Do you even remember how many times we did try to fix it (even though WE are the students and it's not our job)?
M
Mary Claire Smith
10 years ago
We can't just settle for a teacher like mr S just to give him a job. To be a teacher you have to be a decent musician and anyone can tell he is not that. It's not fair and pointless to make students "suck it up" and stick with him when they don't have to. Mr S still plays in a quartet and has mrs s to hook him up with a new job at a middle school or something. It's not our fault mr s was a bad teacher so it's not our fault he's getting fired. Nor was it any of our decisions but the board.
F
Fiona Thurow
10 years ago
I hate to get involved but I hope all of you know we just deprived a man of a salary, which will most likely put a huge dent in his life. His humor has stepped over the line a few times, however deep down he is a good person and I would rather not take my chances with a new orchestra teacher. Even though we most likely can't change anything at this point, I think we had it just fine with Mr. S. I've noticed that the majority of people opposed to Mr. S are freshman, and I'd just like to say that middle school orchestra is way more laid back than high school anyways, you have to learn that things like this get more serious as you grow older. As a sophomore, I've gotten to know him and he has genuinely cared about my well being throughout the course of my orchestra career as a viola, and I couldn't ask for more. No one is perfect and we all have our flaws. I think we need to be more accepting and realize teachers are human too, and we won't ever have a teacher that is unanimously adored, because everyone has a unique definition of perfect. People are expecting another Ms. Kazda to roll around, but sometimes you have to look for the good in a teacher rather than the bad. A student is only as good as they are willing to be.
D
Daphne Kolody
10 years ago
Featured
The freshmen need to suck it up this is ridiculous. He is a very good teacher and this school should be grateful that we even have a music department like this. Firing teachers will not fix any mistakes, you need to help fix them instead. A forceful approach is never ok.
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
If you all think this is the last teacher that you will encounter that will treat you "poorly", you are strongly mistaken. It is disheartening to see a bunch of kids complain about a teacher and think they are entitled to so much. Just wait until you are in college or the working world, you will work with employees and have professors that do not care what you do, and your complaining then will do nothing. Here, in high school, Mr. S cares. Show some respect and have tough skin because if you think he's tough and strict, then you have difficult road ahead of you. You are taking a man's livelihood away from him, I hope you keep that in consideration. Three orchestra teachers in four years. Mr. S isn't making orchestra look like a joke, you are by getting rid of every single orchestra director we have.
E
Emily Watts
10 years ago
Nicely said.
J
Jason Schlicher
10 years ago
To bad most of it is bull.
J
John Le
10 years ago
I like Mr.S a lot. sure he's stricter, but I feel I've needed that my entire career. I feel like I've learned a lot.
J
Jason Schlicher
10 years ago
TBH I didn't like Mrs.Brown. I didn't try to get her to lose her job though that may be because I'm not a phil student.
J
Jason Schlicher
10 years ago
Just a thought but maybe you guys have a bad opinion of him going in causing you to hate everything. Only the orchestras you're all in seem to have problems, and why should the school have to fix your social problems with Mr.S. Couldn't do it yourself because you already determined his fate?
S
Stu Grant
10 years ago
First off, calm yourself. Obviously no everyone is gonna like Mr. S. That is just how it's gonna go. But he isn't a bad teacher. He does respect us, and his random mess ups make for some pretty funny moments. I feel like you're one of those people who is in the second row and believes they should be in the front and is too stuborn to accept the fact they aren't good enough to be front row. So sit down, shut your mouth and have fun. If you're in phil and can't handle it, maybe you should change that.
J
Jason Schlicher
10 years ago
MATT SMITH!!!!!!!
D
Delfina Manz
10 years ago
Featured
He should stay. He has improved my little sister in so many ways when it comes to playing the violin. Honestly if the freshman that are "tattling" on him, shouldn't even be in high school yet if there getting there little feeling hurt.
V
Valinda Kennedy
10 years ago
Very surprised and disheartened to see Mr. S being put in this position. Many students, my daughter, included have learned a great deal under Mr S and hope their voices will be heard: Mr S is a good teacher and they (with their parents support) want to heard -- they want the Mr S to continue to teach and guide them in their musical growth and development.
