To the Exeter High School Administration and all whom it may concern:

We value our education, and the most important aspect of our education is the teachers who share with us their wisdom and enthusiasm. These mentors care for our development as scholars and individuals. Many of the teachers at EHS impact our lives in lasting ways: we talk about them, quote them, and remember them for years after graduating.

Ms. Katharyn Wheeler-Smith is an educator no one forgets. She is a singular personality at EHS and a teacher of the exceptional quality students are lucky to witness once in the duration of their scholarly careers.  

We are protesting the sudden and unexplained removal of our teacher. If the administration has a valid reason for keeping Wheeler-Smith from finishing the year and her career at EHS, we respect that decision and know that we do not have access to the information that gave rise to her removal; however, if the question of Wheeler-Smith’s character and qualifications is disputed, we want to express our opinions that EHS is a better place with her around. The following testimonials illustrate the wide-spread support Wheeler inspires:

“In 1994 I had the privilege of being in Ms. Wheeler-Smith’s class… her hard way of teaching prepared me for the real world!!!”

“She’s the only teacher that got through to me and I hate that I have to finish my senior year without her.”

 “There were times I hated her and thought she was the hardest teacher out there, but I realized that all the hard work only made me a better reader and writer in the long run.”

“It’s one of the only classes where you actually had to do the homework to pass. I think that qualifies as learning.”

“She's not an easy teacher, we all know that, but she honestly cares for all of her students… she made me and all of my class strive to do our best. We got so excited when we got a B on our papers because she doesn’t hand those out freely and we knew we earned it.”

“She’s one of the most intelligent teachers at our school! She’s also the funniest and the most genuinely sweet teacher I had!”

“The passion that Wheeler has for the literature she reads is unparalleled by any other teacher I had. She may not be the easiest person to get along with, and she’s certainly not the nicest, but she’s real. She’s the only adult I know is actively working to prepare me for college, and the world outside our safe little EHS-sized nest. She has taught me countless lessons, pushed me to really analyze, and learn from my mistakes. Wheeler-Smith deserves to be back. She has earned the right, and she should retain it.”

 “She’s the best teacher ever.”

“Some people may not like Wheeler as a person, but we all respect her as a teacher.”

“Aside from her electric personality that we all loved (most of the time), she took the time to get to know each of her students well, through writing and discussion.”

“I was in her CP Advanced Skills class and she was the first teacher I ever had to actually teach me grammar.”

“Because of her unusual teaching styles and witty sense of humor, she was able to reach out to me and many others in a way no other teacher has been able to do. Just by the way she speaks anyone can tell how intelligent she is and that she is trying to teach you much more than grammar. Her class and teaching style was the only things from EHS that remotely prepared me for college. NONE of my other teachers at EHS had a rigorous curriculum like hers, which is parallel to that of a college course. Without her, I do not believe I would be where I am today. She is not only a fantastic teacher; I could always rely on her to answer my emails and my questions, both in high school and college.”

“The books we read in Wheeler’s class were looked upon as impressive by my college professors and helped my abilities to participate in many discussions that were held in my classes.”

“She not only wants us to do our best in academics; she wants us to be polite and courteous…”

 “I’m in Wheeler’s senior English class. Even for an academic class it was no easy A. Wheeler’s goal as a teacher was to prepare us for college, even if in our class it’s assumed to be community college, and to ensure that when we graduate it is because we deserve to graduate. Wheeler had no problem failing a senior if he didn’t try. That’s not her being a bad teacher. That’s her making students earn their diplomas and I for one enjoyed that.”

“She treats you like adults… and I truly respect her for that… future students deserve to have her as a teacher.”

 “There have been so many times when I’ve been writing a paper and stopped and said ‘NOPE Wheeler wouldn’t like that.’”

 “In all my years of school I have yet to find a teacher that I learned more from. Even when I wanted to die from her class it was still my favorite because I love that woman. She truly cared about each student individually and made sure she prepared them the best that she could, which I can honestly say that she did for me…”

“The students who didn’t believe Wheeler is a great teacher are those who are simply unwilling to listen to her. If you ask her for help, she gives it. She doesn’t accept laziness, and that is what makes her great.”

“Wheeler actually made me want to learn… She pushed everyone to do better (whether we liked it or not) and believed we could.”

“I left AP Lit feeling like I could tackle any paper thrown my way… While her class is difficult, it feels that much more amazing when you make it to the end of the year with a grade you worked hard to earn. She genuinely cares for all of us and wants us to not only succeed in her class, but in life as well… I cannot imagine EHS without her.”

The students who signed this petition have all been affected by the teacher and character who is Ms. Wheeler-Smith. We come from a variety of class levels and from many years of Ms. Wheeler-Smith’s career here in Exeter. Many of us know the pain of staying up late to finish a “Wheeler paper,” of receiving an abysmal grade on an assignment that would have been an A in the eyes of a less challenging teacher, or of receiving long-due criticism. We have all grown from these experiences. We have learned that only our best work is worthy of the best grades, that sometimes it takes effort to earn one’s respect, and that someone who seems tough and intimidating can also be funny and can care deeply about her students. Despite, or because of the amount of effort Wheeler-Smith’s classes have required, we have been challenged to never stop improving.

Ms. Wheeler-Smith is the type of teacher EHS needs. She is among the teachers who raises the standards of our school and offers an education that does not coddle students or allow them to do less than their best. We are signing this petition because we believe Wheeler-Smith has been an inspirational educator who changed lives and is an irreplaceable member of the EHS faculty.

Please hear the voices of those who are affected most by the decisions of who shall teach here at Exeter High School.

Thank you for your consideration.

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