Save the Marching Wildcats!
The Riley High School Marching band has proven to be an incredibly important organization in the school for years. Under the leadership of our directors, Dan Balog and Jeff Gorman, we have been able to get a gold ranking in the ISSMA competition for the past 12 years. However, due to staff changes in the fall of 2013, our band has suffered. We ask for your assistance and support toward restoring our band to its former leadership.
We are concerned that the proposed band director replacement, Linda Howard, would be an unfit addition to our band. Many parents, former students, and current students of her do not hold her in high regard. Due to her lack of marching band experience, we understand her presence in our band to be nothing but detrimental to the performance level of the band.
This petition is to restore the leadership of our band solely to Mr. Balog and Mr. Gorman. They have already stated that if Mrs. Howard is given the job, they will leave the band. Without Mr. Balog and Mr. Gorman, the band will fall apart, and all the beloved traditions it upholds such as performing at halftime during football games and playing pep band music at basketball games will end. The student body's school spirit of Riley High School will never be the same.
If you support keeping the band directors, please sign this online petition. Please help us save our band and continue to be the "Pride of the South Side". Your support is greatly appreciated!
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
May 22, 2015
May 22, 2015
I keep refreshing the page and seeing the tally tick up and it is honestly wild that we are nearly at five hundred names already. If you can get a link over to someone else who cares about the band before the meeting happens that would honestly be everything right now because we really just need to show them how many people are actually watching this unfold.
Reached 100 supporters
May 21, 2015
May 18, 2015
Seeing the numbers creep up is honestly pretty wild but we have to push harder because once we hit a hundred people will finally have to look at this thing. Honestly just tell someone else because if we stop now the momentum just dies and I really need you guys to keep talking about this.
173 Comments
I'm a junior in band right now, and if Gorman and balog leave, so will I. They are two of the best teachers I've ever had. I have nothing against ms. Howard but I know that mr. Gorman and mr. Balog don't need help from a third director. They've created a legacy at Riley
My youngest son who is at Lasalle will drop out of band if the spot is taken over by this teacher...we may even relocate him to another high school. I would hate to see this effect the wonderful band program Riley has had all these years, because of the teachers.
Mr.Balog and Mr.Gorman kept band class fun. They know how to run the band and teach the classes. And they are great Teachers and people. Why change a tradition after so many years. I remember multiple times we would have to let Mrs.Howard's kids in her class since she wasn't on time.
I know all three teachers involved. My 5 children have done either band or orchestra with at least one of them. Mr Gorman is an excellent teacher and I hold him in high regard. I wish I could say the same for Mrs Howard but I can't. She caused my children to want to quit.
I had Mrs. Howard as an orchestra teacher. She is a kind hearted woman, but she definitely does not have the experience needed to do the job as band director. She should not be awarded a job because of tenure.
Please save the RHS band! We need to keep the current directors!
Please save the RHS band! We need to keep Bal
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Save the Marching Wildcats!
The Riley High School Marching band has proven to be an incredibly important organization in the school for years. Under the leadership of our directors, Dan Balog and Jeff Gorman, we have been able to get a gold ranking in the ISSMA competition for the past 12 years. However, due to staff changes in the fall of 2013, our band has suffered. We ask for your assistance and support toward restoring our band to its former leadership.
We are concerned that the proposed band director replacement, Linda Howard, would be an unfit addition to our band. Many parents, former students, and current students of her do not hold her in high regard. Due to her lack of marching band experience, we understand her presence in our band to be nothing but detrimental to the performance level of the band.
This petition is to restore the leadership of our band solely to Mr. Balog and Mr. Gorman. They have already stated that if Mrs. Howard is given the job, they will leave the band. Without Mr. Balog and Mr. Gorman, the band will fall apart, and all the beloved traditions it upholds such as performing at halftime during football games and playing pep band music at basketball games will end. The student body's school spirit of Riley High School will never be the same.
If you support keeping the band directors, please sign this online petition. Please help us save our band and continue to be the "Pride of the South Side". Your support is greatly appreciated!
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
May 22, 2015
May 22, 2015
I keep refreshing the page and seeing the tally tick up and it is honestly wild that we are nearly at five hundred names already. If you can get a link over to someone else who cares about the band before the meeting happens that would honestly be everything right now because we really just need to show them how many people are actually watching this unfold.
Reached 100 supporters
May 21, 2015
May 18, 2015
Seeing the numbers creep up is honestly pretty wild but we have to push harder because once we hit a hundred people will finally have to look at this thing. Honestly just tell someone else because if we stop now the momentum just dies and I really need you guys to keep talking about this.
173 Comments
I have experience with Linda Howard as an orchestra director with one of my older children, and in a word, she was a disaster. She is not qualified for this job. Riley band has a history of excellence...lets keep it that way
I'm a junior in band right now, and if Gorman and balog leave, so will I. They are two of the best teachers I've ever had. I have nothing against ms. Howard but I know that mr. Gorman and mr. Balog don't need help from a third director. They've created a legacy at Riley
My youngest son who is at Lasalle will drop out of band if the spot is taken over by this teacher...we may even relocate him to another high school. I would hate to see this effect the wonderful band program Riley has had all these years, because of the teachers.
Mr.Balog and Mr.Gorman kept band class fun. They know how to run the band and teach the classes. And they are great Teachers and people. Why change a tradition after so many years. I remember multiple times we would have to let Mrs.Howard's kids in her class since she wasn't on time.
I know all three teachers involved. My 5 children have done either band or orchestra with at least one of them. Mr Gorman is an excellent teacher and I hold him in high regard. I wish I could say the same for Mrs Howard but I can't. She caused my children to want to quit.
I had Mrs. Howard as an orchestra teacher. She is a kind hearted woman, but she definitely does not have the experience needed to do the job as band director. She should not be awarded a job because of tenure.
Please save the RHS band! We need to keep the current directors!
Please save the RHS band! We need to keep Bal
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I have experience with Linda Howard as an orchestra director with one of my older children, and in a word, she was a disaster. She is not qualified for this job. Riley band has a history of excellence...lets keep it that way