M
Mary Claire Smith
10 years ago
One of the main issues of Mr. S is that he doesn't take people's suggestions. I can say I have personally confronted him multiple times about the way he treats other students and absolutely nothing has changed.
M
Mary Claire Smith
10 years ago
Trust me the board would not fire him for no reason. They didn't make this decision based off of petty complaints, they did it because of serious issues that have been happening for the past 2 years and not just from this one semester that you have been at BHS.
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
I honestly think he should stay. He does sometimes have no filter and he may be a bit awkward at times but he is good at exposing us to things outside of Batavia, like going to concerts and playing at U of I. The personality might have a flaw. I do wish that he would let us play less classical music but, he has opened his mind to letting us vote on music, which is a start. I think he is still trying to learn like we are. If you ever feel like he offends you, let him know and he might change. He will never improve if you don't give him feedback.
M
Matthew Smith
10 years ago
Let me just say speaking from someone who has been in Batavia High School Orchestra all 4 years. I have seen how our orchestra was with Miss Brown and I have seen what it has become with Mr. S. There really is no comparison it's night and day. Miss Brown was one of the best conductors that we could've had in a high school orchestra. To go from that to a guy who doesn't seem to know what he is doing is simply ridiculous. I'm in Phil as well as Chamber orchestra and sometimes WE have to correct him on when he's wrong (which is too many times to count) and that is simply something that should NOT happen when you're a teacher and got a college degree in music. He's not only a bad conductor, but he's a bad musician. He can't even play the music that he expects us to play every day. These are just terrible characteristics of a teacher that should have never been hired in the first place. The guy can't even keep a steady beat, let alone conduct an entire orchestra. Whether he is a good guy or not simply isn't important. What IS important is for him to be a good teacher and conductor.... which he is neither of those things.
M
Mary Claire Smith
10 years ago
The solution DOESN'T have to be to fire him. The school tried many times to make him more negotiable and respectful. A counselor once had to come and watch him FINALLY compromise with us. It was the first vote we ever got to take in Phil. Not to mention on multiple occasions a counselor asked different people in Phil how they felt about how Mr. S was treating them.
J
Jason Schlicher
10 years ago
I wonder how many people actually hate Mr.S? Is it just as many that will hate the next teacher? Sadly, I have heard complaints about the choir teacher, but even with all there voice training I guess they couldn't be louder than phil. Not like you should ignore those people because they should definitely be addressed. Does the solution have to be someone has to lose there job? I guess if it's impossible for people to change then maybe.
Do you even remember how many times we did try to fix it (even though WE are the students and it's not our job)?
We can't just settle for a teacher like mr S just to give him a job. To be a teacher you have to be a decent musician and anyone can tell he is not that. It's not fair and pointless to make students "suck it up" and stick with him when they don't have to. Mr S still plays in a quartet and has mrs s to hook him up with a new job at a middle school or something. It's not our fault mr s was a bad teacher so it's not our fault he's getting fired. Nor was it any of our decisions but the board.
I hate to get involved but I hope all of you know we just deprived a man of a salary, which will most likely put a huge dent in his life. His humor has stepped over the line a few times, however deep down he is a good person and I would rather not take my chances with a new orchestra teacher. Even though we most likely can't change anything at this point, I think we had it just fine with Mr. S. I've noticed that the majority of people opposed to Mr. S are freshman, and I'd just like to say that middle school orchestra is way more laid back than high school anyways, you have to learn that things like this get more serious as you grow older. As a sophomore, I've gotten to know him and he has genuinely cared about my well being throughout the course of my orchestra career as a viola, and I couldn't ask for more. No one is perfect and we all have our flaws. I think we need to be more accepting and realize teachers are human too, and we won't ever have a teacher that is unanimously adored, because everyone has a unique definition of perfect. People are expecting another Ms. Kazda to roll around, but sometimes you have to look for the good in a teacher rather than the bad. A student is only as good as they are willing to be.
The freshmen need to suck it up this is ridiculous. He is a very good teacher and this school should be grateful that we even have a music department like this. Firing teachers will not fix any mistakes, you need to help fix them instead. A forceful approach is never ok.
