she misses you too and that she loves your smile. I have no idea what is going on or why you are not there but we hope that you are back quickly! You are in our thoughts and prayers."

To Mrs. Gleaves, Thank you for sharing your story. I am so terribly sorry for the pain you have suffered.

Please bring Mr. Allen back to Duchesne.

"The true measure of a heart is not how much we love, but how much we are loved by others." Oz to Dorothy. Amen!

"Echo Lane" Wants Mr. Allen back!!!

bring him back we love him!!!!

Respectfully, Mrs Gleaves was not the first blow to the faculty/staff. Look over the number of faculty that have "left" over the last three years. It is time to begin connecting the dots.

People like Allen make Duchesne what it is. What a sad thing that someone has decided to destroy the true spirit of this school. Love you Allen! The Dussauds

Why does Leadership matter? To provide purpose, set standards and create an environment that helps get the best results. In the absence of leadership nothing else matters and all else is fair game. It is time to stop the madness and address the real issues at hand.... That is if the real issues can be addressed. Most of us seem to believe that they cannot as so many more "issues" have now surfaced far beyond Mr Allen. Let us be clear... Silence is deafening and not a Sacred Heart value we wish to condone. Too much has gone on and our school and her values now are in jeopardy... Someone please stand up and speak for the school....

We miss you!!