If you all think this is the last teacher that you will encounter that will treat you "poorly", you are strongly mistaken. It is disheartening to see a bunch of kids complain about a teacher and think they are entitled to so much. Just wait until you are in college or the working world, you will work with employees and have professors that do not care what you do, and your complaining then will do nothing. Here, in high school, Mr. S cares. Show some respect and have tough skin because if you think he's tough and strict, then you have difficult road ahead of you. You are taking a man's livelihood away from him, I hope you keep that in consideration. Three orchestra teachers in four years. Mr. S isn't making orchestra look like a joke, you are by getting rid of every single orchestra director we have.
Nicely said.
To bad most of it is bull.
I like Mr.S a lot. sure he's stricter, but I feel I've needed that my entire career. I feel like I've learned a lot.
TBH I didn't like Mrs.Brown. I didn't try to get her to lose her job though that may be because I'm not a phil student.
Just a thought but maybe you guys have a bad opinion of him going in causing you to hate everything. Only the orchestras you're all in seem to have problems, and why should the school have to fix your social problems with Mr.S. Couldn't do it yourself because you already determined his fate?
First off, calm yourself. Obviously no everyone is gonna like Mr. S. That is just how it's gonna go. But he isn't a bad teacher. He does respect us, and his random mess ups make for some pretty funny moments. I feel like you're one of those people who is in the second row and believes they should be in the front and is too stuborn to accept the fact they aren't good enough to be front row. So sit down, shut your mouth and have fun. If you're in phil and can't handle it, maybe you should change that.
MATT SMITH!!!!!!!
He should stay. He has improved my little sister in so many ways when it comes to playing the violin. Honestly if the freshman that are "tattling" on him, shouldn't even be in high school yet if there getting there little feeling hurt.
Very surprised and disheartened to see Mr. S being put in this position. Many students, my daughter, included have learned a great deal under Mr S and hope their voices will be heard: Mr S is a good teacher and they (with their parents support) want to heard -- they want the Mr S to continue to teach and guide them in their musical growth and development.
One of the main issues of Mr. S is that he doesn't take people's suggestions. I can say I have personally confronted him multiple times about the way he treats other students and absolutely nothing has changed.
Trust me the board would not fire him for no reason. They didn't make this decision based off of petty complaints, they did it because of serious issues that have been happening for the past 2 years and not just from this one semester that you have been at BHS.
I honestly think he should stay. He does sometimes have no filter and he may be a bit awkward at times but he is good at exposing us to things outside of Batavia, like going to concerts and playing at U of I. The personality might have a flaw. I do wish that he would let us play less classical music but, he has opened his mind to letting us vote on music, which is a start. I think he is still trying to learn like we are. If you ever feel like he offends you, let him know and he might change. He will never improve if you don't give him feedback.
Let me just say speaking from someone who has been in Batavia High School Orchestra all 4 years. I have seen how our orchestra was with Miss Brown and I have seen what it has become with Mr. S. There really is no comparison it's night and day. Miss Brown was one of the best conductors that we could've had in a high school orchestra. To go from that to a guy who doesn't seem to know what he is doing is simply ridiculous. I'm in Phil as well as Chamber orchestra and sometimes WE have to correct him on when he's wrong (which is too many times to count) and that is simply something that should NOT happen when you're a teacher and got a college degree in music. He's not only a bad conductor, but he's a bad musician. He can't even play the music that he expects us to play every day. These are just terrible characteristics of a teacher that should have never been hired in the first place. The guy can't even keep a steady beat, let alone conduct an entire orchestra. Whether he is a good guy or not simply isn't important. What IS important is for him to be a good teacher and conductor.... which he is neither of those things.
The solution DOESN'T have to be to fire him. The school tried many times to make him more negotiable and respectful. A counselor once had to come and watch him FINALLY compromise with us. It was the first vote we ever got to take in Phil. Not to mention on multiple occasions a counselor asked different people in Phil how they felt about how Mr. S was treating them.
I wonder how many people actually hate Mr.S? Is it just as many that will hate the next teacher? Sadly, I have heard complaints about the choir teacher, but even with all there voice training I guess they couldn't be louder than phil. Not like you should ignore those people because they should definitely be addressed. Does the solution have to be someone has to lose there job? I guess if it's impossible for people to change then maybe.